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Le Mur #1-3
The Wall
In a post-apocalyptic future, civilization is no more and humanity lives on looting and hacking, organizing itself into makeshift villages or caravans of roaring wrecks. In this brutal society, a young repairman named Solal does what he can to protect his sister Eva, who suffers from a respiratory illness. But when their medication runs out, they have only one hope: to go to the “Wall”, a gigantic impregnable enclosure guarded by monstrous robots. Inside that fabled shelter lives a community of powerful people with the resources to help them... but all is not as optimistic as it seems…
Collecting the full dystopic trilogy created by film director Antoine Charreyron and artist Mario Alberti, THE WALL is a fast-paced survival story mixing elements of science fiction and horror in perfect blockbuster proportions. Brimming with the nihilism of Mad Max and The Walking Dead, this gripping drama plunges us into a maelstrom of dust, rust, and blood. A graphic feat for a wild and post-apocalyptic road movie that, in the purest tradition of the genre, questions the future of humanity and the consequences of our actions.
Collecting the full dystopic trilogy created by film director Antoine Charreyron and artist Mario Alberti, THE WALL is a fast-paced survival story mixing elements of science fiction and horror in perfect blockbuster proportions. Brimming with the nihilism of Mad Max and The Walking Dead, this gripping drama plunges us into a maelstrom of dust, rust, and blood. A graphic feat for a wild and post-apocalyptic road movie that, in the purest tradition of the genre, questions the future of humanity and the consequences of our actions.
164 pages, Hardcover
First published January 15, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
November 5, 2021
Despite the professed love for original stories this graphic novel feels oddly derivative. Also the medium doesn't really suit the many battles the book contains very well, an anime or game rendering would have been more effective
People hate difficult questions but they love easy answers
The Wall is a graphic novel set in a post apocalyptic world were a brother and sister try to find medicine in a remaining sanctuary called Eden. Far from The Road this is more Mad Max like, with a desert Mediterranean bassin. The story broadly plays out as one might expect, with Eden having been build by selfish people who wanted to hide away with champagne from migrants. The morality in the book is rather black and white, there is insta-love and techno-zombies and lots of rather confusing battles. The characters are very stereotypical and basically this is the graphic novel equivalent of this anime: https://www.netflix.com/nl/title/8099..., and with the same kind of plot but less fun as this movie: https://www.netflix.com/nl/title/8109...
Rather a disappointment storewise, despite the art style being quite pleasing.
People hate difficult questions but they love easy answers
The Wall is a graphic novel set in a post apocalyptic world were a brother and sister try to find medicine in a remaining sanctuary called Eden. Far from The Road this is more Mad Max like, with a desert Mediterranean bassin. The story broadly plays out as one might expect, with Eden having been build by selfish people who wanted to hide away with champagne from migrants. The morality in the book is rather black and white, there is insta-love and techno-zombies and lots of rather confusing battles. The characters are very stereotypical and basically this is the graphic novel equivalent of this anime: https://www.netflix.com/nl/title/8099..., and with the same kind of plot but less fun as this movie: https://www.netflix.com/nl/title/8109...
Rather a disappointment storewise, despite the art style being quite pleasing.
November 8, 2021
Thank you Netgalley for providing me with this ARC of The Wall by Antoine Charreyron and Mario Alberti. I’m grateful for the opportunity to have read it and give feedback.
The Wall follows a young mechanic and his kid sister in a post-apocalyptic wasteland. Her medicine runs out, and the last place they can go for more is in a fortified enclosure defended by an insanely huge robot. There are twists and turns, but think Elysium, Mad Max, and World War Z.
First off, the art was gorgeous. I loved the look of the Wall, and the community within, as well as how desolate the outside really is. I thought it was quite original, but there are a few things that irked me to the point where it was an unenjoyable read.
So much of this could have and should have worked, if not for the bizarre pacing. It felt very choppy at times and I’m not quite sure why it was done that way. It resulted in things moving far too quickly, especially in times where it shouldn’t be moving that quickly. Maybe it was to keep the page-count short or to give it an “action” feel? I don’t know.
While I do think the art is stunning (especially behind the wall), I honestly had no idea what was happening half the time. At times, it felt more like storyboarding for a movie (which didn’t translate well into a book like this) and so I think it was the focus on action that gave the art such a disjointed feel. I really had to think and squint to see who was who, or even what they were doing half the time.
All in all, I was pretty disappointed by this. It sounded really interesting, and despite a couple of hiccups along the way, the twist at the end of the first chapter/book really intrigued me. But after that it just seemed to devolve into mindless (and confusing) action that didn’t make much sense to me.
The Wall follows a young mechanic and his kid sister in a post-apocalyptic wasteland. Her medicine runs out, and the last place they can go for more is in a fortified enclosure defended by an insanely huge robot. There are twists and turns, but think Elysium, Mad Max, and World War Z.
First off, the art was gorgeous. I loved the look of the Wall, and the community within, as well as how desolate the outside really is. I thought it was quite original, but there are a few things that irked me to the point where it was an unenjoyable read.
So much of this could have and should have worked, if not for the bizarre pacing. It felt very choppy at times and I’m not quite sure why it was done that way. It resulted in things moving far too quickly, especially in times where it shouldn’t be moving that quickly. Maybe it was to keep the page-count short or to give it an “action” feel? I don’t know.
While I do think the art is stunning (especially behind the wall), I honestly had no idea what was happening half the time. At times, it felt more like storyboarding for a movie (which didn’t translate well into a book like this) and so I think it was the focus on action that gave the art such a disjointed feel. I really had to think and squint to see who was who, or even what they were doing half the time.
All in all, I was pretty disappointed by this. It sounded really interesting, and despite a couple of hiccups along the way, the twist at the end of the first chapter/book really intrigued me. But after that it just seemed to devolve into mindless (and confusing) action that didn’t make much sense to me.
November 6, 2021
Приятно заглавие, главно заради хубавите илюстрации, в традиционен американски стил. Както героите, така и цялостният му вид говори за същински американски комикс. И историята включвам към това.
Не разказва кой знае какво. Липсва му епичност, липсва му... като цяло много неща му липсват, но може би е за хора, които ще се наслаждават на арта, точно като мен. Напомня ми на други популярни заглавия в антиутопичния жанр, тоест не изпъква с нищо пред тях. Наскоро, в новия аниме сезон, тръгна едно заглавие, което се нарича Sakugan. През цялото време този комикс ми напомняше най-вече за него.
Не разказва кой знае какво. Липсва му епичност, липсва му... като цяло много неща му липсват, но може би е за хора, които ще се наслаждават на арта, точно като мен. Напомня ми на други популярни заглавия в антиутопичния жанр, тоест не изпъква с нищо пред тях. Наскоро, в новия аниме сезон, тръгна едно заглавие, което се нарича Sakugan. През цялото време този комикс ми напомняше най-вече за него.
November 5, 2021
I've written before about how I dislike Jean David Morvan books, and I now realise I like them just as little when his name isn't on the cover. That's to say his style, or lack thereof, seems to be all over everything else on these pages. Allegedly about a future world, where a young bloke and his sick sister need to breach a mahoosive Wall to get out of their post-Apocalyptic surroundings and find medicine and the greener grass of the other side, it comes at you like Mad Max Four, with half the frames missing.
Seriously, I didn't get through the first 'Tome 1' here – this book presenting the whole original trilogy of BDs – without breaking out into Skip Mode. The art is very much Morvan's, in other words you can't tell one person from another. So many pages seemed to be the left-hand half of a double-page spread, without the accompanying chunk to make sense of what the heck followed on. Our leads are soon taken on board by a tribal gang who use some vehicle thing called Baits, and while the plot cannot be at all bothered to tell us why these are being used, the visuals completely fail to give any clear presentation whatsoever of them in motion.
Yes, there is a twist that ends the original Book One, but nothing inspired me to ever click beyond that. The whole aesthetic, the weak character design meaning you care about nobody here, and the utter, utter lack of clarity as to who is who and what's what and why, mean this sits upon a growing pile of French genre comics that just do not work. Yes, books can easily be hard work and wonderful, but these – in fitting just half that equation – seriously need to have a look at themselves. Because I doubt I'll be looking any longer.
Seriously, I didn't get through the first 'Tome 1' here – this book presenting the whole original trilogy of BDs – without breaking out into Skip Mode. The art is very much Morvan's, in other words you can't tell one person from another. So many pages seemed to be the left-hand half of a double-page spread, without the accompanying chunk to make sense of what the heck followed on. Our leads are soon taken on board by a tribal gang who use some vehicle thing called Baits, and while the plot cannot be at all bothered to tell us why these are being used, the visuals completely fail to give any clear presentation whatsoever of them in motion.
Yes, there is a twist that ends the original Book One, but nothing inspired me to ever click beyond that. The whole aesthetic, the weak character design meaning you care about nobody here, and the utter, utter lack of clarity as to who is who and what's what and why, mean this sits upon a growing pile of French genre comics that just do not work. Yes, books can easily be hard work and wonderful, but these – in fitting just half that equation – seriously need to have a look at themselves. Because I doubt I'll be looking any longer.
November 16, 2021
There is so much about The Wall that should have worked!
Firstly, it's clear from the author's introduction that this story was initially intended for the screen which means the premise is incredibly cinematic - a young mechanic and his sister are in search of medicine, which ultimately leads them to the opposite side of a mysteriously defended wall that divides a dystopian world inhabited by gear-head tribes (think Mad Max!). Secondly, there's the addition of the added morality here - a society divided by class etc! But... sadly even with all of that as the foundation here the Wall just doesn't sit well.
Given the book's initial purpose as a movie, I'm not sure if it's the fact that The Wall maybe sprang from a storyboard or if things just simply got lost in translation, but the narrative feels incredibly rushed and choppy to the point of making the reader feel like they've just dropped in on any particular point of the story. There is an odd feeling that necessary information is missing between panels and the minute world building outside of the main concept does little to lend any further explanations. I'll be honest, there were times where I didn't have any idea of what was going on and both the art and narrative failed to clarify anything. That said, the art wasn't awful. It's a loose and skratchy style, but it appears that the choices to use small format paneling lets it down often as it was frequently difficult to make out the finer details.
It's a real shame that The Wall falls so short of the mark, but sadly the delivery just doesn't live up to its concept.
Firstly, it's clear from the author's introduction that this story was initially intended for the screen which means the premise is incredibly cinematic - a young mechanic and his sister are in search of medicine, which ultimately leads them to the opposite side of a mysteriously defended wall that divides a dystopian world inhabited by gear-head tribes (think Mad Max!). Secondly, there's the addition of the added morality here - a society divided by class etc! But... sadly even with all of that as the foundation here the Wall just doesn't sit well.
Given the book's initial purpose as a movie, I'm not sure if it's the fact that The Wall maybe sprang from a storyboard or if things just simply got lost in translation, but the narrative feels incredibly rushed and choppy to the point of making the reader feel like they've just dropped in on any particular point of the story. There is an odd feeling that necessary information is missing between panels and the minute world building outside of the main concept does little to lend any further explanations. I'll be honest, there were times where I didn't have any idea of what was going on and both the art and narrative failed to clarify anything. That said, the art wasn't awful. It's a loose and skratchy style, but it appears that the choices to use small format paneling lets it down often as it was frequently difficult to make out the finer details.
It's a real shame that The Wall falls so short of the mark, but sadly the delivery just doesn't live up to its concept.
November 28, 2021
ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
The Wall is a dystopian post-apocalyptic story of two sibling trying to make it over the wall into Eden. The book had a lot of great things: its premise, story, world-building and art were all great! However, the way the story was told was a huge miss for me. It felt choppy. The scenes where cut short and there were no clear transition between scenes which made it difficult to keep track of the places and events. A simple thing like a box saying the location could've made it easier to follow. I also wish more time was spent on the different scenes and the characters so we really got to know them and understand the depth of the world. Unfortunately the graphic novel didn't reach it's full potential and what could've been a gripping dystopian became a surface-level story with too much going on.
The Wall is a dystopian post-apocalyptic story of two sibling trying to make it over the wall into Eden. The book had a lot of great things: its premise, story, world-building and art were all great! However, the way the story was told was a huge miss for me. It felt choppy. The scenes where cut short and there were no clear transition between scenes which made it difficult to keep track of the places and events. A simple thing like a box saying the location could've made it easier to follow. I also wish more time was spent on the different scenes and the characters so we really got to know them and understand the depth of the world. Unfortunately the graphic novel didn't reach it's full potential and what could've been a gripping dystopian became a surface-level story with too much going on.
February 5, 2024
A bit chaotic, could have used another 50+ pages to flesh out the story.
November 10, 2021
An excellent and action-packed read. It was nice to see the dual timelines and the history within the world and the origin story. I was a little caught by the connection with Jen and Solal. I also enjoyed the reveal of the villian who still has been holed up within Eden and the androids he's created. Cerberus was pretty awesome too. All in all it was a good read.
November 30, 2021
In a post-apocalyptic future, civilization is no more and humanity lives on looting and hacking, organizing itself into makeshift villages or caravans of roaring wrecks. In this brutal society, a young repairman named Solal does what he can to protect his sister Eva, who suffers from a respiratory illness. But when their medication runs out, they have only one hope: to go to the “Wall”, a gigantic impregnable enclosure guarded by monstrous robots. Inside that fabled shelter lives a community of powerful people with the resources to help them... but all is not as optimistic as it seems…
Review
I'm a fan of post-apocalyptic stories and I enjoyed the twist in the plot which caught me completely off guard!
What initially caught my interest while reading the comic is that the protagonist is trying to save his little sister who has asthma and he tries to go to 'The Wall to get more medicine. Considering that he was still in his teens, I was curious how he would be able to manage that feat considering that this wall is guarded by a violent and deadly robot. Yet, despite all odds, he is able to enter the Wall because of his sheer determination to save his little sister.
Family is an underlying theme that is heavily present in the Wall and it is what drives the main character to do near impossible tasks and it is also what perpetuates a deadly problem within the confines of The Wall.
On top of the story, I feel that the art is great and I love how it compliments the story. It has a nitty, gritty feel to it that gives you post-apocalyptic vibes when you read. Readers are also treated with beautiful panels in color at the turn of every page.
One aspect that I did not enjoy is that I felt that the story has a slow start and I found it difficult to be hooked in the first few pages but everything changes in the middle. The plot quickens and intensifies. However, I wish that this happened sooner.
Dark and gritty, I enjoyed reading The Wall and I would recommend this to readers who enjoy reading about dystopian futures in a post-apocalyptic setting.
Disclaimer: Thank you Netgalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Review
I'm a fan of post-apocalyptic stories and I enjoyed the twist in the plot which caught me completely off guard!
What initially caught my interest while reading the comic is that the protagonist is trying to save his little sister who has asthma and he tries to go to 'The Wall to get more medicine. Considering that he was still in his teens, I was curious how he would be able to manage that feat considering that this wall is guarded by a violent and deadly robot. Yet, despite all odds, he is able to enter the Wall because of his sheer determination to save his little sister.
Family is an underlying theme that is heavily present in the Wall and it is what drives the main character to do near impossible tasks and it is also what perpetuates a deadly problem within the confines of The Wall.
On top of the story, I feel that the art is great and I love how it compliments the story. It has a nitty, gritty feel to it that gives you post-apocalyptic vibes when you read. Readers are also treated with beautiful panels in color at the turn of every page.
One aspect that I did not enjoy is that I felt that the story has a slow start and I found it difficult to be hooked in the first few pages but everything changes in the middle. The plot quickens and intensifies. However, I wish that this happened sooner.
Dark and gritty, I enjoyed reading The Wall and I would recommend this to readers who enjoy reading about dystopian futures in a post-apocalyptic setting.
Disclaimer: Thank you Netgalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
July 20, 2022
Clear, organized world-building is such an important part of science fiction. Get it right and the reader is immersed in an environment that, no matter how fantastic it may be, feels authentic and believable. Get it wrong, however, and the reader is left confused and unsatisfied, like they’ve been left out of the loop, even if the story is good. Unfortunately, Antonine Charreyron’ and Mario Alberti’s epic dystopian graphic novel, “The Wall,” falls into the latter category.
I bought the book because, flipping through it in the bookstore, I was seduced by the gorgeous artwork. Don’t get me wrong, “The Wall” is BEAUTIFULLY illustrated, it’s just that my initial skim made me think that the post-apocalyptic setting was a lot more thought out than it actually was. It’s super-easy to get lost in Alberto’s panels, their deep perspectives are jammed full of all kinds of shadows and nooks to get lost in amongst the hoses and tubes and other detritus, but the world-building didn’t feel very fleshed out beyond the superficial. Also, his action scenes are kinetic and exciting but they’re also extremely difficult to figure out what’s going on exactly. Charreyron writes in his notes that he originally envisioned “The Wall” as a blockbuster movie but that the projected costs to bring a story of this magnitude to the big screen was prohibitively expensive. I like that he was able to adapt his vision to a medium that doesn’t have the same financial or creative constraints but, at the same time, “The Wall” doesn’t seem to really work as a self-contained mid-sized graphic novel. Maybe an ongoing series would’ve given it the space it really needs. Nevertheless, I imagine I’ll revisit this book for its wildly inspiring artwork many times in the (hopefully non-apocalyptic) future.
I bought the book because, flipping through it in the bookstore, I was seduced by the gorgeous artwork. Don’t get me wrong, “The Wall” is BEAUTIFULLY illustrated, it’s just that my initial skim made me think that the post-apocalyptic setting was a lot more thought out than it actually was. It’s super-easy to get lost in Alberto’s panels, their deep perspectives are jammed full of all kinds of shadows and nooks to get lost in amongst the hoses and tubes and other detritus, but the world-building didn’t feel very fleshed out beyond the superficial. Also, his action scenes are kinetic and exciting but they’re also extremely difficult to figure out what’s going on exactly. Charreyron writes in his notes that he originally envisioned “The Wall” as a blockbuster movie but that the projected costs to bring a story of this magnitude to the big screen was prohibitively expensive. I like that he was able to adapt his vision to a medium that doesn’t have the same financial or creative constraints but, at the same time, “The Wall” doesn’t seem to really work as a self-contained mid-sized graphic novel. Maybe an ongoing series would’ve given it the space it really needs. Nevertheless, I imagine I’ll revisit this book for its wildly inspiring artwork many times in the (hopefully non-apocalyptic) future.
January 29, 2023
This lush, beautifully produced volume, collects the three albums of the French series "Le Mur" and brings them to an English-reading audience. Written by a French film and video-game director, the story was originally envisaged as a film. The story takes place in a dystopian future, where we meet mechanic Solal and his little sister Eva, as they make their way through a crumbling, decaying Mad Maxian landscape, trying to get to the enclave of "Eden" where water, food, and medicine are said to be had. Soon enough, they run afoul of borderland raiders who seem to be locked in some kind of battle with a giant robot thingy that guards Eden.
And that's kind of where clarity ends... Through a number of flashbacks, we learn about the origins of Eden, its dark secret, and how characters inside relate to those outside. But the narrative leaves so much unclear, and when combined with super-confusing artwork, the whole enterprise becomes very hard to follow from both a narrative and geographic perspective. I had an incredibly hard time orienting myself between the various zones that are key to the story. Everything is so frantic that as the story went on, I found myself caring less and less about what was going on. Much as I loved the style of the art and individual panels and pages throughout, the overall project doesn't work.
Note: I wonder to what extent the story is a kind of response to the 1973 dystopian French novel "The Camp of Saints." which lingers in popularity among far-right circles for its depiction of an edenic France overrun by non-white immigrants.
And that's kind of where clarity ends... Through a number of flashbacks, we learn about the origins of Eden, its dark secret, and how characters inside relate to those outside. But the narrative leaves so much unclear, and when combined with super-confusing artwork, the whole enterprise becomes very hard to follow from both a narrative and geographic perspective. I had an incredibly hard time orienting myself between the various zones that are key to the story. Everything is so frantic that as the story went on, I found myself caring less and less about what was going on. Much as I loved the style of the art and individual panels and pages throughout, the overall project doesn't work.
Note: I wonder to what extent the story is a kind of response to the 1973 dystopian French novel "The Camp of Saints." which lingers in popularity among far-right circles for its depiction of an edenic France overrun by non-white immigrants.
January 4, 2022
NetGalley and the publisher, Magnetic Press, provided me with a review copy.
The Wall is a post-climate-apocalypse graphic novel that's a bit Mad Max, a bit Elysium (the 2013 film), and a bit accidental zombies.
If that sounds awesome, it's because the concept is awesome. Sadly, the execution, from the art to the pacing to the writing all fell extremely short.
My two biggest complaints are the pacing, which seems to skip over a lot of necessary characterization and relationship-building, and how hard this comic is to follow. Art in a comic isn't just supposed to be beautiful, although that's nice. It's supposed to tell part of the story. The art simply wasn't geared toward that. There were far too many far-away 'scape scenes with dialog bubbles where it wasn't clear who was talking. The dialog/text often seemed to jump around, and the art didn't help bridge the gap.
Those two issues plagued every other part of the comic. It turned the plot from what, broad-strokes, should be an emotional, enthralling series of actions as our characters navigate this incredibly interesting setting into a boring, confusing mess with unmotivated characters making weird decisions for the sake of the plot. Sadly, there are enough issues throughout that I can't recommend this for anything other than reading a setting synopsis because that's far and away the most interesting part of this comic.
The Wall is a post-climate-apocalypse graphic novel that's a bit Mad Max, a bit Elysium (the 2013 film), and a bit accidental zombies.
If that sounds awesome, it's because the concept is awesome. Sadly, the execution, from the art to the pacing to the writing all fell extremely short.
My two biggest complaints are the pacing, which seems to skip over a lot of necessary characterization and relationship-building, and how hard this comic is to follow. Art in a comic isn't just supposed to be beautiful, although that's nice. It's supposed to tell part of the story. The art simply wasn't geared toward that. There were far too many far-away 'scape scenes with dialog bubbles where it wasn't clear who was talking. The dialog/text often seemed to jump around, and the art didn't help bridge the gap.
Those two issues plagued every other part of the comic. It turned the plot from what, broad-strokes, should be an emotional, enthralling series of actions as our characters navigate this incredibly interesting setting into a boring, confusing mess with unmotivated characters making weird decisions for the sake of the plot. Sadly, there are enough issues throughout that I can't recommend this for anything other than reading a setting synopsis because that's far and away the most interesting part of this comic.
January 24, 2022
This is a tough one, I really thought I'd like this more. I dig post-apocalyptic stuff, and this story does have good ideas behind it: people struggling to live in a post-apocalyptic world, with some fighting to get to the other side of the Wall, behind which is ED3N, an oasis of easy living where no one wants for anything and life is perfect. Lots of room for present-day symbolism about walls both physical and metaphorical, keeping out refugees, immigrants, and other "undesirables." Cinematic art, full of action. However...
The execution is... not great. The pace is choppy, the timeline jumps around in a confusing way, and I just didn't get attached to the characters (I don't need to love them or even like them, but I should be interested in what happens to them). I did maintain a desire to continue reading; I still wanted to see how things played out. The initial twist wasn't super surprising, but hey, it's a good trope, and it worked. Once I caught on to the flashbacks (seriously, a little hint that events weren't concurrent would've been helpful), things made more sense, but that part of the story felt a bit rushed, I guess to make room for all the battle scenes in the second half - I'd've preferred less action and more story, but YMMV. The art is great, really nice, but the battle scenes were confusing, and it got hard to tell what was going on.
Would I recommend this? Maybe. I'd add caveats, though.
#TheWall #NetGalley
The execution is... not great. The pace is choppy, the timeline jumps around in a confusing way, and I just didn't get attached to the characters (I don't need to love them or even like them, but I should be interested in what happens to them). I did maintain a desire to continue reading; I still wanted to see how things played out. The initial twist wasn't super surprising, but hey, it's a good trope, and it worked. Once I caught on to the flashbacks (seriously, a little hint that events weren't concurrent would've been helpful), things made more sense, but that part of the story felt a bit rushed, I guess to make room for all the battle scenes in the second half - I'd've preferred less action and more story, but YMMV. The art is great, really nice, but the battle scenes were confusing, and it got hard to tell what was going on.
Would I recommend this? Maybe. I'd add caveats, though.
#TheWall #NetGalley
January 29, 2026
"NetGalley and the publisher, Magnetic Press, provided me with a review copy.
The Wall is a post-climate-apocalypse graphic novel that's a bit Mad Max, a bit Elysium (the 2013 film), and a bit accidental zombies.
If that sounds awesome, it's because the concept is awesome. Sadly, the execution, from the art to the pacing to the writing all fell extremely short.
My two biggest complaints are the pacing, which seems to skip over a lot of necessary characterization and relationship-building, and how hard this comic is to follow. Art in a comic isn't just supposed to be beautiful, although that's nice. It's supposed to tell part of the story. The art simply wasn't geared toward that. There were far too many far-away 'scape scenes with dialog bubbles where it wasn't clear who was talking. The dialog/text often seemed to jump around, and the art didn't help bridge the gap.
Those two issues plagued every other part of the comic. It turned the plot from what, broad-strokes, should be an emotional, enthralling series of actions as our characters navigate this incredibly interesting setting into a boring, confusing mess with unmotivated characters making weird decisions for the sake of the plot. Sadly, there are enough issues throughout that I can't recommend this for anything other than reading a setting synopsis because that's far and away the most interesting part of this comic. "
The Wall is a post-climate-apocalypse graphic novel that's a bit Mad Max, a bit Elysium (the 2013 film), and a bit accidental zombies.
If that sounds awesome, it's because the concept is awesome. Sadly, the execution, from the art to the pacing to the writing all fell extremely short.
My two biggest complaints are the pacing, which seems to skip over a lot of necessary characterization and relationship-building, and how hard this comic is to follow. Art in a comic isn't just supposed to be beautiful, although that's nice. It's supposed to tell part of the story. The art simply wasn't geared toward that. There were far too many far-away 'scape scenes with dialog bubbles where it wasn't clear who was talking. The dialog/text often seemed to jump around, and the art didn't help bridge the gap.
Those two issues plagued every other part of the comic. It turned the plot from what, broad-strokes, should be an emotional, enthralling series of actions as our characters navigate this incredibly interesting setting into a boring, confusing mess with unmotivated characters making weird decisions for the sake of the plot. Sadly, there are enough issues throughout that I can't recommend this for anything other than reading a setting synopsis because that's far and away the most interesting part of this comic. "
November 29, 2021
In the post-apocalyptic future, a mechanic tries to seek medical help for his sick sister from beyond the Wall. However, the Wall is heavily guarded by robots and the way there is treacherous and filled with danger.
The Wall by Antoine Charreyron (writer) and Mario Alberti (illustrator) presents one beautiful mess.
I’m going to start things off and say the artwork is fantastic and reminds me almost of Moebius! Alberti really does an excellent job at establishing a sense of the world and bringing it to life.
However, the story itself is underdeveloped. It quickly jumps between characters and scenes, which felt incredibly jarring and disorienting. It’s like important gaps were missing in the story, and honestly, I felt confused half the time.
The writer does preface the story by saying The Wall was originally intended to be a film, and unfortunately, this comic does indeed feel more like a storyboard than a full-fledged comic. Either the medium didn’t translate over well or the story simply wasn’t fleshed out enough, which is a shame because there are a lot of cool elements here that remind me of Mad Max.
Thank you, NetGalley and Magnetic Press, for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
The Wall by Antoine Charreyron (writer) and Mario Alberti (illustrator) presents one beautiful mess.
I’m going to start things off and say the artwork is fantastic and reminds me almost of Moebius! Alberti really does an excellent job at establishing a sense of the world and bringing it to life.
However, the story itself is underdeveloped. It quickly jumps between characters and scenes, which felt incredibly jarring and disorienting. It’s like important gaps were missing in the story, and honestly, I felt confused half the time.
The writer does preface the story by saying The Wall was originally intended to be a film, and unfortunately, this comic does indeed feel more like a storyboard than a full-fledged comic. Either the medium didn’t translate over well or the story simply wasn’t fleshed out enough, which is a shame because there are a lot of cool elements here that remind me of Mad Max.
Thank you, NetGalley and Magnetic Press, for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
July 22, 2022
Eden was built as a safe haven, a place to provide a better tomorrow. Its high walls were there to keep the undesirables out. The stories Solal and Eve grew up with painted Eden as a paradise in a world where everything else was in ruin. It’s where they needed to be. Eden was where Eve’s lifesaving medication can be found, but they had to get through the wall first. When Solal finally made it in, he found that walls were there to keep the monsters from getting out.
The Wall is a graphic novel written and illustrated by Mario Alberti and based on the story by Antoine Charreyron. Many world leaders have proposed building walls throughout history to keep certain populations out. Charreyron drafted his story as a reaction to these politicians. Alberti brought Charreyron’s dystopian tale to life with pen and ink. He was able to portray the grizzly scenes with shaded colors and dark imagery. Even though the story is violent, the art is not overly graphic. Charreyron’s story, along with Alberti’s art, depicts the struggles that outsiders go through to make a better life. This post-apocalyptic tale is for those who wish to smash down the walls.
This review was originally published at https://manhattanbookreview.com/produ...
The Wall is a graphic novel written and illustrated by Mario Alberti and based on the story by Antoine Charreyron. Many world leaders have proposed building walls throughout history to keep certain populations out. Charreyron drafted his story as a reaction to these politicians. Alberti brought Charreyron’s dystopian tale to life with pen and ink. He was able to portray the grizzly scenes with shaded colors and dark imagery. Even though the story is violent, the art is not overly graphic. Charreyron’s story, along with Alberti’s art, depicts the struggles that outsiders go through to make a better life. This post-apocalyptic tale is for those who wish to smash down the walls.
This review was originally published at https://manhattanbookreview.com/produ...
November 27, 2021
I just love dystopian futures where people are dying (yeah, I know). The setting of The Wall is great, although nothing new in a sense. People are scattered trying to survive and at the same time there is a place called Eden and behind its walls rich people live without worries. Or that's what everyone thinks. Instead of a paradise the people of Eden are now monsters eating energy and Solal tries to find medicine for his sister from there only to meet a girl. They have to fight to save what is left to be saved of humanity. I really liked the orbs and how that thing went. The story is slightly cut off though, as in the end comes too abruptly and we don't get to meet the brother and or reasons to anything really. It felt like this should have a continuation, but will it?
The art is great and in its smudginess fits so well with the story. The color world of rust and decay is also great and all in all this reminded me of Mad Max to some degree. Perhaps more pages would've made this work better, since up till the end the rhythm was good. The ending just wasn't. But, the comic is still quite good and interesting to boot, so do give it a try!
The art is great and in its smudginess fits so well with the story. The color world of rust and decay is also great and all in all this reminded me of Mad Max to some degree. Perhaps more pages would've made this work better, since up till the end the rhythm was good. The ending just wasn't. But, the comic is still quite good and interesting to boot, so do give it a try!
November 26, 2021
I received an Advance Reader Copy of this title in exchange for an honest review by Netgalley.
This title will publish December 21, 2021.
I wanted to love this. The Post-apocalyptic premise intrigued me and the art, at first glance, captivated me. It's not that I had a bad time reading this and that I just didn't get what I wanted to get from the experience.
Unfortunately, I was lost and never found while reading this. Not that I couldn't understand the gist... but that's all I got, the gist. The narrative feels like a bad adaptation, full of holes that the author assumes you'll know. The art is the best and worst part of this graphic novel. It's full of rough edges and tons of details but because there is not enough color contrast everything feels muddled somehow. Even if I can appreciate the skill of the artist the actual story is hampered by the lack of clarity within the panels.
This title will publish December 21, 2021.
I wanted to love this. The Post-apocalyptic premise intrigued me and the art, at first glance, captivated me. It's not that I had a bad time reading this and that I just didn't get what I wanted to get from the experience.
Unfortunately, I was lost and never found while reading this. Not that I couldn't understand the gist... but that's all I got, the gist. The narrative feels like a bad adaptation, full of holes that the author assumes you'll know. The art is the best and worst part of this graphic novel. It's full of rough edges and tons of details but because there is not enough color contrast everything feels muddled somehow. Even if I can appreciate the skill of the artist the actual story is hampered by the lack of clarity within the panels.
November 24, 2021
"Even bereft of their humanity, would you kill the ones you love? Even if they had lost their souls?"
The Wall is a fantastic dystopian graphic novel featuring two siblings aiming for survival with the confines of The Wall.
That was a lot of twists right there! I super enjoyed it. I'm sure if this gets novelized, it'd give off Legend vibes. There was a romance subplot, but its not annoying nor did it try to overtake the plot.
The story also asks us about what we'd risk for survival. And the visuals! Wow those are great mecha fights, so alive in color. The dialogues are also not boring to read. This book has my praises y'all. I definitely recommend to fans of science-fiction dystopian themed stories!
Thanks to Magnetic Press through Netgalley for my e-arc. My opinion is all mine and definitely not affected by this.
*actual rating: 3.5 stars
The Wall is a fantastic dystopian graphic novel featuring two siblings aiming for survival with the confines of The Wall.
That was a lot of twists right there! I super enjoyed it. I'm sure if this gets novelized, it'd give off Legend vibes. There was a romance subplot, but its not annoying nor did it try to overtake the plot.
The story also asks us about what we'd risk for survival. And the visuals! Wow those are great mecha fights, so alive in color. The dialogues are also not boring to read. This book has my praises y'all. I definitely recommend to fans of science-fiction dystopian themed stories!
Thanks to Magnetic Press through Netgalley for my e-arc. My opinion is all mine and definitely not affected by this.
*actual rating: 3.5 stars
December 29, 2021
'The Wall' by Antoine Charreyron with art by Mario Alberti is a graphic novel of the post-apocalyptic future.
Solal and his sister Eva live the best they can, with Solal repairing things and looking after his little sister. When her medicine runs out, they have to brave the "Wall' a separated community of the wealthy, but they find strange secrets in that world that proves it to be less than ideal.
I like the idea of this, but it jumps back and forth in time and it was hard to follow. The art is good but rough and is also a bit hard to follow. I like the premise, I just wish it all flowed a bit better.
I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Diamond Book Distributors, Magnetic Press, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.
Solal and his sister Eva live the best they can, with Solal repairing things and looking after his little sister. When her medicine runs out, they have to brave the "Wall' a separated community of the wealthy, but they find strange secrets in that world that proves it to be less than ideal.
I like the idea of this, but it jumps back and forth in time and it was hard to follow. The art is good but rough and is also a bit hard to follow. I like the premise, I just wish it all flowed a bit better.
I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Diamond Book Distributors, Magnetic Press, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.
November 22, 2021
The Wall originally started as a movie idea but ended up as a graphic novel. However, I believe that The Wall has a full potential to make it to the TV screens one day in the future. I have always been a fan of Mario Alberti’s art and I think he was the perfect choice to help this story come to life. The artwork was great, but at times it felt a little too clustered and it was hard to figure out finer details. The story was fantastic! A perfect mixture of dystopian post-apocalyptic world with horror and sci-fi elements. I felt major Mad Max and Snowpiercer vibes throughout the whole story. It was brutally raw and fast paced, but sometimes a bit chaotic and hard to figure out what was happening.
March 1, 2022
Interesting idea, but poorly executed.
Set in post apocalyptic world, where bunch of survivors is trying to get into protected Eden, where everything will be good again. Not an original concept, but still quite promising.
Although story was originally intended as movie, and due to lack of funding converted to comics, it feels like it was made up as it goes. There is no worldbuilding, characters are lacking motivation for their actions, everything is hasty and hard to follow, there are constant switches between presence and past, action is chaotic and whole book feels like one big mess.
Cover was promising, but behind it, it's just one big disappointment...
Set in post apocalyptic world, where bunch of survivors is trying to get into protected Eden, where everything will be good again. Not an original concept, but still quite promising.
Although story was originally intended as movie, and due to lack of funding converted to comics, it feels like it was made up as it goes. There is no worldbuilding, characters are lacking motivation for their actions, everything is hasty and hard to follow, there are constant switches between presence and past, action is chaotic and whole book feels like one big mess.
Cover was promising, but behind it, it's just one big disappointment...
July 15, 2022
I really like the story for once. But a comic is not really the format it deserved.
There's a lot of action, and I had the feeling Mario Alberti didn't really know what to do with all those action scenes. They were mostly confusing. And too rushed... I think a few more pages would have helped the story so much. Some scene changes were too abrupt and there were a lot of things left unsaid.
I didn't really like the art, too. A bit "dirty", for my liking. But at least it was very easy to distinguish one character from the other.
My decision to stop backing Magnetic Press projects still stands.
There's a lot of action, and I had the feeling Mario Alberti didn't really know what to do with all those action scenes. They were mostly confusing. And too rushed... I think a few more pages would have helped the story so much. Some scene changes were too abrupt and there were a lot of things left unsaid.
I didn't really like the art, too. A bit "dirty", for my liking. But at least it was very easy to distinguish one character from the other.
My decision to stop backing Magnetic Press projects still stands.
December 21, 2021
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an eARC of this title in exchange for my honest review.
I think the art style was beautiful, but it doesn’t fit the fight scenes or story very well. The scenes were choppy and didn’t flow well together to create a cohesive story. The dual timeline aspect only made this story more confusing to follow.
This could have been a lot better if we could have had more time developing the characters and/or setting rather than the page time being used up for the same fight/battle/robot scenes over and over again.
I think the art style was beautiful, but it doesn’t fit the fight scenes or story very well. The scenes were choppy and didn’t flow well together to create a cohesive story. The dual timeline aspect only made this story more confusing to follow.
This could have been a lot better if we could have had more time developing the characters and/or setting rather than the page time being used up for the same fight/battle/robot scenes over and over again.
May 18, 2024
A story of greed, desperation, hope, loyalty. I really liked the relationships between the characters. The artwork is great, it works here well, although sometimes it's hard to understand what's happening.
Post-apocalyptic stories with children can be very heavy and difficult to go through, but that was not the case in this one, at least not much.
Interesting concepts, especially the stuff with the Mediterranean. I have not seen that elsewhere. It would have been interesting to read more about that.
Post-apocalyptic stories with children can be very heavy and difficult to go through, but that was not the case in this one, at least not much.
Interesting concepts, especially the stuff with the Mediterranean. I have not seen that elsewhere. It would have been interesting to read more about that.
October 30, 2022
Bardzo spodobała mi się grafika tego komiksu, natomiast od razu widać, że początkowo był przeznaczony na ekrany. Tak, jak mówi opis, jest to dynamiczna opowieść, gdzie w niektórych momentach gubiłam się, nie wiedząc, co się dzieje. Autor chciał zamieścić zbyt wiele w tak małym tomie, przez co, akcja rozmyła się całkowicie. Ale czuję potencjał i gdyby scenariusz był nieco inny, a historia trafiłaby na ekrany - byłby to ciekawy tytuł.
January 10, 2022
Really cool techno-zombie Mad Max post apocalyptic dystopia story with intricately interesting art. Unfortunately the art was a little too intricate to understand what was happening in most of the action sequences.
Turning this into a Netflix mini-series would probably obtain the appreciation this story deserves.
Turning this into a Netflix mini-series would probably obtain the appreciation this story deserves.
November 14, 2021
Received an ARC through NetGalley and the publisher. Review is my own.
It was an interesting read. The story was interesting, but I felt like I was dropped into the middle of a story. The artwork was very frenetic and sometimes hard to figure out what was going on.
It was an interesting read. The story was interesting, but I felt like I was dropped into the middle of a story. The artwork was very frenetic and sometimes hard to figure out what was going on.
November 23, 2021
This one gets a big fat "meh."
It's definitely quite derivative - with big hefty helpings of Battle Angel Alita, Elysium and even a little Iron Man tossed in for good measure. It's also waaaay too busy in the art style, which makes it hard to focus on the story.
It's definitely quite derivative - with big hefty helpings of Battle Angel Alita, Elysium and even a little Iron Man tossed in for good measure. It's also waaaay too busy in the art style, which makes it hard to focus on the story.
April 14, 2024
There's a great story and great art buried somewhere in this book but it's not clear or really accessible. The repeated jumps in time and the hard to read visuals make following the story a struggle.
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