Animosity Omnibus

Animosity #1-6

by Marguerite Bennett, Rafael de Latorre (Artist), Rob Schwager (Colorist)

The complete series in one massive mammal-friendly 600+ page hardcover!

One day, the Animals woke up. They started thinking. They started talking. They started taking revenge.

Now, a dog and his girl are trying to get away – out of New York City, and all the way to San Francisco, to the only person who might be able to protect and save her.

Follow Jesse and her dog, Sandor on their travels, where they'll meet the Animal Army, be introduced to a Queen Bee, escape the clutches of a terrible boarding school, and navigate the apocalyptic landscape of America, all while meeting friends and making enemies.

This volume contains the entire groundbreaking series, issues #1-28 and the FCBD issue from 2019, ANIMOSITY TALES.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels

601 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 22, 2021

Reviews

[Highland G · Rating 1 out of 5]

You can forgive a comic of a LOT of things if they can stay consistent on art. This book takes inconsistently to a whole other level!

The writing contradicts itself all over the place. Its has no real flow, jumping from unresolved topics to completely new arcs whenever and without warning.
This feels like the writers soundboard for their personal issues than any kind of complete story.

The characters have no real rules, other than the dog is invincible and this girls team never loose. (Despite each arc starting with them having lost someone almost every time)
The plot armour on this dog who supposedly has broken ribs and never takes time to heal is crazy!

The art, oh I don’t have the time to get into all its flaws. Let’s just say things change whenever the artist feels like it and any macguffin they need, appears and disappears whenever, without explanation. (Or just when the artist can’t be arsed drawing a detail in that panel)

Colouring is just as inconsistent, clothing randomly changing colour being the most obvious issue. I was going to say at least our main characters eyes stayed brown throughout, but NO they made her eyes BLUE in the last issue, WTF!

The irony that the editor got to write the intro on this book is not lost on me. Maybe don’t waste time writing intros when you should be doing your damn job, editing!

Don’t waste your time or money on this mess!

[Shannon Appelcline · Rating 4 out of 5]

Animosity has a great conceit and was a really great comic at the start, but somehow it stumbled in its later volumes and then stopped without a conclusion. Not sure why they released an omnibus of this incomplete story, but I guess I'm happy to have it.

The Wake (#1-4). And then one day, all the animals woke to full sentience.

Animosity is an amazing take on the post-apocalyptic genre, but it's not a measly count of zombies that are ending the world, it's literally billions of billions of animals, all awakened to intelligence. Do they hate humanity for what it's done to them? Or, do they love them? How do they live in a world where everything else is a living sentient being?

Animosity does a great job of teasing out the possibilities, from the catastrophic day of The Wake to the inevitable journey across the United States that follows. The pacing is a little uneven in the first few volumes, but quickly settles down. It's a story about a girl and her dog. It's a story about animals forming civilizations. It's a story about animality (mostly) embracing the new and humanity (mostly) trying to recover what they once had.

There's wonderful imagination here and also wonderful characterization and really heart-felt relations. Then the last issue really opens the story up as we suddenly realize what the introduction meant and how it all ties together.

This is the obvious successor to Y: The Last Man. [5/5]

The Dragon (#5-8). The second volume is mainly an adventure yarn, demonstrating clearly that not all evil rises from humanity. It's a good story, but doesn't have the surprise nor the depth of the original. However the eighth issue rises above that. It's about life and death and souls and existence. About the doubts these animals have been cursed with and the truths they find. It's a very touching piece [4+/5].

The Swarm (#9-13). This is Animosity back at its height. The core conflict, between farmers and bees, is a nuanced one, because the farmers need the bees to survive. But they still don't look like good guys. On top of that we've got exciting action, shocking losses, and a heel turn that's been foreshadowed. All around, another very readable volume, with some depth [5/5].

Power (#14-18). A strong arc, pretty much the "Governor" arc for Animosity, and at times equally hard to read. Beyond that, we get great development and background really revealing who Kyle is. The problem, and it's a notable one, is that Bennett almost spoils the book with intrusive, artsy narration boxes that detract from the comic itself. Ugh. This arc would have been _great_ if not for them [4/5].

The Master's Hosue (#19). A fine coda to "Power", showing the disruption of our heroes' actions [3+/5].

Southern Gothic (#20-22). Ugh, why'd it have to be snakes? And beyond that, why'd it have to be three issues wasted on hallucinatory philosophy. A real disappointment, and a real waste of three issues, more than 10% of this series [2+/5].

Rites of Passage (#23-24). What starts out as an interesting story about, as the title says, rites of passage, turns out to be just a setup for the next (final?) arc. [3/5].

King of Texas (#25-28). This is a neat bit of world-building, offering a believable picture of an insane culture that's developed following The Wake. But the pacing is horrible, with 8 or 10 issues worth of content jammed into 4 issues, including a crucial side trek that gets almost no coverage. And we have those annoying captions popping up here and there. I don't know what happened to this comic after the first four volume. Also: not particularly an ending. Will there be more? [3/5].

Tales of Animosity. A cute little one off about saving fish [3/5].

[Bert Fechner · Rating 3 out of 5]

IWhat was that!?!? I was looking forward to this for so long and this- THIS!- is what I get? I don't get it was the series canceled or something? You call that an ending? This is one of my biggest pet peeves in reading; I get really into a book and then it ends and I'm just left there dumbstruck. "What?" This series started off really strong and I was instantly hooked but as it kept going I was less and less inclined to continue. I would've liked to see a wider variety of animals with their own unique backstories and ideologies on how the world is and how it should be, and whether those ideologies are based on that animals unique perspective and physiology. This goes into it a little bit but not very much and not very deep. After awhile it comes off as Walkind Dead syndrome, a group of survivors find shelter, Something happens, they leave. Find shelter, Something happens, they leave. Rinse and repeat. I also thought reading this for some reason that there's no way they'd do bugs/insects but they did! This doesn't detract from the story but I wish they'd done more with it. The entire premise is a brilliant idea overall but with poor execution. There's a companion omnibus (I don't know if its a sequel and I don't know if I wanna keep going) after escaping the Walled City we got an issue introducing us to 10+ new characters. Who never contribute anything to the story going forward with the exception of 1 which by the time she gets re-introduced I'm asking "Who is this?" And the issue with the snakes in the manor also didn't add anything to the plot. I didn't get it and it really killed the pace. They set up Sandor's involvement in Jesse's parents demise intrigue very poorly. I thought it went down one way but it was revealed later and by that point I didn't care anymore. The whole point -at least I thought- was getting Jesse to her brother before Sandor dies but the book ends before they even reach California, with them preparing for a war/staying permanently in Texas but even that doesn't get resolved. The book just ends. Is this seriously the ending? Is there going to be a volume 2? Also these are nitpicks- I never got the gold commune? Were they evil or just stupid? Bees need to pollinate to survive, and people need them to pollinate the plants. You couldn't just plant your fields and leave them to it? Why enslave them? I also didn't get mittens involvement or the whole selling off their women. It gets revealed later and mittens joins the group but they never bring it up. I think they switched artists halfway through I think but I couldn't tell Pallas from Mittens and I read almost the entire thing thinking Zarzamora was a male. I wanted to like this, just hearing about it I thought it sounded amazing but it left me disappointed and wanting more. At least an actual ending would be a good start.

[Ross · Rating 4 out of 5]

What if all the animals could talk? Years of domestication...years of opression..now they have a voice. That's the premise of 'Animosity' by Marguerite Bennett. It follows a young girl, just on the cusp of puberty, and her family bloodhound.

The story starts out strong and paints a pretty grim picture of the world post 'Wake'. Sandor, the bloodhound, vows to take his keeper, 12 year old Jesse, to her brother in California. They have to make deals with different wildlife to make any sort of progress in their journey. We see animals joined together in an Animilitary force. We also see a Texas that has become a gladitorial free for all. A damn has been coopted by native animals. A farm is thriving so close to the Walled City, where only women are allowed.

About half way through the story, it feels like the writing team begins to lose focus. Certain plot points drag on longer than they should. Others are mentioned once, if only briefly. You can feel them padding it with more and more metaphysical and theological speak. I don't know if it really advanced the story. The ending to the series cuts off rather abruptly. The characters preparing for their next journey....

Could have been epic, but it's definitely one to track down and try.

Bonus: Potty mouthed lemurs...
Bonus Bonus: of course koalas would be cranky. They can only eat eucalyptus and you're feeding them tofu. Who's the genius that gave them revolvers?

[WaterLeafa_ · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was fine, sometimes got boring.
About the plot: the beginning was iffy but promising the middle was good and by the end it felt like everyone got lost in the story and art. The ending wasn't very satisfying and overall i am a bit disappointed because i went blind on this one and loved the promise but the execution really wasn't all in. It's a nice story just not the one i was expecting.

[Dean · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked the premise but the execution was not for me. The child character is written extremely childish in scenes but between them they are portrayed as the most well balanced, mature individual; completely different character portrayal.

[Andrei · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great book with an extremely interesting premise. The first two thirds range between great and amazing, but the book falls flat a bit in the last third.

The premise is that one day, all animals from mammals down to insects suddenly become sentient, and develop human-like conscience. Not only can they talk, but also think and reason in a similar way to a human. And just like humans, some animals turn out to be kind and compassionate, while others are vicious and mean. This event leads to a type of apocalypse, since the old world order can no longer function in this new format, where humans are no longer the only life form capable of higher intelligence. And in this world, a little girl named Jesse and her dog Sandor set out west to find her half-brother. They team up with other animals and humans, some who become friends and come along for the ride and others who have their own plans. They encounter numerous challenges along the way, and they all leave their mark one way or another. And the relationship between Jesse and Sandor gets more and more complex as stories new and old unfold.

The book loses a bit of steam in the last two arcs, which feel either a bit boring or insufficiently developed, but by the time you reach the finish, it still is a very satisfying journey.

[Jennifer Juffer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Purchased the Omnibus after briefly reading a sample on my iPad.
I was impressed by the storylines in this book. Full of imagination and artistic talent, I was completely drawn into this “After the Wake” book.
It’s not often that I’ll give 5 stars to a book.
Time out of my life and all of that; but this book captivated me in a way that was outside my comfort zone.

If a book will capture all of my emotions from umbrage to joy, it’s a winner.

…and even if the story isn’t fully completed, which I found extremely distressing and frustrating, it’s a story that everyone who’s ever had an animal friend wonder, “what would they say if they could speak?”.
Right there. That’s why this book is worth reading.

Using one’s imagination to finish the story is easy as long one remembers the love between “human” and animal.

[Daniel Parsons · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cool story idea, compelling plots to follow, a whole different kinda apocalypse style event. I'd have loved one final, even 2 part, finale to the main storyline, but that's personal preference and not material criticism. There's an index in this edition that explains how every individual state, and how most countries in the world, respond to the events of the first issue, which is a really fun bonus.

[Ángela Sierra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Un cómic muy interesante que explora qué ocurriría si los animales de repente tuvieran la capacidad de hablar y razonar, un apocalipsis muy diferente que te pone a reflexionar, una historia entretenida, con sus buenas dosis de gore, que me hubiera gustado que hubiera sido más extenso

[Valerio Pastore · Rating 4 out of 5]

Avrei voluto davvero dargli un voto più alto: il concept è stratosferico, ma il worldbuilding mal si sposa con le tempistiche degli eventi -in altre parole, non si capisce QUANDO questi eventi nel Dopo Risveglio stiano accadendo.
Un bel giorno, gli animali si risvegliano: da un momento all'altro, le loro menti lavorano allo stesso livello di quelle umane. La loro comprensione è pari a quella degli umani. Il Nuovo Ordine Mondiale è giunto, e noi non siamo più la cima della catena alimentare!
Purtroppo, lungo questa serie di 6 episodi non si capisce quanto tempo sia passato dal Risveglio. Città-isola murate, un regno gladiatoriale nel Texas, interi sistemi mercantili gestiti da più specie, addirittura un Animalesercito!
Anche con tutta l'intelligenza necessaria, certe strutture richiedono tempo e mezzi, e se uno pensa che la prima cosa avremmo dopo i giorni del panico sarebbe una guerra coi fiocchi...be', si capisce che questo scenario sembra ricalcare troppo quello di Kamandi; lì, almeno, il cambiamento era giustificato da uno strumento conosciuto. Qui, nonostante sia chiaro un intervento magico, non si capisce cosa voglia l'entità dietro il cambiamento! C'è un intero episodio dedicato a tale entità, e lo stesso non si arriva al dunque, si rimane sul vago, come se gli autori fossero terrorizzati all'idea di offendere le religioni.
EDIT - Animosity: Evolution porta avanti il worldbuilding esattamente come speravo, e ribalta completamente le prospettive. Vi invito francamente a leggerlo perché è fondamentale per meglio apprezzare non quella che è una miniserie sospesa, ma parte di un quadro più grande e costruito a meraviglia!