Dans un futur où la montée des eaux a redessiné l'Europe, l'océan tel que nous le connaissions n'existe plus : c'est le Nocéan. Gérée par Systéma, une dictature néolibérale, la société vit au gré des conflits sociaux. Recueillie par une femme trop soumise au pouvoir à son goût, la jeune Atari rêve de s'engager, afin de venger sa mère activiste, tuée par la police quand elle était enfant. Profondément humaine, révoltée et intéressée par la tech, Atari va chercher à intégrer un groupe clandestin d'activistes : La goutte... Le premier pas d'une carrière de justicière sociale mais aussi d'une amitié avec Tika, une autre orpheline, avec laquelle elle va s'inventer Robin Hood des temps post-apocalyptiques. Car un autre monde est possible ! Entre aventure et critique sociale, Efa offre avec Nocéan une série profondément moderne et percutante.
In 1995 he created his first fanzine with some friends: Realitat Virtual. From there, he worked in a cartoon studio as well as working as a freelance illustrator. He entered the world of comics in 2001, in collaboration with the writer Toni Termens, with the series "Les Icariades" (3 volumes and a complete edition published by Paquet). In 2002 he began his solo series - "Rodiguez" (two volumes also published by Paquet). In 2004 (still with Paquet) he published "L'Âme du vin", a very personal album that he wrote and illustrated. Between 2007 and 2009, he illustrated and colored the series "Kia Ora" (3 volumes with Vents d'Ouest, script by Olivier Jouvray and Virginia Ollagnier). In 2008 he joined the "Alter Ego" team, joining forces with Mathieu Reynès, a previous contact from Paquet.
Nocéano es una distopía juvenil que nos cuenta la historia de una huérfana que trata de implicarse para imponer un poco de justicia social en el mundo en el que le ha tocado vivir. Es una aventura emocionante y llena de giros de guión que su autor, Ricard Efa, ha conseguido ambientar en un universo complejo, segmentado por clases sociales, destrozado por las catástrofes medioambientales. Es un cómic que habla de la amistad de dos chicas que tienen poco que perder debido a que sus vidas se desarrollan en una Europa dominada por poderosas macrocompañías. No solo es entretenido y muy poderoso visualmente, sino que tiene un contundente mensaje social, político y ecológico.
Un planeta Terra futur on els recursos s'han esgotat, els oceans amenacen la vida i els rics miren pels seus propis interessos abans que salvar el planeta que ens hem carregat.
Primer volum d'una història de caire distòpic i cyberpunk que ens serveix com a intorducció al món plantejat per Efa i ens permet conèixer com viu aquesta societat i els conflictes als que hauràn de fer front les protagonistes.
Un planeta Terra a les últimes, corporcacions, grups militars, grups revolucionaris, separació social i una mica d'esperança a les mans de l'Atari i la Tika. Tot això en gairebé 60 pàgines que ens deixen amb moltes ganes de saber com continua aquesta història.
Pel que fa al dibuix, dir que les il·lustracions son genials i serveixen perfectament per donar vida a l'atmosfera distòpica de la història.
Destacar que en Ricard Efa és tant el guionista, dibuixant i colorista de la novel·la.
Bona introducció! Una proposta clifi distòpica que juga amb el ciberpunk i amb un missatge hopepunk però antisistema. Amb ganes de continuar la història!
Volum introductori amb una edició molt cuidada i un Ricard Efa exercint d'home orquestra: guió, dibuix i color. Amb quatre pinzellades se'ns presenta el to distòpic de la història i el worldbuilding cyberpunk, els personatges principals i un missatge molt positiu pels lectors joves: revolució pacífica.
The book is about our world, which for a big part is flooded and were big corperate lead the world. Atari sees the unjustice in the world and has this urge to do something about it. But who can she trust and how do you change the world?
I really like the concept of the book and I really loved the illustrations! The world building was straight to the point and was explained well. The background of the main character was also clear from the start, so you understand her motivations.
However the story was a bit rushed in my opinion. The story stayed at superficial level and I think there could have been done more with the world setup. Likewise the relationships felt a bit forced and there was no depth to it.
Apart from the points of improvement the book was enjoyable and did I finish the book in one evening. So I hope this book is like an introduction to the story and that the story gets more depth in book 2.
Distopia juvenil que serveix d'introducció al món que ens proposa en Ricard Efa. Un món que s'intueix molt més complex i ric del que veiem en aquest número (i en veiem molt), i que a diferència de la majoria de distopies, té un caràcter optimista. Atenció: no vull dir que sigui Tomorrowland. Aquí l'emergència climàtica ja ha esdevingut tragèdia climàtica, hi ha corporacions dictatorials, militarització de la societat, grupuscles terroristes, polarització social... Però vist a través dels ulls joves (però no innocents ) de l'Atari i la Tika ens dona un bri d'esperança basada en l'amistat. Ni cal dir que l'art és una meravella.
This was okay! Nocean is set in a dystopian world where the oceans have flooded a majority of the land as a result to climate change and everything is regulated by the government that leads to a lot of resistance.
The main character is determined to be a part of the resistance after witnessing her mother die in a young age so we follow her journey. The premise and art are good but the story felt mostly introductory for the next ones that will possibly follow so lacked a bit in depth.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!
Je suis plutôt convaincue par le tome 1 de Nocéan qui propose une intrigue trépidante même si peu novatrice. Efficace, tant en dessin qu’en histoire, ce premier opus se lit avec plaisir et propose en plus une critique sociale intéressante ainsi que des piste thématiques prometteuses qui restent encore à exploiter pour la suite.
رواية خيال علمي، فيها تحتضر الأرض بسبب البشر، وبسبب ذلك الأغنياء فقط يستحقون عيش حياة كريمة، والنظام ضد أي شخص آخر غير الأفراد الأثرياء. مثل بداية أي قصة خلال نهاية العالم، لا تزال القصة غير واضحة، وهناك الآف الأسئلة، وذلك مزعج، لكن هذه هي الطريقة التي تعمل بها الأمور في مثل هذه الروايات.
لكن ما كان أكثر ازعاجًا هو كون بعض الأمور تسير بطرق غير واقعية، حتى التفاعلات البشرية كانت أغلب الوقت كرتونية وغير طبيعية. كانت قراءة جيدة، لكنني آمل أن تكون الفصول التالية أكثر "حقيقية" وأكثر متعة.
Thank you to NetGalley and Europe Comics for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Nocéan is the first in a sci-fi series where the characters exist in a world overwhelmed by climate change. Atari wants to fight for justice like her mother and joins a rebel group. She meets Tika, who is a rebel in her own right, along the way and the two start to figure out how to make a change.
As someone with climate anxiety, I was very on board for an environmental dystopian story and I liked the art, but the plot was too shallow.
The story really suffered because of how short this first installment is. The pacing was way too fast, which in turn makes the character relationships and dialogue feel very unnatural and rushed. We are told a few basic facts about how the society is structured but it's not a detailed description and nothing feels fleshed out, which is crucial for a book about societal unrest. Some of the names were also too on the nose for my liking, like "Systema" being the authoritatian government and Atari needing to visit "Toxi City. "
Atari is the only character who gets any personality or character development, yet her change at the end feels unearned. It's said that Tika and Atari are like sisters a couple of times, but I thought they were going to be love interests after their first meeting and I never got a sibling vibe from their interactions. Systema is a very vague, generic evil government and Ran Corp. is mentioned a few times but not explained at all, I am unsure what the company does or what role they play.
(spoilers) The Drop Gang is the environmental rebel group Atari joins. It has 5 member but only 2 notable ones. It's revealed about halfway that instead of nonviolent demonstrators, they are actually eco-terrorists. My problem with this is that the characters pull the whole "violence makes you just as bad as the oppressors" card, which is simply not true. It feels the same as when a villain in a superhero movie makes too many good points and has a strong motive so they have to prove their evil by having them hurt an innocent character. Ideologically, the Drop Gang is right and the plan they disclosed to Atari about diverting the water supply was actually a really good idea. I think having Atari and Tika right them off as wholly bad is an oversimplification of what justice and being a revolutionary means. The narration towards the end kept saying that Atari had come to some realization and decided to change the world and fight back the "right way." But all we really see is a return to the status quo that she was so angry about at the beginning.
I do want to know more and have my questions answered, but not enough to read the next book.
The bold colors of the cover and the premise intrigued me: a world where the ocean swallowed up land and turned poisonous, where corporations and a new government seized power amid the ensuing chaos, leaving a large portion of the population to fend for themselves. Neat idea, right? This premise, however, is only briefly alluded to in the beginning. I was hoping for a more environmentalist angle, but Nocean's setting quickly devolves into just another generic cyberpunk-y dystopian city. Apart from water shortages (which you could swap with any other resource without altering the story in the slightest), you don't feel any impact of the environmental disaster that apparently had changed the whole world. This is a wasted opportunity and a shame because I think it was a very promising idea and could have set Nocean apart from other stories. That being said, I liked most of the character designs and the world had a little of a The Fifth Element-feel to it, especially Atari's "new" apartment - that's a positive in my book.
Other parts were less successful. I felt the overall writing was not too great and the pacing was clunky and rushed. What I really dislike about Nocean, though, are its politics. I want to echo what another reviewer said: the whole "we're just as bad as them if we use violence!"-sentiment expressed in the story needs to die. The revolutionaries Atari meets are portrayed as relentless bullies who are unnecessarily rude to restaurant staff and, at one point, are ready to kill a child/teen. Nocean portrays revolutionaries as needlessly cruel and mean-spirited, ready for violence even if it doesn't serve their cause. This flat characterization serves as grounds for Atari to dismiss the group as "equally as bad as Systema" and that is a really harmful take in my opinion. An oppressor perpetrating violence and an oppressed people doing it are NOT the same. Saying the two ARE the same simply is a lie, often used to discourage revolution, and here, I feel this idea is even used to conclude that everything is not as bad as it could be. In the beginning, Atari is living with Iaia and is mad at her for not fighting the status quo, which prompts Iaia to say that there wouldn't be much use anyway, so she rather keeps a low profile. Atari leaves, stumbles upon a group of revolutionaries, concludes that she isn't onboard with their way of achieving change and, in the end, returns to Iaia, this time content with her living conditions and conceding that Iaia was right all along. Though she vows to change the system "the right way" going forward, we don't know what that means and it seems like she is okay with the status quo.
Additionally, the blurb says Atari & Tika become "modern-day Robin Hoods", even though that storyline doesn't come up in this volume. Though, based on what I've read, I wouldn't be surprised if the story concludes just this way: Robin Hood is not a story about enacting systemic change, but about an individual who decides to help out other individuals in a bad system. Nocean seems to me to follow the same notion (haha, puns), and it is just one I don't agree with in the slightest.
Per aquesta nit màgica us comparteixo la meva ressenya sobre aquest còmic que ens va portar el tió ( de fet al meu fill …però no m’hi he pogut resistir ) Es tracta de “Noceà” d’en @ricard_efa editat per @maimesllibres .
Ens situem en un món futur on l’augment del nivell del mar ha desfigurat Europa i l’oceà tal i com el coneixem ha desaparegut es el Noceà. La societat viu sotmesa en un dictadura neoliberal : Systema, i els conflictes socials son l’ordre del dia. L’Atari es una jove que va viure i veure l’assassinat de la seva mare quan ella era petita i quan arriba a la seva adolescència començarà a lluitar contra la injustícia social que pateix, coneixerà a la Tika i juntes iniciaran una aventura sense fi !
En @ricard_efa ha creat un univers molt potent , no només visualment (que es una meravella), també la història que ens explica té un ritme trepidant , es entretinguda i està amanida amb uns girs de guió d’allò més interessants i a destacar el contundent missatge polític, social i ecologista ! Vaja, ho te tot per atrapar als joves lectors i als no tan joves també.
El millor és que aquest és el primer i ja n’hi ha dos més…així que ja friso per a veure com segueix l’aventura de la Atari la Tika!
Us animeu per endinsar-vos en el nou Noceà? No us en penedireu… Passeu una molt bona nit de Reis
Thank you to the author and the publisher for putting this title as a "read now" on NetGalley.
First of all this graphic novel is super short and this can be a good thing AND a bad thing.
If all this was longer, my rating would have been even higher. I'll explain why: the drawings for me are beautiful and the story is super captivating. The fact that this was very easy to complete in a one train sitting without interruptions, it made me able to completely immerse myself in the story and in the world.
I really liked the setting and the whole dystopian vibes, the concept is there, can't say the contrary. The main character is awesome and acts as a human being, all her actions are how human beings would react in extreme situations like that. What even is the solution? Or the best choice?
So what did I didn't like? The lenght. Yes, it's waaaay too short. It's too rushed, there's no space to explain or to dive deeper into this world, why is it like that, what is really happening? We have basically zero explanations.
It looks like a V2 is on the go so I really hope it gets the number of pages all this deserves!
The artwork in this novel is stunning! The colours complimented each other well, and the design of the city portrayed the dystopian city I know the author was trying to create. However, if it weren’t for the artwork, the novel would have very little going for it. There wasn’t enough character progression or focus on the characters backstories or even reasoning for their resistance. I wish there was more of a backstory provided for the main characters, as well as a plot that’s more in-depth since nothing major really happened, and the ending was a bit subpar as the conclusion they came to was that violence wasn’t the way of things. The switch from wanting to be a fighter and joining the resistance, to wanting the opposite happened almost instantly. Overall, I rate this a 2/5, purely for the artwork and the attempt of plot.
Nocean is a promising beginning to a new series about a world ravaged by climate change. The world is interesting (and depressingly similar to our reality) and offers up some solid lessons about community and nonviolence. The characters, especially Atari, Tika, and Iaia, are compelling and sympathetic. The art is pretty solid, both in scenery and character design, but I really didn't prefer how small the text was. It's a really short read, the kind where I do feel like I want to read another volume and see where the story goes before I have too much to say. Regardless, it's a promising opening, I intend to read the next volume, and I'd recommend sci-fi/cli-fi comics fans check it out.
Nocean is a dystopian graphic novel about an orphan who wants to join the resistance and fight the unfair system. It is a very short graphic novel, but it's enough to introduce us to the story.
I enjoyed it, it has adventure and a really nice friendship between two girls that wants to survive, but it was a bit rushed for my taste. I think it could deepen a lot more into the society, systema and the corruption, also it would have been nice to know more about the tech in this dystopian world.
The art style was nice, it reminded me a little bit of Saga, so if you liked that graphic novel and want something shorter and without so much violence, i recommend this!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!
3.5 stars! The plot of this graphic novel was fairly simplistic. Atari wants to change the oppressive society she lives in. There's an okay amount of worldbuilding, but it feels like the world itself is barely explained and just shown. Like, the oppressive government is literally called "Systema", but you learn nothing about it. You know there are sections you can be in, with the lowest being the slums and the highest being high society. (Sort of how the city in FF7 works) Also, don't really like how black and white some of the stories made the rebels. Kind of lame to make the main character go "No, they're bad cause they used VIOLENCE! We'll change the system without using violence!" There's a lot I could say, but to make a very long story short, that whole bit is just very yikes. Especially when you could tell it was directly pulling from the real world and philosophies on how to change corrupt systems in the real world. Something about how they attempted to simplify everything that could be considered a "heavy" topic, made it feel just a bit too simplified. Almost like they were about to fall off of simplified right into dumbed down. Also, I realized at the end of the novel, this is actually the first novel in a series. But with how the story is written, I don't think I'll care too much to read the next one. I will give props for the art! The art style was fantastic, and the design of the world was so fun to read. The world design felt like an interesting blend of Stray and Cyberpunk 2077.
A quick read, the art is gorgeous although I think the colours schemes were a bit off in places. I didn't really like the main character at the start, although I don't think there was enough chance to give her more substance.
Generally the story was ok, but the dialogue felt so off sometimes, and obviously with it being so short everything happened so fast, there wasn't really a lot of build-up or time to trust (and then be betrayed by!) certain characters
The ending really helped a lot though, it was very sweet and heartfelt, and it definitely needs a continuation!
I love dystopians. If I see a graphic novel where the ocean is dead and someone wanting to fight the system, I'm gonna read it. So of course I requested this one (thank you Europe comics for the ARC!).
What I liked: The art, loved the colors. The story, basically. Iaia, loved her.
What I liked less: The story was good, but felt confusing and somewhat disjointed at times. I would also have loved more time with getting to know the characters. But, this is a graphic novel and a series, so I'm sure we'll get more of them in the next volume.
Trobar un còmic en català és una sorpresa i una alegria. Afortunadament, sembla que cada cop hi ha més oferta, però encara és reduidíssima. Aquí tenim l’obra d’un autor català, Ricard Efa, que escriu i dibuixa “Noceà”, una distopia clarament orientada a un públic juvenil. Curiós que -sembla- el còmic està publicat originàriament en francès. Aquest volum, en flamant format d’àlbum europeu, conté el que sembla que serà la primera entrega d’una sèrie. Gran dibuix i història senzilla.
Prèstec de la Biblioteca de la Universitat Jaume I.
M'agrada bastant el món que ha creat. I les il·lustracions guai. Però els diàlegs tenen poca gràcia i sonen una mica forçats, poc naturals. Tot plegat una mica superficial. Però a veure que tap la segona part...
Prou bé. He connectat amb els dibuixos més del que esperava i l'univers distòpic és un bon plantejament crític pel públic juvenil. L'argument m'ha semblat una mica bàsic, però amb possibilitats d'aprofundiment en els següents volums.
This graphic novel is very Cyberpunk 2099 lite. Think cyberpunk, but make it YA. The story is pretty simple and is a straightforward sci-fi trope of people vs. corporations. The MC is likeable, though very naive. But I liked the story enough that I'd like to read the next installment. Since this is only volume 1, it does help set the scene for this world.
I just wish that this volume had been longer though. Characters and their motives aren't fully explained, so you just have to take it at face value when a character says something or does something that doesn't quite make sense. I hope the next volume dives more into character development so readers can actually understand characters' motives.
I really liked the art in this. There's shades of Cyberpunk 2099 mixed in with Blade Runner 2049 with the colors, the city, and the characters' fashion styles. I actually want to read the next volume because of the art, and the art is also why I'm bumping this up another star.
Thank you to Europe Comics and NetGalley for this arc.
A really lovely comic. I loved the art style and the way the story flowed. In this we follow the main character Atari after watching her mother be killed by government when she was younger she wants the world they live in to change for the better, but how to go about it she doesn't know yet. Should she join a revolution or fund a different way. This world is set on earth in the future where the waters keep rising but has become so polluted and toxic that there are now water rations as they can clean and purify it quickly enough. Most of the clean water though goes to the center, the high class rich people as the poor people struggle to survive on very little water. The government is strict, greedy and keeps everyone in their zones depending on their wealth, but something has to change and Atari wants to make that happen .
SYNOPSIS Atari loses her mother when she is very young. She is brought up by a woman who saves her. She joins a group assuming that they are working against the hostile government but there are some revelations underway that change her course of action.
#bookhoarderreviews The book is set in a dystopian world where the ocean has been destroyed, everything is controlled and regulated by the government, the city is divided into zones which are accessible based on ids issued.
The story setting is interesting and the first part of the series sets the stage for the next book in the series. The characters are introduced which aren't yet fully developed, the world-building has begun which seems intriguing yet leaves the readers wanting for more.
Es una historia que te atrapa desde el inicio, con algún giro esperado pero igualmente sorprendente por la dimensión que toman los personajes. Ecologismo pesimista contra la esperanza que aportan los cambios a pequeña escala, un sistema podrido y gris contra el entusiasmo por marcar un punto y aparte. Me ha encantado.
Thank you to #NetGalley and #EuropeComics for providing a copy of this YA graphic novel for review.
Rating; 3.5 stars, rounded up
The cyberpunk post-apocalyptic atmosphere really appeals to me, and this graphic novel is gorgeously illustrated. The story is presented simply, with restraint, and ends rather abruptly, but still, I truly enjoyed it. I'd like to know a little more about the tech, about Tika's backstory, and what Atari and Tika have planned next, but there is a second volume which will answer many of those questions. The elements I particularly loved include environmentalism, diversity, justice, and idealism. If you are looking for a graphic novel which pits the regular folks against the evil corporation, this is a good choice. Some of the problems presented are universal: whom do you trust in unbearable situations? How do you guard your humanity when it seems like you have nothing left to lose? What can you tell about someone's character by how they treat other people? What is the best way to bring about important changes? Who should have control over our everyday lives? Is value based only on wealth?
It's a pretty good bet that this book won't make its way into a Texas or Florida school library, so you'll want to get it into the hands of a kid directly, so they can start thinking about protecting our planet and how we can fairly distribute resources in times of great crisis.
Thank NetGalley & Europe Comics for getting Nocean.
Nocean is set in future when water is limited because in the past people treated it terribly and now resources are limited. The government named Systema makes rules and if you don't follow they will eliminate you. Just like they did to our main character Atari. That is the reason why she rebels against the government and wants to make a better world. Unfortunately in this volume, she did make mistakes and it's just the beginning of her story. We just meet here and it will most probably be a long journey. After all, she can't do it in one day or alien so we have another character who appears a few chapters later Tika but she will most probably be another main character. First, we need to know who she is truly for Atari and Tiki to become good friends. For me, this volume was too short and had so many things at the same time and I just felt that this was rushed. I am kinda disappointed. I do need more and will definitely read more. The world is interesting and the journey of Atari and Tiki will be adventurous as we go deep into the story. At least I hope so.