I realized that I missed reading and reviewing this NetGalley ARC... back from 2016. Luckily, I found it at my library and just read it.

I started reading it without knowing anything about the plot. The beginning of the book feels like a mess of murders after murders without context. Mid-way, you understand that the main characters keep being reincarnated and keep killing each other. They don't know why, but they still do it. And they are supposed to always be attracted to each other and love each other... but they always kill each other when they meet? Doesn't make any sense to me.

It was intriguing enough to get more than a star, but not much more than that. I wouldn't recommend it.

*Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.*

First volumes of comics have a lot of leg work to do: whole worlds and plot lines to build, but this had a /lot/ of exposition. It slowed down the beginning to a glacial pace and made it hard to get invested in the characters. Additionally, I just didn't really like the art style. Nothing against it, but it wasn't for me.

Amazing Amazing Amazing!
I can't wait to read the rest of the series. The characters, the plot, the art... was just... breathtaking.

Fast-paced action/adventure about reincarnated soldiers fighting an eternal and seemingly pointless war to take out their adversary and then self-destruct to restart the cycle. The cover copy emphasizes the star-crossed lovers element much more than the text, which really only gets into it at the very end; I wouldn't recommend this to a romance fan. That said, it's a fun read if you don't mind the cliffhanger at the end.

This is not your standard love story...
It’s action packed with teeth and nails. Each page has words of a story that you don’t quite know but in time the pieces fall together, piece by piece. I was quite thrilled to read it and find this brilliant story, it has the lgbtq concept but really it’s just the aspect of two characters destined in a war they over time want nothing to do with, each life they fall more for the other and ant to actually defy the odds and make a life verse keep going with what’s expected of them, to kill the target which they are each other’s target. It’s a mix of tragedy, unrelenting violence, and the courage to make a stance on what you believe yourself to truly be.

This was between a three and a four. If there had been really any specific details or information about the two factions and what was going on and what they were warring for it would have been kicked to four.

This is very complicated, but for the most part a good complicated. A story of someone 'waking up' and seeing their life in a new light and still wanting to keep it, even though it is crappy and there is another option available (and the instinct is to go with that new option). That sentence makes about as much sense as the graphic novel does, so bare with me.

I guess I also need to add that if this were to be a standalone, I would have been greatly disappointed. I know it is hard getting everything into a volume one or first set of issues, but I don't feel like this really moved forward very much from beginning to end.

This was so much fun! I adored everything about it: the art, the plot, the characters, EVERYTHING. I'm definitely going to continue this series!

I hope that the second volume explains more about the situation, but I had trouble following the plot. The colors are great and the illustrations are beautiful.

I'm not 100% sure what to say about Welcome Back. I'm left with more questions than answers, but I'm moderately sure that was the intention.
The idea of a nevereding war outside of time is a wonderful premise, but the refusal to give us any idea what each side stood for and why they were fighting made me really frustrated. I had a hard time connecting and sympathizing with the characters when I wasn't sure what their motivations were.
The world building was decent and it was nice to see that the death didn't go unpunished like it tends to in most modern stories.
I really liked the art in the first half of the volume and was quite disoriented by the sudden change. I found Mali to be almost unrecognizable after the switch and had to rely on her green commentary boxes to recognize her. I understand that artist changes happen, and have at times enjoyed seeing a variation on a characters design but I don't think it was pulled off well here.

An interesting story, with a twist and very good things. The drawing, so so

This comic has a gorgeous blend of angst and no-you're-crying emotive depth that's vividly illustrated. It's been a damned long time since I cried after reading a graphic novel but what a refreshingly heart-rending experience. I can't wait for the next volume to be available in digital. (5 stars)

This comic book is amazing, the characters are relatable young women, it’s excellent in the illustration department and takes us into an interesting story, sadly the text bubbles can be a bit confusing so sometimes the panels have to be read multiple times to make sense of what’s being said, but other than that… I am in love

Mali and Tessa are adversaries locked in a war that has been going on for so long, they no longer know why they are fighting. They are reincarnated throughout history, repeating a cycle of killing one another and then starting all over once again. This time Mali, has only just "awakened" and no longer wants to be a killer. I liked the premise quite a bit. What would have made it better would be to find out the back story of why all these people are reincarnated and why this is happening in the first place.

Short books mean even shorter reviews. Oops. I was pretty confused, but like pretty art. I was actually looking for romance for once and there was none. I want to read more though.

I wasn't  sure what to expect from this book. It starts out more like a typical slice-of-life book with the exception that Mali's father is rumored to be a serial killer. Then it brings in an assassin and things quickly spiral into some weird territory. Mali and Tessa are soldiers on opposing sides of a millennia long war and are destined to fight each other forever, being reborn each time one of them dies.

I like the story and the set up for the book. The slow progression from Mali's seemingly normal life to this life that is beyond belief is awesome. It lets the reader adjust to this strange world along with Mali. The ending to the book feels right even though the characters are seemingly going in a different direction up to that point. It sets things up nicely for the next arc of the series. I also liked the art a lot. There are some cool scenes that incorporate the idea that these characters have experienced multiple lives.

My only real complaint is that there isn't enough explanation about this battle that the girls are involved in. It sets up the structure of the world and the war, but leaves a gap as to why these factions are at war and what it means for the girls. I enjoyed it a lot and would like to see these issues addressed in the next portion of the story.

Welcome Back
Photo from Goodreads
General

We(l)come Back by Christopher Sebla

Pages: 112 (Paperback)

Published by BOOM! Studios March 1st, 2016

Genre: Graphic Novel, Comics, Fantasy, LGBTQ



Links: Amazon/Goodreads

Overall Rating: 3/5

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley, but that does not have a sway in my reviews. I am a human being with thoughts of her own, and I am not obligated to automatically give this book five stars.



The Review

We(l)come Back starts with a dream. Mali's dream. Of a war, of several wars that she lived through. This is the premise of the story. Christopher Sebla, thrusts the reader into a narrative of reincarnation. A story about two women who have been damned to a life of assassination and war.

While the premise of the story is captivating in itself, as a reader, I was left with many questions. What did these characters do to be reborn so many times? Why are they cursed? Is it a curse to have to live through so many lives? And why do they have to kill one another to reset the reincarnation cycle? How does it really affect the balance of peace? There are many unanswered questions in Volume 1, and I hope Volume 2 answers them.

Despite the many questions I had for the story, I did find that the author addressed mental illness with care and that his use of inclusion for LGBTQ characters was incredible. That to me is exciting to see in books and graphic novels. We(l)come Back Vol. 1 is just the beginning. I'm sure the world of Mali and Tessa will widen with each volume released.

It took me forever to finish it, because I really wanted to take my time. With graphic novels/comics, I find myself just flying through them too fast, I really want to make them last longer from now on.

I loved this one. I really REALLY loved this one.
I love the whole story, the idea that they lived so many lives, that they keep coming back, just so they can kill each other again and again. THIS IS CRAZY. And kinda cool.

I loved the two main girls Mali and Tessa. I loved Mali's father coming back as a little girl. Those moments where just way too hilarious. I LOVED IT.

I seriously can't wait to read more of this story. I NEED MORE. Soon. FAST. NOW.

Had to DNF - too many instances of multiple monologues overlapping, too many full-page spreads that are impossible to read on netgalley files, and more importantly, nothing much of interest in the wishy-washy drama.

I usually love graphic novels but this one just did not do anything for me at all. I honestly thought it was going to be good and it took me ages to download a copy. I just wish it had been worth it.


Ok now you probably think I hated it but you couldn't be further from the truth. I didn't hate it, I was disap[pointed in it. There was no real explanation so it got a bit confusing. Had the author explained things better maybe I would have enjoyed it more.


Also another complaint was the second half the graphics changed some what and the story didn't flow as well. I was guessing which bit to read next. I got the feeling I was guessing wrong.

To say I was disappointed is an understatement because I was really looking forward to it as I liked the description. Hell who wouldn't like a story of two lesbian assassins.


I didn't hate it nor did I love it. I gave it 2 stars purely because the whole thing was confusing although the idea was a good one.


https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27276091-welcome-back-vol-1

https://www.amazon.co.uk/review/R18C2Z8RV7HDVB/ref=pe_1572281_66412651_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv