Okay this just wasn't that good. It wasn't outright bad or horrible, but is wasn't quite good either. The plot was just so lackluster. I didn't feel anything for the characters or find them or what they had going on the least bit interesting. The pace felt really fast yet nothing seemed to happen?? Like they did two things and then it ended?? All that being said, the artwork wasn't half bad. I kinda was diggin it but again, it just seemed kinda boring. Won't be continuing on with the rest of the series.

I received a galley from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Joyride truly was a ride full of joy! Listen, I'll be honest, I was sold from the very first line of the blurb I read & I was sure I'd love this comic book. I was not wrong.

The premise is really rather simple. So we are well in the future and the Earth is run by fascists. It's also isolated from the rest of the universe by a barrier called SafeSky & has been for so long, people don't even remember anymore there are stars in the sky. But of course this wouldn't be the great adventure that it is without one of our protagonists who dreams of nothing else but leaving the planet & exploring the stars. Which obviously would be illegal. Has that word ever stopped Uma before though…

Naturally Uma isn't alone in her space journey. And here we come to the best part about this book: the wonderful cast! There are three teens from vastly different backgrounds, a robot and an alien. Talk about an interesting crew! They didn't all know each other before but over time and thanks to everything they go through together, they learn to listen to each other & love each other. I'll admit I'm a sucker for the found families trope so this was basically a dream come true for me.

Each of the characters is fleshed out and given agenda. And, even more importantly, they are all allowed to make mistakes and learn from them, to grow throughout the story. Their emotions are real, their banter witty & their ideas outrageous. My favorites are definitely mentioned before Uma & the other girl in our space ensemble - Catrin. They both have a complicated past that they're trying to live with and at the same time not let it totally shape them. Honorary mention in my Top Favs category to Bot - the robot who doesn't actually speak a human language and yet remains the cutest & warmest thing in the universe.

I think one of the main strengths of Joyride is how fresh & vibrant it feels. This seems to come from two main sources. One: the teen characters truly feel like teens & themselves bring some novelty to the story. It's not exactly common that dialogues written for teenagers come across as natural and something that seventeen-year-olds would actually say but Joyride excels at that! And two: the story is so packed with action, with adventures that there's just no way to be bored even for a second. Those two elements also connect beautifully in a way that the plot is driven by teens and they all do things that teenagers would do. I mean, the first place they visit in space is a shopping mall! Come on!

I couldn't write a review for a comic book without mentioning the art. The most important part! And OMG it's so incredible???? I absolutely loved all the character designs and the great use of colors. It's honestly a feast for the eyes! It's really hard, at least for me, to find a comic book that has a good plot and a beautiful art so Joyride is a real blessing.

My only complaint would be that sometimes there was just too much action. There were a few moments where the cuts between scenes were so rapid, I was wondering if I didn't accidentally miss a page… But overall it's not much of a flaw and doesn't actually take away from the enjoyment of the whole thing.

Least but definitely not last! I spy with my gay eye a budding relationship! I really hope it's explored even more in the next volume.

All in all, the first volume of Joyride was a great fun! It made me nostalgic for some of my favourite shows, like Cowboy Bebop or Firefly and I simply cannot wait to see what else the series has in store! If you enjoy sci-fi stories with amazing characters, especially ones involving actual space travel, you must check out Joyride.

At the beginning it had so much going for it that I originally thought it was going to be seriously good. Two young teens fed up with the usual hustle and bustle of living in a society (screw your rules maaaan) decide to hightail it to parts unknown, escape from this world (literally) and forge their own destiny. I loved the concept of a boxed in moon and the structures on the innards and that humanity hadn't seen the stars because they were hiding from alien civilisations.
But the comic fast-tracked into the mainstream humdrum sloppy story telling that most major comic series are rife with. It just abandoned realism and structure which readers under the age of 10 might be more forgiving of, but I'm not. <spoiler> Dynamite just magically appears in the ship??
An organism the size of a planet has it's own gravitational well but doesn't collapse in on itself and it gets nourishment from minds???Pissant minds??In the vast nothingness of space??
Earth has an elite force that can track people down anywhere in a galaxy, but they don't appear to have even colonised as far as Mars?? C'mon guys</spoiler>
The outcomes to most major events seemed predictable too. It just seemed a waste to have such well defined characters with strong backstories and excellent art being spent on producing another comic with no discipline or drive to create something greater than anything that has come before.

This was enjoyable but not totally my cup of tea. I wish there was more worldbuilding, and I liked what little we learned of Uma's mom. I felt like the pacing was too fast, so I didn't really get immersed in anything that was happening. Just as I was starting to get into it things changed and we were somewhere else.

Still a fun little read though!

'Joyride, Volume 1' by Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly is a whole lot of fun.

Uma Akkolyte misses the stars. She lives in a world that blocks them out to folks. She decides to steal a ship and head out to see them with her friend Dewydd, who is less adventurous. Along the way they find more companions, get in all kinds of trouble, and discover secrets about each other that threaten to tear their friendships apart.

The art is great. The color is amazing. The story moves fast, has incredible energy, and I love the characters. I kept thinking that the book needs a playlist and there is one you can play on Spotify while you read the book. I might have to reread it with the playlist.

I received a review copy of this graphic novel from BOOM! Studios and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.

A highly interesting and colourful graphic novel. I would highly recommend.

The people of Earth can no longer see the stars. Uma Akkolyte wants to escape into space to finally see the stars. Along with her friend Dewydd, they sneak onto a ship and travel into space. When they try to escape the ship, they are followed by a woman, Catrin. She follows them so far that she ends up leaving with them. Then, they proceed to explore other planets and pick up some friends along the way.

This was a good story. There was a lot of action, and the graphics were good.

I was a little lost sometimes when they brought up new terms. There were new planets and creatures. Also, sometimes they used the word “space” in place of swear words, but it took a while for me to figure that out.

This was a pretty good graphic novel with an interesting plot.

ARC from Netgalley.
"Earth sucks. Steal a spaceship." A hilarious tagline beginning to a great new series!

Uma and her best friend Dewydd (which I think is pronounced Dude, which makes me chuckle every time I hear it) want to escape from the regime-esque galaxy-wide government. The SafeSky shield has blocked out all view of the stars for generations and these two daring adventures hatch their plan. D works for the government so he can get them past the shield and to a rendezvous point, where they meet a robot who will help them escape. But they are being chased by Catrin, a government agent.
The plot unfolds with much action and hilarity as Earthlings are let loose on a galaxy that hasn't seen them for a long time. Shopping at a "space mall", teaming up with Kolstak (the roguish alien) running from the government, Catrin's secrets, D's betrayal, and an encounter with Dewydd's older brother help the flow of this book rocket ahead very quickly.
Excellent first Volume. High recommend. A great time.

My Rating: 3/5

The first line in the synopsis was what made me want to read this book. I mean, "Earth sucks." What? That was so intriguing to me. I just had to read this graphic novel. The rest of the synopsis sounded really cool.

Volume one was a fun read! I loved being on the adventure with all the characters in the book. I loved Uma. She was awesome. I felt she had really good character development to. I loved the relationships between the characters as well.

My only problem with this volume was it was just a bit confusing for me at times. Overall though, it was entertaining to read. I would read the next volume if it appeared on Netgalley. I don't think I would go out of my way to get it.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me read and review this.

"Earth Sucks. Steal a spaceship!" = best tagline ever. This is a fun graphic novel about a trio of young adults escaping a crapsack Earth ruled by a totalitarian regime and heading out for the freedom of space. Definitely need volumes 2, 3, 4, 5...

Joyride is a fun, space opera set in a simple, yet complicated world. That sentence pretty much sums up the whole volume. I think the storytelling and the art was great, the characters were interesting, and personally I could see this being a neat idea for a tv show. If I get a chance to read more, I definitely will. Thumbs up!

Rebel teens escape a fascist government and have crazy adventures in space. This comic is fun. There's comedy. There's space adventures. It is lighthearted and full of both friendship and familial relationships.

I liked the art. There are some really interesting aliens in this book. And robots. The fashion is also pretty cool.

I enjoyed this book. The characters were developed and interacted well together. I give this volume a 3.5/5.

I really liked the visuals - especially the colours and the spaceship design. The characters took a bit longer to get used to. I found Uma especially annoying most of the time but D and Catrin grew on me. The world building was a bit hit-and-miss. I though it could have been laid out more clearly. It has potential with some every cool stuff - the space mall, the backstories - but it didn't blow me away.

Earth sucks. Steal a spaceship.
YEEEEESSS!!!!

This was such a (wait for it) joyride!!!! No but seriously, that was such a fun volume. I can't wait to read more of this and see more of it, cause the artwork was so amazing. Seriously, I love everything about this. The story is great, I LOVE the characters. I love everything.

Sort of Guardians of the Galaxy meets Firefly. I was on board with the concept. At heart, its a pretty standard plot: a charismatic rebel fed up with the way things are being run determines to leave society behind and live life her own way, gathering a motley crew of sometimes reluctant members along the way, all of whom have secrets. Elements of their various pasts effect the flight to freedom and both help and hinder thier efforts. I don't feel particularly strongly about this one. Art is fairly standard and nothing particularly groundbreaking is going on with teh plot

A sci-fi comic whose world-building is so complex there's little of an 'in' to understand it all immediately, but whose variety and complexity, while it should be a strength, dsn't stop it from being really quite cheesy. Lurid colours add to the one-note, sugar-rush action too. Not bad, but not my thing.

I didn't even read the description of this GN, just requested it based on the cover. It was sci-fi fun, though. The first volume was a little slow, but things picked up and took me on a ride...a joyride. ;)

Okay, sorry, corny...but still. I really enjoyed this GN. The relationships and characters were well developed. The twists and turns kept me interested and surprised. Only mildly predictable in its formula, but not enough to annoy or detract. Looking forward to vol. 2

I thought this was a very enjoyable first volume. Yes the whole 'fascist dystopian future' thing is a pretty standard setting now, but considering the current state of the world it feels more relevant than ever. Also the art is great and I love the characters so far. Other people have been comparing this to various other sci-fi franchises but in a weird way this reminded me of The Mummy - in the way that I always file everything with a plot best described as "a woman having a great time" in that category. Seriously this entire thing is just everyone going UMA NO! and Uma running straight off into danger yelling UMA YES! and I completely love that. Definitely going to check out the next volume.

Cute story but not something I could really get into.

I love comic books, and the ones being created today try hard to attract all kinds of readers. I picked this one up from Netgalley and all in all, it's a fun and entertaining read.

Typically of today's publishing industry, this is YA - the protagonists are kids fighting a dystopian system. They have the weight of the world resting on their shoulders, but thankfully our protagonist, Uma, is drawn to adventure and not saving the world. By her side is loyal friend (and secret admirer) D, and unwilling participant Carin. There's an alien robot and a dour alien thrown into the mix as well.

Action-packed from the get-go, we learn much about the characters through their reactions to situations. Unfortunately, the writers of this comic are not imaginative enough, and we fall into cliched traps of storytelling soon.

Much is told to us through expository dialogue and everyone but our protagonist appears to be hiding a convenient secret. Uma finds out about Catrin's while the two girls are lost in space. As always, they are rescued by the male member of the team.

There's plenty of unnecessary angst thrown in and a particularly harsh statement hurled by Uma at D, which, in all honesty, would mean the end of any friendship in reality. Let's not forget the family drama. There's daddy issues, sibling issues - it's rather unoriginal.

The characters intone in American CW-show-newspeak, which is irksome to read. It would have been fine if only one of the characters spoke in that fashion, but they all seem to do that.

Love the art - again, not the most innovative, but clean and clear and aids the story deftly. However, the art didn't showcase any diversity in the characters, which I'm guessing is what the writers wanted. That's a surprising choice to make in the 21st century.

As YA, I think there are certain comic book readers who will definitely enjoy this and want to get stuck into the next volume; for me, however, this just didn't grip me enough to want to find out any more.