This is a visually AMAZING graphic novel from start to finish. The colors, the illustrations, the conceptualization and characterization of the characters ... Simply incredible.

A simple and charming story, recommended for the little ones.

'Wormworld Saga Vol 1: The Journey Begins' with story and art by Daniel Leske is a fantasy graphic novel for younger readers with lush, beautiful art.

School is out for Jonas, and that means going to visit his grandmother for the Summer with his father. He has adventures in the woods in his favorite sweater and wielding his wooden sword. This year, things take a strange turn when he finds a portal to another world. He plans on leaving a way back home, but the portal closes on him.

The story is interesting and easy to follow. The world building, so far, seems pretty good. The digital art is colorful and detailed. I enjoyed this first volume.

I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Lion Forge, Diamond Book Distributors, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.

This book just wasn’t for me, the writing style and me just didn’t mix but I can see how this would be enjoyable for many others

I loved the concept of this story and the illustrations just brought it to life! The colors meld incredibly well to create the fantasy feel of the other world as well as showing the vibrancy of "reality". I can definitely see myself sharing this with friends, family, and strangers! I hope to have the opportunity to share it with local library patrons even.

This book tells the story of a young boy’s summer in a place he never thought existed.

This book’s best part is definitely its art, it’s absolutely stunning.

Story wise, it was interesting, it kept me wanting to read more and more, but it’s quite simple too.

Character wise, they feel too one dimensional and I hope that problem gets fixed in the next installment.

All in all, this book creates a really interesting universe that I want to read more of.

Rating: 4 stars

I'm not a huge fan of the art style, and I thought this story took a bit too long to get started. I would have rather had a longer volume with more of a storyline than what was in this one, to be honest. Still, I am slightly interested and will definitely read the second volume (as I have that on my kindle as well)

I had some issues with the format of the e-arc that I was sent and regrettably could not read the whole story, BUT what I could read was so good that I'm planning to buy my own copy.

The art style is very detailed and I loved the colors used. It gave a magical atmosphere that was just right for this Narnia-esque story of an alternate universe found through a painting and filled with magic, adventure and good vs evil. I'm looking forward to filling in the blanks and finding out how it ends!

Charming story and absolutely mindblowingly beautiful drawings! So many details, so many colours, so amazingly gorgeous!

The comic was a lot shorter than I expected it to be though. I realize it is volume 1, but it seemed to end before it even began. Not helped by the fact that the last 20-25% of the book weren't actual part of the comic, but "behind the stage" notes - probably interesting to some, but a disappointment to me, who just wanted more of the story instead.

So 5 stars for the comic itself and especially for the drawings. -2 for the length (or rather, lack of same) and sudden ending.

I'm so devastated that this book was archived before I had a chance to download it! I've heard only good things about it and the synopsis sounds fantastic.

The story begins in 1977 when Jonas, at Christmas, in his country house, discovered a painting in the attic that would take him to Wormworld. This is a particular world where the child's vision is amplified and to understand it at the most we need to go back to being a little child. Jonas is a smart and intelligent child as well as being extremely curious. He is the ideal character for this kind of story.
The graphics of this little book is really special and alternative and the story is really pretty and original. The story alternates and everything that happens to the child merges to make it difficult to perceive the difference between memories and fantasies of the boy.
The style and storyline of the story are interesting and it is interesting how the author decided to develop the context and the story.
I am sincerely curious to find out how this story will continue with the next volumes!

Goodreads Synopsis:
Are you ready to enter the Wormworld?

Jonas is a dreamer. During his summer holidays he stays at his Grandmas house on the countryside. In the attic he discovers a strange painting, which turns out to be an entrance to the mysterious Wormworld. Jonas steps through the picture into the foreign world and loses connection to his home right at that moment. Completely left on his own, he has to face the biggest adventure of his young life... 



My Review:

I'm not sure what I expected from this book, but the art is something that really stood out to me, aside from the story. From the moment I started reading it I was sucked in completely. It begins by asking how you can tell the difference between which memories are real and which are dreams and fantasies.

It all started in 1977 when the main character, a young boy named Jonas, went on summer vacation from his last year in elementary school. His friends all know which school they're going to next, but Jonas's dad hasn't told him yet, it might be because all he cares about are his grades. He's always daydreaming and drawing instead of doing his homework. He feels like big things are happening around him, and he can't control them. After three years, they're able to go to his Granny's house for vacation, which is secluded in a really nice forest. But crazy things await him in the other half of the book.

Overall I loved it, the style, the story, the characters who were surprisingly super easy to relate to, mostly Jonas having a panic attack, despite the fantastic world he's transported to. I can't wait to see what happens in the next volume, and although the character is a child, I think anyone will easily understand his point of view and like him. Definitely check it out if you get the chance. 

Thanks for reading!
(Radioactivebookreviews.wordpress.com)

In this gorgeous comic we learn about the beginning of Jonas' adventure. As soon as the summer holiday starts, Jonas and his dad take off to vacation with his grandma. Along the way we learn that Jonas isn't performing well in school and that his father expects Jonas to have a summer vacation filled with homework. Of course, Jonas has other plans. He wants to adventure, roam the forests, and play make belief in his grandma's attic. Here in the attic he finds a portal to another world...

The story starts off a little slow, but the minute the new world is discovered I was sucked in. I love getting to know a new universe and learning all of its quirks. Hopefully there will be a lot more of that in the next installments!

I really love Jonas. I used to be a kid that couldn't keep focused no matter what & although I did pretty well in school because the subjects interested me, my favourite place to be was the made up world inside my head. I cannot wait to see how he grows and conquers his fears as the story progresses.

Daniel Lieske has created a beautiful story. Every part of the artwork is gorgeous and awe inspiring.
It makes me want to find my own portal and discover the secrets that lie on the other side!

A young boy enters summer with the promise of adventure at Grandma's... as long as he's doing his homework - which he isn't. Does Jonas fall into an imaginative and magical world full of lush otherworldly jungles and creatures, or is it all in his magical imagination?

The illustration in the book felt warm and organic in some spots and still very computer generated and angular, there was some clashing. Overall though the jungle images put together for Wormworld were lovely and imaginative.

It was clear there was some sort of parental tragedy in the past but they didn't dwell on it too much, I'm sure that will come into play in later installments but so far it doesn't feel emotionally manipulative and I appreciate that.

I'd definitely read the next installment to see if things get flushed out a bit more and to see what direction things are going, it's a bit early on to tell.

*thank you to Netgalley and Diamond Book Distributors for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

4 stars.

Wow Ohh wow this book was enjoyable! The artwork I have to comment on first because that is what really caught my eye and stole my heart. The artwork is just simply amazing. It is beautiful and stunning and so so well done, almost to the point where it looks 3D. Another part of this Graphic Novel is that really grabbed my attention was the way it was written. There was a narrator who was the older version of the main boy in the story, talking about the days he was younger and of the beginning of his adventures. It was a really strong detail that worked so well.

The story is about a little boy named Jonas, who's mother seems to have passed (unexpectedly in a house fire im guessing?) and is raised by his father. They travel to Granny's place for their summer vacation and what happens when they arrive will literally take you to a whole new world.

I really liked the added touch of finding out that Jonas has panic attacks. This is not common in middle grade books so I really like that it was added in. I can not wait for the next book in this series as I'm really interested to seeing where this story leads and the journey Jonas goes on. Definatley recommended.

I loved everything about this book but the ending! Very sad to have it end! Cliff hangers are not my thing, I need more and I need it now! Thank you netgalley for the free arc in exchange for an honest review!

Beautiful artwork surrounds story of a different world found by a young boy while visiting his grandmother. Trouble at school, family conflicts and now a new world to navigate. The plot didn't hold up to the vibrant pictures but I would read the next one and give it a chance.

I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

Jonas starts off his summer vacation on the wrong foot with his dad. He’s basically got to go through the homeschool version of summer school but gets caught cheating off his friend’s notes. Banished to his room in his grandma’s house, he goes into his secret hideaway and accidentally falls through a painting where he begins his epic journey.

The art in this was amazing. The colors were great and everything was just so eye catching.

The story itself has the potential to be right up there with the likes of great fantasy series we have seen, except heavily illustrated. Jonas is a relatable character. He struggled in school, was basically grounded, and chose to avoid his punishment by continuing to play in his secret room.

I am disappointed that there wasn’t more of the series in this book. I was really getting into it when I was rudely greeted by the last page. This is a book I would go ahead and buy for myself.

5 stars.

This is one of the most gorgeously drawn books I think I've ever read! I will absolutely be purchashing this for the juvenile graphic novel collection at my libary, because the story is great as well. It's reminiscent of Japanese "isekai" titles (aka transported to another world), though certainly skewed towards a younger audience than most of those. I suppose it feels like a more modern version of The Chronicles of Narnia, if that series had been a lushly illustrated graphic novel.

I absolutely loved this. It was a huge throwback to my childhood and I loved the start of this adventure. I think that the world we stumble into with our main character is vibrant and everything I imagined as a child. I am so excited to see where this story takes us. The illustrations were absolutely gorgeous and seem to come to life.

I wasn't impressed with this story and it reconfirmed my rule of thumb never to read any story with the word 'saga' (or 'cycle' or 'chronicles' in the title). I didn't apply that rule to comic books and now I think I shall have to!

Of course it wasn't aimed at me and maybe the middle-graders it is aimed at will go for it, but for me it was too abrupt of an ending - it never really offered any sort of resolution because it was so determined to leave you on a cliff-hanger to draw you into the next one in the series. This is the problem with series, and why I am not very much a fan of them. I appreciate an author more who leaves you wanting to read on because he or she has done such as good job of investing you in the story rather than one who forces you into a choice by breaking the story in the middle of something.

The art work was colorful but a bit plastic in my view, so it left something wanting, although some individual images were really rather fetching. But the story really wasn't anything new: a kid finds a magical portal into some other world where they magical find themselves a special being. It's been done so many times that if you want to do it again, you really need to bring your 'A' game and I felt none of that here. Indeed, I felt like there was more story told in the blurb than ever we had in the actual story which I think is a first for me.

So all in all I cannot recommend this, although I wish the author all the best in his pursuit of this tale.