'Rise of the Zelphire #1: Of Bark and Sap' with story and art by Karim Friha is a fantasy graphic novel about people with mutant powers and the people who want to stop them.

Sylvan Khelmann became a sort of superpowered person with his proximity to trees. He lives in a city where there are others. One is an octopus, one secretes poison. When a young girl has powers that heal, she becomes a target and Sylvan finds himself with a new set of friends out to rescue her.

I liked this world and these characters. It's an interesting take on the superhero genre. I like the character design and just a whole lot about this idea.

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 review is posted on my Wordpress blog.

Disclaimer: I received this book as an eARC via NetGalley in exchange for a honest review last year.

Steampunk meets X-Men. That is how the Rise of the Zelphire is. The story introduces us to the legend of a spirit that sleeps within each of us. This spirit can be awakened because of a trauma. The people who gained powers because of traumatic experiences are called Zelphires.

The story is set in fictional Algarante, Capital of the Republic of Beremhilt. It follows Sylvan whose father is authoritarian, brutal, and abusive. This made him seek a refuge up on a tree near their home. When his father would come to him to hit him, he climbs up the tree where he feels most safe. One day, he discovers that his hair had turned into twigs, his skin into bark, and blood into sap. His stubbles become buds. The abuse turned him into a zelphire with tree-like characteristics. He attends a university and was given a chance to join Professor Wernes, a renowned traveler and researcher with a greenhouse filled with rare plants from his expeditions. Aside from Sylvan, the graphic novel also introduces other zelphires and another kind of spirit opposite of the zelphires: the Dreghan. Dreghans acquire powers due to dormant wickedness of a person and when awakened, can cause pain to others. Sylvan joins Professor Wernes expedition and gains new companions who are also zelphires.

I remember the tale of the two wolves when I read this work. The tale tells that there are two wolves fighting inside a person. One is evil, the other good. The wolf who wins is the one you feed. The wolf in this work is the spirit and when they are awakened as a result of circumstances, the powers are used in either a good way or for an evil purpose.

Although the story is the good vs. evil trope, the artwork effectively tells the story. The pacing and sequencing of the panels were good and helped the build up of the story. The color palette helped identify the current timeline and a flashback, the zelphires and the dreghans. Details like sprouting of buds or twigs in Sylvan illustrate what the characters are feeling or thinking.

The volume ends with a news of a new monster, a tree man walking the streets of Algarante; however, it is set up in a way that tells there is a next installment for the work.

I enjoyed reading the Rise of the Zelphire. I am excited to read what happens after. It is easy to read and one can finish reading it within a day.

I've read a lot of explanations for magical or super powers. This one may be my favorite, mostly because it focuses on a person's central nature or strongest desires. The things that drive that person influence the powers they manifest and the desperation of that nature cases the manifestation. That drive is so strong that it burst from the body. A straightforward adventure with a lot of cool elements. AN entertaining read.

I received an ARC from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this graphic novel. The story is about a special handful of people who when exposed to extreme circumstances or trauma, a magic power gets released making them into a Zelphire. They're all different shapes and sizes with varying degrees of ability. A small group of them must come together to battle a common foe who is hunting them down and may also expose them to society.

The artwork is gorgeous and the characters are great. Books 2 and 3 need to be translated asap so I can read them though I might take my chances in french.

A steampunk X-Men set in a world inspired by Jules Verne. Packed full of adventure and action. I had a lot of fun with this. The art is great. If you're looking for comics from Europe, this French one is a great place to start.

This was such fun! The story is very entertaining, and the characters are loveable. Would love to read more about these people. To be recommended!

Imagine a creepy,steampunk version of the xmen with slight touches of horror. That's what this comic feels like, but with a more childish art style and simpler tone. I can see a series I will love in the horizon!

Full review published in my personal blog: https://bit.ly/2RTzkVF

Everyone has a bit of power dormant inside themselves.

Some get born in time of fear. Some get's born because of the darkness in your heart.

The one's that get the power in because of fear, are the ones called Zelphire's.
The one's that get because of their dark soul, Dreghan's,

One to save, one to create pain.

In The Rise of the Zelphire Book One we follow Sylvan. A young lad, student, that is in love with young lady Leonore, but doesn't have their relationship on the open. Also, a young man capable of turning something of a tree after his Zelphire powers helped him up with his dad in his youth. Blood? Oh no, this one has sap running in his veins.

All young Sylvan does is study and go out with friends and his young love - the young love in private - until he finally gets the chance to meet Professor Wernes, who in just their first encounter invites him in to a travel to another city to discover the mystery of a lake healing powers.

It all goes downhill from there, love, friendships, Dreghans, near death experiences. We get all that and more with great art and story telling from Karim Friha! I can't wait to read the next books to get to know what's going on with tree dude, the robber octopus and maybe some more histories about the past of Wernes!

With beautiful steampunk-inspired art, a colorful cast of characters and a lot of good old fashioned action, the book really has something to please everyone. Though there are some dark elements including some gross looking zombie mummy things (as well as some implied sexy-times) the story should be just the ticket for older tweens and younger teens. And, although it was originally published in French, the English translation is pretty solid, without awkwardness in the language or "lost in translation" moments. The English version drops on March 26th (tomorrow!) so grab it as soon as you can!

The Rise of the Zelphire Book One has an interesting story and some cool artwork. I'll definitely recommend this one.

It is so exciting to read a steampunk graphic novel with a unique story. Sylvan is special, but it isn't until he meets a Professor who has put together a team of extraordinary people. Sylvan learns that his ability truly is a blessing that could be used to save those in need. A bit X-Men, a little League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, and a lot of fantastic graphics will make this a favorite with many kids (and adults).

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance reader copy.

I absolutely loved it. Consider it a steampunk take on superpowered children and new adults, called Zelphires. Strange and fascinating abilities stem from childhood trauma.

Sylvan Khelmann is a Zelphire. He tries to live a normal life and hide the strange tree-like features that grow on his body. He doesn’t fully understand his abilities, nor does he want to explore them. Soon he pairs with an old adventurer, Professor Werns, who takes him on an expedition that’ll change everything.

The story is tropey and characterization of the bad guys could be better. BUT the art, reader-friendly lettering, great interactions between characters more than make up for this. I devoured this graphic novel yesterday and reread it today. And I’m sure I’ll repeat the process soon.

It’s a joy to read, to feast the eyes on a color palette and clean lines. While not particularly nuanced or deep, it never ceases to entertain and thrill with cool ideas. Marketing pitch is true - Rise of the Zelphire combines a Victorian steampunk, superpowered characters and their coming-of-age arcs with Tim Burton’s sensibilities and vision.

I need the sequel.

A Ripping Steampunk, X-Men, Romantic, Adventure

This did not start out auspiciously. The opening narrative was presented in a hard to read cursive style. The idea of a "Zelphire" spirit born of childhood trauma seemed like it would be a high maintenance concept. A hero who turned into a tree creature seemed unwieldy. Well, please excuuuuuuse me for being of little faith. Within a few pages this turned into an engaging hoot.

The Zelphire spirit stuff basically means we run across lots of characters with deeply cool powers, (healer, octopus woman, tentacle hair, bug talker, etc.). The story is set in a vaguely Victorian era and has some steampunk elements. But the steampunk aspect is just enough to make it interesting without the whole project being overtaken by the steam. Our hero, Sylvan, is smart, decent, and courageous. He even gets a kick-butt potential love interest. The old guy he teams up with is funny and ironic and gets some of the best amusing throwaway lines. Even the tormented villain is complexly eeevil. The plot has a lot of reasonable twists and turns and there's plenty of action for a hero who turns into a tree-man when he's angry. (And an octopus woman shooting a gun with each tentacle is pretty awesome.)

The artwork is especially effective in selling the story. Sylvan is drawn and presented convincingly. The other characters just as effectively reflect their powers. The bad guys are convincingly bad, and look quite believably creepy and scary. There are some nice set pieces, including an excellent villain's castle lair. But behind all of that, the drawing has great energy. The lines are crisp; the inking is nicely balanced; the colors are bright but not overwhelming; lettering is reader friendly. And even though the characters are often drawn in a jagged, angular style, they are remarkably expressive and full of personality. There's not a bland or boring panel in the book.

So, apart from admiring this as a published work, I just really enjoyed reading it. This isn't standard franchise stuff. It's cool and fresh and a good-hearted fantasy adventure ramble. This is sub-titled as Book One, and I'd be happy to see more issues.

(Please note that I received a free advance will-self-destruct-in-x-days Adobe Digital copy of this book without a review requirement, or any influence regarding review content should I choose to post a review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.)