Member Reviews
The only complaint about this item is that since it is published from a different house from the original Scarlet, it doesn't seem like it would make sense for someone without prior knowledge to pick up this so-called "volume 1". You really do need to read the original Scarlet from DC in order to get anything out of this volume.
I received this book via Netgalley in return for an honest review. I really liked this graphic novel and the characters they portrayed. The illustrations were great and the storyline was awesome. I would recommend buying this book.
Scarlet is one of those series that I’ve heard about but never dove into. I’ve been curious about all of the new Brian Michael Bendis series since he’s moved over to DC, and this seemed like a great time to jump in on Scarlet, with a new starting point.
Portland is a battleground, as its citizens fight against US forces for what I’m sure is a solid reason. Scarlet is leading this revolution, and is also trying to come to terms with the death of her boyfriend.
I have to admit here, I couldn’t get into this at all and ended up skimming the back half. This did not feel like a good place to start at all. Rather than being new reader friendly, I found myself rather abysmally lost throughout. Scarlet’s incessant, tedious monologuing only made it worse.
This was a tedious, frustrating read. Longtime fans of the series may find more here to enjoy than I did, but this first volume was not a first volume in anyway other than for marketing. Consider giving this one a pass.
Review will be available at provided link on May 23, 2019.
I'm picky about the comics/graphic novels I read, but Scarlet has art in a style that I find appealing and seems to, in my opinion, match the story. Now to just remember that it's a title I enjoy and try to keep up with the story
Just to make things confusing volume 1 here is actually the third volume in the Scarlet series.
It surprises me how this story seems to grow exponentially in scope with each volume. This starts with Scarlet and her crew having taken over part of Portland and is now in a Mexican standoff with the army. I'll let you read the rest of the story from there unencumbered with knowing what comes next. Alex Maleev has really stepped up his game on the art. His gritty, wartorn Portland looks like photos of Iraq. Some of Bendis's best work of the last several years and most relevant to current society.
I was kind of disappointed with this FINAL volume in the Scarlet series. It's not really volume 1 like the cover says, but actually volume 3, and the conclusion to the entire story. Not sure what DC is thinking by calling this Volume 1, but I guess that's why I'm not in the comic publishing business (don't get me started on DC's numbering system).
It picks up month after volume 2, Portland is cut off from the mainland, and the US Army is awaiting orders to invade Portland and capture Scarlet Rue, "founder" of a homegrown terrorist group. Surprising twists, and really, and I mean REALLY, far-fetched plot moves turn this book from a somewhat believable it-could-happen into a there-is-no-way-this-will-ever-happen book. And that was the disappointing part.
Scarlet started out like the Occupy Wall Street movement, reacting to real government overreach, but it devolved into something much less believable the further it went, culminating in a really disappointing sort of "bleh".
The artwork was fantastic, though, and that alone earned this final volume an extra star.
With so many stories released the last few years about dystopian regimes falling or post-apocalyptic landscapes, it's hard a story about societal breakdown and make it fresh. The creators behind Scarlett, however, prove capable of doing just that.
Violence, comedy, commentary on how revolutions happen and who ends up really winning, come together to create a fascinating narrative reminiscent of stories like the Dark Knight Returns. Maybe the most notable feature is the self-awareness - the main character breaks the fourth wall, other characters obsessively videotape their surroundings knowing that what they've gotten involved in will be history one day.
All told, a fun and thought-provoking read.
With Marvel's "Avengers: Endgame," coming out, I thought it would be good to see what I could recommend to patrons who are excited for the movie. I think that this is an excellent choice. Brian Michael Bendis is a popular creator, and for good read.
I enjoyed reading Scarlet Vol 1. I will admit the story was a tad slow at first, but got better as it moved along. Once you hear the back story of why this revolution began, you will see why it is so important. Scarlet is a person who doesn’t want to be in this role, but over time they realize they don’t have much of a choice in the matter. As her cause builds momentum things get heated pretty fast. Yet the biggest surprise awaits them once they leave their town. If you are looking for something different to read then you might want to check this graphic novel out.
Thank you NetGalley and Publisher for this early copy!
I took a star off because the beginning was confusing and hard to follow. But it had an interesting plot and I will be reading on in this series. I recommend checking it out.
Man, I really wish I hadn't believed the "this is a great jumping in point for the series" nonsense in the cover copy of this. I had previously read the first Scarlet book (original run) but never got my hands on book 2. I really wish I'd read the whole original run before picking this up because in spite of being a volume 1 it is not, in any way, the beginning of the story. There is a lot of context missing that, even after reading the first book, I was missing.
But, outside of my frustration about the missing context for some of the characters and some of what was happening, I enjoyed the book. The story is definitely compelling, especially in the current political climate, but it's a shame that since this is the middle of the story new readers are going to be missing most of the why for what's going on.
The art is pretty good, but I preferred the art in the original run.
Kind of unbelievable conclusion to this story, as Scarlet's rebellion leads to a full-blown American revolution. The art by Maleev continues to be excellent.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher I was able to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
***
Scarlet is the story of a woman whose fighting against a corrupt government and starts a revolution, in Portland, Oregon. Her and those that followed her find themselves shut off from the outside world, power has been shut off and their connections to the outside have been destroyed or blocked. Everyone seems to be watching though to see what she and hers are going to do next. None of it seems planned and she seems to be flying by the seat of her pants but Scarlet is going to do what she can.
The coloring in this volume is really eye catching, the use of red is very visceral and just pops out at you. I also really enjoyed the art style, Alex Maleev has a style that I find really enjoyable and goes very well with this dark, gritty story. If I’m understanding correctly this is a reboot of Scarlet that was done a couple years back by the same people. I’m certainly interested to see how the previous series and this one compares.