Loved this comic! Thought this was such a great story and loved the characters. I also loved the art style as well.

A fun ride. I don't think you should come here looking for anything particularly edgy, gritty or world-changing, but the origin story of someone who is already super-powered, but is using a TV talent show for supes to get a chance for revenge is a strong, ever-engaging one. Briefly it looks into the morals of a world with powered people – would we want them to be all tits and ass for the TV, or just to do right when needed – but on the whole it's sheer entertainment, and good stuff as well. A strong four stars.

Nice artwork that was formatted in an easy to follow and read manner. I did like the vibrancy of the style

The storyline was good and kept my attention.

This has been done before, <i>American Idol</i> with capes. Schwartz adds a layer of revenge and redemption. The storytelling though is disjointed and oddly paced, glancing over major details while making meaningless conversations go one for several pages. There's a level of genericness to the whole thing, probably because most of the characters are one dimensional. The art was solid. It had that house Aspen Comics style to it. I thought the photo covers of the main character were very interesting.

Joule was born with a superpower that enabled her to control energy, but it's always been more of a curse than a blessing. Her parents were killed when she was a child and she's never forgiven herself for not being able to use her superpower to save them. She's honed her skills waiting for the day when she can destroy Statis - the man who killed her parents and destroyed her life. Now she may get her chance. Calls have gone out for the first ever Superhero Idol. The winner will join the world's most elite group of superheroes who save the world on a regular basis. However, Joule's motives are less than pure. If she can win, it could be her chance to kill Stasis. However, putting her needs first could backfire badly. Is there still time for redemption or will Joule set in motion a chain of events that could destroy the world as we know it?

This YA graphic novel consists of several comic books that were initially released separately; however, there is one complete story arc throughout. Although this is Volume 1 and paves the way for more stories, this part is complete in itself. It was an interesting premise. The art was brilliantly executed, though a bit too body-hugging at times. Why do all female heroes need to be drop-dead gorgeous with sensational figures? The story was good, though there was a bit too much backstory dumping at times. I thought the prologue was unnecessary, as it gave spoilers (though in general terms). However, I liked the overall story and the way Joule transformed over time. Some of the other contestants also add an extra dimension that makes us want to follow them. There were also extra features, almost like fan magazine material such as profiles of the contestants, interviews etc. However, I was reading it on a tablet and found those bits too small to read comfortably with my 'much older than YA' eyes.

I enjoyed the new spin on the superhero theme and would be interested in reading more in the series. If you like YA graphic novels, this one is well worth a look. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for providing a free e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

Sorry, I wanted to review this one but my Adobe Digital Editions stopped working and I couldn't access it. I now have Bluefire instead, but by the time I did that (took a while to get someone to help me with the technical issue) it had been archived.

Idolized Vol. 1 introduces us to a world where superpowers have become commonplace. So much so that it’s been integrated into popular culture. That sounds like a cool thing, until you think about the inevitable reality shows that would pop around surrounding those people.
Idolized is the name of this series, but it’s also the name of a television show within this world. It’s the superhero version of American Idol, to put it bluntly. And that’s where our leading character, Joule, comes into play.
Like any iconic hero, Joule has a tragic past. She failed to save her parents, and now she’s seeking redemption. And revenge. But which one will win out, when push comes to shove? Read this volume to find out.

Idolized Vol. 1 was an interesting read. I’ve read plenty of superhero series where powers have become a common thing. But I’ve never seen a take such as this one. I’ll admit it’s an interesting viewpoint – albeit a bit horrifying (and painfully realistic, in a sense).
When I first spotted Idolized, I found myself really excited to read it. I love strong female leads, obviously. And this looked like something I had never read before. And I was right on both counts there. But it also felt like something was…missing? I don’t know, I just didn’t get the emotional connection I was hoping for.
David B. Schwartz did an excellent job coming up with this world and the unique setting within. I love that they took a superhero trope and tried to play with it, just a little bit. It was still very clearly a trope, but it was an acknowledged one at least.

As for the artwork, I’m going a bit back and forth on it. On the one hand, I really loved some of the elements within in. On the other hand, sometimes it felt a little too fan-service-y for my liking. For example; the statically ripped clothing that reveals as much as possible, while the skin underneath is somehow unblemished. That sort of thing.
Idolized had a huge team of artists working behind the scenes. Michah Gunnell Pasquale Qualano, David Curee, and Josh Reed were all involved in this project in some manner. And it showed. The color palette was vibrant and full of life. Though I may be biased there; I love the concept of a hero wearing a lot of white.
An interesting decision for this series is the covers. Instead of the more typical hand drawn and colored pages, you’ll instead notice that they are photographs. That may seem a bit odd at first, but it actually fits nicely with the whole ‘superhero idol’ theme.

On the whole, I think I was just a little bit disappointed with Idolized Vol. 1. But only because I had such high hopes for it – and can still see all the potential in this series. I’m not sure if there will be more to this series, but I’m hoping that if there is, they can increase the emotional connection somewhere along the way. That would be wonderful.

I sadly had to reconfigure my ADE and that meant I had to remove this one from my ADE as it wasn't valid anymore. I thought I had more time as I only got this book like 2 weeks ago, and generally that means there is still plenty of time to read/download if it is wrong, etc.. So yeah, thanks for the book, a shame it was only so shortly on Netgalley. :|

I have to give a rating, and so I can only give a 1 star as it wouldn't be fair to give it higher since I didn't get a chance to read it.

I was unable to download this book to read due to its file format, which was incompatible with my devices, but would gladly read as a kindle file.

Idolized Volume 1 is a beautifully written and illustrated commentary on modern pop culture that combines heart and humor in equal parts. Gritty Characters with uneven morals, broken heroes uncertain if their road should lead to revenge, or redemption - digs at reality TV, corrupt corporations, overly-zealous activism and teen angst.

This has elements of classic superhero stories, and hints of The Boyz, without the need to dive into over-the top gore or gratuitous sex. It's refreshing when a comic twists new knots into the old story fabric and presents supers in ways that, were they part of our reality, would be a lot more likely than your average Superman or Wonder Woman.

Strong female lead character, eye-candy throughout. Highly recommended.