'Artifact One Volume 1' by J.T. Krul with art by Romina Moranelli is a story about a strange world and a clash between religion and science.

Remi is a relic hunter on a strange world. One day she finds a very unusual artifact and takes it back to her father. The village leaders find Remi and her father to be heretical, and Remi finds herself on the run. She finds a place to hide and a new life, and discovers something really strange about the world she lives on.

The story about religion versus science is familiar and a bit heavy handed. The story does have some twists and turns, and by the end, I was interested to find out where this story will go. The art is beautiful in style and color.

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

Artifact 1 is a beautiful visual world that many graphic novel fans will enjoy. We follow the story of Remi on her journey to discover the significance of an artifact that the readers will be familiar with. It is an interesting place that Remi lives, with conflicting ideas among its citizens. Its also so visually interesting.
Thanks for the opportunity to discover this beautiful tale via Netgalley.com.

<em>Artifact One</em> was a lot more my thing before it got to the twist. Remi is a young woman on an alien world who makes her living by bringing in food for her village and dabbling in the forbidden art of herbalism – until one day her family of scientists is found out, and she has to go on the run with a mysterious artifact that her family have been investigating.

I have to admit, I don't quite follow the religion as it's explained on page. It's a religion that forbids changing nature <em>in any way</em> ("deform or manipulate or sully", so <em>how do people eat</em>? It feels generically "The institution of faith is Bad and Oppressive!" without explaining what the hell people are getting from it, so the villains' motivations feel a bit flat. It doesn't help that everyone the protagonist knows and likes seems to die either protecting her or as part of her escape, which means that I'm reluctant to actually invest in anyone that she meets. And as for the twist, with ACTUAL SPOILERS: the artifact that the protagonist is investigating? Part of a NASA shuttle. The people she is looking for to explain what it is? Descendants of astronauts. I was honestly <em>way</em> more interested in the story before that reveal!

I have some issues with the art, mainly that the costumes feel quite male-gazey. Like, "This outfit covers all of her body except her underboob" levels, which is especially noticeable because no one <em>else</em> wears an outfit like that. The backgrounds are cool and feel appropriately alien, the people are recognisably not human, but the action sequences and the costume designs don't sit right.

The long and the short of it is that <em>Artifact One</em> wasn't for me. It's not inherently <em>bad</em>, just not my speed.

[Caution warning: dead parents, gruesome religiously-motivated murder, zealotry] [This review is based on an ARC from Netgalley.]

I read about half of this but couldn't get into it. The art was pretty good but I just didn't really care about the characters or what was going on with the plot.

Well, the sting at the end of Issue One was a lot better than the clunky, WTF-ness of the one at the end of Issue Four. This is a really readable and attractive sci-fantasy, with a religious dogma layering it on thick in a semi-primitive society of people who look like the Cardassians crossed with the natives of Pandora from Avatar. Luckily we have an attractive (of a sort – she is an alien) young female whose father was a maverick scientist, so she's going to head off to find out what the heck her inheritance might mean. There's a lot that might feel familiar here, especially on the side of the many token baddies, but there's still enough freshness – and the entertainment is certainly helped by the opening reveal. A strong four stars.

First off the cover is what drew me in and getting to follow Remi on her alien world where like most places religion takes ahold and would rather lie and kill rather than let the truth be known. And when Remi's father decides to take a stand and meets his end Remi follows in his footsteps finding an artifact and some strange creatures.

4.5

I received a copy through NetGalley in exchange for a review. This has not influenced my opinion.

This was great. The plot was very intriguing and I loved the lead Remi. The work was very interesting with many mysteries spread out, like why does a seemingly alien planet with aliens have NASA tech? I'm obsessed with the more pastel colour palette and the character designs. It gave a really unique feel to the entire story and I loved how the colour reflected the different areas. The art was very good quality and the character was very expressive with their faces and movements which helped propel me through the series.

I will be eagerly awaiting the next volume.

Set on an alien world very different but also quite similar to our own, our main character Remi is on a quest to find the truth in a world dominated by fear and lies. The Akolouth is a religious origination who punish anyone who dares to challenge them with the truth, Remi’s father ends up being one of these persons and it costs him his life.
Now considered a co-conspirator, Remi escapes the only life she knew with a package in hand that shakes her world view. The artifact, as she calls it is a piece of metal with a NASA logo, Remi wonders what this means for her, and for all of the people inhabiting her planet. She never stops looking for answers in the wake of her father’s death and discovers something truly shocking that the Akolouth will stop at nothing to deny.

The illustrations and coloring of this graphic novel is splendid and really lends a great atmosphere to the sci-fi world we are reading about.
Remi is an energetic and loveable character, I’m excited to see where her story goes.
This world is also a fascinating one with many parallels to our own, especially concerning the 16th century when Galileo challenged the church.
The writing is quite average but the world-building, characters, and mystery are what really make this graphic novel great.

4 stars. Really looking forward to the next volume.

The art style in this is gorgeous! It is so vibrant and colourful. At first, Artifact One has a very fantasy feel to it. There is no evidence that this isn't taking place in a fantasy world until about a quarter to a third of the way through, but either way I was enjoying the story. This is clearly volume 1 of a much larger story, as it feels like it's setting a lot up and not answering much of anything. I loved the religious element within it, adding a historical feel to it.

This is one I can't wait to continue.

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

The artwork in this graphic novel was beautiful. I enjoyed the story, the world building and the characters. The story is literally just getting started and I’m hooked enough that I’m curious to see where it all goes. The characters are great, with Rémi, a young, intelligent female explorer, being the main focus. She’s on a quest to find truth, discover things, and try to make sense of her past and current world. She must be careful though because according to the current world order, she has been dubbed a heretic. With her always being on the move she has the opportunity to meet different people and it’s in the last place where she discovers some people that might be the key to unlocking the past.

Great start to an interesting series. Looking forward to the next installment.

Not a bad series but not a good one either. Discovery and science have always been something of a common theme that clashes with themes of religion. But to be honest, I always got that from watching Castlevania. Bringing Earth explorers into this whole thing is an interesting concept but I feel that the series should have been told from their point of view. Because while Remi and her allies offer an interesting look into their world, there's nothing going for it aside from the antagonistic church. Again it would've been more interesting to see the 'lost tribe' compare this to the religious times of Earth. As my college professors like to point out, science was never an enemy to religion; the whole reason there was a clash was because of personal grudges against people. The church just practiced bad faith to fool themselves into thinking that their way is the only way.

This series had potential but its execution of its search for truth feels underwhelming. In today's day and age, it'd more effective if the truth seekers had to face ultraconservatives and ultraprogressives instead of a story told many times before.

A vibrant adventure, in which young Remi must flee the evil clerics to survive and uncover the secrets those in charge are trying so hard to hide. When her father is outed as a heretic, Remi enters the wilds with only a few supplies and a mysterious old relic emblazoned with the NASA logo.

I love how the art and the colors are bright and otherworldly, definitely sets this book apart.

Thank you Netgalley for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest opinion
I really enjoyed this graphic novel. Beautiful artwork and a pleasant color scheme draws you in to a magical new sci-fi world. This is a quick thrilling read with a great cliffhanger. I can't wait to read more of Remi's journey for truth and definitely interested in how the human world and NASA come into the story later on! On a deeper level, I can see the science vs. religion mindset reflected from the state of our world.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this comic. The artwork is creative and beautiful. Though the story is similar to stories that have been told before, there are enough differences to keep me interested in where the story is going to go. The main character, Remi, is everything you would want is a "hero;" kind, strong, smart, etc. I only hope this series continues.

Hmm, Artifact One is an interesting scifi comic and twists the idea of another world around. Remi and her father want to explore their world to understand it, but science and whatnot isn't something that is appreciated, since religion forbids changing the current order and the gods' supposed ideals. Remi and her father must flee, but only Remi survives, but she intends to walk in her father's footsteps. Soon Remi finds these weird creatures that have something to do with NASA placate and a world they all know nothing about anymore, but they aren't safe. This first volume sets an interesting view on how our world is the mystery, which is awesome. Remi's world looks great and how everything is set up makes this very intriguing. The pace isn't perfect though and I kind of wished Krul and Hernandez had used more pages to set everything up before the council barges in.

The color world is that of red and violet and lush green which makes this look so vibrant. The panels look beautiful and magical even, which works out fine. The line art isn't too heavy and overall the art looks good. The cover is surely great and I'm glad our hero is a woman. In a sense the plot isn't all clear as in it's hard to see what will happen and if this story can be even that long due to this fast pace, but I'm still interested in what happens.

Wonderful art work, story line took me a bit to get to but i loved it once i new what was happening and the meaning behind it all. I think it was weird to have NASA in it but i might to reread or read more to find out more about it. The meaning of needing to know the truth behind all the lies is perfect though.

This new comic has an amazing feel about it. The artistry and the story line come together in a such a wonderful gripping tale. I feel the need to know MORE. I can't wait for the rest of the series to be debuted.

Sneaky Appeal

At the outset, there doesn't seem to be much to the plot in this series. Rational, scientific types are brutally oppressed by narrow-minded fanatical clerics who retain power Inquisition style. But wait, you think. That's a classic frame, and who knows where it will lead? Well, the more I read the more invested I became in the adventure/quest of our heroine Remi, and the more I appreciated how this tale was constructed and presented.

As to the plot, there are twists and turns that shouldn't be spoiled. Suffice to say that Remi ends up on the run as a renegade scientist and meets lots of interesting characters and has lots of interesting adventures.

What helps sustain interest is the artwork and the setting. We're on an alien planet and Remi is not a human character. There are subtle differences in her behavior and appearance, and it is the subtlety of the distinctions that is a special source of interest. Anyone can create an over-the-top alien, but to create a character who's just a bit different takes some skill and imagination. (It also makes it easier to avoid buxom cheesecake errors with the female lead.)

There is more thoughtful dialogue than usual as Remi and her companions consider the conflict between church and science, and as Remi struggles to determine who she is and what she wants and needs to do. This isn't the usual comics baloney, but is reasonably thoughtful and perceptive.

The book is well drawn. Crisp lines, with good inking and bright color make the panels both inviting and easy to follow. There are some big splashes, but mostly the art serves to support the story and set the mood.

So, I was happy with this and curious to see where the series will take us.

(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.)

I don’t read many Graphic Novels but this one really spoke to me. The first thing I ever wanted to be when I was little, was an archaeologist and to explore lost civilizations. So when I saw this GN, I knew I needed to read it. Also, THE ART!

I really enjoyed this story. It speaks of real life prejudice while still being an interesting fantasy adventure.

Remi has a curious personality, due to her fathers open minded upbringing of her. She likes to see the world as it is and not how the Clerics would like her to see it. She finds a few people along her journey that share her same sense of knowledge seeking. And with this discovers things that the Clerics would rather her or anyone not know.

Each issue (4 in total) has just the right amount of information and adventure to keep you interested but I always prefer a GC to individual issues so this was great. I love that all the covers, including alternates were included at the back of the book. The art is so lovely and that is what initially drew me in.

I am interested to see what happens next with this story as new issues come out.

Thank you to Netgalley and Aspen Comics for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

First of all, this is a GORGEOUS book. I loved the art style and that was what initially drew me to it.

This is a graphic novel/comic bindup that I would consider sci-fi as our main character Remi is an alien on another planet (maybe even a different universe). In her society, there is a very controlling religion and if anyone says or does anything that could be construed as defying it, they are killed.
The story really takes off when Remi discovers a relic/artifact. I won't go into any more detail because I absolutely loved discovering what came next for myself. But this book is full of adventure, action, and twists that I just want to devour more of. I can't wait for more.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing an E-ARC in exchange for an honest review.