This was another great comic from the DC Graphic Novels for Young Adults imprint. This one followed a young Victor Fries (aka Mr. Freeze) as he first meets Nora (aka Mrs. Freeze). I thought this comic set up their origin story nicely.

I love all the DC ya graphic novels that have released lately and this is no exception. I’m not super familiar with Mr. Freeze’s character, but it was definitely cool (ha! See what I did there?) seeing a version of his origin story. The art is also amazing.

This entire DC series for the middle grades is a win for me. The story brings to life characters that we do not generally hear much about (but especially for these ages). I

This was a really cute graphic novel and a great into to Mr. Freeze. If you're looking for a good starting point to introduce someone to these characters, then you've found the right book.

Each new DC based graphic novel has really been either a huge hit or an entire miss for me, and unfortunately this one falls into the latter category. It just fell so flat.

This was a fun and fluffy graphic novel life story in the Gotham world! I really enjoyed this read, of course I sped through it, and i just loved the art and the colors!!! Both Victor and Nora had their own color palette so it made it more fun and entertaining to read through.

Welcome Back!

Recently I was wanting to pick up a graphic novel, I had finished a chapter in the novel I was reading and I just wanted to take a little break and read a little something completely different from what I was currently reading. So I headed over to my Hoopla app to see what my borrows looked like for this month. At this point I realized, I had not borrowed anything from Hoopla yet for the month, so I decided to look through the app and borrow a mix of audiobooks and graphic novels. Some of the ones I chose were books on my favorites list within the app and others were new additions to the app that just looked interesting to me. One of the graphic novels, I had on my favorites list was Victor and Nora. I remember several months ago when this book was set to come out, I was really interested in reading this one, I do not know a ton about DC in general but something about the back story of Mr. Freeze just drew me in.

SPOILERS AHEAD

Victor is a seventeen-year-old who is interning at a science lab and also has a brother who passed away when he was younger whose passing he blames himself for. As Victor is visiting his brother's grave one day, he meets a girl in the cemetery, Nora, who is there visiting her mother's grave. The two become quick friends but what Victor does not know is that Nora is sick, she is very sick and she will pass away soon from her illness. But as Victor and Nora become more than friends, she feels she has to tell him. When she tells him, Victor becomes determined to find a way to save her. He begins working tirelessly in his lab to come up with a solution, but ultimately he does not have enough time to cure this disease. But what if instead of curing the disease right now, Victor found more time?

I honestly did not expect to love this book as much as I did. I did not know a ton about Mr. Freeze's back story but I did know that he was once or always involved with a woman named Nora. I also knew that he froze Nora at some point in his story but I honestly never knew why Nora was frozen or if she was ever unfrozen. This book answered so many questions I had about Mr. Freeze's background and I honestly fell in love with both Victor and Nora. I will say I ended up doing a little googling after my read to find out what happens to Nora and Victor later in life. On top of the story, I also loved the art style of this book, it was absolutely beautiful, the colors, the lines, the details, it was all stunning! I would love to have another Victor and Nora graphic novel in the future.

Goodreads Rating: 5 Stars

I feel like out of all the DC books I've read I probably liked this one the least.
I knew where this was going from the beginning of course so maybe I just wasn't invested in the characters.

I really enjoyed Under the Moon and was really looking forward to it

Pros:
THE ART IS AMAZINGGGG
The coloring was so good! I loved the mood it portrayed.
The story overall was fun and easy to fall through.
Victor is definitely an interesting character! Love the villain origin story.


Cons:
The discussion of death and seemingly at first suicidal thoughts was alarming in the start and should have been addressed more. Especially since this is aimed for young adults.
As a romance overall it felt underwhelming or just very rushed.
And some of the dialogue was cringey - trying to sound 16 but at the same talk about serious issues like death is jarring.
I kinda love that Nora is depicted as strong and has her on agency. BUT BUT BUT as a person who has a physical disability, telling someone that killing yourself is strong IS not always a good message. Having Nora be committed to this for most of the book can be problematic especially in a young persons hands.

Overall I wouldn't recommend this comic.
Still looking forward to more books in this imprint!

I was unable to finish this novel. I didn't grab me the way I would have liked. It landed on my DNF list.

I thought this was a beautiful take on the Victor/Nora love story. I always felt that Dr. Freeze was a tragic character, and this story brought further proof of that. I highly recommend and adore this story.

Trigger Warning: Suicide attempt

This is a story of Victor Fries at 17. He lost is brother in a fire and feels responsible for it. Nora is suffering from an incurable illness. The two meet in a cemetery and realize that they are what is missing in their lives. This is a tragic story about living life to the fullest.

The book is all blue tones which is beautiful and perfect for a book around Mr. Freeze. It also creates a powerful contrast when the colors change. Victor and Nora are talking about the worst ways to die. It is very Tim Burton and the style change worked really well.

This is not a Mr. Freeze story, this is a Nora and Victor story. Even though anyone who has read or seen Batman knows that this will end in tragedy, but you really want this to be different for them. I cannot wait to get my hands on the physical copy of the book. This was one of my favorite of the DC YA graphic novels.

Creative Team:
Written by Lauren Myracle
Illustrated by Isaac Goodhart
Colors by Cris Peter
Letters by Steve Wands

Beautiful, heartbreaking story. I'm enjoying these twist on superhero story graphic novels. The illustrations were beautiful and I liked the play on colors with Victors thoughts being in blue and Nora's in pink/red.

Two teens brought together with broken hearts, destined for more heartbreak.

Victor lost his bother and has since closed off from everyone and focused on science. Nora has returned to her childhood home for her final summer. The two meet in a cemetery and soon spend every day exploring life together. That is until Nora's terminal illness begins to take a rapid toll on her health.

This story built up the relationship and prepared readers for the inevitable heartbreak. Readers familiar with the DC universe will recognize Victor Fries and the tragedy that clouds his life. This story introduces Victor in his teen years and what drove his endless devotion to science. The dialogue and inner monologues of the two characters were revealing and full of emotion. The dynamic between Nora and Victor was organic and moving. The illustrations were playfully and reflected the emotion and tone of the text. The colors captured the joy and sadness well. The plot was creative and realistic.

I enjoyed this story but curse the tears it caused!

I had a great time with this story and the art, even though I know very little about this world. I love how Myracle is able to bring superhero novices into Gotham and make them care.

A sold start to the origin story of Victor Fries, who will one day become notorious DC villain Mr. Freeze. It’s a good premise for a villain origin story, though when this graphic novel ended, we have no clue as to how that might happen, so....I'm annoyed? lol it’s a strangely hopeful finish to a story that we know will ultimately end very, very badly. The relationship between Victor and Nora feels a little rushed, but otherwise it worked well. The art is really cool, and this story did tug on my heartstrings a bit, but it's definitely not a new favorite or anything.

Victor and Nora: A Gotham Love Story
Written by Lauren Myracle
Illustrated by Isaac Goodhart

*Thank you to DC Comics for sending me a copy to review. *

When I first saw that Lauren and Isaac were teaming up again for another graphic novel, I knew I couldn’t wait get it in my hands. After what they produced with Catwoman, I was completely blown away by their teamwork and story. (Be sure to check that review here.) Anyway, I had thought that Victor and Nora was a side story to their Catwoman one, and guys, I was sooooo wrong. This is a completely new series and I honestly couldn’t be happier. Victor and Nora: A Gotham Love Story was one of the most intriguing novels I have read this year. Not only did Isaac tackle multiple art techniques and ideas, but Lauren was able to create Victor to be likable and give the reader feelings for him. So, if you didn’t know (and this could potentially be a spoiler alert in the next installment as it wasn’t exactly forward in this novel) Victor is the DC Supervillain, Mr. Freeze. Lauren was able to capture Victor in such an innocent light that it truly compels the reader to stay drawn in. Like he has something hiding up his sleeve…but I suppose we may find that out later.

There are some trigger warnings:
Death of a parent, death of a sibling, talk of suicide, suicide attempt, terminal illness, grief, and even PTSD from trauma. There could be a few more, but these were the ones that stood out to me enough to mention.

Lauren and Isaac have mastered the art of capturing the readers heart strings and pulling on them. If you take a novel like A Fault in Our Stars and toss it in a jar, add a hint of Tim Burton, a smudge of Shakespeare, an ice cube, a flame, and a dash of teenage drama…give it a good shake. You would have this graphic novel. Now, come on, I’m only kidding a little bit please don’t do that. I do not condone the damaging of books. But truly, Victor and Nora are characters that will stick with you for a while.

“Just, for years I’ve reached out to no one. And if anyone reached out to me… Well, I made sure to keep my heart protected. And then this girl comes along. And… and… She melts me.”

While to most people Victor Fries is evil, you can’t help but wonder if his mission is what destroys him. Love. That is truly what breaks us all right? He just wants to save the person he loves, is that too much to ask…? This young origin story was truly a fascinating read. It was entertaining, beautiful, and well written.

Victor and Nora: A Gotham Love Story is hands down one of the best graphic novels I read this year. Definitely up in my top 5 without a doubt. I hope you all give it a chance.


I wish you all health, safety, and happiness as we get through these troubling and challenging times!
Until next time,
Brittany from DauntlesslyReading

This is the story of the romance between Victor Fries and Nora Kumar. Each is struggling with the death of a loved one and the prospects of possibly continuing without each other. With the memory of his deceased brother, Victor has his head stuck in his lab trying to find a solution to his freeze hypothesis. How do you freeze a life (insect or maybe human) and thaw it out later… alive? Nora is dealing with the death of her mother and her own chronic illness. Victor and Nora: A Gotham Love Story is a graphic novel that gives us the ‘first times’ in these classic Batman characters’ lives. Mr. Freeze through the middle-school lens.

I really appreciated the complexity of the two families. They are both grief-stricken but still tasked with raising these two intelligent teens who are both freaked out and totally engrossed by this love interest. While I didn’t like the artwork especially, I appreciated the variety of scenes with these two falling for each other. This plot is not the trip to the ice rink or the ice cream parlor or a study session… Myracle writes of that gradual tug of another person and a slow ramp to the final decisions they make.

Victor and Nora: A Gotham Love Story is a fine romance that comes with a perfect ending. Pick it up for an offshoot in the Caped Crusader’s world.

4 out of 5

Thank you to NetGalley, DC Comics, the author and artist for an advanced copy for review.

I enjoyed this graphic novel. I gave this three out of five stars. The artwork was amazing. The story pulled me in. I would recommend this to other readers.

This graphic novel written by Lauren Myracle and illustrated by Isaac Goodheart is a new and interesting take on the origin story of Batman villain, Mr Freeze. A young Victor Fries’ life is flipped on its head when he meets the vivacious Nora Kumar. Victor has dedicated his entire life to science since the untimely death of his brother in a tragic house fire. He is studying cryogenics and one day aims to preserve the dying until a treatment and/or cure can be developed for their particular ailment.

Nora lives everyday to its fullest, but she has a secret. She is suffering from a progressive and incurable illness which will leave her a shell of herself before taking her life. She and both her father and younger brother have moved to their holiday home in Gotham City so she can enjoy her last summer to its fullest. It is two months shy of her 17th birthday and on that day she will take her own life.

Victor and Nora meet at the cemetery, while Nora is visiting her mother's grave and Victor his brother’s. Their connection is almost instant and a magical romance develops quickly between the two teens. Nora brings Victor out of his shell and he begins to enjoy life once again, but when he learns of Nora’s illness he becomes almost manic in his pursuit to save her.

There has been a surge of graphic novels published over the last 10 years and it has developed beyond the traditional manga and comic fandoms it originated in. Graphic novels are a unique genre combining story text and graphics which makes them easy to read and allows the author to convey their meaning in a much quicker time frame. They have more depth than traditional comic books and the increase in e-reading has made them much more accessible to the wider population. Due to having less text they are easier to consume while still providing the entertaining, intellectual and stimulating stories of traditional novels.

The story Myracle has crafted perfectly captures the tragic love story between Nora and Victor and is an incredible start of Victor’s descent into villany. Before reading this story, I didn’t actually realise what it was going to be. I knew it would have something to do with the DC Comics Batman universe, but it was only upon completion that I realised that the main character was actually Mr Freeze. For those unaware, Mr Freeze was brought to life onscreen by Arnold Schwarzenegger in the 1997 movie Batman & Robin. But do not fear dear reader, your knowledge of the Batman universe is not essential to enjoy this graphic novel and is merely a bit of background. While Victor and Nora: A Gotham Love Story is Mr Freeze’s origin story, it is also at its heart just a love story.

Victor and Nora are opposing forces in the world. Victor is overwhelmed by guilt and grief over the death of his brother and instead of living his life he spends most of his time in his lab working. Nora is a breath of fresh air and lives life to the very fullest. Nora has the benefit of knowing when she will leave this earth and therefore knows to make each day count. I loved watching the characters develop together. There is an inherent instant love relationship between the characters which is not usually my idea of a fun read but the situational necessity of such a relationship is clear within the book and plays a key role in the conclusion of the novel.

The illustrations throughout are simply breathtaking. It is clear that Goodheart paid close attention and detail to not only the characters, but the accompanying scenery. His art perfectly portrays the emotions Myracle created with her words and these two creators are a match made in literary heaven! I enjoyed the characters perspective being drawn in different colours, blue for Victor and Pink for Nora, and when they come together in scenes the pink and blue interact and play with each other throughout.

While the book ends on a cliffhanger leaving you wanting more, Victor and Nora: A Gotham Love Story is likely to be a standalone which I think is perfect. This tragic tale of young love is truly inspiring to live your life to the fullest, but the conclusion of the novel stresses the power of love and how it can be all consuming, making it dangerous. There is the implication that letting go of the one you love can be for the best and refusal to do so can be your downfall.