I'll admit that I was drawn into this new comic series by the art team (loved them on the recent Mighty Morphin Power Rangers run... don't come at me about it). It's a story about an underground Order/cult that guards seven briefcases, each of which contains an ultra-dangerous Secret.

What I liked: the art was predictably excellent. There were some strong emotional points in protagonist Caspar's backstory, particularly pertaining to his relationship with his parents. I had an almost tear at one point, which is kind of a lot for me.

What I didn't like: the Secrets are a bit TOO secretive. You only kind of see what one of them can do by the end of the first volume with the other six still completely in the dark. I get building suspense, but I think it kept a lot of potential wonder out of the first plot arc while it was under lock and key. Instead, it's a lot of generic fighting with a not-so-shocking plot twist against a backdrop of "hey there's some secret magic in our briefcases but you can't look or know about it in any way!"

This first volume in the series is out today with more to come. Thanks to NetGalley and BOOM! Comics for the opportunity to read and review.

Really enjoy the big, world-building setting the story takes place in. This is for fans of the umbrella academy and avengers endgame. Very keen on reading further editions of the comic.

*Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review*

*More like 3.8 stars than 4.*

This was... strange. I can’t decide whether I liked it or not. It was certainly good but after that ending I was left wondering what exactly was this comic? It’s a concept that started off pretty solid but then ended with something that was so strange and random that I’m not sure if I love it yet.

Casper was a solid protagonist. Other than that, there were far too many characters and I couldn’t remember all of their names. I get that the number of characters is necessary because each secret had one keeper and one holder and then there were a bunch of other people too, but still. I had to rely on recognising people so it’s a good thing most people had distinct character designs.

The art style was sort of amazing. A strange manga/minimalist twist of modern art and the colour palettes were awesome! They made action scenes a little confusing to follow, but at least everything looked cool.

The narration was a little weird. It felt off and often got in the way of the dialogue of the scenes or the pacing. But some parts worked to create intrigue. So that aspect was hit and miss depending on the moment.

So all in all, this wasn’t what I’d expected it to be. And I still don’t really know what it is. But it had potential and I’m interested to see how it continues in book:Seven Secrets Vol. 2...

When I was approved for the eARC on NetGalley, I was pretty pumped for this. A couple of weeks ago I saw a few copies of Seven Secrets in single-issue format at my local comic book shop, but there were no first or second issues to start reading from the beginning. Since I started reading Tom Taylor's Nightwing run, I was interested.

Seven Secrets is the story of a secret society in charge of guarding seven secrets worldwide. These secrets are guarded in briefcases and assigned to a team made up of a keeper and a holder. The holder specifically is in charge of literally holding the briefcase with the assigned secret.

The first few issues were mostly exposition and backstory for the purposes of worldbuilding. However, about halfway, I found myself a bit bored with the story. I liked the characters well enough but didn't find myself caring about most of them with the exception of Sigurd. I did enjoy their characterization in terms of the artwork. The latter is the best part of the story, which features dynamic and colorful art.

I found this story to be very entertaining, right from the beginning the action and adventure begins. This manga has some mystery to it, my favorite is the reveal of the seven secrets. The artwork is spectacular and bold! Right up my alley, I’m so happy I read this graphic novel.


Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for allowing me to review this Graphic Novel.

I have to confess to the fact that I'm a huge Tom Taylor fan, so it was pretty much a given that I was going to love this story from panel 1. But the story really is full of thrills and emotions and just all-around secret society awesomeness that I'm sure any reader can appreciate. A page-turner in every sense.
The art by Daniele Di Nicuolo with color by Walter Baiamonte is dynamic and helps set the mood and action as needed in the different parts of the story.
It all converges into a story that's tangentially about the seven secrets and all about the sacrifices that the people who guard them make. Caspar is a great character to guide readers through the story and the discoveries and further mysteries unveiled feel more urgent and real as experience them with him.
This is definitely a series that I'm going to be following.

Many happy thanks to NetGalley and BOOM! Studios for the early read!

I've read several books in the last few days that had the same issue, just got enough to start the story up and then went to "Please read part two" I have to say that after several times of that, I'd have thought that this book doing the same would have had much the same reaction, but it didn't

The dialogue is sharp, snappy, and absolutely on point throughout, the artwork is crisp and clear, it's always possible to make out what's going on, and then there's the story itself. Secret societies, specialists without peer, betrayal, politics, and the love between parents and their child, even though they're not allowed to show it.

This, this is how you do comics, from the action to the brooding scenes of one character alone against a darkened backdrop about to drop to certain death with their only thought being for their child, this is how you do comics, loved every panel in this and am absolutely looking forwards to the next episode.

It was an ok read with nice and dynamic art. It'll appeal more to fans of coming-of-age / YA arcs than it did to me. The beginning of the story is promising and intriguing but things get less focused the further we go and sometimes it's hard to say what's the focus of the story.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher I was able to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
***
Seven Secrets Volume 1 follows a secret order that has been protecting seven secrets for centuries. The secrets are kept in briefcases and each is protected by a team of 2, the keeper and the holder. These secrets are supposed to be words, wonders, weapons, and worse.
Caspar is the child of a union between a keeper and holder. When he was born his parents gave him up to continue to fulfill their duty and was brought back to the order when he when he was 9 to start his training to be part of it.
When he was fifteen a man who knows about the order starts targeting the teams to claim their briefcases and is willing to kill, and kill a lot, to do it. Caspar becomes a holder and is going to have to fight hard to find out what exactly it is they’re protecting, why, and keep it far out of the enemies hand.
***
This comic is pretty fast paced, there is a lot going on and the timeline isn’t straight, it jumps a bit back and forth between timelines.
It’s a fun and quick enough read and I think learning more about the seven secrets is enough to keep me checking in on this series as it publishes.

A thoroughly entertaining romp whose components should feel overfamiliar, but which somehow powers through all the same. For ages, a secret society has guarded seven secrets which could change the world, secrets which a rebel now seeks to use for his own ends. Each secret is guarded by a Holder and a Keeper; two of them broke the rules and fell in love, and the hero is their son Caspar, raised in the order but not quite of it. I ought to be sighing, right? But the whole thing is carried off with such warmth and brio. Even characters we barely glimpse feel like solid individuals, the sort who were this a movie, would still be familiar currency in GIF form years later from their one scene. I particularly like the waspish Canto: "Ah, I see you've decided to lie. That would be a winning strategy if I were an idiot." As for the ones who are bigger deals...you feel for them enough that any loss, even in a first volume, even telegraphed by a neat narrative trick rather than actually seen, hits home. Hell, even little details like Caspar studying philosophy and concluding that it's a subject mostly concerned with "old, dead people who were wrong" brings back happy-ish memories of AS Level. The field of YA adventure comics is getting crowded lately, and plenty of them, even other Boom! titles, feel like they're chasing a payout. This one is the real deal.

(Netgalley ARC)

A story about secrets and the sacrifices that people make in order to keep them hidden. Overall, this is a brilliant start to a comic book series. I felt like the plot moved at a faster pace than character development. It was hard to care when those "shocking" moments and revelations happened. But, for the sheer fact that those moments happened in the first 6 issues, I'd say that Taylor will have no problem with pacing later on in the series.

A book about seven briefcases that contain a world secret each, that have to be kept out of wrongdoers' hands. Each briefcase is carried by a Holder, who is protected by a Keeper. A secret order provides these Keepers and Holders.

And then there's a story that doesn't waste any time and propels itself forward with insane momentum, so much momentum that characterisation gets a bit lost.

It's a strange book for me - it's written quite well, before the characterisation bottoms out there is some nice character work. There is some suggested emotional impact that never really translated to me. And that's the whole book for me - it just did not connect. There's a lot happening, and I just keep seeing people juggling briefcases.

Doesn't help that I'm not a fan of this style of manga-ish artwork - faces look too similar, and the bad guy especially looks like such a doofus, instead of the scary evil man he is supposed to be.

This book was a mixed bag for me. The premise was interesting but the story took way too long to explain anything leaving me very confused. The action was fun but the main character was very bland. He had an interesting backstory but barely any personality which made it hard to empathize with him. I was way more interested in the side characters which made the focus of the book frustrating to me.

A spectacular graphic novel with superb artwork, pulse pounding action and a heart filled story with enough gravitas to make it relatable despite the presence of fantasy elements. With Volume 1 done and dusted, I can't wait what's in store in Volume 2 for Caspar and company.

The story and the artwork are super solid and super comfortable. But I can't say there was substantial newness or intrigue to the story. But I enjoyed it.

Wow! I didn't really know what to expect from this, but I was intrigued by the premise, and this really delivered. The set-up and worldbuilding was interesting, the characters were diverse in both personality and background, and the plot was a great mix of action and emotion.

I work at a middle school, and I'm already considering purchasing this for our library (after a second read-through to determine the frequency of curse words) because it's just the kind of things that my students enjoy. Even more rare, it's something that they would enjoy that I also immensely enjoyed! I'm already excited about the next volume!

A mysterious Order. Keepers and Holders. Suitcases that need to be defended at all times. At all costs. Seven Secrets. And many, many, many other secrets that could very literally destroy the world. 

With Seven Secrets, Tom Taylor and Daniele Di Nicuolo create an action-packed, page-turning experience. There is not a moment when the characters are not running, jumping, barely escaping. The few more (apparently) relaxed moments always end up being the most nerve-wracking. 

And Caspar, the main character, is a secret on its own. Born from a forbidden relationship between a Keeper and a Holder, he wants to continue his family's legacy. He knows what is in stake. So he studies and he learns, and he fails, and he tries again, all in a very "Kingsman" or  "Deadly Class-esque style"

Meanwhile, buildings explode, people die. The bad guys approach, and fight, and kill. Time runs out. 
I felt adrenaline building while I was reading this amazing story, as if me myself was part of the whole good vs evil fight. There are, as other readers have already stated, two very distinctive parts in Seven Secrets. First, we have the academy. Then, the action. I found Tom Taylor's writing style helped enormously with the rhythm. There are very few times when the conversations feel a little bit forced, like the author needed to give the reader the information to be able to continue with the action, but it is almost unnoticeable. Daniele Di Nicuolo's art, helped along by Walter Baiamonte's bright colours, create the perfect symbiosis as well.

In conclusion, I think this first volume of Seven Secrets is the perfect gateway to a world with a very intricate mechanism (that is about to be shattered, we all know that). The Order feels mysterious in a familiar kind of way, the Keepers and Holders relationship is sure to become an anchor for the story and Caspar is about to be in a lot, lot, lot of trouble. 
***Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC***

The Order of the Seven has always protected the Seven Secrets with one Keeper and one Holder assigned to each secret, enshrined in a suitcase, and kept far apart from each other across the planet. Except now the secrets are being targeted by deadly enemies - and the fate of the world is in danger! New Holder, Caspar, joins the others in keeping the secrets safe - but for how long?

Tom Taylor and Daniele Di Nicuolo’s Seven Secrets isn’t a bad new series. It’s definitely got its flaws but I liked it well enough too.

The story is childishly simple: goodies and baddies chase magic boxes around the world. So basically the plot of the Justice League movie/s? Yuh huh! And it’s because Taylor keeps things so vague that it’s not easy to get invested in what’s happening. It’s a melodramatic game of keepaway. Yawn.

That said, while the story is underdeveloped, Taylor is instead able to devote space on focusing on the characters and it’s because of them that makes the book stand out. Our main character is Caspar, who’s a generic hero, but I liked his parents, Eva and Sigurd, and the strained dynamic that the Order placed on them and their potential relationship with their son. The scenes between Sigurd and Caspar were unexpectedly touching.

The bad guy, Amon, is basically Kylo Ren (you’ll see why if you read this), but wasn’t boring even if he was derivative. Canto, one of the Order, has a cool mask design (or just has a very unusual-looking face), and the art throughout was really good - the book looks like a first rate anime.

Taylor’s created a familiar but still strange world for this series, where two major factions can wage war without drawing the attention of anyone, the Queen of England is a young black woman, and then there’s the place this book ends on… no idea what that’s about! It works in the narrative’s favour though and the surprising weirdness piqued my attention.

This first volume follows the template of a lot of first volumes, particularly those with a martial arts flavour, so there’s a lot of table-setting and a predictable training sequence, before the game of keepaway kicks off. Still, I wouldn’t say it was dull to read either, just a bit too one-dimensional for its own good, even if it is intentional.

Seven Secrets, Volume 1 is a fine, if unimpressive, beginning to this new title.

This concept is brilliant. I could see this comic going for a long time. It has similar story telling features to Saga, like the child of two people telling the story of their existence and relationship to the world. It’s a fantastic story telling device. I can’t wait for more!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

First off, the cover to Seven Secrets Vol. 1 is gorgeous. It looks similar to other really great covers for superhero comics. The art is gorgeous and showcases the diverse cast of heroes in the book. When I saw the cover, I was so pumped to start reading the graphic novel.

Seven Secrets Vol. 1 by Tom Taylor is about a secret organization called the Order that guards Secrets from being taken from villainous organizations. At the start of the book, two agents realize that they're going to have a baby. However, the Order strictly forbids relationships between Holders and Keepers. They have the option to leave the Order and raise their baby like a normal family. Instead, they choose to have the baby raised in the Order and without knowing who his parents are. That baby grows up into Caspar, the biracial protagonist of this book.

For the first half of this book, I was engaged in this exciting plot and the action-packed artwork. The art reminded me a bit of Umbrella Academy, and it seems like the artist may also have been slightly inspired by manga/anime art styles. I was totally on-board when Caspar was getting initiated into the Order. However, about halfway through the book, maybe when the villain was revealed, I lost interest. When reading graphic novels, I have to be invested in the characters and the relationships. Unfortunately, I did not feel connected to Caspar and his team when I was reading this book. By the time I reached the twist/cliffhanger at the end of the book, I didn't feel like I wanted to continue reading.

Overall, Seven Secrets Vol. 1 is an exciting, action-packed graphic novel that would be perfect for fans of the X-Men or Deadly Class. Although I personally didn't enjoy Seven Secrets Vol. 1, if you're interested in the plot or the artwork, you should check it out when it comes out in May!