Things I love: road trips, characters who used to be close and are now awkwardly reconnecting, and the history of cremation.

Things I don't really care for: hostage situations, caricature villains, a monkey for the sake of a monkey.

Ashes is a beautifully illustrated road trip graphic novel that contains both elements I'm into and things that grind my gears. As much as I enjoyed the single-page interludes that were somewhat off-topic, I found they made some portions of the plot more difficult to follow and far less emotionally impactful than I'd hoped for. While this book and I didn't really click, I think it would resonate with readers who enjoy having a circus monkey and two bearded villains named smirnov among their humorous cast of characters.

Recommended if you're into road-trip stories, love beautiful art, and want to explore cremation through humour.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

I loved the art style and the colors, and the style of the narration was so unique! I loved the parts of the story about cremation, and the way the ghost was drawn. I’m also a big fan of stories with a group of friends. I only really found one or two of the characters compelling, though. I was annoyed by the amount of conflict between the friends without any real resolution. The parts of the story with the monkey were fun, but also interrupted the flow of the story. Overall, it was a fun read!

Thank you NetGalley and IDW Published for this ARC! Ashes has a lot of my favorite things: great art style, awesome colors, and a captivating story line. I loved this. Ashes tells the story of estranged friends as they roadtrip to an unknown destination to scatter their friend’s ashes. Where will they end up?

The author's illustration style, panel layout, color work, and unique narration style were truly stunning. Unfortunately, that is where my compliments end.

The story being told was so chaotic and I didn't know enough about the characters to really care about the situations they were getting themselves into. The random single page comics about the monkey and cremation made for a disjointed reading experience; it took me out of the story each time and didn't seem to add any value to the plot.

Additionally, the ending (prior to the epilogue) felt like it should've had a huge impact on the reader and carry major significance to tie the whole story together. But I didn't understand it and I'm not sure if that was due to translations or if I simply didn't understand the book.

Ashes by Álvaro Ortiz is a captivating graphic story of three estranged friends Piter, Moho and Polly who get together to fulfil their friend Hector’s last wish.

The graphics are absolutely adorable—the design, colour scheme, fonts, placement, layout, and spacing are brilliant. I loved the muted colour palette; it is unusual and distinct.

The themes of love, friendship, death, and forgiveness hold the story together. Also, every character’s (including the monkey’s) backstory is well narrated, making it easier to understand them.

But I found a few bits a tad confusing and had to go back and read to gain clarity. 

Ashes is a funny, emotional, and thrilling road trip. Highly recommended!

Wordsopedia Rating 4.6/5

Three friends have to come together after a few years of estrangement to spread the ashes of their friend. They are sent on a road trip, with many unexpected setbacks and obstacles, and have to confront who they were and who they want to become.

Miigweetch NetGalley and IDW Publishing for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

This is a surrealist graphic novel about three estranged friends who embark on a road trip to spread the ashes of a fourth, now deceased, friend. Off-beat humor and unconventional storytelling. This is an English translation of the original Spanish story; a nod to the translator for a job well-done here!

However, I had difficulty physically reading this book as there was no “zoom” option in the DRC I received; this severely hindered my ability to read the text but is also a problem that will likely be resolved in later editions. Nevertheless the art is a delight to behold and I found the linework particularly engaging.

Readers who have left home and come back, whether for college, military service, or any other myriad of reasons, will likely relate to this story of reconnecting with people you were once close to, but now have nothing in common with. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys graphic novels that are not about superheroes, or European comics/storytelling.

Ashes is simply beautiful. It's a tale of friendship and nostalgia and dreams hit by unescapable reality. It is funny and touching and you won't be able to put it down.


Thank you NetGalley and IDW Published for this ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced readers copy of Ashes! This graphic novel takes you for a ride! I liked how we got a background story on each of the characters. Obviously the suicidal monkey was my favorite even if it was incredibly strange part of the story. I’m glad they ended up with their hotel in the end on a beautiful deer filled island. Thanks again to NetGalley for the ARC of Ashes!

I love road trip stories, especially when it involves family or friends. In this story three friends travel together to scatter the ashes of their deceased friend. They are not sure where they are going, just that their destination is an x on a map. The x appears to be in the middle of nowhere.

So starts the adventure!

Polly, Moho, and Piter haven’t seen each other in years and each of them has changed. As they travel together they gradually reconnect with each other and discover new things about each other, including a few things that cause problems on the way.

They were bound together in the past but they are completely new to each other in the present. As they journey together they are involved in mini-adventures that illustrate how much they have changed but also how much they still care about each other. Throw in a monkey and what you have is an entertaining but sometimes weird graphic novel road trip story. Enjoyable, and well worth reading.

Copy provided by publishers via Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

Having read the original Spanish edition of Ashes (Cenizas), I knew I was (back) for a treat in this road-movie comic about three estranged friends (Piter, Moho and Polly), the omnipresent Hector, a monkey (yes, you read that right), and two bounty hunters who are tired of their job.
What Alvaro Ortiz does in this comic, using his unique signature style -lines that feel simple at first glance but accurate and full of details once the reader is immerse in the journey- is maybe one of his finest works and an amazing opportunity for non-Spanish readers to enter his peculiar world with a kind-of-secure journey.
And what a journey, I must say. Fun, complicated, crazy, emotional; each character (monkey included) has their own background so you understand where they come from and, although no one is completely sure of, what their destination is. What circunstances put them back together after all these years.
I can’t, of course, finish this review without recognizing the amazing job by translator Eva Ibarzabal, who maintains the spirit of the original without losing its style nor rhythm.
And, of course, as the author already mentions in the epilogue, it is amazing that Lazaro Vitro accepted his “Brief History of Cremation” to be used as small interludes in the story, something that makes of Ashes an even more special trait.

Surreal is a good way to describe a solid chunk of this story! Hired thugs, a monkey, a journey with an unknown destination... it's all a little offbeat and unexpected. But the heart of the story is three friends who fell out of touch reconnecting. How they communicate, how they process a friend's death, and how their lives have drifted apart are all real and relatable even while the story around them feels like it's getting out of hand. Interspersed with the main story are vignettes exploring how different cultures approach cremation and burial, adding a fascinating touch to the exploration of death.

The hero of this book is its layout and art design. The artist plays with using multiple panels to create one image in a way I haven't seen before and find intriguing. The color palette relies heavily on muted pinks, greens, and browns in a simple but distinct style. Story and art combine into a book not quite like anything I've picked up before.

A great graphic novel about long-term friendships, losing contact and reuniting due to circumstances out of ones control.

We follow three very different main characters with a few side characters sprinkled in. The story gives us small summaries of their past that lead them up to where we meet them and I think its an interesting way to introduce someone without wasting a lot of time on overfull background details that arent all that necessary to the main plotline.

The flow was good and I love art styles like this where the author/artist plays with the layout and formatting.

Ashes is a really lovely graphic novel about 3 friends who take a trip to spread their other friend's ashes. It is heartfelt amidst the tension as they share one car together.

This one is a little tricky for me. I loved the illustrations and the meaning behind the story. The plot just felt a bit all over the place? I was a tad confused for a good chunk.

I am so grateful for a copy in exchange for my review!

A beautiful story about friendship and dreams. Thank you, NetGalley and the publishers for this beautifully illustrated advance reader's copy!