4.5 out of 5 stars

The Earth has been ravaged. The last surviving humans are now aboard the ship called Arca, its destination: Eden. Effie is one of the many settlers, children under 18 who are bound to serve the Citizens, a group who were billionaires on Earth and who had thought up of Arca to save themselves from the dying planet. Once the settlers reach the age of 18, they are said to travel up on the Arca to live a life of comfort after a childhood of servitude. But Effie feels that something is wrong, and she will do what she can to discover the mysteries behind this ship.

I am a sucker for any story that highlights the class struggles in any type of society, and most especially if it’s a sci-fi/dystopian setting. The literary references scattered throughout this comic was superb—a treat for any literature nerd. The retro style of the art is also a treat. The only critique I can think of, and this is a bit nitpicky, was that I was initially confused, I thought that when the settlers reached 18 they would become Citizens. But other than that, this was a very engaging and enjoyable read.

Thanks to NetGalley and IDW publishing for providing me with a advance digital copy in exchange for my honest review.

"ARCA" is a compelling and engaging science fiction story about a generation ship of the same name and its mostly teenage crew. From the very beginning the story takes a dystopian turn and the reader is well aware that something is wrong, very wrong, in spite of the pleasant and optimistic disposition of the crew.

Known as Settlers' the crew, work unquestioning long hours at rigorous jobs to serve a small group of rulers known as Citizens who control all aspects of the ship. Their promised reward is to be sent to another part of the ship on their 18th birthdays to become citizen's themselves and begin preparations for colonization of Eden, the final destination of the ARCA. Yet they are never seen again after leaving and now bones are beginning to turn up in the growing fields of the ship.

Most readers will immediately get what is going on. Although comparisons to "Soylent Green" and " Logan's Run" are apt, George Orwell's "1984" is a better match. The Citizens in this tale are not the Citizens of a modern Democracy or even those of classical societies. They are the owners and masters of all others on the ARCA and they have reserved all power for themselves. even the power to question the natural order of society

Although the signs are all about them the populace is unaware of their enslavement and unable to question their role in the social order. Bones are picked out of the earth by field workers who simply discard them without questioning what they are or where they might have come from. The leaders of the Settlers , when presented with disturbing facts, dismiss them because to do otherwise would be to question the order of things. Work goes on and no one questions the nature or direction of their ship or society. Then one worker, who has painstakingly acquired the intellectual tools required for her own enlightenment and liberation grasps the truth. Thus is the fire of revolution lit and a new story and a new direction for the ARCA begins to unfold.

Got this ARC from NetGalley and IDW Publishing in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

I rarely read graphic novel, but this couple months I already read two 😬 and both are satisfying.

Already reads several plot like this: earth is dying, trying to find another planet, moving with superhuge ship.

The story occurs along the travelling: citizen are the rich, served by children under 18 yo work as settlers. Settlers could graduating at 18 as citizen. But in the reality, it's not.

Persephone aka Effie is a settler, but like no other, she loves to read, she's full of curiousity, ask anything and try to find the fact. But of course, there's several secret some people don't want to reveal.

Love the art, and of course, love Effie 💙

After escaping from a dying home world, citizens, helpers and aides live together in harmony on their journey to Eden. That is until secrets begin to seep through the cracks and create a fissure that cannot be put back together.

This dystopian story explores the struggle of class conflict, the effects of propaganda, importance of the written word, and the strive to create the perfect society. It was a quick read, and some of the twists were pretty predictable, but it was still enjoyable.

⭐️⭐️⭐️✨

I was given a free eARC copy of this book on NetGalley from IDW Publishing in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley for an earc. All opinions remain my own.

This reminded me of Snowpiercer and I really loved the climax of this story but I didn't enjoy much of it for the majority of the tale.

I feel like Pandora would have been a better full name for our main character (shortened to Ann, Dora or Dory) as it matched her story arc better of opening up secrets that she shouldn't have, but with hope at the heart of it.

Bet was a confusing character because Bet clearly was against the citizens yet had the most uproar against a rebellion, which didn't make a lot of sense.

This was difficult to read as the top and bottom rows were cut off, removing a lot of the imagery and text. It left me having to piece together and assume what I could. This probably what created a low rating because I couldn't actually read much of the story.

I wasn't a fan of the art style either, unfortunately.

I wished it had me hooked all the way through, how it did at the end.

Pick it up, give it a go and enjoy! >(^_^)<
Gén

Wow! This graphic novel had me hooked from the very beginning. Effie is a settler on the Arca, a post-apocalyptic ship. The settlers serve the citizens, those who rule on the Arca. Effie becomes wary of what happens to those who graduate and begins her own investigating. This book is haunting - it touches on human nature and what those in power will do to keep that power. Cannot wait to get a finished copy of this! Thank you NetGalley and IDW for this arc.

ARCA was amazing. Just hands down such a gutting but fantastic concept. I can't wait to order a finished copy when it comes out in July and just savor that physical media experience of holding a graphic novel you love in your own two hands, because ARCA'S art is as gorgeous as its story is horrifying. But for all its horror, ARCA possesses that thing that I value more and more in my fiction these days: Hope.. Perserverence in the face of darkness, and the belief that - regardless of what we are told about who we are and what we deserve - we are all worthy of something better than the world we have inherited.

Beautiful and haunting, I dug the angular art and the over the top Earth Arc story. Excellently plotted space opera with good dialog, a plucky heroine and even some light book-centered romance. Perfection!

While the premise of a generation ship supporting the last of the human race's journey to a new home after the destruction of Earth and even an authoritarian leadership of the rich and powerful that seem to hide dark secrets of the true cost of mankind's survival might be nothing new. But what Arca does it does with style and enough twists to keep you questioning the true nature of what is unfolding.

Aboard the generational ship Arca, Effie, a settler just shy of retiring at 18 years old from her obedient service to the citizens who inhabit the ship starts to question what happens to the settlers after they retire, move to another section of the ship and never seen again.

The story drew me in and kept me hooked until the end.

Overall I give Arca 4 Stars

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

Sci-fi and graphic novels are two of my favorite things to read, so I was immediately drawn to Arca when I first came across it on Goodreads. As luck would have it, I was also approved for an e-ARC, and the sheer excitement I felt when I got the e-mail for the approval was frankly a little embarrassing, but I digress.

Even though I usually prefer more flowy and dreamy art styles, the story of Arca was so engrossing that I simply could not put it down - aboard a spacecraft a group of young "Settlers" serve and pamper the wealthy "Citizens" who built the ship that allowed them to escape the ruin and devastation of the Earth in search of Eden. Upon turning 18, the Settlers become Citizens and are freed of their obligation to complete the chores they are assigned. However, all is not what it seems, as Persephone, the main character, soon discovers.

The plot progresses at a good pace, never tedious, though from a certain point on the comic goes from full color to black and white, but I have hopes that the final pages will be colored in the published edition. Two of the speech bubbles on page 78 were also repeated. Even if the coloring carries to the final edition though, it does feel appropriate with the shift in tone from the idyllic life on the Arca to exploring the darker secrets of the Citizens.

The plot twist at the very end did also remind me of the ending of the "Konstance" plot/timeline of Cloud Cuckoo Land, despite the differences in the plotlines leading up to the respective reveals. I think both reveals were equally well done, and I do always appreciate it when works of fiction end on a hopeful note.

My expectations for Arca, based on the summary and cover alone were quite high, and the graphic novel certainly did not disappoint.

Thank you Netgally and the author for the e-graphic arc in exchange for an honest review.

Graphic novels are not my favoured reading style, however I have been wanted to delve more into graphic novels and boy was this a good place to start.

I have rated this 4 starts because at times there was a bit of jumping back and forth and it did confuse me in the start as I wasn't sure what was happening or if I had missed a page somewhere.

However, the story line and how this progressed was great, I was encapsulated into the story and found it hard to put down for little brain breaks. if i was reading this in person, or on a bigger screen then my phone, I can easily say I would have read this in one sitting. which for me, no matter the content or style of reading... never happens.

BIT ABOUT THE STORY

Effie was a well thought out main character, and due to the shortness of a graphic novel the development has to be done off page, which I think was done perfectly. There were no times were I was left wondering when she had learnt to do something, or how she got to a place because all of that development was seamlessly done off page without missing a step.

The story line and the inclusion of back story to give a little understanding as to why the characters where in the position they were in was so well thought out, from the name of the book a guess can be made as to where the idea for this story came from (what its a remake of so to speak), but it was done in such a way that it added newness to the story.

Overall, I really enjoyed this read, and it was a great way to take a break from longer novels while still being entertained.

I really enjoyed this book. It felt like a throwback to the 2010’s when YA dystopia was taking over the literary market. As someone who used to gobble up those books, I can honestly say that this is one of the better dystopias I've read. Every time I found what I thought was a plot hole or a mistake, the writing did a great job of explaining it with worldbuilding. The book was a bit predictable if you’re familiar with the genre, but I found it very fun and the main character very compelling.

3.5 stars rounded up.

Arca is a sci-fi take on the Allegory of the Cave. The world has fallen apart because of a disease that rendered human life on earth impossible, and the upper class elite (known as Citizens) have come up with a plan to save humanity. They've built a massive vessel, the Arca, to take humans to "Eden," a new Earth where they can start over. The Arca has all of the comforts the Citizens left behind, and teenage servants work for them up until the age of 18 when they graduate and become Citizens themselves. But Effie, a servant, picks up that this life isn't what it seems and seeks to find answers.

I wasn't the biggest fan of the characters--they all felt pretty cold and not very likable--and the illustration style also wasn't my favorite, but I appreciated the twist of the classic story we all learned about in Philosophy 101. It was fast-paced, and held my interest amid my current reading slump. For fans of sci-fi, particularly sci-fi with classist messages, I think it will be an enjoyable read.

More than half the book isn't coloured yet and in that half, there are a few places where panels and lines have been repeated, I'm assuming this will be fixed before the publication date. As for the story, it's a typical sci-fi dystopian in its structure, world-building and plot twists, most of the story is very obvious straight from the beginning, the final few panels did surprise me but maybe I had stopped paying enough attention as everything else was predictable.

I really, really enjoyed this! First of all, I loved the art, and the few full-color pages I read were so good that I can't wait to get my hands on a finished copy. (Currently, expected release date is July 11, 2023). As for the story, while it might not have had the most earth-shattering concept, I thought this was one hell of an entertaining read that had a good amount of both heart and depth. And with characters you'll love to root for (and some you'll love to hate), this read is the perfect way to spend an afternoon!

Post-apocalyptic YA graphic novel - perfect for introducing teens to the sci-fi/horror genre.

Our teenage main character, Persephone (Effie), introduces the reader to life in a spaceship after the collapse of society and life on Earth. The ship is full of mystery, especially when she wonders where teenagers disappear to after they 'graduate'. Effie and her friends help her solve the mystery and unravel so much more behind the opaque leadership of the ship itself.

Van Jensen's strong FMC (female main character), and found family relationships make a great YA read, especially when paired with Jesse Lonergan's compelling and dreamy illustrations.

This book is best read after curfew, in bed with a flashlight, because you won't be able to put it down until it's done.

Thank you to NetGalley and IDW Publishing for providing an advance reader copy.

In the end, Arca might have some appeal to older readers who haven’t encountered this sort of story before or readers desperate for any piece of dystopian sci-fi media they can get their hands on. Beyond that, the comic is largely composed of underdeveloped echoes of other creators who have already told this story in more complex and entertaining ways. It wouldn’t be a bad addition to a genre comics collection, but there are better offerings available for those who are interested in this sort of story.

Full review for No Flying No Tights

I read a copy of this as an advanced reader's copy from Netgalley.

I enjoyed the clear storytelling style and the characters.

From the beginning, you know that things are not as they appear and instead of enjoying the thrill of finding out the truth with the characters, I wanted to get over with it and see what happens when the oppressed find out what's going on. The setting is a generation spaceship, where a ruling caste is taking advantage of the work of the young, who should work until they reach 18 (Logan's run vives!) to step on to a new life.

The great disadvantage of this story is that feeling that it has been told before, with minor variations. But it will surely be new for some readers!

I give it two stars "it's OK" by Goodreads suggested meaning of the stars. It could even get 3 stars "I liked it", but it's not there yet.

I really enjoyed this novel and the story of a dystopian and mysterious future. It was interesting to learn the characters back stories and see what develops as the story progresses. The art and story work together seamlessly to set the tone and move the story along.

Unfortunately, I had to DNF this. I've been reading it for months and it never really captured my attention, mostly due to the pictures. If I had a physical copy of this, i could probably finish it but the way the pictures are drawn (though I do like them) made my head hurt and was hard for me to understand when reading electronically.