Member Reviews
Blink is a disturbed pearl of a book! The illustrations are original and I can’t take my eyes off of them. They have so many layers that makes you find new details.
I got pretty frustrated with the main character. Why would you risk everything for a solution to a mystery? Or is it the normal way to react? Blink gave me a lot of things to think about.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley!
BLINK was, overall, great.
On the one hand, I had a story that I didn't really relate to. It felt a little heavy-handed from time to time, the writing wasn't that spectacular and it dragged a little bit in the second half. I wished we'd spent more time with Wren before *it* all began, and I felt just a little bit disappointed by the ending.
On the other hand, though, I had the feeling of a brand new adventure on every page. The art style is simply incredible, and the creative use of panels, symmetry & asymmetry and color added value that the story itself could not and then some. Some moments were actually truly unsettling, especially in the first half.
It felt reminiscent of House of Leaves at first, with a very Orwellian twist. I'm not sure whether I like that combination or not but regardless, I had a really good time reading this and absorbing the visuals.
4.5/5
I knew I had to read this one, because I loved Test. The only thing about this, is the description is misleading. I wouldn’t call this a found footage horror story. I had fun reading this! I will say the characters were very underdeveloped, and I could’ve used more background information, but the art, premise, and dialogue make up for it very well! I was especially stunned by the creative use of the panels on some pages. Overall, this is gorgeous!
Unrelated to the review: I will say, if you’re one of my friends on here who likes The Magnus Archives, this book is VERY “The Eye”.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher!
A book intriguing from the blurb and the coverart, but unfortunately leaving you with more questions than answers (and not in the "I'd love more of this" way). The artwork was good and the plot felt promising, with a chilling premise. Sadly if all felt too jumbled and jumpy and like the story was lacking a thread to connect everything together. While the story/plot did come together, it lacked the cohesion which would have made this more enjoyable (and less frustrating - I was glad in the end that it was just a short read).
Darkly surreal, Blink will keep you guessing with each turn of the page. Personally, I think I would have preferred reading this as a serialized experience as opposed to sitting down and devouring the graphic novel all in one. That said there was a lot to sink your teeth into. There were some interesting thoughts around the commercializing of daily life via reality TV. It covers how cult like mentalities can develop and get out of hand. It deals with the general human desire to understand where you came from no matter how old you are.
A very interesting, quick read. I really loved all of the artwork and I could definitely see this idea being adapted into some type of horror short, like in an anthology series like Black Mirror.
3 Stars ~
Ever feel like something in your life has happened, you have a meaning to your life, but you just can't figure it out? Wren will stop at nothing to find his truth, even when the truth terrifies him.
First of all, the illustration was phenomenal. *chef's kiss*
So this graphic novel was a little confusing to me, I feel like I was having to re-read parts because I was so confused, but I feel like I got the message in the end. Graphic novels are a fairly new genre to me, but I am enjoying giving them a go.
Im into horror, and I love a good horror graphic novel, but this one really disappointed me. I feel like too much was going on, but nothing really... I didn't care about what the main character was struggling with, and in her quest to find out what happened to her parents. The ending was .... complicated.
I enjoyed the graphics but they didn't scared me at all. I also think they could have been better.
Also, loved that it was a fast reading, but the dialogs were too heavy... too much..
I am grateful I had the chance to receive this book as an advance reader copy, thank you.
While the artwork in this was fantastic, the panel placement gave it a very unique, dynamic feel, the story itself was lackluster. It was a difficult experience to get through, despite the great artists that put their talents to work at great effect.
I wish I had more to say, but the story was such that once I finished it, it left my mind. Ironically (not even) forgotten in a blink of an eye, sadly.
The only reason this isn't getting a one star is because of the art, I can't justify going beyond two.
I'd like to thank netgalley for the review copy, in exchange for an honest review.
Blink is a trippy, frightening commentary on our rapid transition into technologies that have the potential to make our lives into entertainment, whether willingly or without our knowledge.
The art style and graphic layout are often unsettling and add depth to the storytelling.
I was really let down by this graphic novel. I felt as though I’d get something almost parallel to the matrix and inception with interwoven and overlapping realities. I didn’t get that.
The art was beautiful but the flow of the plot was jarring at some points in time. I don’t think this book was for me unfortunately.
I really wanted to like this book, as the art was incredibly interesting and had great use of color and the concept was super interesting. However the story was too much to be packed into just one volume and ended up feeling quite rushed. At times it was hard to understand the story and character motivations because the plot had to rush forward to the next checkpoint. It is unfortunate as like I said, the concept of Blink was very interesting and something that I would love to see done with more room for the story to breathe and develop.
First and foremost, I loved the art. The drawings were amazing, I am obsessed with the art. But the story was too much packed into one short book. This could have been longer or split into volumes. It felt rushed and for that I can’t rate it more than 3 stars.
The art style of this book is absolutely gorgeous! The story was compelling and very atmospheric. Loved this graphic novel.
This wasn't my favorite read but I don't really think that has got anything to do with the comic itself. I think it was intriguing and I liked the creepy creatures. Just wasn't for me.
Blink is a pretty cool graphic novel about a woman who is trying to discover the secrets of her past. She was found as a child on the streets of New York with no memory. She has some vague ideas about what happened to her, but she doesn't really know.
Blink follows Wren as she finds out. And it's a trippy story involving cults, night terrors, and weird computery stuff. The story and art are close and claustrophobic and there's a feeling of dread that permeates the story. The ending...well, I liked and disliked the ending at the same time.
This is a cool horror comic with good art. Recommended for people who like dark stuff.
DNF @ 50%
Thank you to NetGalley and Oni Press for the ARC. I was excited to read this from the cover art and book description. The art is really well done and I really enjoyed the opening of the book. I would have liked a little more background work done up front to get me more invested in the MC. I don’t feel invested in the book at 50% completion to find out what happens next and have decided to move on. That being said, I’m new to the genre of horror graphic novels, so it’s possible that this is a me problem. I’m not saying this book isn’t well done, but it unfortunately did not resonate with me.
A gripping 'Dark Mirror'esque 'Truman Show' horror story about a life stolen, a spirit lost, looking for answers in the dark recesses of memory. Wren has strong motivations, mystery, action, and killer demons and the priesthood that fights them. Blink is a very gripping, edge-of-your-seat read that can be enjoyed by everyone within today's society. A very cerebral and technologically aware thriller!
Ok... Wow... This was great. I feel like I was hugely drawn in from the start, I wanted the mystery explained, I wanted a satisfying conclusion, I wanted Wren to be ok in the end. I felt for Wren, not feeling like they belonged, not fully knowing their past, having to sift through what was real and what was imagined, and the obsession you feel when you get a glimpse, a taste of answers. I feel like Wren as a character was super believable, not overly likeable or unlikeable but just a victim of circumstance. I'll admit to shedding a small tear towards the end.
As for the art, omg, it was gorgeous, chaotic and creepy. The page layout and text placement was a bit all over the place at times but it didn't detract from the story, in fact I think it helped to put us in Wren's head, confused and scrambling to understand. The pops of colour against the dark, brooding backgrounds or plain white nothingness really added to the feeling of helplessness.
The only critique I have is a certain story element that, while added to the overall feeling of isolation and desperation, felt like it happened too quickly at the expense of character development. I feel like it could have happened later and been even more impactful on the reader.
Also this is not found footage horror it's maybe analogue horror at a stretch, maybe cyber horror or body horror? I think classifying it as found footage horror does a disservice to the intricacies of the story.
Overall I would be interested to continue the story, as the ending could be seen as ambiguous, and failing that see more from this team.
4.85/5 stars
DNF at 40%
I loved the style, the cover and the colours, but I really wasn't into the story. Sorry. I found the beginning a bit confusing and the more I read the more I was just not interested in seeing the story progress.
3 stars for the style.