(3/5 stars) This graphic novel is an adaption of the French novel Pyramides by the same author. I'm intrigued by the story -- passengers on a spaceship wake up from suspended animation only to find that their intended destination is nowhere in sight and they instead are trapped in a labyrinth of tunnels with no end in sight -- but the execution fell a bit flat for me. I understand with graphic novels there's not as much time or space to establish character motivations, so that could be part of it. The art was good - similar to other graphic novels in the same vein. I'll be interested to see where the next installment takes the cast of characters.

<blockquote>The Future can only be founded upon principles of plurality, We can't regard certain Views as "flawed" or dismiss them as "irrational tendencies"</blockquote>
I received a copy of this Graphic Novel, in exchange for an honest review, Thanks Romain, Joan, And NetGalley for the opportunity.
4.5/5 Stars
This will come out 18th of July 2023, This is an adaptation of the writer's own novel Pyramides that he wrote in 2018, It's also an English translation from the already published Graphic novel, which is available in French, Tune in because This is a Sci-Fi Extravaganza for the ages!

What can i say, Europe stand up your talents are beautiful, Humanoids and Europe comics are translating as much as they can, But we need more, This really does push so much life energy into the entertainment industry that is comics, We need more i can not stress it enough, The Works are already out there, the translations will expand the Graphic novels to a global audience, no continent is void of English speakers.

Not Only that, so far the translated Europe comics i read were not really European?! Translate the ones that speak of Local hopes and struggles and social issues too!
I remember watching a movie about a French woman, that got layed off from a factory, And the movie was really mundane social drama, but i found it so beautiful, i think it got either nominated for an Oscar for best actress or even won the thing!

Why the subtracted half star? I wasn't a fan of the faces! But honestly after learning at the end that this is actually water color art, maybe i need to ponder and reconsider giving it full mark xD
Luckily for Sci-Fi pencilers, I care so much about details, because screw people, Sci-Fi means galaxies, Colonies on different planets, Space ships, Aliens with intricate new details, You succeed in all that, and make human faces that i don't like, i will still love you to Death!

Romain Benassaya Man, you are brilliant! I know i didn't read as many Sci-Fi as i want, but i watched movies, i played video games, i read 141 Sci-Fi's, But your idea was awesome, The Dystopia of it all, The Brilliance of just stating the obvious, that in order to make ships that can travel a galaxy, They need to self sustain, oxygen and fuel and food among many other things, now while the Writer didn't say how we will do that, or if we do that why we are even leaving Earth?!

I'll tell you why, Because the planet is inhabitable now, Because people who were left on earth, were literally left for dead, leaving for a land and a sky and all that, means the planet turned into a hell hole already!

A lot of aspects i won't speak about, because they are part of the intrigue, most of the graphic novel, was intriguing details, and events, that you are waiting to happen, even though, it was only 106 pages, It was awesome.

And as usual from Humanoids, Double covers i loved them both, and all the previous reads really.

While I enjoyed the storyline and the beautiful art, there were several times when there was a jump forward in time that was not clear. This mostly happened in the beginning of the story and made me feel as if I had skipped over a page and missed something. The pacing is much better toward the end and I can't wait to find out what happens in the next volume!

Such a great scifi story. So many twists and turns. So many elements that went together flawlessly. I was hooked from the beginning and can't wait for more. And the artwork is incredible.

Who doesn’t love a good Sci-fi adventure? I feel like this story takes the most interesting pieces of any sci-fi movie I like and weaves them together. The story has a overcrowded and overextended Earth, the promise of a better life on a far off planet, awakening from suspended animation due to unknown causes, interesting alien life forms, and better yet…wibbly wobbly timey wimey curve balls!

Initially I had no idea that this was based off of a novel by the same author. After getting hooked to this world building and story telling, I am eagerly on my way to find this book and read it!

Look forward to any upcoming graphic novels!

Dnf at 30%. The plot and mystery going on is great. The art I have to look at the whole time though, not my thing. The coloring makes a lot of things look weird and freaky. The way the face are drawn is somehow very ape like. I just don't like it. I'm very particular about the art of the graphic novels I read, and this one was very distracting for me. Great plot though. There is a garden situation with big intelligent bugs that is very fascinating. Wish I could find out how it ends, I just can't deal with the art style.

Honestly, I can't say much about Project ARKA because it felt pretty generic. Space mission lost in an impossible tunnel inhabited by some big space monsters, some kind of time relativity thing that makes one portion of them age x years while the others felt they were only gone a week - we've all seen it a hundred times over and Romain Benassaya doesn't innovate on these concepts at all. That being said, the story itself is absolutely fine and entertaining. There were cool ideas that ultimately didn't get explored enough for my liking (e.g., Johanna's politics, her rise to power, or the role of the gardeners in all of that), but the narrative was definitely all right and had some good moments. The characters felt very one-dimensional to the point where I had a hard time distinguishing side characters; stronger characterizations would have definitely helped the whole comic book imo.
Apparently, there are gonna be more volumes, but I didn't see any hook to carry us over to the next portion of the story, so I can't even guess how the narrative is gonna develop. Since the novel it's based on sits at over 600 pages, I'm sure there's more than enough material to keep it going though.

The art is done skillfully, but since it's been done in watercolor (I assume), the colors and the line art feel washed out most of the time. It's a shame cause Joan Urgell definitely knows what he's doing, but the whole comic book has a weird, blurry look to it, almost as if the pages were subpar scans of the original.

Ultimately, Projekt ARKA's story is all right, albeit nothing new, with some nice moments. If you're looking for something to entertain you for an hour or so, you can safely pick it up. If you're looking for something more, you'll probably be disappointed. In the end, not every single piece of fiction needs to be the next timeless classic and I can appreciate the effort that was put into Project ARKA.

A unique sci-fi vision, with twinges of space horror. The plot is very reminiscent of a free short story that you can find online by Googling: Report on an Unidentified Space Station by JG Ballard, an utterly creepy cosmic horror mystery.

The art was decent, very much in line with the art typical in French comics. The characters are given little development for the sake of world-building, unfortunately, though this is the first in a series of comics. I had to take a star for this though because I think it does hamper the story in the end, especially for the character of Johanna who behaves in a way that makes zero sense, because it's given no reason (and I don't accept "I'm sad because I left my family behind" as an excuse, there was nothing behind it, just telling no showing).

But the world-building is top notch. I am curious to see where this goes!

This was like a 3.5/3.75.

This was inspired from the novel Pyramids by Romain Benassaya, however, I haven't read it therefore I can't really speak on it -- just something to think about.

In general my reaction was: good not great.

I really enjoyed the artwork and overall idea behind this graphic novel the horror-esque aspect enticing and really well done. It felt mature but in a well-done way that wasn't super in your face. I also liked the dialogue, it felt realistic.

The thing I struggled with was the pacing. Things felt too quick, events coming and going without the complexity I felt was warranted for what was happening. It took me out of the story on multiple occasions because I kept feeling like I missed something, going back to reread things to make sure I hadn't.

Overall, I did enjoy this story but I'm not sure I'll be seeking out the next one.

"Project ARKA: Into the Dark Unknown" by Romain Benassaya is a moderately paced space opera that touches on themes of of ecological collapse, technological development, alien contact and space exploration. Although none of these themes are new or unusual for the genre the book feels fresh and imaginative due to the sense of mystery and suspense that Benassaya brings to his story telling.

The story focuses on a colony sleeper ship carrying human refugees from the earth after an ecological collapse. While on route the ship , mysteriously goes of course and the colonists wake to find that their ship is now stuck in a large tube like structure with new obvious way of escape. Even more mysterious is the revelation that the genetically engineered insects that were designed to maintain the ship's internal ecosystem have now evolved sentience.

As the colonists explore their new surroundings they are confronted with a series of mysteries and challenges that threaten their continued existence and create strife both among themselves and with the newly evolved insects with which they share their new environment. For the most part these developments captivate the reader's attention. However, some transitions and major plot developments feel jumpy and poorly explained.

These rough parts are probably due, at least in part, to the difficulties of adapting a longer space opera saga into a shorter graphic novel format, but in any case the result is confusing enough to detract from the story. However, since this is only the first volume in a larger series the reader can hope that new volumes will smooth out the faults in this book and continue the grand tale of the Arka III in true space opera fashion.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, Humanoids, Inc., for providing me with an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

This is a graphic novel adaptation of a SciFi novel about a human colony spaceship which inhabitants suddenly got awoken in a mysterious place in space where the stars can’t be seen.

I am impressed with the premise and the artwork. However the comic’s plot seems to be going in a 3x speed of how one expect a story’s pace would normally go, I felt like I was missing a certain depth, tension, and context. I have not read the original book but I can imagine the eerieness and creepiness of the story, which unfortunately are not present in the graphic novel. Many things seem rushed and simplified.

eARC provided by NetGalley & Humanoids Inc.

83%

I couldn't stop reading this one! I started reading it at work, and usually as a rule I separate work reading from home reading, but as soon as I got home I pulled it up to finish reading it.

The very basic premise of the story isn't anything new; in fact, the way it started out felt almost like a continuation of the 2016 'Passengers' movie, with all the unexpected plant growth - space fiction has been a huge genre since at least the 50's, so you can't expect anything completely and truly novel in the genre. That being said, I was still gripped by the mystery of what the heck was going on. Space fiction can go in so many directions, and this story kept me on my toes wondering which path we were going down.

I'm tentatively excited to see the story continue: this story could easily take a disappointing turn, but I hope it doesn't!

P.S. Eric is TRASH, he couldn't keep it in his pants for even a WEEK while he had a pregnant girlfriend at home?!? He doesn't deserve happiness. I hope his child realizes he's trash instead of viewing him as some sort of hero. Barf.

Project ARKA: Into the Dark Unknown, an adaptation of Romain Benassaya's French space opera novel, Pyramides, promised much but delivered somewhat less than expected. It teases us with an enticing premise, playing on the archetypal narrative of a dying Earth and its desperate citizens seeking refuge in a distant promised land, the planet Leonis. However, when it comes to the execution, the story stumbles and its bright points are often overshadowed by a few concerning issues.

From a science fiction standpoint, the story is genuinely thrilling. The idea of a massive colony ship, Arka III, with its occupants waking up in a starless, seemingly endless void, brims with potential. The exploratory mission by the ship's second-in-command, Eric Rives, and his partner Jia Tang, propels us into a gripping mystery.

Yet, the comic book adaptation suffers from a lack of depth in character development. Romances occur without groundwork, relationships don't gel, and characters are not fleshed out enough to be compelling. Joanna, a key character, becomes hard to tolerate, and Eric's decision to cheat on her right after she gets pregnant lacks believability and emotional nuance. Joanna's sudden transformation into a villain in the second half feels forced and, quite frankly, unearned.

The pacing, too, is problematic. Events rush by in a disorienting manner, which disrupts narrative flow and makes it hard to form an emotional connection with any of the characters.

The visual art of Project ARKA fluctuates wildly. Some scenes are mesmerizing, echoing the aesthetic beauty of classic French sci-fi comics. However, the depictions of characters are less successful. Faces often appear awkward with overdrawn expressions, which distracts from the storytelling. On a positive note, the use of a limited color palette was lovely, lending a unique, atmospheric quality to the overall aesthetic.

Considering the high praise surrounding the original book, Pyramides, it's disappointing that this adaptation falls short of expectations. One gets a sense that much of the original's appeal might have been lost in translation to the comic book format.

In conclusion, while Project ARKA offers an exciting story premise, the execution is a mixed bag. Fans of the original novel or those looking for a satisfying space opera might want to stick with the book series instead of this comic adaptation. I probably will be picking up the original book and continuing there.

this was a very interesting comic book, as it seems is based or better brought to life a book named pyramids by Romain Benassaya, that I didn’t know it existed, but as far as the story goes, I couldn’t stop reading from beginning to end.

Basically earth has been destroyed and humans see their solution going in a long trip to a foreigner planet named Leonis, of course they are put under a cryogenic sleep, but when they wake up, things seems weird, and the ship doesn’t seem to have arrived at their destination, even more, it also seems that a much longer time span has passed. The second in command Eric Rives after learning he will be a father, goes in a exploration of what surrounds the ship and when he comes back he has a very hard to swallow news.

I did like the way the story was told, and the drawing felt very mature, but at the same time it was necessary for what was going on in the story, and it ends in a kind of cliffhanger, you have an ending but there’s still much more to learn, that being said, I think it is a reading that is also safe for teens and up, while sexual situations are mentioned, you see way less than any netflix show.

Thank you NetGalley and Humanoids Inc for the free ARC and this is my honest opinion.

I throughly enjoyed Project ARKA. With the way the world is set up and the overall dilemma the characters face within the story is truly captivating. It kept me engaged and on the edge of my seat the entire time while trying to figure out what the characters will face next. Really enjoyed this graphic novel and can’t wait to see what happens next.

3.5

This graphic novel is an adaptation of the novel Pyramides, originally written in French by Romain Benassaya. I have not read the novel, so I cannot comment on how well it follows the original text.

I enjoyed Project ARKA.
The world and the characters are interesting, and the main dilemma is posed in such a way that it is truly a difficult decision that's causing conflict in the story and as the reader, you do not know which option is the good one.
The situation unfolds in a compelling way.

The art style isn't a personal fave, but the illustrations of the gardens are absolutely beautiful.

Thank you NetGalley and Humanoids Inc. for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Thank you NetGalley and Humanoids, Inc**.** for an ARC of this book.

‘Project ARKA: Into the Dark Unknown’ piqued my attention as it’s premise was similar to that of Wall·E with a darker undertone to it. This first volumen presents a dying Earth, whose inhabitants are looking to move to another planet a few hundred light-years away: Leonis; by means of the ARK III space-craft. However, upon awaking from the slumber that would allow the crew to have stable vital signs during the voyage, the captan of the craft discovers that something has gone wrong while they were in deep slumber. Hare is where the story begins.

With a dark, moody art-style Benassaya and Urgell are able to convey the very mysterious ambiance that permeates the story. Additionally, the use of unsaturated colours is reminiscent of a more classic comic illustrated by hand instead of by means of digital resources.

This very intriguing first volume sure made my wondering mind spiral over what will happen once the Earth truly becomes uninhabitable for us humans. What is it that truly awaits us out there?

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!

[First off, I didn't realize this was the first volume of a series. I thought it was going to be a stand-alone graphic novel. This isn't really a qualm about the story, more so of an annoyance that the book isn't properly tagged.]

Earth is dying, and several ships have fled to the stars. This fleet of colony ships is destined for a far-off planet named Leonis, where they plan to completely start over. The passengers of Arka III, the third ship in the fleet, wake up in a place that is not Leonis, but instead, a mysterious place where there are no stars. They also discover that they have been asleep far longer than the two hundred years that they expected. The crew then sets out to explore the strange place that they are now in, only to discover the environment is a bit more hostile than they first realized. There are elements of this that were far more mind-bendy than I expected, a bit reminiscent of 2001: A Space Odyssey. The world-building in this novel is very interesting, as are the technologies. The plot pacing was a bit off, however. It goes from moving fairly slowly in the beginning, only to do a sudden 180 and take off at Mach eighty. The overall story is interesting, plot issues non withstanding. The character's desire to keep exploring, to find the truth of where they ended up, and to find a way to leave, is something that the reader also wants. You want them to keep going and keep exploring, because you want to know the truth of this mysterious place that they are in. It's clearly an almost otherworldly place, but how did it come to be? The way characters are developed feels a bit odd. It's like they've been given set traits, but then never have the characters expanded on. Some characters do make some VERY odd decisions, that made me pause and go "But...why would you do that? That's so out of the blue?". The art style is interesting. It's done in a painted style, which is very pretty. But the character's faces barely make expressions, and constantly look blank-faced. The action scenes are also just eh. This honestly makes me want to read the original novel to see if the same issues with the plot pacing exist there, or it if was getting turned into a graphic novel that caused these issues. I will be seeking out the second volume, mostly because I want to know the truth myself..