A tighter, and I would even say, better story then the first volume. Ice Age builds on the back of Kill Columbus to tell a different, much more focused story about an age of world history that has rarely ever visited in books. More than anything, it is a story of a mother, doing everything she possibly can to protect and find her children.

Earthdivers, I enjoyed the concept of the story and wondered how it would work. Vol. 1 proved the concept worked amazing. When I saw the next Vol. Ice Age. I was was unsure about that time period, It did not disappoint me at all, The artwork was gorgeous and the writing was stunning. This series can go anywhere in time and I feel it would work. I will be picking these up because there no longer any doubt of "will this work". I think visiting all these different times is a facinating enjoyable read. Earthdivers is picking up steam and I can't wait to see where it is headed next!

I think I just have to admit that this series isn't for me. This foray into the Ice Age doesn't advance the original plots of the series or seem to add a lot other than "omg! how do we get home? giant cats eating us!" I'm sure a lot of readers will enjoy it; I'm just not one of them.

I don't think this book is for me. So please don't go off my review. I had a hard time reading it. Thank you Netgalley for providing me a copy of the book.

I received an eARC from NetGallery. Thank you! So fans of Stephen Graham Jones will love these volumes. I was taken back by how gory the comic was. I loved it! The storyline was a bit confusing, I think that's because I honestly haven't read the first volume. I'll pick it up and the re-read this and I might re-do my rating if I like it more at that time.

Many thanks to IDW Publishing and NetGalley! I was thrilled to be able to read this!

A sequel to Stephen Graham Jones's Earthdivers, Vol 1, we are immediately thrust back in time with Tawny as she discovers that they were misled about the cave and that her children and husband are forever lost to her in greater ways than before. She finds herself tossed back into the frozen lands of the Ice Age and makes enemies within minutes of arrival; her only consolation is that she's knowledgeable of the time and land, but that doesn't do much in the face of apex predators and language divides.

This was a beautiful sequel as far as the plot development and continuation of Vol 1's storyline's went. I really struggled with processing some of the art work scenes; the line work and coloring aren't clear or complimentary to one another in ways that make sense narratively in many scenes. It just looks sloppy and unprofessional, and it made parsing what was going on even harder. It could be argued that what we were seeing was what the characters were seeing rather than an outsider perspective, but I feel like that could have been executed better if that is the case.

Loved this! Earthdivers is written by the amazing Stephen Graham Jones and I love the personality he brings when he writes his characters. I’ll be keeping an eye out for the next issue!

In Earthdivers volume 1 (collecting issues 1-6), readers are introduced to an apocalyptic world and a group of Indigenous survivors trying to save it. They find a time traveling cave and send someone back to the “discovery” of America to stop Columbus with the hope that altering that moment in time will stop the apocalypse. Other survivors also travel back to different moments in time, and volume 2 reveals where one of these characters went.

Volume 2 (collecting issues 7-10) is a fast paced and action packed instalment. It follows Tawny, a mother searching for her missing children. When she enters the cave, she’s sent back to the Ice Age. This volume plays with archaeological theories about the peopling of the Americas as Tawny is confronted by a group of settlers who have arrived too early. Tawny is a smart character and her observations of the settlers makes for great commentary. She uses her knowledge of history to survive and thwart the colonizer’s efforts. Themes of motherhood, grief, and hope are touched on, but I wish they were given a bit more depth. The action and fast pace took away from the emotional moments and I think the story needed more room to breathe. That said, this series still feels bold and exciting and I look forward to reading more.

This graphic novel releases on February 27, but the single issues collected in this volume are available now wherever you buy your comics. My thanks to IDW Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC to review.

Rating: 3.75/5

You can't go wrong with anything by SGJ. Its nice to have these collected in a volume. Volume 2 encompasses Earthdivers 7-10.

Stephen Graham Jones continues this super creative Sci-Fi/Fantasy time travel series, and this time we are going back to the Ice Age with a new protagonist, but some similar problems. I really enjoyed following Tawney this time around, as in the previous Volume she was a bit of a side character who was looking for her missing children, only to be sent into the time portal cave as an act of self defense from Emily. I hope that we continue seeing different characters going through the portal into other moments of American history, honestly, because she was a fascinating and completely new perspective. I really enjoyed how she interacted not only with the animals and place of the Ice Age, but how her own backstory and motivations affected how she interacted with the people she met back then (specifically how she connected with a young Salutrean boy because of her mourning the loss of her own children, which set up an inner conflict all on its own given the Salutreans are European invaders in and of themselves).

I cannot wait to see where Jones takes us next! "Earthdivers: Ice Age" was so creative, and has made this world more expansive and intriguing.

I really wish that I read these volumes back to back. I think that if I was fresh on the story from volume 1 that I might not have felt this one was a slog to get through story wise. The art was still just as wonderful and really lends to the story telling. This volume takes place during the ice age so beautiful icy landscapes and extinct animals the art is 5 stars. I was just having difficulty following where the story was going next but I'm not giving up on this yet.

I cannot speak on the indigenous rep in this, make sure you are checking those reviews and reviewers out.

IDW ruins the experience of reading this title with the watermark. Illustrations are a pretty big part of the book, more so than the text, and the watermark makes it difficult to gather and enjoy all the details, so it sometimes is difficult to make out what you’re seeing.

Otherwise, and not having read the first volume, the part in the near future, with the rocket, is a bit out of place with the ice age story since I don’t see how it fits in it. Anyways, the Ice Age part is quite entertaining with Tawny trying to fix things so they match what she knows about the past - and it looks like she knows a lot about it- maybe influencing both at the same time.

This book is predominantly set in 20,000 BC, where Tawny has been transported back in time after going through the time travel cave in search of her children. She navigates the prehistoric realm and all the perils it brings, illness, megafauna, and language barriers.

The narrative is still a bit confusing to follow, but it does flesh out the backstory a bit more from the previous volume. The ice age is a neat era to visit, and I like that the script deals with the logistical problems of being a modern person in an ancient land. It makes me excited to see where else our main characters will travel.

I really enjoyed the first volume, this one was confusing for me. So much happening in a few panels. I will have another read when it is out.

Thanks for the Arc!

Thanks to IDW and NetGalley for the eARC. EARTHDIVERS VOL 2 is the second story arc for Stephen Graham Jones’ speculative comic series. Following Tawny’s journey to the ice age, I found this storyline a lot more enigmatic than the prior volume. Readers of SGJ likely know his prose is often as difficult as it is elegant, but I found the transition from volume 1 to 2 very confusing. I was initially unsure what was going on and it connected to earlier issues, despite having read volume one pretty recently. Overall I struggled to connect with Tawny and her plot line, and found this arc less compelling than the first. The art is beautiful and I think it’s worth reading for fans of the series, but it felt like a step down to me.

Fantastic addition to the series! As a huge fan of the first volume, it was neat to get more of the backstory on various characters and learn more about the happenings prior to the events in volume one. I do wish this volume was a bit longer, giving the story arc more time to breathe. The overarching story here is so compelling - I feel like I'll always be hungry for more. I still really enjoyed the art style, but sometimes the sketched style made it a bit difficult to discern what was happening in the frames, especially during some of the high action sequences.

Very glad I got the opportunity to preview an ARC of this volume and already can't wait to check out volume three! Thanks so much, IDW!

Summary:

Martin and Tawny's children have disappeared. One knows the truth of what happened; the other has found herself knee-deep in her own dark adventure. You see, when Tawny tried to search for her children in an ancient cave, she instead found herself transported to another time.

The time of the ice age, more specifically. As a history lover, it wasn't hard for her to pinpoint the time. What was more challenging was believing that any of this was anything more than a dream. Or a nightmare, depending on how you want to look at it.

Review:

Oh! I don't know why, but I was not expecting the ice age to be where Earthdivers went next. I suppose it makes sense, but I needed to read the whole of Earthdivers Vol. 2 for it to really hit home.

Much like the first volume, Earthdivers Vol. 2 finds a balance between horrific and graphic elements and satisfying moments. For example, I loved watching Tawny find new ways to fight back against her enemies while simultaneously being horrified by everything happening around her. It's well done.

The artwork is stunning. Seriously. It's so vibrant and detailed. Admittedly, those details sometimes hit hard, as one might imagine. But I must give the artistic team (Riccardo Burchielli, Patricio Delpeche, Emily Schnall, Joana Lafuente, and Steve Wands) full credit for everything they accomplished here.

While I'm really happy to see Earthdivers follow up on what happened to Tawny, I will admit that I don't think the second volume is quite as strong as the first. That said, it was still highly emotional, compelling, and a series I continue to invest in.

Highlights:
Historical Fiction & Horror
Time Travel
Ice Age

Trigger Warnings
Graphic Elements/Death
Child Death

I normally don't like time travel books. I picked up this series because i thought the premise of Native Americans trying to kill Columbus to prevent colonization of their lands. And for most of the book we follow Tad trying to do exactly that. I liked his character a lot. and with premise as original as this I wanted him to get all the best things in life, okay? I don't know much about American history so I can't judge on historical accuracy of it.

In Volume Two we mostly follow Tawny trying to survive the Ice Age. And it's not a bad premise. Ice Age can be absolutely terrifying and the authors are using the setting for all it's worth. I just couldn't bring myself to care. I can't put a finger on why. And it has a lot of time travel stuff which I wasn't a fan of. It also jumps around the timeline a lot.

To give the credit where it's due. I really loved the artwork. Full-page pictures of that old animal or other are really scary. Especially when Tawny is trying to outrun it.

Thank you Netgalley and IDW for providing me with free review copy.

II am hooked! "Earthdivers" is a fantastic series that has great potential. This second volume, Earthdivers: Ice Age" continues the strong story telling and character development found in the first volume and expends the reach of the title by exploring a new historical era and focusing on a previously underdeveloped character. This is a lot of fun and well worth the read. I cannot wait to see what comes next!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, IDW Publishing, which provided me with an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Earthdivers is my newest obsession!

From the great mind of Stephen Graham Jones, comes the next thrilling installment of my newest favorite graphic novel series; Earthdivers. The first volume of this series grabbed me by the throat and wouldn't relent until I read the last panel. Earthdivers Vol. 2 Ice Age was just thrilling and had some of the most beautiful renderings that I have seen. In addition to this, it is some of my favorite and creative story telling. This is truly a harrowing thrill ride from start to finish. It is told in a way that keeps me hooked and on the edge of my seat while also highlighting Indigenous history and giving a voice to it in the best way.

I cannot wait for more in this universe and cannot wait to see what this creative powerhouse of a team comes out with next. Check it out!