Thanks to Netgalley for sending me an arc of this book! I absolutely loved the whole concept of this short story comic collection, some stories were definitely more engaging than others but I thought the illustrations were really captivating and I love the various styles depending on the kind of story it was

Xino, like all anthologies, is a mixed bag. Some of it is sublime, some of it is amusing, some of it isn't the best, but all in all it's an interesting book with a lot of fun stories.

The art on display is pretty darn good. There's a nice variety of styles and points of view, and the artists really enhance the writing of the stories. And the stories are good and, occasionally, great. My favorite was about a cat, a crime scene, and some political commentary.

This is a good, solid read and I would recommend it to fans of sci-fi comics!

This graphic novel is insanely gorgeous! The aesthetic is everything my 80's obsessed little heart could ever want. I'm going to need a physical copy of this asap for my home library, and I only by physical books if they are my favorites. Please grab this immediately.

XINO is a collection of short stories in comic/graphic novel format, featuring a variety of authors and illustrators. The art has a vintage feel to it and is striking all throughout. Each story was wickedly creative and pretty unhinged, a series of hyperrealistic lucid dreams, some almost nightmarish. These stories feel like classic sci-fi-fantasy with a tinge of horror. Nostalgic, but I can't place where or when though.

I loved that they were bite sized. I’m used to this type of fiction being much longer with plenty of context/development but this short format really worked well for each “issue” of XINO. Very well formatted with excellent pacing and included just what’s necessary for the story to really hit home. Some of these ideas could very well have been fuel for longer stories but as they are now, they're still very good.

I liked almost all of them! Some just weren't for me. Overall, highly recommended!

An beautifully illustrated and fascinating series of short science fiction stories, I really enjoyed reading this and it definitely gave room for thought.

XINO is a fantastic journey across visual landscapes of a psychedelic and often dark future. Such a collection of talents, from Phil Hester to Zander Cannon — and so many more. Perfect for comics fans and science fiction readers.

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

3.5
I'm very mixed about how I feel about this collection of short stories. I expected each story to be their own small self-contained short, but instead, they all read as the ending to a story or the very beginning. They don't feel self-contained or their own finished thing. It feels more like a collection of sneak peeks into up-coming graphic novels, rather than a complete series of stories. Several of the stories did have some excellent concepts and could be made into bigger graphic novels with ease. Some I didn't care about even while reading them. Several of the stories had the same issues as some of the stories in Love, Death, and Robots, where there was a ton of gore for no apparent reason. When did sci-fi become a gore fest? I thought that was primarily a horror thing. Several of the stories had lovely art, and I'll probably see if I can seek out those artists' other works.

XINO is a fantastic, perfect for dipping in and out of for when you want a bite-sized sci-fi read that has some absolutely breath taking artwork.

It was ok but at the end it wasn't my kind of story. I guess it just seem one think and then just-- not my jam.
The art is dope, tho

Weird and wonderful and absolutely unputdownable if you are in the market for fresh voices in GN SFF and horror. As is the case with anthologies as a rule,the enjoyment of each piece will vary by the reader, but I feel this collection is really impactful as a whole, and would make a great gift for the fans of darker, more action-packed and twister comics once it's out in print. I really enjoyed reading it, and will be looking forward to picking up for a reread once it publishes.

Thanks to #Netgalley for an arc of #XINO.

If I describe this as American comics finally grasping Future Shocks, that sounds dismissive, but it really isn't meant to be. Reading short comics by our colonial cousins, I'm often driven to lament their obvious lack of the primer, as readers and often as neophyte writers too, provided by Tharg's six-page science fiction shockers. But the entries here - they get it. I can't really say much about any of the individual stories without giving the game away, but if none of them are up with Alan Moore's masterpieces of the form, nor are there any of the 'Well, I hope that's the last we'll be hearing from this clown' turkeys. As has traditionally been the way of Future Shocks, many of the contributor names are new to me, though we do also get the likes of Zander Cannon, Phil Hester, and Shaky Kane (a Brit, I know, but still). Hell, even the Laphams didn't get my back up like they usually do. Bite-sized, lurid, usually nasty but never groan-worthy - I'm impressed.

(Netgalley ARC)

Thank you to Oni Press and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an unbiased review!

★★★★

Phew! Xino packs a punch on every page!

Each panel is a tour de force of riotous color, violence and action. The stories themselves are strong and the dialogue and art work together perfectly to bring these surreal and thought provoking science-fiction tales to life.

There's an almost horror element at play here and some of the stories made me downright uncomfortable but
I found myself unable to put it down. I think this one is really going to look fantastic as printed media.

"I ask them who will take care of my cats. But honestly they'll probably be better off. And anyway, they were planning to kill me."

This overwhelmingly colourful, and violent anthology explores sci-fi from all possible angles. Each story has its own message and style, if surrealist science fiction is your thing, you'll find something that resonates with you in Xino.

My highlights:
- B&B by Alissa Sallah. For the comedy.
- Visceral by Justin Jordan, illustrated by Molly Mendoza. For the art style.
- Beazy (from Easy Beazy) was iconic. Solved.
- Sticky Tape by Dan McDaid was the strongest story wise.

My thanks to both NetGalley and Oni Press for an advanced copy of this graphic novel collection featuring graphics and stories that harken back to the crazy days of underground comics and Heavy Metal magazine.

Back in the day I was a Marvel Zombie from a very early age. My idea of independent comics would have been maybe Sad Sack or some Richie Rich. All my comics were bought in a candy store in New York, or from my parents. I also had an illegal cable box, so when looking around I found a animated movie that I think I might have seen the soundtrack for in Caldor's. Cool, I thought I love animation. The movie was Heavy Metal and it went through my brain like Den through his enemies. The movie was violent, and naked, and well naked. Now I wanted to go to tag sales and flea markets with my parents. I needed more. Xino is a collection of stories that are very reminiscent of early Heavy Metal, featuring a large group of creators doing stories that really are pushing the edges of the medium in a very great way.

Xino features short, a couple pages in length stories with a strong science fiction feeling, though there is a bit of fantasy and body horror to fill things out. Or off depending on the story. Some of the stories have messages, some reflect our times, some are just vile and gross. None of them are boring. Some of the standouts include a story that seems to take place in mid-twentieth century America where conformity is everything, and a racist gets to meet the new neighbors. Also the first story has some interesting ideas, about game culture, and what could happen in one lets themselves get lost in it. Plus it is pretty action packed.

Xino has a definite European feel to it, mixed with a lot of the underground comics DNA mixed in. Xino as a title even reminds me of zines that I used to pickup at record shops, sometimes with stories that are kind of close to what is here. Again the stories are short, which is both good and bad. There is no filler, no wasted words or panels that set a scene, just story. Some stories I would have liked to have had more of. Some maybe even a little less. And the rest were just right. The art though is really good, a bizarre mix of styles and ideas that really leap off the page and enter the eye and brain. I really enjoyed this and want to read more.

Recommended for readers who want something new. There are a lot of good people doing some great work, and this is good collection to find some new people to add to one's pull list. One will not be bored reading this, in fact some sleeplessness might be induced.

Xino #1 was a stunning and strange ride. If you like Pulp weirdness and dark sci-fi, you’ll enjoy this collection. There wasn’t a story I didn’t like, and the ones I didn’t love were purely because I wish there was a little more fleshed out. The artwork is fantastic and the stories felt mostly original. Among my favorites were Rabbit Trap, B&B, Free Hugs or the Ballad of MEGaVORTEX!, Buster, Sticky Tape, and Hue. Can’t wait to read more Xino!