I liked this comic. Artstyle is rich and colorful and cartoonish (as far as I am concerned there should be more cartoonish stuff) Orcs and humans looks district enough to differenciate them. It uses all the tropes and cliches you'd expect without sounding boring. There's still enough depth to it to keep me engaged.

As a person who generally finds good characters boring I was surprised I liked Cal, war orphan who grew up with a sword, and fighting is the only thing he knows how to do. And for a person who never knew love he gives it so freely.

Tara knows she'll never be together with her beloved because politics and struggling to go on is heartbreaking to see. I didn't see the other characters enough to get invested I hope that'll change in the future.

I am also curious what's going on with the undead(?). What do they want, if they want anything? Why did they show up now?

Thank you to NetGalley for letting me read this early for a review!

This was an awesome start to a story! The art is just as amazing on the inside as it is on the cover (something that I looooove because too many comics these days are deceitful with beautiful covers and actual guts done by completely different artists). The story was also just rad, perfect for those who love epic fantasy (like me!) and it really makes you crave more. There is also some romance which is nice and really cool to have play out in this art style. You’re going to find tropes and if you don’t like that, whatever, but I love high fantasy tropes so I loved it. Can’t wait for more!

I thought I would love this from the cover art and description alone and I am glad to say that I did! I was kindly gifted an advanced reader copy via IDW Publishing and read this in a whole sitting. As a player of Dungeon and Dragons and an avid defender of half-orcs (and orcs) in a fantasy setting where they are often perpetuated with racist anti-indigenous tropes of savagery and pillaging/sexual assault/etc this was a breath of fresh air not only to see the orc characters portrayed as highly intelligent and compassionate people but also that this is somewhat addressed in the story itself! There is a bard character who felt like a fun comic relief who, when Tara joins the group as a healer, realizes all his songs have bad stereotypes about orcs in them and writes a new song instead. There are several instances where characters are retroactively fixing their perspectives upon the other with the human character, Cal, being the "bastard born illiterate" and Tara, the orc healer, being the compassionate healing character who was born into nobility.

Even with sparse dialogue we learn so much about the characters and while Troth and Faran are less present due to being in a separate area everyone was interesting. I really hope to see more of them in the future as the small bits of their building romance we get was right up my alley! I also adored the complicated dynamic between Cal and Tara, they both are (despite us not knowing their ages) seemingly young and can get heated in arguments quickly. It was compelling and I am a slut for angst!

It also goes without saying that the artstyle is beautiful. I am a fan of other popular fantasy graphic novels as well but something about how haunting the Vangol are portrayed looking akin to rats with their weird pointy teeth and emaciated bodies is SO good for fantasy villain work. They freaked me out! I also love the style of the orcs in particular they are beautiful, elegant, and all so distinct. I loved Faran's design in particular, couldn't tell you why but everytime she was on page I knew I loved her and cannot wait to see more of her!

In final thoughts, I am stingy on five stars. This was fantastic and I have very few complaints it is difficult with this kind of structure to fully develop and flesh out every character. I know personally I would love to see more of the side characters but there is a chance this will happen in the future as it is not done and ended on one crazy cliffhanger!

I like a good fantasy comic as much as the next person but frequently they follow the same patterns without really adding much to the larger body of work.
Not so here, where our human vs orc conflict is complicated by a common enemy. The solution? An aloof course.
While there’s plenty of action, the focus is very much on character and interpersonal drama despite the climate crisis and Vangol invasion. The Hunger and the Dusk is off to a promising start and I look forward to seeing what comes next.

What I loved most about this ARC was the art itself. It was easier to lose myself in the story strictly because of the art. However, the storyline itself felt a bit choppy, a bit rushed, and I didn’t get much background throughout the first six issues. It kept pulling me out of the story anytime I felt like I was understanding a piece of the story or how rushed it all felt.

The humans and the orcs coming together to defeat the Vangol is a great concept, especially with the ticking time bomb that is their planet due to climate issues, but I felt a bit lost on the characters backgrounds and such. Hopefully more gets answered in future issues that I’ll keep an eye out for though!

The Hunger and the Dusk explores the fragile alliance between the orcs and humans, two people who have been at war with each other for a long time, in the face of a new common enemy, the vangol.
I loved the art style of this graphic novel! The landscapes were breathtaking and vibrant. The environment shows the ravages of time and I am intrigued to know more about the dying world this story takes place in. The character designs were very nice and everyone is very distinct.
I enjoyed the story and cannot wait to see where it goes in the future.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an e-ARC to read and review!

Now, I found this very thrilling with the idea of the Humans and Orcs, making a peace treaty, then finding a common enemy to fight, etc. My main hiccup with the storytelling was just that I didn't feel like I had time to grow to love the other characters aside from the two main characters. That's the biggest flaw to me, but I also am enamored with the story and can't wait to read Volume 2.

Absolutely loved this. The artwork is gorgeous, and the story is compelling. The characters are well-rounded. I enjoyed the adventure, the fights, and the romantic subplot. It's definitely a story that I will continue to follow!

I LOVED IT. But that was anticipated the second I saw this was G. Willow Wilson's doing. We land in a fairly classic fantasy realm, where an usual humans vs orcs feud needs to end up in an alliance that would bind their forces together in a fight against much worse enemy (think: elves "meth not even once" type of creatures, 'cause these beasts were clearly ruined by some nasty addiction). We follow two parties - orcs in the north, struggling with dying land and lack of fields to feed their cattle, as their leader gets into an arranged marriage for political reasons (a happy one though); and humans in the south, where the alliance makes an orc aristocratic healer join a fighting squad that hunts murderous elven junkies. There are two romantic subplots, lots of fighting and adventure. The characters clicked for me from page one. It's cool that orcs seem to be a more developed civilization here, with complex rituals and spirituality. Also the art is superb and exactly the way I like it in fantasy comics.
I got an advance copy before proof and it seems that the 6th issue misses all dialogue bubbles (although it is still possible that a "mute" chapter was a creative decision, since I didn't have any problems with understanding it anyway). I'm definitely getting back for future issues.

Fairly nuanced fantasy comic that looks at an arranged marriage between an orc healer and a human bard, and the tensions therein as they play against what is essentially this fantasy universe's version of the uruk-hai (ancient beings of pure evil). Will note one thing - the version I read only had the art pass for issue 6 without the lettering, so I am going to need to find out what was actually said in the issue at some point (but the art conveyed the general gist of the issue well enough, which is also a good sign that the artist and writer are doing well together!). Given the general IDW situation at the time I'm writing this I hope we get to see volume 2 of this, but who knows these days!

WHAT WAS THAT ENDING????? I NEED VOLUME 2 NOW! Oh my gosh this was so good. I love the treaty and the characters. I think this series will grow into something amazing. I love fantasy and D&D like vibes. Tara I think might be my favorite right now.

The description of the book seemed interesting, so I wanted to check the story out. Unfortunately, I have since lost my initial interest in the story. I may try and find a physical copy to add the my library when it is released, though, because I think my readers could like it!

I really liked this volume.
We are immediately transported to a world where the story is already happening, and we discover things in the world as we move through the pages.
The story is very well done and developed, I really loved the characters who deal with something bigger than just their lives.
It is beautifully illustrated, with fantastic character designs, full of color, expressions and details that expand the fantasy world beyond the pages.

Waiting anxiously for the next volume.

I wish the final pages weren’t missing their dialogue, but I do recognize that this is an advanced copy. I just wanted even more content than I was given! This story was so fascinating - from the different species, to the complex fantasy cultures, to the action-packed plot that was continuously unfolding, and so much more. And the visually dynamic characters, especially the orcs, were so enthralling to look at. Overall, a dynamic and well told story with an exciting adventure and stunning artwork. Can’t wait to read more as the series continues!

Humans and Orcs are mortal enemies fighting for territory in a dying world when an enemy from across the sea brings them to a fragile alliance. Tara a high ranking orc healer is sent to Callum Battlechild's mercenary company as a sign of the alliance.

I really like the art style of this graphic novel. This book has the first 6 issues of the series. I love the fact that orcs have a civilization and rituals which is not always shown in high fantasy depictions of orcs. There is an interesting cast of characters between the orcs and the humans. The orcs are like the Mongols and the humans are pretty much the same as any in fantasy works. The mercenary group is like any DND group with the vibes and humor. I am looking forward to the next book.

If you like DND and Tolkien style novels, this is the graphic novel for you.

Thank you to Netgalley and IDW Publishing for an eARC of The Hunger and the Dusk.

Wow, what a surprising new favorite graphic novel! Aside from the gorgeous artwork, there's a lot to love here already: an interesting cast of characters, a compelling conflict, and magnificent worldbuilding. I didn't expect to love this as much when I requested the ARC but I'm definitely going to continue this series. Can't wait for the next installment!

★ ★ ★ ★ • 4

Quick read with interesting characters, a nice illustration style, and standard high fantasy elements.

As a first book to a series, there was some general lack of world building and character background information… But, hopefully the sequels will get more into that.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an ARC for review!

I strongly enjoyed this fantasy comic, it was extremely well done and I LOVE Orcs. Their fantasy race is just so interesting, It immersed you really well, and had so many great action scenes with a good amount of gore. The world building is very good, and was able to get everything across in just the first few pages. I overall recommend.

Willow Wilson's Hunger is a well-written (if sometimes tropey) comic book about a treaty between humans and orcs against deadly Vangols who look like oversized anorectic psychos.

Most fantasy readers are used to orcs vs. humans scenarios, and I liked how the author revitalized the trope. Both sides are good people and have their reasons not to trust each other. I admit I would prefer orcs to be more alien and not humanlike in stature and behavior, but you get what you get.

The art looks great— clean lines and saturated colors fit the story and the lore. And the high fantasy aesthetic, too. Action sequences are excellent.

In all, The Hunger and The Dusk is an immersive high-fantasy story that spins well-known tropes.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a free ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

5/5 stars

Dudes. I always love G. willow Wilson. Ms. Marvel from a few years ago was so well done and this new series was also a home run. The Hunger and the Dusk follows a few characters (my favorites being Cal, Tara, and Throth) as the humans and orcs build a new peace to fight the dreaded Vangol. I loved the artwork, it truly brought everything together and made the characters so real. The relationships developments were also totally realistic, and I always love a good fantasy orc, especially the way these orcs were made.

I definitely reccomend this and I'm highly debating buying a physical copy when this releases.