My thanks to NetGalley and Image Comics for an advance copy of this new graphic novel that imagines a world where most of the population has disappeared, leaving survivors to relay on each other in the aftermath, when even bigger problems appear.

One of the things that seems to trigger many humans is the fear of being alone. One will never hesitate to ask a person who has recently lost someone, how will you go on? Or ask a person not in a relationship, aren't you afraid of dying alone? What's wrong with you that makes you be alone? Sometimes its a personal choice for people, being alone means counting only on one person, and one doesn't have to have the fear of being let down by another. Or in the worse case scenario, something happens to many of the people on Earth, leaving one alone, with only a few survivors, some helpful, some needy, some deadly. One can adjust, learn to survive, leave one's comfort zone, maybe take risks. Until the wolves are at the door. And the giants appear. We Called Them Giants is a graphic novel written by Kieron Gillen and illustrated by Stephanie Hans, dealing with being alone, taking chances, found families, and believing in things bigger than oneself.

Lori went to bed one night and woke up without a family, nor neighbors in the surrounding building. Was it the Rapture, a strange disease, something bigger, something worse, Lori has no idea. While walking the now abandoned streets, Lori finds Annette a girl from her school, who has also lost everybody. Joining together to survive they soon find food and shelter. As time passes, this food become harder to find, as other survivors have joined together, and not in a good way, taking over a local mall, and attacking anyone not a part of their group. As the weather gets colder wolves begin to appear, along with another older woman who has taken shelter near something else that is living in the woods. A Giant. And this giant is not alone.

This story is about a what happens when things fall apart, who does one trust, and how far can that trust go. All told in a world with no answers. Who are the Giants, the wolves and more importantly where are the people. Did many ascend to heaven, or were Lori, Annette and others the one chosen. And chosen for what. There is a lot of what only can be called remove to the story. A fable told by survivors, or a patient's tale told to Doctors as they leave a coma, as things continue to get worse. The lack of answers might be annoying to readers, but I found this interesting. No 30 pages on information dropping. This happened, this happened deal with it. The art is what really makes this project shine. Beautiful with a use of colors that is rare in comics, showing without telling. Everything seem so real, so believable, and yet there is a feeling again of fable. Maybe this whole thing is a fever dream. Who knows, and again it is not important.
The story might be a little slight for some, but the art really sells the project. I liked everything about it, and the mystery and questions the book left me with. Will I ever know, no. Do I have some ideas, sure, and that's why even now typing this, I am still thinking about this work. Not many graphic novels stay with me one the cover closes, or the e-reader puts read on the cover. This one does, so that means something. I look forward to more collaborations with both creators.

Thank you to Net Galley for this ARC and amazing book!

The art is stunning—each panel feels like a painting, with the use of color, and the contrasts, being pure magic. Lori makes an interesting apocalyptic protagonist, her survival-driven nature clashing perfectly with Annette’s hopeful bravery. The dynamic between them kept me hooked, though I wish Beatrice’s character had been explored more deeply. Even at 100 pages, the story feels complete but leaves room for more interpretation or a second book. I agree and recommend this book for its artwork and amazing narrative. It’s a must-read for graphic novel fans!

I was excited for a new Keiron Gillan book to come out, especially with it being illustrated by Stephanie Hans. However, I found myself wanting to know more about why everyone disappeared and why there were giants. It felt like there was a lot of unanswered questions that made the book fall flat. The art was amazing, though!

Loved this read! The designs of the giants were really interesting and different than you might expect. The story was heart warming and brought tears to my eyes. Glad I got to read early from NetGalley!

I'm a big fan of this teams previous works, and We Called Them Giants didn't disappoint. Hans is such a talented artist, and I always love the use of colour and shading in her work. I loved the story, and especially the character growth in Lori. I also really enjoyed never finding out exactly what happened to cause the apocalypse, and having the same limited knowledge the characters have. I would have loved this to have been longer, if only for my own pleasure.

Gorgeous short one shot where Gillen and Hans get to lean into fantasy and also dealing with large unknowable things that seem to have glommed onto you. Great read.

One of the best graphic novels I have read. The artwork is beautiful and the story is full of mystery and adventure. The main character learns an important lesson. I would definitely recommend this to graphic novel readers or sci-fi/fantasy readers.

<i>***I thank NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced reader copy of this book in return for an honest review*** </i>

absolutely in awe of the art style! i lovee the painting technique (jealous) and every panel felt *smoooth* like butter and ice or something (i have a fever at the moment so pardon my weird comparison heh)

i liked the story and would definitely get it for my younger sister but for me, it lacked a bit of depth.

⊹ . ⋆ ☽ ⋆ . ➶

Unique artwork and storytelling. Wish it was a tad longer. I wanted more time to be with the characters.

The art in this was gorgeous, but the plot itself was a bit too direct for my taste. It's a beautifully drawn sci-fi fantasy comic, I just wish its storyline was developed more and its characters had more depth.

Kieron Gillen's We Called Them Giants is a gripping and thought-provoking exploration of the human cost of war. When basic survival is a struggle, what choices will you make? Nothing is as it should be. Who you trust is literally life or death. These few pages explore the complexities of the characters, brutal realities of war, and selfless unconventional love. This graphic novel is a must-read for anyone interested in the human experience and the enduring impact of conflict.

Summary:

Over the years, Lori has learned not to trust those around her. After all, eventually, they’ll all break her trust. Yet she’ll have to relearn a few lessons once her world changes forever. One day, she woke up, and everyone was just gone.

Well, almost everyone. There are a few survivors, for lack of a better word. One she’ll team up with against the world. But how much will she trust her, and how far will she go to keep them safe?

Review:

Oph. I knew that whatever Kieron Gillen wrote next would be a total gut punch, and I was right. We Called Them Giants is short yet highly emotional, with our characters left to face the unknown and worse.

I love how the story starts one way (a jaded girl explaining her view of the world) and quickly turns into something entirely different. You don’t even recognize the world by the end. I could say a lot more here, but I don’t want to say anything too spoilery.

The overall writing style is strong and compelling as Lori’s world rapidly falls to pieces. Yet there’s hope even in the darkest of times, as this tale is quick to show us (again and again).

Then there’s the artwork, my favorite part of the story. Stephanie Hans is an artistic genius, and the art in We Called Them Giants is perfect for the story. It’s bright and sometimes portrays emotions in shocking details.

Highlights:
Post-Apocalyptic
Surviving the Odds
Isolation vs. Trust

Trigger Warnings:
Isolation
Graphic Imagery
Survivalism

I'd like to thank Kieran Gillen, Net Galley and Image Comics for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

We Called Them Giants follows our main character Lori after nearly everyone disappears and has to fight to survive in the streets of the city where new dangers arrive.

I thought the art was absolutely gorgeous. The backgrounds are extremely detailed, the expressions easy to read and the poses are dynamic. The artists use of color theory is fantastic, you can tell by each panel how the main character is feeling by the expression of colors on the page.

Though the story is so short, sitting at just over 100 pages, I believe the authors message comes along well, though I found that many of my questions were never answered. I really hope that this doesn't end up being a standalone, because I'd love to know more about the dynamics the plot introduced but didn't explain. Once again the artwork and colors are GORGEOUS!

An overall interesting title. The art is wonderful. Like a trippy acid filled trip through a dark and almost mad max type area. I really dug the art, designs, and all of that. The story though sadly is where it lost me. None of the characters clicked for me, I felt like they could have had SO much more depth to make me care when someone is in danger or dies. But the art itself makes this a book to read through even if the story can't measure up.

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

We Called Them Giants by Kieron Gillen, Stephanie Hans, and Clayton Cowles is a YA graphic novel using first person past-tense for narration. When most of the world disappeared overnight, Lori and Annette are trying to survive while running from scavengers. A giant red being crash lands on Earth and might be the key to their survival or the cause of their destruction.

The color palette is immaculate. I rarely comment on covers but I loved how, at a glance, this one had some similarities to the iconic Akira poster while also being quite different. On the page, there's a dark, gritty atmosphere without over-reliance on darker shades. I loved it every time the giants appeared because of how bright and bold they are compared to everything else and how out of place they look. Whoever was in charge of the palette, I'd love to see a book on color theory from them.

Lori is such a great YA protagonist. She's cynical, she's resourceful, she's stubborn and stamping down hope but hasn't completely been beaten down by life yet. I loved that past tense was chosen for the narration and we got her thoughts because there was suspense built up but it also carried this melancholy quality you'd expect of an apocalypse, but it also has a bit of hope because she must be telling this story to someone.

I would recommend this to fans of grittier apocalypse stories that have strong supernatural elements to them, readers of YA looking for a graphic novel that opens cynically and ends on hope, and those looking for a graphic novel with gorgeous, saturated colors

Perfect apocalypse/ end of the world story by Kieron Gillen, The artwork was beautiful and I really enjoyed the characters and the art design.

Thanks to Image Comics and NetGalley for the ARC.

Thanks NetGalley!

Beautiful artwork and a promising storyline. There isn't a lot of information given in the first volume which is sure to hook readers because who doesn't want to know more??? I want to know more including the giants and what might have caused a reaping of humanity. Why wasn't everyone was taken? Now Lori and her friends must try to protect themselves. Food is scarce and there are gangs of men "dogs" to hid from including real wolves and now giants. There is so much story to tell and can't wait for the next one!

I honestly can’t say enough good things about this book. The art is stunning and evocative, the story is spare and restrained but hints at so much that’s complex and disturbing, and the characters are as solid and compelling as the world they inhabit.

Without spoilers, this story is about the few survivors left after most of the world’s population inexplicably vanish. Subsistence is challenging enough, but our protagonists also have to contend with the mysterious appearance of huge, well…giant, creatures who are enigmatic and otherworldly.

While I’ve already mentioned how impressive the art and style is, the story itself is a masterclass in the power of brevity. There isn’t a single extraneous thing here. the narrative skips over gaps in time, hinting at larger plot points but not getting bogged down in them, and focuses with laser precision on the crucial elements of the tale. Reading this story is like looking into a very carefully packed bag for a long, long hike, only the best and most critical items make the cut.

This graphic novel is definitely one you finish in one sitting. It works well as a standalone work but I desperately hope there is more to come. I’ve never read or seen anything like it and I want to revisit this bleak, bizarre, mysterious world again and again.

The art is beautiful, makes the story mesmerizing.
I enjoyed the missing people, the aliens, the main characters.

But there’s no explanation on the how or why people went missing or about the aliens and giants.

This was a good story, but there could be much more to it than there was.

This is a beautifully illustrated graphic novel about disconnection, communication, power, trust, and found family.

Lori has spent a life moving from one foster family to another. Her take-away lesson from all of this is that, ultimately, people will leave you. And then they did. All of them. She wakes up one day to find streets and houses deserted - except for a school friend, Annette. They scavenge and try to survive as best they can, and avoid the gang who call themselves the Dogs.

Then one day, inexplicably, two alien craft land. The intent of their giant occupants, or their reasons for being there, remaining mysterious. Lori, Annette and Beatrice form an uneasy acquaintance with one of the giants. The giant seems benevolent, but his purpose remains unknown, and communication seems impossible, despite effort on both sides.

Then there is the inevitable conflict - which, of course, resolves by the end of the story. But there is much that remains unexplained. What caused the disappearance of a majority of the population? Where did the giants come from, and were they somehow responsible for the disappearance, or have they arrived because of it?

The story appears to be a metaphor for some of the feelings and life experience that Lori has had in the hands of a care system that has hardened her against love and attachment - and it also seems to signal this in quite a heavy-handed way towards the end of the story. But for me this made the story neither one thing nor another: there is too little detail for the story around the appearance of the giants, and I didn’t really feel the emotional connection with Lori.

So while the visuals were gorgeous, the story really wasn’t for me.

Thank you #NetGalley and Image Comics for the free review copy of #WeCalledThemGiants in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.