4 STARS

CW: gore, violence, (animal) death, suicide, blood, murder

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review - thank you to NetGalley and the publisher.

I love Cult of the Lamb, the video game, and am continuously playing and enjoying it. Upon my discovery that there was a graphic novel coming out, I knew I had to get and read it. I was not disappointed.

I really appreciate the video game for its aesthetic and the subversion of the "sacrificial lamb" and having it be the chosen one who establishes a cult and fights against those who wanted to sacrifice it. Amazing. This graphic novel retains much of what makes the game so charming: the art style, the story telling and the character design.

The transition from game, with adhering to game mechanics and having a player to actively integrate into it, to the different medium of the graphic novel was very successful in my opinion. The story beats remain the same and central figures from the game appear but the story about establishing the cult is a little different which worked really well in my opinion.

I will definitely continue reading the following volumes and I think you can also enjoy this if you're unfamiliar with the game. In case you know it, there won't be many new things in here regarding world building and storyline but it grants access to the world and story in a new way which was fun.

I picked up the videogame this is based on awhile back after hearing rave reviews from friends and unfortunately, the gameplay just isn't something that works for my brain. The concept of it is so much fun though that I wanted to pick up the graphic novel and see if that worked better for me and happily, it did!

The art style of this is very similar to the game, with a lot of vibrant colors and that fantastic blend of cuteness and gory violence. I feel like they've captured that perfectly in the graphic novel.

While I can't say how true it is to the source material since I didn't get that far into the game, I really loved the story of this. The way that fate plays with your head and the intrigue between the lamb and the various gods he's going up against was very compelling.

If you enjoy a blend of cuteness and violence or were a fan of the game, I definitely think it's worth picking up!

Having never played the game I was interested in seeing how this worked. The art work is dark and inviting. Sometimes there is too much going on in the page and the txt feels like an afterthought. I really enjoyed the story but felt it tried to crame a lot into one volume. And the story itself was overwhelmed by the art Not having read many graphic novels I did feel there was something missing the story didn't flow enough for me. It felt like it needed more editing before publication. Depending on it's target market this might appeal more to younger adults although the dark themes could do with a warning. Hope the next volume has learnt from this. I did enjoy it so it 3.5 rounded up to 4.
Thank you netgallery and publisher and author

Fun, cute, violent, fans of the video game will enjoy this. Young YA or teen comic / graphic novel readers will also get a nice introduction to the world and background of the characters. This will also be an upcoming series.

Hit video game Cult of the Lamb works shockingly well as a comic. And to my benefit, it's a great way to get the story without playing the game. It has a very interesting story, but the gameplay wasn't for me. A graphic novel that's just as bright and cute-gory was perfect. It balances the story arc well, and makes Lamb surprisingly compelling given that they're a player character. I also never expected to feel so much for the side characters. Unfortunately, it's just part one :(.

Una graphic novel che rende onore a un videogioco, anzi IL videogioco, amato da tutti.
In "Cult of the Lamb i giocatori si trasformano in un agnello posseduto salvato da una terribile sorte da un misterioso straniero".
Non sempre creare un manga dedicato a un videogioco è una buona idea, perché snatura il senso del videogioco in sé. Ma qui è un vero e proprio modo di rendere onore a Cult of the Lamb.
I disegni sono meravigliosi, la storia è appassionante.
Lo comprerò sicuramente.

This is one of my favourite games from last year, and I was beyond excited when I saw that they were releasing a comic. Well, this is exactly what I expected from the chaos that Cult of the Lamb is. It captures the heart of the game perfectly, and all the references are Chef Kiss.
I wish it had a bit more essence. I feel like they tried to follow the gameplay pretty closely, and that doesn´t always translate well into a comic. I wish it was more of a prologue or side story rather than the main story of the game.
That being said I am super pumped for the rest of these comics and I will pick up the next one to see what else our little Lamb will be up to.

The first installment of the Cult of the Lamb graphic novel was nothing if not well-made; the art was gorgeous, and care was clearly taken in crafting a story based on a Hades-style roguelike game. Unfortunately, it toes the line between fan service and a story in its own right, and it doesn't quite excel at either. For fans of the game, there are some great moments where the creators pull in quotes from gameplay, and the gods' voices, as well as Clauneck's, rang true to the source material. When translated to this format, however, the villagers' blind faith doesn't feel as cutesy and entertaining as it does in the game—it just feels a bit shallow. They tried to remedy this by including the character of Nana and giving the Lamb dialogue, but it all felt too earnest and serious. The game succeeds by balancing ethical dilemmas with dark humor, which is what was lacking in the adaptation. Going forward, it would be nice to see the authors tap into more of the comedic and tongue-in-cheek aspects that give the game its charm.

2.5 stars overall. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for letting me check out the ARC ahead of the Dec. 17 pub date!

As charming as a comic book about a murderous, cult-leading, lamb can be!

I really love the video game that this is based off of, so I leapt at the chance to read this graphic novel. There are some differences to the game (Ratu, a retired cult leader, is more involved here, and there’s a focus on a character called Nana, a sweet little bunny, who holds the title of first cult member, for example) but it fellows along quite well with the start of the game, adding extra drama, humour, and context.

The drawings are great, and really keep the balance of gore, fun, death, and cuteness, that the game has. Cult of the Lamb is both a frantic rouge-like, and a cult management sim, and that juxtaposition between both the intense moments, and the quieter ones, is captured here extremely well.

I’m invested, and I’m looking forward to picking up the next volume in this series!

Thank you to the publishers, and Netgalley, for the copy to review.

I thoroughly enjoyed this graphic novel! It was an engaging read that added much-needed context to the events of the game, helping to flesh out the storyline and give a deeper understanding of the world and its characters. The art style is vibrant and dynamic, perfectly complementing the narrative. The way it expands on the game’s plot and delves into the backgrounds of key characters makes the overall experience more immersive. I found myself connecting with the characters on a whole new level, and it definitely enhanced my appreciation of the game. I’m already looking forward to Volume 2 to see where the story goes next!

As someone who loves the game, this was great. The art is just as nice as it is in-game, and the art-style and coloring was especially good.

Actual Rating 2.5

This graphic novel is based on a popular video game. I’ve never played the game, but I’ve watched friends play it so I was interested in giving this book a go. The plot (unsurprisingly) is quite dark, which I enjoyed, though it felt like some important parts were skimmed over and could have used some more dpeth. It seems like a commentary on how easy it is to become the very thing you’re fighting against and swore to defeat, plus a cute lamb leading a cult is great imagery.

However, the actual execution of this graphic novel wasn’t the best. There was often too much going on visually on a single page to the point where it was overwhelming, not easy to digest, and made it easy to miss things. The art was phenomenal, but it just wasn’t arranged well. The writing also wasn’t that great. In some places, it felt like they just took dialogue bubbles from the game and copied them straight into this, rather than trying to make conversations flow or feel even a bit realistic.

While this was okay overall, I’m glad I didn’t pay for it. I think folks that do may end up disappointed. My thanks to NetGalley and Oni Press for allowing me to read this work. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

4 ⭐️

Characters: 7
Art style: 9
Writing: 7
Plot: 7
Intrigue: 7
Logic: 6
Enjoyment: 6

Firstly I'd like to thank NetGalley and Oni Press for giving me an ARC to review. All opinions are my own 💖
This was such a nice introduction into the world of Cult of the Lamb!
Got surprisingly attached to the characters which I didn't expect to happen.
Did it push me to buy the game as well? Yes, it definitely did! 😄

This graphic novel was an incredibly fun read! The art is stunning and really added to the story and enjoyment of the read. I will say because I know it’s based on a video game it did feel like I was reading dialogue from a game rather than a book. I still liked it, but not as much as I expected to. I would definitely recommend it to a younger audience or people who have played the game!

I'm not the biggest fan of roguelikes, so despite Cult of the Lamb's style and story catching my eye, I just never got into it! Although a Cult of the Lamb fan might feel differently (though I hope they wouldn't), I really enjoyed this graphic novel as someone who probably won't ever play the game.

The art is seriously gorgous, and it was a really nice, quick read--perfect for a commute to work. I'm really hoping they do more!!!

Actual Rating: 3.5☆

Cult of the Lamb Vol. 1: The First Verse is an adorable and fast-paced dark fantasy graphic novel based on the popular video game Cult of the Lamb.

Young Lamb has been sacrificed by the bishops of the Old Faith. Upon death, they fall right into the hands of The Chained One, who offers them another chance at life to enact their revenge on the bishops. In order for Young Lamb to continue their mission of vengeance, they must start a cult and save others who will follow and worship them.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I LOVE the illustrations. They are bright, colorful, and absolutely adorable. I do plan on purchasing a physical copy for my collection once the book is officially released.

I noticed that Lamb undergoes several personal changes during this volume. Initially, Lamb is frightened, powerless, and submissive, allowing the bishops and their executioners to sacrifice them without a fight. Once they are resurrected, Lamb becomes consumed by vengeance. Although Lamb's priority should be to gain followers, they are solely focused on destroying the creatures who sacrificed them. Once Lamb experiences worship, they become addicted and do whatever is necessary to gain more followers. By the end, it is evident that Lamb's followers are becoming more like family, not only to Lamb but also to each other.

Although I have never played the game, I couldn’t help but feel as though I was reading video game dialogue. I am not quite sure how to explain it, but it threw me off at times.

While I did enjoy this graphic novel, the writing is definitely aimed toward a younger audience. I would say ages 13 to 15. Keeping that in mind, the topics introduced in this graphic novel may be sensitive to some readers, including cults, sacrifices, and violence.

cults • dark fantasy • self discovery • video game

A promising beginning! This book had me wanting to pick this video game up - it's been on my radar for a while but I’d never actually tried it so now I want to do that soon. This book was fun and interesting and I love the mixture of a cutesy art style with a more horror-aligned plot with battle scenes and gore and evil bishops and gods and other creatures. The monsters are disgusting in an awesome way, and when Lamb is fighting I can imagine how it would play out in the video game with the intense music playing and how I would be on the edge of my seat during each boss battle. The narrative did feel a bit choppy, probably from adapting it from the video game - the exposition is a bit heavy, and there are a couple pages that feel a bit cluttered with text and images. I also wish it had been clearer from the start that the Seer is narrating. And I don’t think enough time was spent developing the characters and relationships, especially the relationship between Lamb and Nana that becomes crucial to the plot at the end but was not properly flushed out at the beginning of the book for me. I also wanted to learn more about Ratau, Lamb's mentor. But overall this felt like a good introduction to the lore and setting, so I’m curious to see where things go next and excited to get to play for myself now!

Cults,religious,violence in a way that makes you go insane and you love it.
Great art style and characters.
Higmy recimmend

I loved this entertaining graphic novel! It helped to add context to events within the game and to flesh out its characters. I can't wait to read Vol. 2!

Thank you to NetGalley and Oni Press for allowing me to read this book ​​😊

This Fantasy/Horror graphic novel is an addition to the video game of the same name. Not having played the game myself, I enjoyed this book, but I would say you might like it even more if you’re a fan of the universe !

As the title suggests, it’s an exploration of cults and their effect on their disciples .

I enjoyed the lovely art style, both sweet and dark at the same time (just like the game). I also liked the choice of the vibrant colours.

However, I must admit that I did get a bit bored at times and had to skim-read some parts to get through the book.