Thank you to Netgalley and the Author for sending me an e-arc in exchange for an honest review!

I love graphic novels so much, and 'Soma' was no exception. We follow Maya, a comic artist who fells burned out and uninspired in her work. Suddenly, an alien-like creature, almost like the ones she draws in her comics, comes crashing in through her window asking for her help to save the earth. We also follow her friend Juu who tries to survive on the street with the help of Vic and Hannah, two people he runs into.

It was action packed, fast paced and just really fun. I loved the art style, how expression filled the characters were, and the colours were so *chefs kiss*. I really liked the change in perspective, both in the real world, the alien world, and in Maya's comic world. Oh and the pixelated, video game part was such a cool touch as well.

The characters were likeable, and I was genuinely invested in their story. It made me smile, laugh, and even had me teary eyed at times. Normally I have a hard time with Sci-fi, but I was immediately hooked. I found the themes of rebellion, freedom, and political oppression very enjoyable, as it added some seriousness to the otherwise silly humour.

I highly recommend checking it out, and I can't wait to get my hands on a physical copy once it releases!

‘Soma’ presents an intriguing dystopian world, with themes of rebellion, freedom, and political oppression. Fernando Llor’s writing sets up a promising narrative, and Carles Dalmau’s illustrations do a solid job capturing the dark, oppressive atmosphere. However, the story suffers from uneven pacing, with some key moments feeling rushed and others overly drawn out. While the themes are compelling, the exploration lacks depth, and the characters could have been more fleshed out.

Overall, ‘Soma’ is a decent dystopian graphic novel with strong visuals, but it falls short of fully realizing its narrative potential.

This was so cute!

When you're an illustrator but then you have to save the world from an alien attack...you know...very normal things that happen in an illustrators life...

This art style was so cute and really reminded me of Steven Universe mixed with something else I can't put my finger on. I really loved how expressive the characters and their facial expressions were. And I really love how the character Soma was drawn. Very cute!

Another graphic novel that I sped through.

Thanks to NetGalley for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review! My Goodreads review is up and my TikTok (Zoe_Lipman) review will be up at the end of the month with my monthly reading wrap-up.

I was pleasantly surprised! Graphic novels are usually a hit or miss with me, even though I adore reading them. It's just that they're often so quick that I don't form attachments to the characters. This time, however, I did.

Soma is about Maya, an artist, who is going through a burn out. One day she gets an unexpected visitor: an alien warning her about danger. Together they try to save the world. Meanwhile Maya's friend Juu tries to survive with people he found on the street.

First of all I want to point out the AMAZING art that pulled me in from the first second I opened the book on my Netgalley shelf app. I am absolutely amazed by the talent. And everything looked beautiful put together. The style, the colors... everything. It is safe to say I found the art a masterpiece.

I really enjoyed the story as well. It immediately interested me while it normally takes me a couple of pages to get into a story. It was a perfect combination of humor and seriousness. It was fast-paced, but not too fast, you could still keep up with what was happening. I also adored the characters and started rooting for them.

You know what, I think it is safe to say this is the best graphic novel I have ever read. (And yes, that means higher than my previous favorites: Heartstopper). Obviously it's a different genre with this being sci-fi, but still.

I am VERY excited for this being released on February 25th and I am definitely going to try to get my hands on a physical copy. I can't wait to see other people reading it and share my love for it.

Thank you to Netgalley and everyone else who made it possible for me to read this ARC. I am incredibly grateful to have been able to read this absolutely masterpiece.

Due to the fact that I have Goodreads as an android app, I'm not able to share a link to my review. I did post this on both Goodreads and Storygraph and am planning to post on social media as well soon.

This was a really excellent comic! I loved all of the different art styles and interweaving stories. It definitely pulled on my heartstrings! Please, please, please read it because it's so so good

The art is the highlight. I love the colors. I love the font. The composition was so good. The character designs are so cute and I especially love how the eyes are drawn. The story was a little rough for me. Every time something emotional happens or two characters are talking, a gag is just around the corner. The mood never really matched any conflict presented. These people were fighting for their planet, but it really didn't feel dangerous or important because people were cracking jokes or 'being random' every other page. Surprisingly, the conclusion to the characters' stories actually felt genuine and very sweet. There was still the author's gags and jokes, but the mood was matched. Not my thing, btu I'm sure it is for someone.

📚✨ #ReseñaSoma

Si te gustan las historias de ciencia ficción con un toque humano, Soma es tu próximo cómic. 🙌🏼 En un mundo donde la creatividad parece haberse extinguido, Fernando Llor nos cuenta una aventura sobre amistad, supervivencia y la lucha por mantener viva esa chispa creativa que nos hace únicos. 🚀

Carles Dalmau le pone el toque visual perfecto a este futuro distópico: oscuro pero lleno de vida en los momentos más inesperados. 😮🔥 Los personajes luchan no solo contra la falta de inspiración, sino también por encontrar su propósito en un entorno donde ser creativo es casi un acto de rebeldía.

Si te gustan las historias que mezclan emoción, drama y un poco de reflexión existencial, Soma te va a encantar. 😍💡 ¡A veces, todo lo que necesitamos es un poco de compañía y creatividad para salvarnos! 🌱✨

#CómicRecomendado #SciFi #FernandoLlor #CarlesDalmau #CreatividadEnCrisis

I loved this!!
It deserves so much more than five stars. 10 wouldn't be enough.
I loved it.
The two main characters in the story are incredible, and they are normal people, with everyday dilemmas, which makes it easy for us to relate to them. (Even more so if you understand the life of a freelancer, because I personally saw myself in it, and it was so funny and right on point). The characters demonstrate and gain strength and resilience throughout the book and surprise us with their willpower and resistance. So throughout the story it is easy to gain affection for them and awareness of the situation they are in, in which we see the ups and downs of the decisions they have to make. It is really good!!
The story is fantastic and evolves calmly into the plot, which is something absolutely great and I loved every bit of it.
And the drawings!!! They are beautiful and absolutely magnificent. Its expressions, lines and strong colors reflect the entire atmosphere of the story and easily demonstrate the characters' states of mind.

It was truly a wonderful read, and without a doubt a must read.
And the end pages give us a huge understanding of the book process.
And are so good!!

Plot-wise, there is nothing we haven’t seen in other media, but the character design is interesting, and the colour palettes are incredible. In my opinion, it is very much worth the time to read.

and once more I give thanks to Oni Press for knocking it out of the park with this years offerings.

In Soma we meet Maya who is going through a lot of existential angst in her job. She’s a comic book artists who is finding the run of the mill story arcs that she has to illustrate so frustrating and just can’t find the time to do her own work.

The stories she has to do are so clichéd, each one has and alien invasion or kaiju appear and the main character defeats them… for this to happen all over again.

Maya also has to keep boosting Juu’s confidence about dating, placate her mother’s expectations, and deal with writer’s block. The normal run of the day stuff for all creatives.

Then lo and behold there’s an alien invasion and Maya has to save the world… Tripods though?

I loved Carles Dalmau’s work in Cult of the Lamb which I’d just read recently and those reds and oranges find another life in this angsty actioner.

Maya is great as the saviour and Soma (the alien) works really well in a redemption arc, love some of the side stories, especially the doomsday church and the D&D kids.

A riveting read that kept me glued to it for the evening.

I received this from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The art in this is absolutely insane! The imagery is so visually so drawn in such a cool style. The color palette alone is a reason to read this! There’s also a really cool plot about a comic artist struggling with the content she needs to create and then aliens invade. Take as old as time lol. Soma is funny and weird and exciting. Highly recommend!

Thanks to NetGalley and Oni Press for the press service.

Maya is a comics author going through a burnout and tired of always doing the same kind of stories. On a morning, she meets with her best friend Juu in order to give him some advices on dating life. Later on the same day, she hears a strange noise coming from her living room. But she wasn’t expecting to find an octopus-shaped creature landing on her floor. After helping it, the little creature links with her to warn her about an alien invasion from it’s own kind which will cause the end of the world. Will Maya be able to help her new partner in order to save the world ?

Soma is a sci fi comic book which I really enjoyed reading. It’s a one shot story about creativity and the importance of timing up during apocalypse. The events take place in one day. The story is interesting and the drawings, from the chara designs to the scenary, are very impressive. Definitly recommend it !

This was a WILD ride! I did not expect this to go in the direction it did, but I am SO happy it did.
The action in this story was phenomenal, I loved the characters so much!
The alien invasion kept me on the edge of my seat. Soma was such a fun read. If you want a story to grab your attention and hold it to the end, this is for you.

Thank you, NetGalley for this advanced readers copy of Soma by Fernando Llor!

4⭐️

We are following Maya an artist in a creative crisis. She's overworked and can't finish any of her assignment .
But one day a weird creature burst out her window and introduce itself as an alien and show her that her world is about to end .
I like that some page have a different art stye for exemple page 172 have a retro game like design . I just realise that the illustrator also worked on the Cult of the Lamb comics.
Even if the situation is dramatic the design make it lighthearted and the Maya don't take it seriously even if people are dying. Thus creating that sensation of "hope", basically you know that it will end well.

In a way it remind me of Maliki, a comic that I think I've read in early 2010's. The character of Maya even look like Maliki and they are both artist.

I like Juu and his reaction to him having to go out at an other time . He prepared and now he have to change every thing. Very relatable.
He's character is pretty empty tho.

Soma was cute and have an interesting story . The moment about his former human family were really cute and when they met again was beautiful I like when stuff like that happen.
My only issues is that I didn't felt anything reading it, a good time but probably an unmemorable one.

I received this DRC from NetGalley.

The artwork was really cute and used different color palettes well. I liked that it was a full standalone story and even managed to include the backstory of the alien. The whole thing was told well and although it went by quickly, it still came to a satisfying conclusion.

In Soma we follow Maya, a burned-out comic book artist struggling to find enthusiasm for the projects she is working on, when an alien crashes through her window. An invasion is beginning, and it is up to Maya and her new friend to save the day.

This story is engaging, fast paced and very easy to read. The art and colours are beautiful throughout, and the book is one that will be a joy to come back to and read again and again. I look forward to reading more by this author and illustrator soon.

With thanks to NetGalley and Oni Press for a review copy.

The beginning of this book was disappointing, but as I got deeper into the story I was more and more surprised, it is a very entertaining book. Although it is still a shallow story, I hope that in the following parts we see more background of the characters and we can learn the story of Soma, his race and how they managed to get the technology to conquer planets, in short I expect something more elaborate and deep.
But for now I can only say that I perceived this story as something very superficial, that was made only to entertain and not tell anything, it has no basis or a true background, the characters need more to feel real.
Now speaking of the art of this book I have to say that its illustrations are very beautiful and detailed, I feel that the illustrator has the ability to transmit too much with them.

Originality: 5/5 ⭐
Writing Quality: 3.5/5 ⭐
Intellectual Depth: 2/5 ⭐
Character Development: 1/5 ⭐
Addictive: 4/5 ⭐
Image or Illustration Quality: 4.5/5 ⭐
Average rating: 3.3/5⭐

4,25 ⭐️
Soma was a cute and fast paced adventure! The art was beautiful and so does the story honestly. Plot wise nothing we haven’t seen before and yet, it works!
I loved the characters so much, all of them, from the primary to the secondary ones!
I also loved the Cult of The Lamb reference (if I didn’t imagine it but knowing they the artist on this worked on the game I bet I didn’t) anyway, I highly recommend this comic to everyone who loves sci-fi adventures with a cute little yet fierce alien!

Soma is about the creative process of a comic book artist told through an alien invasion.

I loved the play on scenes, causing the alien invasion to happen after a conversation between teens about aliens is the perfect example of how the creators played around with the narrative of the scene to create a timely, witty element. This is then reflected in the larger plot as they are navigating stories within stories and successfully find a way to connect all of these together without creating an overwhelming and clogged up story line. I thought that comedy was the best way to do this within the narrative.

The characters were endearing although at times not fleshed out enough and came across as repetitive at times. I thought that they had a good ark and enjoyed their development but I just wish I could have been more engaged in their relationships as this was one of the only elements that felt really rushed, except for the relationships with soma.

The main stand out line for me was 'some will justify any atrocity in the name of following orders.' I actually found this scene to be very moving and thought the message behind this line was very impactful and timely.

Overall, I would recommend to younger readers, teens and children who are getting into graphic novels as this is a fantastic plot heavy book that engages the reader and flies by! An enjoyable reading experience.

3.5 star
Thank you to #netgalley for the arc.

"I'll be polite and save your leftovers in tupperware so we don't waste anything."

Thank you to NetGalley and Oni Press for the ARC of Soma.

Soma had such a fun art style and surprisingly heartful storyline. Centered around Maya, a comic book artist struggling to find inspiration, Soma features a grim (but stunningly illustrated) look at an alien invasion. Maya finds and befriends one of the aliens, and it's up to the two of them to save the world.

The illustrator also worked on the Cult of the Lamb comics, and there are moments where I'm reminded of that art style (and there's a CotL easter egg in one art panel!). In general, I would say that the art of Soma stands on its own merit and we even get treated to whimsical interjections in different art styles, a few pages or panels at a time. Taken across the real world, Maya's comics, a game of d&d, Kingdoms of Rats (which I assume is an MMORPG), and a cute pixel video game style, Dalmau really got to show off his skillsets and give us a visual treat to accompany the story.

This was a cute read - I'm excited to see more from Oni Press. Happy reading!