The story was quite interesting and not what I was expecting. We dive straight into the situation and follow a group of friends as they navigate through a forest, where unsurprisingly, an unnerving creature lives.

The art style was incredibly difficult to interpret. The characters look like they were taken out of a picture (photographs) with a splotchy background. I loved the creature and its imposition on the pages, yet, I couldn't see anything except for a blob most of the times. You can tell that there is detail in the forest and characters, but the muddled colours and overused washed element hides everything. The 'photographed' characters did not blend into their background at all, which could play a part in the story, but it was quite distracting and honestly, looked boring.

This graphic novel is not for everyone, but I do think that if the art style appeals to you, then you will thoroughly enjoy the narrative.

I struggled to read the text. Hope the lettering will be cleaner in the final publication. The mixed medium art was interesting. Some panels screamed AI. Not sure if AI was used. From what I could read, the plot seemed fascinating and unique.

This comic feels like a film with this gritty layering to the art of it. The characters pop off the page and their photorealistic yet they have this overlay of artistry that I love. Every single page of this comic is absolutely drop dead gorgeous.

The atmosphere this comic has is impeccable. There’s tension, unease, and creepiness on every page. This is a horror comic done right. While it is a very short read and there’s pages that have no words. Pages that don’t need words. Where the horror plays out in the art. This comic could be stared at for hours. The art is simply gorgeous.

To say I loved this is an understatement. Absolutely 1000% recommend reading this comic. It’s fantastically horrific.

I quite liked this graphic novel!

The vibes are very Silent Hill mixed with a little bit of The Last of Us and Fallout. (I didn't watch The Walking Dead so I can't comment on that comp.) The art is gorgeous. All shades of green with cloudy and smoky swirls. Sometimes it's hard to make out the characters or background, but like in Silent Hill, it really adds to the mystery and horror.

I love the focus on an Indigenous cast and Indigenous mythology. This story is specifically about the Dene people and their beliefs, with wheetagos and Na achos roaming the apocalyptic landscape while the Dene characters attempt to stick together for safety and go back to their families in the city.

This first volume lays out the story, characters, and background, and there was just enough of each for me to get invested in. The story is heavy on interpersonal relationships, but there is a quest aspect and the start of several hero's journeys, so I'm very interested in reading the next installment to see what happens to our cast of characters.

I'd definitely recommend for lovers of apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic stories.

Thank you to Renegade Arts Entertainment and NetGalley for this arc.

Thank you to NetGalley for the arc of this book.

I love graphic novels and horror. So this sounded right up my alley. I liked it, and the premise was interesting. Unfortunately, it was so hard to read the actual text most of the time that it really took away from the story for me. I think if that had been clearer this would have been a higher star read for me.

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read an arc of this graphic novel!

I find this one genuinely hard to rate because it was so incredibly hard to read the text on my phone through the NetGalley app, but what I was able to read I loved and I’m so excited to see where this series will go and so for those reasons it gets a 4 out of 5 stars. I want to stress that the writing itself is not difficult to read, it’s just that it’s small font and there’s no proper and functional zoom feature on the NetGalley app and so that’s why I struggled to read some of the panels.

The way that this graphic novel is written is lovely, it’s so nice to read a book written by a Canadian author (who currently lives locally!) and to have First Nations culture and folklore brought into the main story. Reading about the wheetago and hearing a little bit about the Dene culture was truly interesting and it definitely adds a sense of realism to this graphic novel. The characters are all interesting and engaging to read and I’m so looking forward to learning more about each individual as the series progresses, especially the wheetago. The artwork is on a completely different level too, every page was just filled with stunning designs, landscapes and just general drawings; I especially loved the design of the wheetago too.

Truly this is a great read and I’m looking forward to this graphic novels release so that I can go back and re-read it and see what I missed. A great graphic novel to read too during fall and around Halloween, it definitely has the right eerie, post-apocalyptic vibes and tone.

Thanks again NetGalley!

The premise of this story sounded excellent, but the execution is a mess. The "art style" is just a bunch of photo bashing with a blue light filter slapped over it. Because the art is only done with real-life photos and some effect edits, every scene is incredibly confusing and messy. The font choice and color are also awful, The font is meant to mimic a handwritten one, and it's in white on a place background. This made reading the text a struggle. I barely managed to drag myself to the end of this story, but it just wasn't worth it.

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

Firstly, thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this.

I had to rate this low because of my own mistake. When I requested this I didn't notice it was a graphic novel, I just thought it was a normal book. I'm not a GN reader so that took away from the reading experience for me, but it's completely my fault.

The story itself was good and the art is amazing, I could see this playing out really well as a movie adaptation. Majority of the novel is artwork and that really sets the tone and atmosphere better than reading about it.

If you like graphic novels and horror, I'd say check this out.

There’s a plague on the land, and it’s the Wheetago. Think “Wendigo” and you’ve got the general idea. This graphic novel opens with a group of still-chained prisoners, Native Americans all, searching for safety from these huge, skull-headed monsters. They find a cabin in the woods, a monster, and a mother and son travelling on their own. So the story begins.

Story

Richard Van Camp does an excellent job building the world. As a reader, I have no clue what he invented and what he brings to the table as a Tłı̨chǫ Dene. What I do know is that this world feels old, with thousands of years of history suddenly pressing down on our characters. Van Camp weaves mythology, folklore, and zombie apocalypse trappings together to make a strong tale that keeps the reader pressing forward. His genius idea here is that the prisoners find a Wheetago who has retained some of his humanity even though physically he has changed. This Wheetago’s backstory is interesting, because he was a local folk hero before he turned. Since the men know of him already, they’re willing to entertain the idea of letting him help, but the internal conflicts the monster, and the humans, face in this situation are a source of great tension.

Characters

The characters are mostly broad. The wise uncle of the group of prisoners gets the most time of any of the men. We don’t find out very much about his history, but he does seem to be a rock the others can rely upon. The woman and her son get a little time to shine as well, and while they are the standard “my son must survive” and “I’m hopeful and trust the monster” types you might see in any story, respectively, they are interesting. The best character in the book is the Wheetago himself. As a former Child Finder, a man who has saved hundreds of children, he is given a reason to hang on to his humanity after his change because he wants to find his own daughter. The worry that he might lose the battle with the spirit within is a great touch.

Art

Christopher Shy’s art grounds this world. The color palette is dark, adding to the feeling of a world run-down by years of misuse until the monsters come back to claim it. He uses broad strokes for backgrounds, which can clash a little with the photorealistic look of the human faces, but you quickly settle into world he’s creating. The art suits the writing well. The action is easy enough to follow, although it’s not particularly kinetic. Shy chooses the approach of a series of vignettes and lets the reader fill in the gaps. The sense of plodding doom that pervades this graphic novel is a direct result of this choice.

Overall

If you’re looking for a story of impending doom but are tired of the same generic old zombies, The Wheetago War: ROTH is a great choice. The mythology of Van Camp’s world is interesting, and the interplay between the different groups of characters holds potential for future stories both personal and epic. Readers should look forward to this book and any additions to the series.

2 ⭐️

DNF - around 40%

Rarely do I actually dnf books, this one however just wasn’t working with me. I’m not sure what I was expecting the storyline to be but I just wasn’t vibing with me. I really really liked the art style though, it was something I hadn’t seen before!! However I’m thankful for the opportunity to receive it as an ARC.

I recently fell into love with graphic novels and comics. The wheetago war kept me guessing and on edge. I loved the shroud of mist aspect to the art. This being one of my first horror/ native storyteller vibe, I am hooked.

I loved the artwork and the mythology-- it was so dark and the world felt so real. It was a fascinating look at the Wendigo story, and how people would react to the threat in their lives. I got fully invested and then the book was suddenly over-- I want more.
Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this gorgeous graphic novel

Thank you NetGalley and Renegade Arts Entertainment for the ARC.

If you like to read books about mythical monsters, old forest gods, indigenous legends and the possible end of the world, then this is the graphic novel you have been waiting for. Roth (Wheetago War, 1) is an excellent example of indigenous horror/mythology in graphic novel form. The added apocalyptic potential ramps it up even further. The story is intriguing and well thought out. It paces very well and the story flows easily. The characters are honest and all seem interested in the greater good, including the men who are escaping from prison and a man turned Wheetago. This first entry in the series sets up what could prove to be an outstanding series.

The artwork is amazing, it has a feel all its own that adds very much to the story. I personally have not seen graphic novel artwork in this style before, it enhances each character as well as makes each character feel extremely realistic and raw. Very mystical, yet grounded in reality. The balance fits so well with the story being told. The writing and the artwork very much help you connect with the characters.

My only criticism is that I was reading on a tablet and some of the art frames did not look as crisp as I assume the hard copy will. This made some of the early story hard to decipher, but as the story went on everything made sense. I do feel tablet reading takes away from the artwork at times.

This is my first reading of anything from Richard Van Camp. I look forward to not only the next book in this series, but also to get acquainted with some of his other works.

An enthralling exploration of the Wendigo mythology and human resilience. The ethereal art style of the graphic novel mixes perfectly with the tone of the story and gives the whole thing a dream-like vibe.

Thank you for the Advanced Readers copy of Roth! I loved this book. It’s a beautifully illustrated story about wheetigos (wendigos). I devoured it in one sitting. I found it intriguing that one of the characters was a man called the child finder who was half wheetigo and was using ratroot to hold on to what little humanity he had left. What a cool storyline!

This GN was very good.
I was fascinated by the First Nation/Tlicho Dene folklore concerning the Wittigo and the other creatures.
The art was easily my favorite part of it, being so evocative and raw.
Great creature design and bold visual style.

I will say that sometimes I wish it was a little clearer who was talking, but this was a minor issue.

Thank you NetGalley and Renegade Arts for the ARC.

I struggled between 3 or 4 stars for this (really wish half stars were an option) but decided on 4 stars since I think a few of my issues were purely personal preference. I was really excited to read this graphic novel because I love stories from other cultures mythology / heritage. The art was beautifully done creating a dream like atmosphere for the novel. Overall this was a fairly good rendition of an apocolypse / Wheetago story. I think the next book would really make or break if it is something I would follow along with.

My issues with this is that there is barely any words in the novel, which can work if the pictures tell the story, but I felt like they didn’t tell enough of a story to make up for the lack of words which led to it being hard to follow along. You would need some understanding of the Wheetago / Windago mythology to follow along. The other major issue could purely be an issue with the ARC as it does happen the words are a bit blurry so can be hard to read.

“The more they eat, the hungrier they become, and they are starving.”

This is a story about the monsters created by greed and the high cost paid by the rest of humanity. Told through the lens of Dene folklore, The Wheetago War: Roth (book 1) explores greed, monsters, humanity, resilience, and family.

Broken promises in the name of greed cause the return of the Wheetago, starving cannibalistic spirits that possess humans. Ross, a local hero with medicine power named “The Child Finder,” falls victim to the Wheetago and is grasping tightly to what is left of his humanity in an effort to find his family. Working with a band of escaped prisoners and a single mother with her son, they will fight to save themselves, their families, and possibly the world.

Indigenous folklore is breathtakingly illustrated and transformed into a graphic novel that you won’t be able to put down. The cliffhanger ending of book one will leave you feeling starved for book two.

Good story flow, truly exudes the eerie existence, abd situation that both survivors and Wheetago face. The uncannily realistic artwork stunned me, along with the palpable need of survival. Knocked one star for the dialogue. It was easy to follow however with the use of an e-reader, it was too blurry, and meshed too much with the background and the artwork

I’d like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review.

A vivid, one of a kind graphic novel that breathes new life into the well worn narratives of both apocalypse and the Wheetago (Wendigo) in a refreshingly original way.


This book was not what I was expecting based on the cover. The graphic novel’s Hypnagogic storytelling and dream-like visuals take some getting used to the same way moving
in water takes some adjustment from walking around on dry land. Once you’ve acclimated though, the artistic style makes for a one of a kind reading experience. Panels that are at once crisp and misty, detailed in landscape and dynamic in movement, brimming with action and feeling.

Roth is the story you never knew you needed. One that continues the trend of reimagining the tired old apocalypse scenario we’ve all read a hundred times by showing it through a first nation lens à la The Moon of The Crusted Snow by Waubgeshig Rice. After an outbreak of cannibalistic monsters overruns the world, a ragtag group of survivors; including a mother, her child, some escaped convicts, and one of the very monsters they fear, try to live on while also preserving their humanity in this frightening new reality.

This story works on several levels, plot, characters you feel instant kinship to, and a fascinating world building element. Roth also places North America's most famous cannibalistic spirit, the Wheetago, or Wendigo, back in its original context as a creature from a specific culture and history instead of just another monster of the week. However, most importantly to me as a reader, this beautiful story delves into the most fascinating element of the apocalypse narrative, the human impulse to trust and cooperate, even at the end of the world. The desire to retain our humanity and compassion even when the stakes couldn't be higher and trust, either misplaced or earned, is the difference between survival and death at every turn.

Pick up this book, particularly if you’re looking for something more substantive and thoughtful from your end of the world fiction, you won’t regret it.