Feels like real Avatar adjacent graphic novel in a way that feels vaguely uncomfortable. Solid enough story telling.

A fast pace adventure ripe for fans of Avatar the Last Air Bender and Percy Jackson. Faith Erin Hicks brings her keen understanding of character and hijinks to a fantasy adventure.

This book, and the subsequent series, is proof positive that we are living in the golden age of kids' graphic novels. In fact, I would say that it ranks along with Amulet, Bone, Smile, and Zita the Spacegirl as essential reading for anyone wondering why graphic novels seem to have become central to kids' reading these days. The illustrations are top-notch, introducing us to a world as varied and detailed as anything you'd find in a Tintin book (or even a major motion picture), the story is compelling, and the scale of the plot and setting give you the sense that, like Tolkien, Hicks has created an inexhaustible world that will reward many repeated visits. Some of the politics become a little grim as the series goes on (though the same could be said of Amulet and Bone), so this might be best for slightly older readers. But beyond that, this is worthwhile reading for all kids (and for many discerning adults as well).

In comics we tend to be spoiled by the monthly releases from our favorite creators. We forget that those few pages we hold in our hand are the results of months of work that were done months ago just so that we could hold it in our hand on time. It’s why I continue to lean more and more towards trades and graphic novels because you don’t see as many dips on the story or the art. The point of bringing that up is because it feels like ages since we last saw anything from creator Faith Erin Hicks, but in reality it hasn’t been that long and while we didn’t see a one-shot or a mini from, she was creating an entire books series for us to enjoy. But that rages against our “what have you done for me lately” comic reading mentality doesn’t it? Clearly she wasn’t taking a break, but the out of sight out of mind nature of our monthly books probably made more than a few of you forget all about her tremendous work.

The Nameless City is what she’ll likely be working on for a while. The second book is announced at the back of this volume and it’s likely that Hicks just kept on going after completing this volume if it was ready to be announced. And it’s strange because that’s bittersweet. The charm of Hicks’ work is that she’s always working on something new and different. A different genre and world. And it just brings to light that while this is a good read and one of the better graphic novels I’ve read this year, I didn’t fall in love with the story. Sure I would read more, but I’m not dying to.

The elephant in the room for this series is that there are some slight similarities to Avatar: The Last Airbender. I’m not even well versed about the show and I can spot similarities in the design and in the fictional era of history the story seems to take place. That’s kind of where it ends, but it’s enough that others are likely to notice and with a quote from a creator of Avatar on the cover it quickly plants the seed for you.

91n3yeWL7CLThe story is about the Nameless City. A city that has been conquered over and over to the point that everyone has a different name for it. The different societies that have converged on the city all call it what they want which makes the name for the city pointless. We follow Kai as he arrives at the city as part of the new students set to be trained in defending the city for the current rulers the Dao. His father is a General in the army and meets him for the first time by coming to the city. Eventually he befriends a native to the city, a girl by the name of Rat. They become friends after a long series of training. Kai wants to learn how to run rather than fight. Eventually the politics of the city invade their world and we see that the Dao ruling the city is not as carefree as it seems.

The story when you boil it down is mostly about treating people of all nationalities with respect as people. There’s an ongoing theme in the story about the Dao not treating the native inhabitants as people because they’re not Dao. This is one of the core problems Rat has with the Dao and with people trying to rule the city in general. There’s other messages in the story and while they’re good messages and great to introduce to young readers (who this story is geared towards) they are at times heavy handed.

The artwork is vintage Faith Erin Hicks. If you’re familiar with her style and artwork, then you already know what to expect. I wish there was more to say about her artwork, but it frankly didn’t look any different than her last work or the one before. She has a very consistent style and that’s nothing to complain about. Jordie Bellaire joins her on colors and just by saying you probably understand that one of the top ten colorists in the business colored this graphic novel. Bellaire brings out the depth of details in Hicks work and clearly allowed her to add more to the artwork because it was being colored and not left in black and white. They work well together and deliver some impressive visuals.

At the end of the day there’s a lot of talent behind this book. I can fully acknowledge just how good it is. The story is well-plotted and Hicks leaves breadcrumbs for the next volume while still presenting a complete and enjoyable story in this volume. The art stands on its own and is a credit to visual storytelling. At the end of the day though, for me personally, I didn’t love the story or world. It was good. It was way better than most, but it just never roped me in like her previous work had done. I can see the passion, the effort, the building blocks of a franchise, but at the end of the day I don’t know if I really would have missed anything by not reading this volume. I’m still curious about the next volume of The Nameless City, but in the way that you grab one more issue before dropping a series. I say all this knowing full well that others will probably love this book and I encourage you to read it and become one of those people. I by no means feel as if I’m the majority here, but rather someone that maybe just missed the mark with this story.

I love First Second and Faith Erin Hicks books. So good.

The Nameless City was creative and fascinating. Hicks built a world that felt realistic and historic. Most of all, I loved the concept of building bridges between two groups. The strong characters, friendship and action was all a bonus. Fans of Indiana Jones and similar stories will enjoy The Nameless City.

Brought to you by OBS Reviewer Scott

The first of what seems to be an enchanting trilogy, The Nameless City, is an engrossing, well written and drawn piece that delivers high adventure, deep emotional feeling and class in a convenient package. The graphic novel is written from the perspective of Kai, the lead protagonist and son of the ruler of the nameless city.  Kai’s adventures are involving in this short piece of a much larger tapestry and his newness to the city helps draw the reader in. at a slow, controlled pace. At no point does the reader feel rushed unless it is what Faith Erin Hicks wants you to feel rushed. It’s a truly remarkable work just for that level of reader introduction to a vast new world.

The written word just flows off of the page and I caught myself “double-backing” to absorb the artwork; the story is that engrossing. The main protagonist Kai, and the surrounding cast of characters is given just enough detail to make them believable in a heart-felt way, and leaves plenty to explore in the next two volumes. Dialogue is natural and sincere. The panels conform to a six panel grid, without much deviation, which makes it easier to absorb the complexities of the plots and adventure, the intrigue and twists. The word choice is just enough to start you down a path that is surely going to have a high waterline to beat, with this opening salvo.
Believable characters are what really make this stand out amongst the neo-oriental influence of the work. Although drawn in a manga like fashion, the feel of the characters and their situations is more western in execution. This is probably one of the novels strongest points. It plays on a neo-oriental theme but ensconces it in western ideology that any North American or European can relate to. Grabbing character concepts and their trappings while introducing a new world is a feat enough but Hicks pulls it off with grace and style. You know where all the characters stand, and what their positions are on pretty much everything. This isn’t to say that they aren’t ripe for expansion – they most certainly are – but rather that you feel an almost instant connection to the players in the game.

The artwork alone is just brilliant. The bold inks on graceful lines mark Faith Erin Hicks as a true art lovers artist. Coloring by Jordie Bellaire enhances the art to a new and muted level, that reflecting The Nameless City’s streets and denizens in an all too real fashion. Backgrounds are lush and elegant, and main characters, age-dependent, are portrayed in a traditional manga context. The action sequences, pushed by the artwork, propel the reader literally across rooftops and through labyrinth like alleyways. At no point does the reader not know what the characters are feeling either. Emotions range from despondence to elation, and one or more expressions are always present in any character driven panel.

For fans of action-adventure, political intrigue, and graphic novels like The Last Man series, The Nameless City is the right fit for you. Even if you’ve never delved into the art form before, The Nameless City is a great introduction to the world of neo-oriental  stylistics. There is enough in the graphic novel to appease most tastes and being the first in a trilogy, why not take the plunge? You’ll find it quite the enchanting introduction to the world of graphic novels and the “western manga” genre.

*OBS would like to thank the publisher for supplying a free copy of this title in exchange for an honest review*

Maybe not quiiiite 5 stars, but it's definitely in that ballpark soooo...5 stars

I am three for three for giving First Second a very late review, eep, sorry.

I'd been following Faith Erin Hicks for a while on tumblr (still am) before this book came out, and I remember seeing some early sketches for it that intrigued me. I had high hopes for <i>The Nameless City</i>, and I was not disappointed; it's a lot of fun, with some great art and interesting characters. And mixed in with lots of parkour shenanigans and the beginnings of political intrigue is some pretty good social commentary; topics like colonialism, prejudice, poverty, and oppression are touched on, and will, I suspect, be ongoing themes in the series.

I was very much reminded of <i>Avatar: The Last Airbender</i> as I read (which is definitely a good thing), and while it IS fantasy, it's not the kind with magic and magic-adjacent stuff (At least not yet?? I don't know?? There could be wizards in the last one for all I know.). It's like...swords but no sorcery?...I am not describing it well. Just don't go into it hoping for magic and you'll be good.

I really enjoyed this, and plan to pick up the second volume soon (it just came out!). A big "thank you" to the publisher and NetGalley for letting me try it early!

An exciting adventure! The style and setting remind me a bit of Avatar: The Last Airbender. And it can be a jumping off point for a discussion of colonization and multiculturalism with students. I'm looking forward to the second volume.