I really enjoyed reading this. I love the artstyle. It was perfect mix of colorful and dark. I will definitely pick up the next volume.

ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

3.5/4 stars

Kriss: The Gift of Wrath sucked me in with the synopsis and it seemed like a solid premise that would be entertaining and a little different. The art work followed the tone of the book amazingly and really added extra depth to the story, in fact in some places it really made the story. I was so happy that the relationship remained platonic between Kriss and Anja and did not fall into any of the usual tropes. I would be happy in the future if this did develop further if required by the story, but I am happy with their relationship as it stands. This has a very interesting plot and was a solid opening and I am intrigued to find out where the author takes this in future volumes.

I don’t do spoilers so if the synopsis calls to you 100% give this one a try.

Secondary school aged fantasy comic, with a lanky goth type on a mission. His mission is to survive in a world where nobody likes him but for the love of his life – even his parents only give him bread "most days". But they're not actually his parents, for he's an orphaned casualty of war. In order to get some of his predestined world back, it will probably mean him leaving his girl behind – and probably cause a lot of other warlike actions on the way, for there is darkness in his path… Such is the set-up here, and unfortunately it's just set-up, set-up and set-up. Kriss is going to leave, then he doesn't, then he's going to leave, then he isn't, and the whole book, while only four quick monthly chapters, just gets us to the beginning. It's all OK, but it could have been done in 20 pages, if truth be told. I'd be open to seeing more from this world, but this should have been the debut issue and not the first trade.

Kriss: The Gift of Wrath had a fun, entertaining premise. I enjoyed the artwork (with colour choices that aided the storytelling wonderfully) and I closed the final page thinking I would like to read on to find out what will happen next. My one small complaint was the pacing. I felt there were a few drags here and there; however, each time the action returned, it made up for those slowdowns with some great moments. I hope future volumes will further explore Kriss' powers and the mythology as his adventures continue.

It was a rather interesting story and I gladly would like to know what will happen next to the story protagonist. Other characters were less interesting. I think art style suits the story rather well even though some characters may look strange sometimes :)

I'm sorry, are you trying to break my heart with a synopsis? Because you did it.
This book just seemed interesting even before opening in and I when I eventually started it, it certainly didn't disappoint.
I liked the story well enough but what made me just scream and gave my heart palpitations were the characters and the art.
Let's start with the art: IT'S AMAZING!! That's it for the art.
Not really, I really can not stop talking about the art.
I loved the way that the Drakovians were drawn so much that I cannot decide which one of them I love the most, I loved all the shadows and the color scheme and I want more!
As for the characters, I loved that no matter how small and unimportant they were they still possessed their own fire, their own path and they all influenced the story in big or small ways. I particularly enjoyed what the authors did to Anja. She is NOT a kind little girl who is waiting for Kriss to make his move and that's all I'm gonna say.
The back and forth between Kriss and Anja got a bit tiring after a while but I liked how it reflected Kriss's unwillingness to seize his birthright at the expanse of his friendship. This is the perfect book for when you are looking for something with all the weight of a fantasy novel, except quicker and with amazing illustrations.
I'm am so looking forward to the next volume in Kriss's journey.
Thank you to NetGalley and Oni Press for this ARC.

Vivid (unique) visuals, a strong protagonist, and a compelling fantasy story make Kriss yet another wonderful example of what a graphic novel can do. I would gladly add this book to my classroom bookshelf...or just enjoy it as a reader who loves quality comics and visual stories.

From Ted Naifeh and Warren Wucinich comes Kriss: The Gift of Wrath. Kriss is an outcast in his small village, but is descended from the gods of the north. The Gift of Wrath establishes background for Kriss and some general world-building as well.

I definitely enjoyed this graphic novel. I liked the art style and the choices of the colorist, particularly in making Kriss have a monochromatic color palette as opposed to everyone else and the background which are all full color.

While this graphic novel is enjoyable and is a strong start, I would say that my rating was boosted by the potential this book has in setting up a strong series.

Overall, a fast, fun read that I could easily recommend to any fantasy graphic novel fan.