Wow, what a ride! I came for the beautiful cover and stayed for this crazy amazing world building. Set in a distant dystopian future of a neofeudal regime this graphic novel had me hooked. I loved the art style, the idea of combining medieval aesthetics with futuristic designs and technology. It was a little confusing at the beginning but also very fascinating and I want to dive deeper into this world, know more about the characters, the system and inventions. The amount of characters that are being introduced is immense and there are so many intrigues happening at once. I’m still trying to make sense of all the relations and their intentions. Super suspenseful and I’m looking forward to see what happens next.

Big thanks to NetGalley for letting me read and review this ARC!

This first installment kept me on my toes and had me hooked! Especially with scrolling-mode activated (instead of turning the page), i found myself spending more each time i sat down, than i originally intended. The color palette is soft and easy to like, while the art style is creative and unique; it's been a while since i've read such a detailed graphic novel.

I don't know that much about the different characters yet, other than them being very diverse in terms of gender identity, which i am all about! Taking place in the future, i imagined no different, than what this book described.
Unlike a regular novel, it is harder to give into our characters' thoughts, and can only observe them through actions, so i'm not the slightest mad about this being story-driven so far.

i'm captivated by how society works in this story, as well as the different superatural elements. It's easy to believe that everything has been done before, yet here it is!

Although, while original, i wish the beginning was a bit less informative. I found myself reading the first pages several times before i could move on, because it required all my attention. Some details were harder to maintain, but the pieces slowly fell into their places as i kept reading. Besides this small critique, i can't think of a better way of retelling this information, so i suppose the authors made the right choice.
The ending had just the right amount of suspence and thrill for me to get curious about the continuation!

Looking forward to the next installments of this series!

I was very happy to have gone out on a limb discovering this book. I was intrigued even before opening the book due to the art, and then to explore the story only added to my experience. With the e-book formatting, I do believe it may be limited of who can read it due to the font of the text. However, I do hope this series continues as I do hope to move with the story.

I was immediately attracted to the cover and loved the graphics within the story. I found it a very easy read with interesting characters. It felt quite short and really only the very beginning of the story so it was hard to become attached to the characters. I like the story and the narrative of the forest beginning to fight back. I’m definitely intrigued to find out more from this world.

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review.

In a dystopian Europe a Count rules a small kingdom surrounded my a magical forest. When he becomes incapacitated and wishes his daughter to take over rule while he is healed, he sends a man with a questionable past into the forest to find her. There is a lot of stuff going on in this issue and some of it was quite hard for me at least to keep track of. There are hints of back story and mythologaround the place but no real information on who anybody is. I found the text a bit small to read and there was quite a lot of it on some pages. The illustration style isn't really my cup of tea - most pages ended up being almost monochrome due to their settings/the characters colourings. I think with expansion on the secrets behind certain characters it could grow into a really interesting series involving multiple magical creatures.

To the early 2010s, all I have to say is this: bad dystopia walked so good dystopia could run.

It remains to be seen where NeoForest takes its eerie utopia, precariously balancing on a knife's edge. In this first volume, the society is set up to be a character in its own right, which is just how I like my perilous regimes.

Set in a world where nature is reclaiming its own juxtaposed against futuristic biomedical and technological advancements, NeoForest is that good kind of contradiction. It's dystopia with utopian veneers. It's nature and it's technocracy. To all my gamer friends, Cocto Citadelle answers the question of what would happen if we loaded Horizon Zero Dawn with regimented political power structures and a bit of a Hamletian twist. As most first volumes, it is a tad infodumpy - but the art does a lot of the heavy lifting to communicate the aspects of the world that the writing struggles to convey at the ouset.

As the commander-in-chief finds himself out of commission for three weeks, unable to rule, a certain kind of game of thrones begins in the vacuum of his absence. While a takeover plan is afoot and geopolitical schemes begin, the character who finds herself in imminent danger is our protagonist, Blanche - the wayward, rebellious heir to her father's tenuous empire. Except Blanche is altogether unaware of any goings-on. As a power struggle flares back home, Blanche has set off for an off-the-grid hike with her two closest friends. Unbeknownst to the trio, in close pursuit are both their enemies and a handful of unlikely potential allies. The question is: who reaches them first?

Where I see the most potential going forward is in a unique cast of characters who promise both heartfelt and comedic interludes, strong social commentary (with hopefully a reflection on the environmental crises both our worlds face), and a relationship that Blanche has with her father. NeoForest opens with a promise of betrayal by Blanche herself, and I very much look forward to seeing that explored. Emotionally and socially, she is on good terms with her father. Politically, they are as misaligned as they can get. As someone who can strongly identify with this dynamic, I hope its complexities deliver in future volumes.

And finally, the art. Wherever this series goes and however its issues develop, the art of Cocto Citadelle is lovely. A lot of work has been put into the style, and it paid off tenfold. I don't think a world as rich and as divisive as this could have been developed in a graphic novel without strong art direction and a capable artist's hand. It has both, and as such it's well worth a read.

On to further schemes.

NeoForest is a graphic novel that excels in its illustrations. The intricate artwork brings the world to life, immersing readers in its captivating ambiance. However, the review becomes challenging due to the volume's heavy focus on worldbuilding, leaving little room for substantial plot development.

Additionally, some sections feature dense blocks of text with small font sizes, making them difficult to read.

Despite these minor setbacks, the novel's overarching theme shines through, resonating with readers. The stunning illustrations undoubtedly steal the show, making this a promising start to what promises to be an enthralling series.

It feels incredibly mean to say but this was boring. The story was not gripping the slightest and I found myself not wanting to turn the page.

Let’s talk about the visuals first. The cover is what initially drew me as it looks very interesting. However, I actually really didn’t like this art style. It had no points of interest and it was hard to distinguish any real details. The colouring was too dull and everything blended into one. I did really like Blanches character design, but that might just be because her hair was vibrant so she stood out more.

The lettering was not done well at all in my opinion. The font size was far too small and I kept having to zoom in so it was visible.

This brings me to my next point of the actual words of this story. What happened? I have no idea. Too much world building in a short space of time. The first few pages are crammed with world building and I’ll be honest and say I didn’t take in a single word of it. Pairing this with the busy visuals, I was having a nightmare focusing on either part.

The story really lacked any kind of excitement and having reached the end of the volume I can quite confidently say that Neoforest was a boring read. I really liked the sound of this, a futuristic world that has once again become lush with vegetation, but it just wasn’t done well.

I hate to be so negative in my reviews, but I’m struggling to think of anything positive to say. Absolutely no hate to anyone involved in the making of this graphic novel, it just wasn’t for me.

I was immediately attracted to the cover, the colour palette is simply beautiful I just can't resist this soft green and pink duo. The hyper-realistic illustrations promised a lot too. The environmental topic suggested by the title and the blurb also had me very intrigued and the mention of "Cocto" and his castle, a reference to the great filmmaker who made the very first Beauty and the Beast motion picture, one of my favorite movies of all times, where what convinced me this was a graphic novel I NEEDED to read.
And while I like all those elements separately, I am afraid the treatment of the topic was just not for me. This is a SF post-apocalyptic comic that sticks very much to many of the tropes you find in the genre and I felt like I was reading the same same. This is the first volume of a series, so we have an introduction to a story and finish a strong cliff hanger.
I won't be reading the rest as I don't feel invested in the characters. The highlight was really the art for me, and this is why I give it 3 stars. I recommend this comic to fans of the Humanoids publishing house, as it really has that feel and touches upon many of their SF favorite topics.

This book didn’t really stand out to me. I didn’t draw the colour palette as it was very interesting and abstract, but I didn’t feel like there was a strong enough plot. The characters felt a little bit weak. The text didn’t really cohesively go with the art style I just think overall it needed to be tidied up and finished a little bit more than what it was but I would give this book pointers for did enjoy the art style and the colour palette and I feel like there was a really good idea in that it just needed to be flushed out a little bit more, especially for a one shot manga

This post-"apocalypse" story features: royalty, a rebellious teen, and a mysterious forest. Since this is the first in a series the ending left me wanting more & I'm definitely excited for the next installment! The technology, people, animals, and plant life in this world are also fascinating.

1.5/5

The stars are all for the art and colors used because that's honestly the only thing I remember from this read. After a few hours I completely wiped away everything I read.
I honestly didn't find anything memorable from this title.
The plot and texts are so dang flat I lost my attention already after a few pages. Struggling to go forward (and it's only 60 n something pages), reached the half of the book I decided to skim read it, looking mostly at the art of the title.

Since the beginning I had zero interest in the characters and with time not even the plot was able to save the situation. I had huge problems keeping the attention alive, the font was super small so this didn't help at all, plus it looked like the story never really started. I know it's a number one but still, everything could have been worked better.

Unfortunately, I won't continue with V2 if it ever comes out.

This was an interesting one in concept, but in actuality the plot was a little bit confusing since there’s so many characters. The art is lovely though - quite detailed and with a dusty pastel adjacent colour scheme. The slight sugar paper texture it has is really nice visually too. Ideally, this would have been a bit longer to fix the pacing issues and spend more time establishing each of the characters and their personalities, since I can’t remember a single name even though I only finished it ten minutes ago.

I loved the art style of NeoForest. The lines and flat colors look nice together, and the mix between medieval inspiration and mechanic elements is original and charismatic.
However I can't say the same of the story, which is a little bit uninteresting. There is a lot of text and the page layout makes every panel so small, I found myself struggling with what was going on.

The premise is good and so is the art, but I think this comic tries to fit a lot in a few pages.

I received this arc in exchange for an honest review.
This comic was ok. It was short enough to keep me reading but sadly nothing special. I've read similar things like this before. The best part about reading it was the art work.

From page one, I was struck with the art direction and aesthetic of the neofeudal world of Cocto Citadel. An amalgamation of advanced technology and medieval society, NeoForest presents something akin to a fractured fairy tale, though not one particular tale itself.

The story follows the royal Cocto family-- the seemingly ageless Count Cocto and his spirited, independent daughter, Blanche. Blanche and her friends go on a camping trip for a technology-detox and, against her father's wishes, trek into a corrupted part of the forest in search of a unicorn. When a royal joust featuring bicycles goes wrong, the Count is gravely injured and must locate Blanche in order for her to succeed him while he regenerates. What follows is a quest reminiscent of the fables and fairy tales we grow up against the backdrop of a dark, eco-punk "utopia."

The art and world building drew me in and while the introduction was heavy on exposition to establish rules, I wish I could have spent more time in this world. It was fast-paced and there are several strands of mysteries and political intrigue woven throughout, but several of the characters, thus far, have been a bit bland. Regardless, I am hopeful of a sequel as I feel it will help the story grow legs and run further with what drew me to this title.

The cover reminds me of Alphonse Mucha's artworks.
I love the blurry lines of this comic. It conveys a feeling of forest and nature.
The whole storyline is exciting and full of surprises, which also reminds me of Studio Ghibli's Nausicaa.
Waiting for the next volume!

Neoforest is beautiful and confusing. I read through it and while the art work was so pretty I am not entirely sure I followed the story. I will need to reread it to completely understand. I am looking forward to buying this book so I can read though it again.

4 stars

I read this courtesy of Netgalley providing a free ebook.

NeoForest reminded me of the likes of Nausiica and the Shannara Chronicles, especially with the pig men.

The artwork was gorgeous and despite it being so short I was fully invested in the characters. I loved what I read and will probably keep reading to find out what happens.

NeoForest Cocto Citadel is the first tome to the NeoForest world series. This quick and yet highly complex graphic novel tells the story of the Cocto Citadel, a dystopian civilization with extremely advanced technologies, and its current reigning monarchs. Blanche, the king's daughter, is a quirky, rebellious young girl who often engages in things she has been told not to do (such as going into the outskirts of the NeoForest). From there, a whole adventure awaits.

As a premise book, I think this graphic novel was cute and to the point. It definitely had me wanting to know what will happen in book two (which I will eagerly await!). I also think the world of Cotco Citadel is fresh, new, and fantastic; it is definitely not something I have seen in other dystopian worlds. With that said, I was left a little dissatisfied with the ending.

The biggest issue with NeoForest is that it is entirely too short. With only 67 pages, the world building takes up the majority of the space. In fact, the first 10 or so pages are dedicated to explaining rather than showing the world of NeoForest. Then, Blanche and the King's decisions happen rather rapidly and with no reasoning behind it. With 100 or so more pages, NeoForest could play around with the true intentions of its characters.

Either way, I will be sure to grab Tome #2 when it comes out.