I was a little bit confused about this book as it didn’t have a clear storyline, but I do enjoy the characters on the art style. I think it was beautiful and whimsical but I think generally this wasn’t really a manga for me. I think that’s due to personal tax I think people are more into these books would enjoy it a lot more person that is not my taste

A story of inventions, finding your way, and friendships. There are several subplots. They come together, but are not as developed as I would like. The story of Io has me wanting more. Set in ancient Greece with the invention of the camera and the bicycle characters reflect on what is important and what path is right for them.

this was such a delightful, quick comic to read about. although the story might not resonate with me for a long time, the art in this was something i appreciated so much. i love me some good art and each panel were lovely.

a big thank you to the team for providing this.

I feel that what I like the most about this book were the colours and all the illustrations. The depiction of the setting, the beaches, the gorgeous Greek architecture, the fashion decisions of each character, they were all breathtaking.

And yet, I feel this book is, unfortunately, gonna be a forgettable one for me. I didn’t connect with the story at all, which is, personally, a shame, considering how cool the concept was in the beginning.

I don’t say this frequently, but I thought there were too many things going on, too many stories being told. I think this needed to be cut and trimmed, or to be a whole different thing.

Still, the aesthetic is so soooo pretty. I somehow did feel a nostalgic sentiment of a time and a place I don’t know, which I think is a win overall.

Louis Deguerre has fled France with his invention, the camera, knowing that it is extraordinary and will change the world. He goes to Greece to hide, but his friend who he leaves the camera with, has other ideas. At first a straightforward story of friendship and betrayal becomes a story about art and how it can change lives.

This was a quck afternoon read for me. I really enjoyed the abstract characters and beautiful color pallete, I felt right at home in Greece immediately. I found the story hard to follow, there was so much unnecesary non-succinct language that didn't lend to the story, and then whole pages with dialogue to explain what is going on. The inconsistencies kept taking me out of the story but I really did enjoy the art and the attempt to tell the story.

Thanks to Netgalley for a copy for an honest review

Portraits by Nikos Tsouknidas is beautiful and well illustrated, the story is interesting and well done.

I would recommend reading
Rating 4 stars

Many many thanks to NetGalley!

In this graphic novel we are taken along to a greek island where Louis Daguerre goes to further work. Cause he is the inventor of photography. It was lovely to get a little insight into that. That being said it didn´t really grip me. And i unfortunatly didn´t really like the drawing style.

What a gorgeous graphic novel! It was really inspiring to see the Greece landscape with such an original story. Really loved this!

This graphic novel is a snapshot into the creation of photography. At the heart of the story is the idea that photography was intended to capture moments to remember. As a Greek American with no familial connection to the culture, it is always sweet when I find little ways to experience it. I quite enjoyed the cell structure throughout and when Tsouknidas chose to blend them together - creating movement and rhythm in the dance scenes, for example. The characters felt full and real and the story flowed naturally.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

"Portraits" by Nikos Tsouknidas is an incredible graphic novel that tells a captivating story set in 1838. The plot revolves around Louis Daguerre, the inventor of photography, and a young Greek student who helps improve his invention. The story explores whether Daguerre should share this amazing discovery with the world or keep it a secret.

What makes "Portraits" truly special is its beautiful artwork. The illustrations by Nikos Tsouknidas are stunning. Each picture is like a work of art, capturing the look and feel of the 19th century and the early days of photography. The details and the way light and shadow are used make the story even more enjoyable.

The story itself is fascinating. Besides teaching us about the history of photography, "Portraits" also touches on important themes like migration and the strong connection people have to their homeland. The characters in the book are well-developed, and their emotional journeys are portrayed in a way that makes you feel for them.

"Portraits" is a must-read for anyone interested in graphic novels and history. It's a book that will make you think about the power of pictures and the importance of human creativity. After finishing it, you'll be left pondering the impact of this incredible invention and the emotions it can capture. I highly recommend it for high school students and anyone who enjoys a good story with beautiful artwork.

This one took my breath away. I was expecting a simple biography in a graphic novel format, but it is a lot more than that. It is a story about how photography is invented and a lot more. It is about the inventor as person with his own angst and discovery, the youngster whose love of life and the world improves the invention technologically and breathes life into it, a girl whose dream cannot be geographically limited.

It is a book that gives the characters depth, the invention a context and life.

I would use this in my courses in a heartbeat but I need it to be in a physical book format.

Superbly atmospheric, vivid and emotive - this story is far from being a dusty glimpse into dry history. In comes to live via the stunning art, and a cast of fleshed out characters, each with their own story - and yet they come together as a bigger picture, felt and captured and explored through the medium of photography. It was a wonderful read, I enjoyed myself very much.

What a windswept, emotional, nostalgia-tinted story! Definitely not what I expected, when I picked up <i>Portraits</i> with idle interest in learning more about the invention of photography. Dagguerre's story & conflict could be central to the premise, but they are very much a frame, or a vehicle to what makes the book come to life: story of Marco's family, a coming-of-age snapshot, filled to the brim with longing for the land that raised you and unquenchable curiosity about the world and finding your place in it. I really appreciated that it was not even just about one person who goes on to become Dagguerre's apprentice -- it's his sister, and their parents (his mom! what a wonderful character, and what great interactions with her daughter), and his friends, and the land. It was so wonderfully done. The artstyle was superb, fluid and vivid, and made me miss Greece with a fire of a thousand suns. There is a lot of emotion packed into this one, and I found it very resonant. When Takis says, "You may want to tread lightly, my friend. For us Greeks, exile is very painful. Worse than death, for some" -- I swear, I had to pause to walk off some of it.

Thank you Netgalley and Europe Comics for an arc of this lovely graphic novel.

This story touches on the beginnings of photography. It's set in Greece and mostly follows Marko who runs around on his island with the first camera ever invented after his teacher's friend arrived and inventor of the camera arrives there.
The story could be a bit more fleshed out but it was overall enjoyable.

This is an interesting story of the beginning of the age of photography. I like the artwork, which portrays Greece perfectly. But I thought the story was a little thin, I would just have liked more. Thank you to Europe Comics and NetGalley for the comic ARC. The views expressed are all mine, freely given.

Portraits is a gorgeous Greek coming-of-age graphic novel centring around the (mis)use of the world’s first camera. French inventor Daguerre visits an old friend in the form of Takis, a resident of the brand-new land of Greece. Together they contemplate the moment-capturing machine and its necessarily unknown status. Takis, at his own prerogative lends the contraption to his protegee Marko, a boy on the verge of an international, educational adventure (that he’s yet to accept an invitation to). Marko spends his day opening and closing the box’s shutter like an eye, glimpsing his friends, sister, donkeys, pears, and anything that takes his fancy. Alongside his commitment to capturing his home as he knows it, his sister, Io, and mother battle to decide whether this nation is the right jumping off spot for a fulfilling female future. The specificity of the culture and world that Markos inhabits aids its grounding in the reader’s mind, as you’re swept up in the sun stained, blue and gold world of myth.

Tsouknidas delivers the perfect blend of cultural, geographical, and historical narrative while including the warmth and humility of authentic characters. Yes, the dialogue is somewhat formal and disjointed in places. Yes, there are story beats missing in places, so the narrative flow is somewhat jumbled. But like the clunky camera, it captures golden moments in time that convey a unique perspective while maintaining the structure of archetypal genre and form. The memorable character design, linework, and colouring are also high points, as they gloss and gleam off the page. Portraits gives us a momentary look into the life of a few in a far-off place, as they inhabit in the past, present, and future of an ancient and somehow newly invented island.