*Thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for allowing me to read this advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review!*

I love a good Sci-Fi commentary on the environment and uneven wealth distribution; and I love a good anthology (though this is the first graphic novel anthology I've read). I wasn't quite sure what to expect, and while I admit that I enjoyed some art styles over others, I did enjoy it as a whole.

MINOR SPOILERS TO FOLLOW

I loved that this anthology reverses the roles that you normally see in environmental science fiction. Generally, it seems that the wealthy 1% are the ones who leave Earth in order to live in the comfort of whatever utopia they created for themselves. Instead, Dandelion portrays a world where the wealthy elite exile those that they deem unfavorable and keep the Earth for themselves. The progression of the stories capturing the widening divide between the two is really well done.

Dandelion takes flight in a bold vision of our future—a world where climate change and automation force humanity to adapt. Here’s my 4-star take:

Pros:
Imaginative World: Pirzada crafts a sky-bound civilization with stunning artwork by Martín Morazzo and Vanesa Del Rey. It’s a visual feast.
Genre Mashup: From action to romance to political intrigue, this graphic novel dances across sub-genres, keeping readers engaged.

Cons:
Predictable Themes: While the premise is fresh, some story beats feel familiar. We’ve seen glimpses of this dystopian future before.
Hopeful, Yet Reserved: The critique of resource hoarding and our reliance on automation resonates, but it doesn’t fully soar. Perhaps a touch more risk-taking could’ve pushed it to 5 stars.

Beyond pacing, it’s the balance between hope and caution that holds it back. Still, buckle up -this sky-high adventure is worth the ride

In a breathtaking anthology, we journey through a dystopian realm where the skies are teeming with floating homes known as 'Dandelions'. This graphic novel intertwines several narratives, revealing the profound impact of these airborne dwellings on a wide range of characters. The stories dive into the creation and misuse of this futuristic technology and how it reshapes lives and the power dynamics in a world where the sky is both sanctuary and strife.

Beautiful art, strong concept, underwhelming execution. Dandelion is a graphic anthology of interconnected short stories exploring a speculative - though perhaps not so distant - future in which those most affected by the climate crisis now live in floating mobile homes called Dandelions.

At first, Dandelion living seems like it will be an escape, but it soon proves a prison; international law requires inhabitants give up their terrestrial citizenship, leaving Dandelion-dwellers isolated and disenfranchised. It's an interesting exploration of the way technological innovation is often co-opted for the gain of the already-powerful, rather than used for the good of the many, but the devil is in the details, enough of which were fumbled that I felt confused more often than I did compelled. The result was a squarely middle-of-the-road reading experience.

A very enjoyable and fresh dystopian graphic novel with several stories all connecting via the concept of the Dandelions.
It is as if you are reading multiple novels thanks to the different art styles and stories.

Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read and review this book : )

To start off, I really enjoyed the premise of this book, as well as the artwork. I know it was pushed as a collection of 10 stories (I think?), but all of the different stories/chapters read cohesively. It was a very quick read for me, and I would definitely recommend this book to people I think would be more of the target audience. I really enjoy science fiction and graphic novels so this was sort of the perfect blend for it. I also loved the LGBT representation because that will always be appreciated. : )

3 1/2 stars for this because while I did enjoy the storyline and the artwork, it didn't hold my attention well enough for a higher score but that's not to say that I didn't enjoy it. It was a good book and I'll definitely recommend it to friends who are into science fiction and graphic novels.

The art style was gorgeous!! But this wasn’t my cup of tea in terms of the story, it didn’t enthrall me and I had to force myself to finish it.

More like a 3.5, I would definitely read a second in this world with maybe some more of the breakdown of society. The issue here is it gives sinister and ominous but in flashes and then something as sweet as a secret family soup recipe…. It feels incomplete from a story standpoint, but definitely will be looking out for future works. The art is beautiful and different in each story arch which is exciting. Thank you NetGalley for the arc.

A big thanks to NetGalley and Image Comics for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

From the creator of Moonknight and Ms. Marvel? Yes please.

Dandelion by Sabir Pirzada is a graphic novel that gives us a glimpse into a future no one wants to see become reality. When climate change and automation disrupt the lives of millions, a new civilization is formed in the skies—one that threatens the wealthy citizens who’ve been hoarding Earth’s meager resources for themselves.

This was a decent read, not my favorite. The art style was pretty but the story wasn't all that.

Thank you netgalley for a chance to read an advanced copy in exchange for a review!

I started and finished this book in the same sitting. It's super fast and super fun. There isn't one continuous plot, but instead, portrays a bunch of different stories all set in the same world. I think the take on this dystopian society was incredibly interesting and I loved we got to see so many different stories, especially since we got to see some of the characters multiple times throughout. I think my favorites have to be the pirate and the fisherman, as well as Star Crossed. Again, I very much enjoyed this story and the art was fantastic.

I went into this knowing the art was going to be phenomenal, just judging by the cover. I wasn't wrong. I finished having enjoyed both the art and the story, far m0re than anticipated. The way that this was comprised of small glimpses into the lives of those before, during, and after a life of Dandelions was captivating. Each one was different but connected which, to me, made the story special. It made it relatable, like you could connect all of the struggles to something that currently exists in the world today. I would certainly recommend this to others and have already.

Thank you, NetGalley for the chance to read this ARC.

This was an interesting little read.
Not saying much, to allow the reader to experience it, but I do want to say, in our current political climate, I think I'd be very on board with the concept within, for myself and family. yikes haha

I would like to thank NetGalley, the publishing team and authors for the ARC. It's an interesting concept with some links between the stories. Some should have gone deeper to understand more this world.

Dandelion is a collection of tales about a dystopia of exiles.

I love the worldbuilding in this book; between most chapters lies a little bit more, a data page or an illustration, starting off with a poster that sums up exactly what you need to know within one page: what is a Dandelion?

Painted as a utopian solution to overpopulation, with Dandelions floating in the sky and supplies subsidised to keep people floating, this world serves as a warning of capitalism, overpopulation, and climate change.

It's not all depressing. "True North" is my favourite part of the collection, offering hope in desolation, with a cute cameo appearance from an arctic fox to match.

The art is fantastic, but I did have trouble reading some of the unboxed dialogue due to the heavy shadowing around it.

Overall a very interesting read. The art work was absolutely incredible. Only a few stories left me genuinely confused, but the over arching concept of the Dandelions and the separation of society kept me well intrigued while reading.

This collection of graphic novel short stories is beautifully done and feels very cohesive, despite the number of contributors. Lots of great LGBTQ representation.

I read maybe one comic book a year, and this was my 2024 lucky winner. I don't think I'm the target audience for comic books, which is why I don't rate this too high, but I enjoyed it enough. It was just a middle-of-the-road kind of story. Not mindblowing but not bad either.

In 2041, Jen Nakamuo invented a floating pod ~ The equivalent of a trailer home that lives in the skies forever. She called it "Dandelion".

Vagrants, Immigrants without asylum, and workers displaces by post-labor automation were sent to the skies to live out their days in these Dandelions.

They were known as EXILES.

With these words, Sabir Pirzada introduces you to a world no unlike our own, and through multiple viewpoints shows the effect such a creation could have on our world. A near-perfect comic of speculative sci-fi that covers a range of lives affected by this creation. Of the nine stories in this collection, seven are truly fantastic. The two low points of the book are "True North", a somewhat cheesy, sentimental Christmas-themed story that feels out of place with the rest of the comics, and "The Pirate and the Fisherman", a story that I suspect began life as two separate stories, before being mashed together due to page constraints.

The artwork shifts between stories, but never feels jarring or out of place. After all, we're seeing different lives and experiences throughout the world. It stands to reason that different people's worlds look a bit different. As a big fan of "Ice Cream Man", I was particularly pleased each time that Martin Morazzo's artwork graced the page.

Overall, I highly recommend this comic and very much hope that Sabir Pirzada continues to explore this universe in future installments. I'll certainly be along for the ride.

This graphic novel explores a possible future where greedy people take an idea that was meant to help others and turn it into a way to gain more for themselves. It covers the stories of several people and families throughout a several year period who live on Dandelions (basically mobile homes in the sky).

The stories dealt with a lot of complex issues and situations that our world appears to be headed for, like the destruction of climate change.

The art was beautiful and the topic is both timely and important. My only complaint is that it was very disjointed. The book didn’t flow smoothly as it jumped from person to person and story to story.

Thank you NetGalley for an opportunity to read an arc of DANDELION.

Fast-paced with incredible art, DANDELION is a masterpiece in the graphic novel industry. In a time of unrest, questioning how freedom can become a prison of its own making is profoundly disturbing but quite fascinating. The way in which technology is heading in today’s society already begs the question of what big surprising new advancement is next. And I think DANDELION really taps in to the future possibilities and fears surrounding such large scale tech that can be unpredictable. I would recommend this graphic novel one thousand times over.