This was a story I went into not entirely sure what to expect and was pleasantly surprised by the amount of depth present across the threads woven throughout the novel. Dandelion explores a future where an inventor wanted to make living in floating homes that can travel the world a reality, but the governments of the world ran with the idea and turned them into floating prisons for those who were unfortunate enough to be too poor to afford living on the surface (among other reasons). You get to see the perspectives of a large variety of characters throughout the graphic novel, learning about how their lives have changed and what the invention of these Dandelions, these floating homes, mean to them.

Overall, this was a fun, if slightly depressing, read about how inventions made with the best of interests at heart can still be perverted by those in power to meet their own needs regardless of the inventor's hopes. I would recommend this book if you're looking for a quick read into a dystopian future that feels all too possible.

A big thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this in exchange for reviewing it!

Thank you Netgalley for the eARC

3.0

"When climate change and automation disrupt the lives of millions, a new civilization is formed in the skies"

Interesting premise, Dandelion is a collection of stories that give you a glimpse of a world where people are restrained to the skies. Everything is provided, yet there is no true freedom. I was excited to go through this graphic novel, especially with multiple artists! However, it felt like each snippet was just a repetition of the premise. There are a variety of art styles, but the progression of the book stagnates to just the introduction. It's as if the artists somehow were not able to communicate and they ended up creating the same portion of this project. There were some interesting short stories that deviate from that pattern, but there are only two that I can recall off the top of my head.

The interviews and case files in between each story is a much needed reprieve from the same story. Giving a glimpse on to who created the dandelions, and for what purpose.

The art style is incredible, but it could be more if the story continues to the direction it hoped to be

This was fun, the art was great and I enjoyed the flashbacks to the origin of the setting. I would read more in this series.

"to build a paradise, first you need a hell"

Thanks to NetGalley for this e-arc in exchange of my honest review!

I don't entirely know what this was trying to say? It was cool seeing 10 different short stories from different artists and mostly about different characters in this world, but they were so short and tried to tell too many stories that none of them stuck. The character of Jen Nakamuto throughout and in between the stories was a cool tie, but it didn't really seem like she had that much of a story to tell to be so important, so I wish they expanded on that. The idea of these Dandelion pods being an escape that could inevitably repeat history was also a really cool storyline they could've followed up on as well, but we only got a couple lines before moving on to the next disjointed story.

3.5 stars.

It isn't a 3star however I couldn't rate it a 4 star either.
I loved the concept of this book and the comics within it however I felt rather then having 10 short comics it should have been 5 more in depth comics. Due to their length it was hard for the author to really delve into the messages these comics were trying to get across.
Overall great stories however this feels like more of a starting point.
Great illustration and very thought provoking.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an advance copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.
I ADORED the artwork in this graphic novel, it was truly breathtaking. As for the story itself...wow. It really speaks to the reality of our lives: the elite will find a way to monetize anything that is made to help the "outcasts" of society. I really enjoyed the interwoven storylines and all of the characters as well. This is definitely a read that will make you think, as well as one that will hit very close to home for some!

A gorgeous collection of short comics exploring an dystopian future in which the skies have become the home of the exiled, with their inhabitants never again being allowed to set foot on the ground again.
Using different art styles and short tales we are exposed to a glimpse of the inhabitants of the skies lives, how they are treated, who are sold this home in the sky invention. Countries have used the invention of homes in. the skies to rid themselves of those they deem "undesirable" and created laws which mean they can never again touch the ground.

A graphic novel anthology that tells the lives of various individuals navigating the future where you can live in the sky.
While some stories were good, others were mediocre and I was disappointed in this fact. I wish it dealt more with the concept of the people living on the ground. Would there be cyberpunk? Dieselpunk? If those concepts were taken into account, I feel it would have benefited greatly.

This graphic novel is a collection of ten short stories set in a world where outcasts and the dispossessed get to live their lives as “exiles” on floating capsules, “Dandelions”, with all of their living requirements met… except that they can never again land on solid ground.

This is an ambitious concept - the creation of a two tier society (in this case, as literal is it is figurative) caused by the pressures of climate change and job losses through automation. And it tries to pack a lot in: the psychological and societal impact of creating and underclass of people who are forced to live separately from the rest of society, the impact and opportunities that this will provide for criminality and surveillance, and the adjustments and sacrifices that normal people and families would have to make. Woven through this is a thread of the supposed inventor of Dandelion, Jen Nakamuto, and her reflections and regrets over the impact that the Dandelions have had.

I was looking forward to reading this. It should have been great. Unfortunately for me, it fell short of the mark. I think this is mostly due to how short each story was: ten stories in 120 pages barely allows each story to start developing before it hurtles towards its conclusion. Each story felt rushed and, leaving little space for emotional development of any of the characters or situations, with the result that I found it very difficult to engage with any of it.

This is such a shame, as the concept has the richness and potential for a novel length treatment. And there is such a collection of artistic talent; using different artists for each of the stories showcases a broad range of excellent artwork, and the change in visual style matched the change on point-of-view for each story.

Despite all of this, two things did stand out. Running between the main stories are snippets of the “Excerpt from the Statosphere podcast” interview with Jen Nakamuto. This set of reflections of the supposed inventor of the Dandelions, rendered in black and white was a nice counterpoint to the action in the main stories. And I found “The Bird” poignant and emotional (the fact that it had a talking octopus and lizard that was aware that its existence was within a graphic novel also helped). For me, though, these were just highlights in what felt overall like a missed opportunity.

Thank you #NetGalley and Image Comics for the free review copy of #Dandelion in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I am so thankful to Image Comics, Sabir Pirzada, and Edelweiss for granting me advanced digital access to Dandelion before it hits shelves on July 2, 2024.

Dandelion takes place in the not-so-distant future, where the poor are labeled as Exiles and chartered off into the sky to live off their remaining days in "dandelions" or, more realistically, giant hot air balloons that float throughout the sky and are forbidden to land ever again. Throughout the course of this graphic novel, readers will find interconnected short stories that depict life in the sky, on the ground, and everywhere in between.

I really enjoyed this one and look forward to more graphic novels from this team.

dandelion did have moments where it would catch my attention but overall was not a favorite of mine.

Review:

First, I'd like to send my thanks to NetGalley and Image Comics for giving me access to the eARC of Crave. What follows is my true and honest opinion.

Dandelion is a dystopian anthology where the sky is filled with airborne 'trailer' homes. The anthology follows a diverse cast of characters, who fall into a variety of minorities such as BIPOC, LGBTQ, Elderly, disabled etc. It also shows a clear depiction of classism, and how power corrupts. A strong theme throughout is that a good idea when in the wrong hands, could prove harmful or even catastrophic. The entire meaning of something can change based on who is in control.

I wasn't really sure what to expect when I started this, mostly choosing it based on enjoying previous things credited to the author. I did not expect to read such a hard-hitting and serious book. I enjoyed it, the artwork is stunning, and I like that throughout each chapter there are different art styles. I want to see this world developed further. Secrets have been half-revealed leaving me feeling like a rabbit with a carrot on a stick dangling in front of and quite frankly I feel that it is cruel to not have a sequel one day.

Dandelion is an exploration of a critique of the culture and danger of capitalist globalization and government policies that increasingly put profits over the people that they are supposed to serve, represent, and protect. Something which hits harder within modern-day problems. The abuse of power by the government and military, and the fact that homelessness increased due to the displacement of workers due to post-labor automation, a very real problem and fear as technology increases, and then the Dandelions represent a bandage. Something that is shown to fix the problem, but in reality is just a way to get rid of anyone who doesn't fit into the status quo. Free housing and never needing to work? Who wouldn't sign up to that? It's an offer that seems to good to be true. And that theme follows through the stories.

This was a gripping scifi tale that tackles issues already beginning to raise their head in society today. The characters were all fascinating and I loved the snippets into the different lives of people living in the world of the dandelions as well as seeing the inventors' guilt and reasoning. The art is beautiful and the character design is awesome! There is absolutely zero plot to this graphic novel but I think that's where its charm lies.

A very engaging premise, Dandelion is about floating homes in the sky that can never land. The story is told from many perspectives, from the creator to people who are forced to live in them. You get to see many different perspectives and characters. My favorite was The Pirate and The Fisherman. So much happened in a very short chapter. I would've liked more of that story. Overall, the art was engaging and interesting. But none of it was my favorite. I wasn't particularly engaged.
A unique dystopian future and an interesting way of thinking about the possibilities of the world.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and Image Comics for the opportunity to read the eARC of Dandelion for my honest opinions.

This dystopian work was fascinating to read, though a little close to home when thinking about it, which I suppose was the author's intention. The original idea of a dream to live amongst the clouds then turned into something dark and twisted; pods in the sky where people who don't fit in to the class mold are stuffed away to live out the rest of their days away from 'real life' is ... not so far removed. I think the scariest part of this whole novel is that this is all not so unthinkable.

The vignettes came together with an underlying woven tale of what happens when governments abuse their power and beautiful inventions turn into ways to control populations. I recommend this graphic novel to anyone who is a fan of this genre and enjoys a gripping tale that makes you think.

All the different illustrations were gorgeously used in this graphic novel, and while a little convoluted, this was a great futuristic idea of what and how we might cope with the climate crisis in our current capitalistic environment. Depressing, but also hopeful for the future and resistance. 4.25/5

This is the first proper graphic novel I have read through in a very long time. I wasn't sure what to expect but it was interesting! This dystopian themed book credits who has created the artwork and colour tones for each chapter which I really like, and each part was drawn out in really cool designs! I think my favourites were the artwork by Gege Schall & Thomas Campi.

The theme in the book is about the "Dandelion" pods that are homes in the sky, the stories showcase power imbalances and the various economical challenges for different parts of the world. The creators of the Dandelion pods are from Japan and their goal is to form globalised cities in ways that cannot be done on land. A very unique concept!

I’ve found that everything I’ve received from Image Comics since restarting NetGalley this year has been great, and Dandelion is no exception.

A collection of stories set in a future where living pods that travel through the air have become the home of the homeless and unproductive, a place to be exiled and never allowed to return to earth.

In this world the pods are supplied and serviced by drones and the people in them are nationless and shunned.

One of my favourite episodes was titled ‘True North’ a story of hope tinged with great humour, but every story is worth reading.

Each story is nice and short, but though each episode is short they all pack a punch building up a world that we know could be ours in a near future, rather than using technological advances to better the world and lives of all, the rich use them to get richer and displace those deemed no necessary.

Each story is perfectly illustrated by several artists fitting the theme of the story perfectly.

I received this from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

A bizarre sci-fi or cyberpunk world.

The various art styles were interesting and had their ups and downs. I think my favorite story segment was the fisherman's, near the end. It was funny but also very realistic. This was a compilation of stories within the same universe. I don't want to spoil it but this graphic novel reminded me of Pixar's Wall-E movie.

I'm not sure if the plot was confusing because of the different volumes, or if the fact that various storylines were happening at once, or if it was just me. Each plotline was interesting to me but I had a hard time getting into any particular one because whenever I got fully invested in the story, the plotline switched. Again, that might be me reading this too fast, but I'm not totally sure.

* Thanks to the publisher Image Comics via Netgalley for the ebook!

*2.75 stars, rounded up to 3.

I had a relatively okay time with this graphic novel, I though that the differing art styles in each story was a fun switch up every so often. My favorite narrative in this collection of essentially short stories was coming from jen nakamuto's interviews / conversation about the dandelion project, especially on how it became so government regulated in the end. I only wish that the dandelions themselves had more presence in narrative, so that it didn't feel so much like our only grounding piece.

Which is the biggest problem with this graphic novel. I feel like there was a lot the author wanted to say about migration, poverty, refugees, etc but didn't have much of a story to tell. There are multiple entries in here which lack both heart and plot, largely consisting of characters simply monologuing at each other like a college class that just read Marx for the first time. I'm certainly interested in the political parts of the book, and I wasn't disagreeing with what they were saying, but the purpose of fiction is to tell a story. It's very telling that I think unarguably the best story in here contains absolutely no words, and has to rely fully on the art to get its themes across.

Because of this lack of plot, many of the stories felt disjointed and unnecessary. There wasn't a central theme or focus to ground the book in, which made it fly in sixteen different directions. I thought we would get more on the worldbuilding of the dandelions (in what universe would the government allow poor people and migrants to live in floating houses for free. the themes of exploitation simply do not work because people aren't actually being exploited in the way the book says they are. they don't have jobs, they have free housing, and the government delivers their food directly to their doors. if that's exploitation of the poor, can i get in on it? the argument of loneliness cannot actually be made, because again, the dandelions have little to no focus in the book) but instead we focus on pretty much everything else.

Also, I'm not overly familiar with the author's experience with disability, and my own is not particularly deep. However, I'm not totally sure how I feel about the disabled woman's story focusing so heavily on her walking again in VR. Is that the only story we have for disabled people? I'm not against showing the struggle people may have after becoming disabled, but why is this the kind of story that keeps appearing over and over again? Like I said, I'm not overly familiar with disability rights, so grain of salt and all that, but I think there were more interesting stories here for her.