I was not expecting this book to hold my attention let alone leaving me feeling emotional! It left me wanting more!

Kieron Gillen’s We Called Them Giants is an epic graphic novel that weaves together mythical tales with heartfelt human emotions. In a world where giants, towering and god-like, roam a land torn apart, this book delves into the complex relationship between power, legacy, and the human spirit. The artwork is super detailed and the colors are so atmospheric. It transports you to a world that feels real. The panels change between amazing views and quiet moments, showing both the big and small parts of the story. Whether you’re a seasoned graphic novel fan or just starting to explore the genre, We Called Them Giants is a must-read. It’s a captivating story that weaves together myth and humanity in a way that’s both poetic and thought-provoking, leaving you spellbound.

Wow. We Called Them Giants absolutely wrecked me in the best way. This isn’t just a story; it’s an experience. Gillen delivers heartbreak and hope in equal measure, creating a world so vivid and raw it feels like it’s clawing at you from the page. The emotional depth of Lori’s journey—her desperation, her resilience, her quiet moments of connection—had me sobbing one minute and clutching the book to my chest the next. And the art? Pure magic. Every panel drips with meaning, from the haunting emptiness of abandoned streets to the almost otherworldly presence of them. If you’re into dystopian survival stories with heart-shattering romance and soul-healing friendships, this is your next obsession.

We Called Them Giants
Written by Kieron Gillen
Art by Stephanie Hans
Book 224/250
Genre: Sci-Fi
Format: Digital/Physical, ARC, Graphic Novel
Pages: 104
Published: November 12, 2024
Rating: 9.25/10
Art: 9/10

“It’s not the rapture… The rapture is when all the good people disappear. I don’t believe in good people.”

We Called Them Giants is the perfect example of why there should be more OGN (Original Graphic Novels). Gillen and crew create a self-contained book that is beautiful both in art and story. While only 100 pages long, Gillen and Hans weave a tale of loss, love, grief, and hope set in a post-apocalyptic world where most of humanity is gone and mysterious giants roam the Earth. WCTG is so well done and an absolute delight to read.

There was a lot about 'We Called Them Giants' that I loved - a great concept with strong art and well-fleshed out characters - but I often found the narrative style of the protagonist distracting. Her unreliable narration - though good characterisation - often seemed to contradict the natural pacing of the story, and I found myself struggling to connect to the action.

We Called Them Giants is a tale of post-apocalyptic survival among the few survivors in a community. Two girls awaken to everyone in their neighborhood missing. They band together to survive, and find that there are two "giants" in the woods. Did they cause everyone to disappear? Are they dangerous? Lots of questions, not tons of answers, but interesting and thought provoking.

I love a graphic novel because I'm a sucker for good art, and this one has it. Absolutely stunning imagery. I in found the story very engaging as well although I do think the storytelling could have been a little more clear through the middle of the book. Overall really enjoyed this one and do recommend it!

We Called Them Giants is a brilliant stand alone graphic novel. A fascinating premise about a girl who wakes up one day to discover everyone’s disappeared. Now, I went into this thinking I’d be able to race through it… and I couldn’t! I finished it and didn’t know how I felt. But not in a bad way. It’s well worth a read, and even a second!

I absolutely adored this book! It was dark and confusing, but in all the best ways. Our main character is left in a world where almost everyone has disappeared, seemingly overnight. They must team up with others that they meet to try to survive in this new dystopian world, avoiding local dangers old and new. Eventually something falls from the sky and things get even more confusing. We are faced with more questions than answers, but by the end the general sense of comfort and found family is more than understood.
The giant provides a safe space for some of our characters and even makes an ultimate sacrifice. Very neat story, though I would have liked to see even more detail. A sequel (or even a prequel) would be a great addition!

“𝒯𝑜 𝓈𝓊𝓇𝓋𝒾𝓋𝑒 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝓃𝑒𝑒𝒹 𝓉𝑜 𝓀𝓃𝑜𝓌 𝓌𝒽𝒶𝓉 𝑒𝓍𝒶𝒸𝓉𝓁𝓎 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝒽𝒶𝓋𝑒 𝓉𝑜 𝒷𝑒 𝓈𝒸𝒶𝓇𝑒𝒹 𝒶𝒷𝑜𝓊𝓉…”

We Called Them Giants is the first standalone graphic novel from the award winning team behind DIE. The story follows Lori, a girl in foster care who wakes up one day to discover that almost everyone has disappeared.

When I finished this I was entirely confused about how I felt about it. I made the mistake of thinking that this would be an easy read that I wouldn’t have to think about, but boy was I wrong! It wasn’t until I tried to write this review that I realised my mistake.

So I reread it.

This is a story about communication between beings incapable of comprehending each other. It’s reminiscent of people vibing with their pets and how sometimes you just don’t need to know everything to just get it. Honestly, it’s how I felt reading this story. I’m still left with questions that I want answers to, but I’ve found that I don’t need those answers to enjoy the book.

The artwork in this graphic novel is truly breathtaking and the style really works incredibly with the tone of the story. Even when I wasn’t entirely following the plot the first time, I was in awe of every page!

Thank you so much to Kieron Gillen, Stephanie Hans, Image Comics & NetGalley for the ARC!

The illustrations in this title are by far some of the favourite I have seen in a graphic novel since I first opened Saga

The story premise was unique and exciting but it missed something in the way it was executed. I can't put my finger on what but there was just something lacking about the story and how we got from beginning to end.

The artwork is really what carried this story for me and I just wish the story that went along with it was to the same standard.

The artwork in this is really really beautiful. I did want a little more from the story itself, but it was still a good read. It just felt a little rushed, and the book was short, but I’m still glad to have read it.

‘We Called Them Giants’ is a story of found family and survival at the end of the world.

This is a short but impactful graphic novel. In the limited time we spend with Lori, Annette, and those they meet, we gain a real sense of who they are as characters, offering a glimpse into how different people navigate survival in a post-apocalyptic world.

While the simplicity of the story felt appropriate to the narrative, I couldn’t help but wish for more time to get to know the supporting characters and the world they inhabit.

The art style is strikingly beautiful, with a colour palette that complements the setting and tone perfectly, really adding to the overall atmosphere. I look forward to exploring more of this captivating visual style in future works.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-arc. All opinions are my own.

Thanks to Kieron Gillen, Stephanie Hans, Clayton Cowles, the publisher Image Comics, and NetGalley for this eARC. This graphic novel has stunning colors. It is visually attractive. However, the story seems incomplete and simplified to a point where none of the two main elements are satisfactory (everyone gone and then giants, which may or may not be completely unrelated). The resolution will leave you starving, especially since it appears like a one-shot.

We Called Them Giants has a very dystopian apocalyptic vibe. Lori, our protagonist, wakes up one day to find everyone in the world has disappeared. Until she finds another survivor. They continie to struggle trying to survive. And then they find a gang called The Dogs. The Dogs are dangerous and scary. We don't know why other than they give off bully vibes. But we have to stay away from them. And they don't share. And they wear bird masks from Spirit Halloween that resemble the plague masks from the 1900s for some reason. And then there are the wolves. Yes, random wolves show up. And THEN they come across two fiery giants, one red and one green. One seems to be friendly. And one seems to be evil. Are they aliens? Are they angels? There ARE quite a few subtle religious references throughout the story. There's an epic battle that doesn't make any sense. And then the three surviving girls head off into the sunset to live out their days as the last humans on earth I guess. Absolutely nothing about this book made sense. Nothing was explained. Where did everyone go? Why did some people not go? What are the alien angel beings? Where are all the animals? I have more questions now than when I started the story. I did very much enjoy the gorgeous artwork. And the premise was strong. The choppy execution I wasn't so fond of.

I read that this is a standalone which is a shame. It would be amazing as a series. There are so many directions the storylines could go. I still definitely recommend picking this book up and giving it a try for yourself.

Lori is a foster kid. She knows that sooner or later, everyone who says they care about her is going to disappear. When her adoptive parents vanish, along with almost every other person on the planet, she has the cold comfort of validation.

There are a few people left, including Annette, a friend from school with relentless Girl Guide spirit, and the Dogs, a group of stragglers who instantly form a postapocalyptic-style gang. There are also giants. Stephanie Hans renders them in flames of red or green, something beautiful and intense beside the grayed-out cartoonishness of the other characters.

The question, of course, is whether Lori is right. Can she trust anyone else? I can report that the answer is sometimes yes but sometimes also no, and that tension is where the story really shines. If "Can people ever be OK to each other?" is a question you've been turning over in your own mind, this might be a good fable for a dark November.

The art in this is absolutely gorgeous (as in DIE) and it helps it play out somewhere between an extended single issue comic and a graphic fable. It's good stuff, but it also feels at times like a longer narrative that got truncated in a way. There is a lot of exposition throughout, handled in a way that makes it feel almost more like an adult picture book than a comic at times. Still, absolutely gorgeous.

The artwork in this short (just over 100 pages long) graphic novel is striking. The images feel as apocalyptic as the story, showing characters in a dark, shadowy landscape. One of the things I love about the book is that all three central human characters are women. At the beginning, Lori and Annette meet someone in a mask with a weapon who tries to prevent them from stealing cans of food. This person turns out to be an older woman the girls eventually meet again.

Much of the story is told in narrative that’s divided into short sentences arranged at the top or bottom of the panels. I love the way the panels are arranged on the pages. A lot of pages have tall, narrow panels side by side, showing a sequence of events. This made each panel seem huge and drew attention to the details of each image.

The storytelling itself is a little bit choppy, jumping from a few lines about Lori’s backstory straight into the present apocalyptic world without offering much explanation about what happened. The story leaves a lot of unanswered questions. We never learn what caused so much of the population to disappear, for example.

What does come into stark focus, though, is the relationship between Lori and her friends and the giant they call Red. They look for ways to communicate their needs and ultimately form what feels like the kind of relationship between a caregiver and a pet.

All in all, I can see why so many people are talking about this book. The illustrations are truly compelling. Readers who like dark fantasy will not want to miss this one.

Such a thrilling read!

Very engaging and the illustrations were beautiful.

The characters were relatable in their decisions and actions, even when they were divided.

Read in one sitting!

This was a great graphic novel, and I would love to see more from the world. The art is top notch, and the story is interesting.