We Called Them Giants is a post-apocalyptic tale of survival. And, there are giants. And, a ruthless gang.

Two of them to be precise. It seems like most of humanity has disappeared with those left behind just struggling to survive. A ruthless gang terrorizes the streets. Lori and Annette just want to live. But what do the mysterious giants want?

Nothing? They’re just here to exist? Did this go way over my head?

I think I would have rated this story a lot higher without my preconceived notion that the story was building to something “huge” from author Kieron Gillen which it never found. It was a big bummer to me, and for me, it felt like the story just ended.

My previous experience with Gillen was through his Star Wars work. I really had a great time with all off his stuff over there, so I was excited for this book.

The artwork from Stephanie Hans was incredible. I loved everything about it from the characters to the world to the giants. I loved the design of the human characters, and the giants were really unique and cool looking.

There’s a lot to love in this book, but it just didn’t really come together for me in the end. I’m sure it lands perfectly for others.

Thank you Netgalley and Image Comics for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

In this story, we encounter a post-apocalyptic world where humanity has largely disappeared, leaving a small band of survivors who must rely on themselves and each other to survive. The book presents a vibrant, reimagined landscape filled with mysterious, otherworldly beings and a more unforgiving climate.

WHAT I LIKE ABOUT THE BOOK
The visuals are absolutely stunning, capturing the setting beautifully.

WHAT I DISLIKE
While the plot is straightforward—a quality that can work well—it lacks much suspense, giving the sense that it serves as more of a prologue than a fully developed narrative.

WHO IS THIS FOR?
Fans of YA fantasy might want to have a look at this one.

Many thanks to Image Comics for providing a review copy.

We Called Them Giants by Kieron Gillen is a captivating story of survival and resilience. This novel skillfully portrays the lasting impact of kindness and friendship in a world torn apart.

A gorgeously drawn comic, that left me wanting more.

I love Kieron Gillen's work with Once & Future, Die, and The Wicked + The Divine all being 5 star reads for me. So I was expecting a story that felt more finished here.

The story concept is great, with a teenager waking up and realizing almost all humans have disappeared. She meets another teen and together they are trying to survive in this world, when a giant alien lands on earth and they try to understand what it all means. However we miss the character development that I have come to expect from Kieron's previous work.

Stephanie Hans' illustrations carry this collection. It's 5/5 and I love their art in Die and The Wicked + The Divine and will absolutely keep finding their work!

Thank you to Image Comics and NetGalley for the ARC.

This book is best read while camping with your tallest friend.

God, this ENTRANCED me. That cover image is no overstatement, we’ve got an issue of scale here, not just physically, but also metaphysically.

One morning, Lori wakes up to find that most of humanity has disappeared. No idea why. With perhaps one in a thousand humans left, society collapses. Lori and her schoolmate Annette scavenge for food and hide from territorial gangs.

And then they see the Giants.

Two creatures, as tall as redwoods. A red and a green, working at opposite sides of their valley. They have a language and, presumably, some goal, but it’s entirely vague. The girls (and a new companion, an elderly woman named Beatrice) are further perplexed when the red giant spots them and…leaves out a bowl of food?

Are humans to be exterminated…or kept as pets?

There’s a definite overarching cosmic horror to this book. The giants are at times beautiful, and yet always terrifying. Their technology is not so much organic as…metal-fungal. And just when I had a notion of their goals, a new horror would take place.

I loved this. If you’re into any measure of sci-fi, this is an amazing pick. Kieron Gillen does it again. Does this man ever miss!?

Advanced reader copy provided by publisher.

This was a great standalone graphic novel, the art is beautiful and the dystopian story is fast paced and engaging. I wish we got a little more in terms of answers but the point of the story was not the answers but rather the journey. Really enjoyed it!

Thank you to Netgalley and Image Comics for granting me access in exchange for an honest

What a surprising sad ending! But also endearing and heart warming. This is more like a 3.5. I wanted more information on either side of the story it feels like it’s missing context to make it a full story. Loved the artwork. Thanks to NetGalley for the arc.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

We Called Them Giants is a beautifully illustrated comic with wonderfully drawn characters. Our main lead in particular, Lori, is so expressive and it really makes you feel for her, despite the lackluster impact of the supporting characters. The small group she surrounds herself with are very one note, and unfortunately, this also impacts the giants. These mysterious creatures spend most of the comic acting like a physical manifestation of "gentle giant" and not much else.

Similarly, the story also falls flat, but is interesting enough that I want to know more. But it feels like part one of a series, which, if that is the author's plan, I'd be happy to keep reading this. The illustrations are enough to keep me interested in where these characters go from here. But if there is no follow up, I feel like more could have been done with this story.

I kept waiting to get something bigger from this than what it was. It's not bad, and most of the art is amazing. I like both of these creators and their previous work together. I didn't dislike this, but it didn't deliver for me.

We Called Them Giants by Kieron Gillen is a spellbinding journey through myth and heroism, blending poetic prose with stunning visuals. Gillen captures the epic and the intimate, exploring themes of fate, legacy, and sacrifice in a way that feels both timeless and fresh. The story is powerful and haunting, leaving a lasting impact with its unforgettable characters and beautifully crafted world. This is a modern myth that deserves every bit of praise—a must-read for fans of mythology and graphic storytelling alike.

"A poignant, romantic, and devastating story of a young girl who wakes up to find her world has turned upside down.

Lori wakes to find the streets empty. Everyone has gone. Or at least, nearly everyone. She's thrown into a world where she has to scrape by in the ruins of civilization, nearly starving, hiding from gangs when...

They arrive.

The award-winning team behind dark fantasy smash DIE release their first stand alone original graphic novel."

SUCH a fan of Kieron Gillen!

We Called Them Giants feels like Watership Down in a way I can’t quite describe. Part of it is, of course, the sudden upheaval of everything familiar sending Lori and Annette into the unknown, but a lot of it is almost dreamlike atmosphere interspersed with scenes of grave danger. It makes for a riveting, short read you’ll keep coming back to.

The art in this book is beautiful, but the story leaves quite a bit to be desired. The plot is quite simple and the points it makes are heavy handed. However, I did find myself greatly enjoying the reading experience, even if it was mostly for the gorgeous illustrations.

An interesting and though provoking story with gorgeous art. I enjoyed my time reading and will be happy to order this for my library.

Title: We Called Them Giants
Author: Kieron Gillen
Genres: Comics & Graphic Novels | Sci Fi & Fantasy | Teens & YA
Pub Date: 12 Nov 2024
Pages: 104
ISBN: 9781534387072
Format Read: PDF
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3 stars)

It was so hard to settle on a rating for this, but I think somewhere between 2-3 stars is fair.

The art is gorgeous, the colorwork beautiful, and there's something haunting lingering around the edges, like it desperately wants to be let through.

This doesn't feel at all complete - instead, it feels like a teaser for a larger series-to-be; an 'idea' or 'scene' rather than a self-contained plot.

Without going into spoilers, there is zero clarification (or even any speculation) for what transpired that caused the disappearances; no explanation for why (some? all? who knows) children were spared as well as (one? all??) elderly person.

There is zero insight into the giants, and zero closure after the protagonists experience what they experience. The protagonists themselves are given so little room to have personalities, though I guess within the survivalist context, that's... sort of passable.

This story really deserved to be fleshed out, and I'm very sad that it wasn't.

[POSSIBLE and VERY VAGUE spoiler below]

What's left is a rather bleak message: if you love something, it won't appreciate you, and then it'll get you killed? That's dark AF, and hey, dark is alright, but not when you have zero resolution of the very thin quasi-plot you've got going.

Thank you to Image Comics & NetGalley for providing access to this eARC for consideration of review.
All opinions are my own honest & unbiased feedback based on the copy provided.

#WeCalledThemGiants #NetGalley

A post apocalyptic graphic novel featuring two teenage girls and an older woman who are left behind when most of humanity disappears. But it's not until the giants show up that life gets truly strange. This was an interesting concept for a graphic novel, but it felt kind of underdeveloped. The idea of humans becoming almost pets to the aliens was barely explored. In the end I just didn't feel like the story did that much.

A really unique and engaging story but what sets this graphic novel apart is the absolutely stunning artwork. I can't wait to add a physical copy to my collection!

I did not expect to enjoy this as much as I did, but I absolutely loved it.

I was expecting just a nice fun read but I was so emotionally invested and was so hooked on the story

The artwork was absolutely beautiful and I'd love to read more from this team

Thanks to Image Comics and NetGalley for providing me with this arc

I began and finished this graphic novel in one sitting. At about 100 pages this is easily digestible. The creators of this book also created the graphic novel series DIE. I’ve only read the first few volumes of that series but one thing I can say for it is that the art style is stunning and the storyline super inventive. Those same attributes were found in We Called Them Giants.

I believe this is a standalone story but it packs a punch. The story takes off at a breakneck speed and the reader is never really sure how the events in the world got the way they are but the focus is really on how the characters faced that adversity. I’ll warn you that the ending will HURT but the journey is totally worth it. If anything what this story lacks is meat- I wanted more but at the same time I think it stands well as it is. Highly recommend.

This was a beautifully drawn comic, but I found myself dragging a bit around the middle. The artwork was very cool, slightly abstract along the edges. The ending of the story was nice, but I thought it could have been earned more with some stronger character development of the protagonist.