*I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.*

Likes
The best was the ending and what happened after it. The whole explaining how the comic was done and some images here and there was really cool. One could really see how much effort was done to make the comic perfect!

There were many scenes that were funny, for example, the church scene where the man just stole the donation money, it was hilarious.

The art style is quite stunning and I appreciate that the speech bubbles have different colours, so one can distinguish between the characters (who is talking).
I love the art style of Carles Dalmau, I previously read Cult of the Lamb, which was illustrated by him as well and it was so beautiful!!

Dislikes
Why the heck did Juu eat the burger when he said he is vegetarian. I don't get it. The girl knew it too so he didn't need to pretend. Why did he eat it??
Also how did Maya manage to speak under water several times!?

Only thing I noticed about the art style, was that one specific facial expression was used a bit too much. I mean the one where the snot from the nose was coming out, to symbolise fear in characters. Instead of just using this all the time one could use other facial expressions that have the same effect. I also think that using wide eyes or an open mouth to show shock or fear is much better than snot.

Thank you Oni Press for the advanced reader copy of Soma by Fernando Llor and Carles Dalmau

Started the book: 12. October 2024
Finished the book: 12. October 2024
Wrote the review: 12. October 2024

This graphic novel is such a wonderful story about an artist who is struggling to come up with inspiration until suddenly an Alien appears in her apartment and from there on starts an adventure into chaos combined with unique friendships.
It is super action packed, filled with incredible art and a colour palette which just enhances the entirety! I seriously loved this.

I loved this!

The art work and the story were so adorable. I totally fell in love with Soma.

My only complaint is that I wish it was longer, I was gutted when it ended.

Huge thanks to Oni Press and NetGalley for providing me with this arc

(Full disclosure: I received a free e-ARC for review through Netgalley.)

"I just wanted to draw comics."

Comic book artist Maya is in a rut: though she longs to tell meaningful, impactful stories, all she's contracted to illustrate are mindless superhero strips, in which a sexy and scantily clad heroine slays the monster - *after* getting some witty quips in, of course. And then there's her bestie, Juu, a nervous (but sweet) wreck of a human being whose interpersonal emergencies wreak havoc with her deadlines.

It's while working on her latest commission that Maya unwittingly becomes an IRL heroine, when an alien named Soma comes crashing through her window and recruits Maya to join his cause. Having destroyed their own planet, Soma's people want to colonize earth for its water.

Soma was a member of an early exploratory team, sent to study earth's ecosystem. When Soma's ship veered off course and he became stranded, a kind family took him in, healed his wounds, and helped him repair his ship. Taught that that humans are a cruel and savage species, Soma is now determined to stop the invasion. But it's difficult when you're just a tiny, tentacled, brain-sized being in a diving helmet. With Maya's help - and a stolen tripod - can Soma save earth from its alien invaders? And will Juu ever find love?

Let's start with the obvious: love, love, LOVE Soma! He's an adorable alien, on the level of E.T. (insert the Harry Vanderspeigle 'E.T. is a beautiful moron' jokes here), and I enjoyed pretty much everything about him, from his diving helmet to his ability to communicate with Maya somewhat telepathically. And, of course, there's his compassion: Soma is the heart and soul of this book. And it doesn't hurt that Maya and Juu are pretty great too.

While the story line is engaging and had me at the edge of my seat (and, let's be honest, on the verge of tears at times; but it's also fun and FUNNY!), it's really the artwork that steals the show here. The art in SOMA is adorable, evocative, colorful, and downright arresting. Sure, I had a little trouble following the action at times, but that's a pretty common complaint I have across action sequences in comic books.

The aliens are awesome, obviously, but I also loved some of the visual gags that Dalmau worked in, like Juu going from 0 to 10 of a slobbering mess in the face of a minor embarrassment.

Though I have to admit that I was a little confused when Juu referred to himself as a vegetarian while on a date with Pam, only to later joke that "dying in a burger joint as a vegan would be a travesty." Regardless, suggesting a burger joint out of sheer social awkwardness? *Snort laugh*.

3.5
I don't know what I expected from Soma, but I don't think it was that. I did enjoy the story, and I enjoyed the fast pace. However, the pace was so fast you never really get to know any of the characters. The story is here and gone in the blink of an eye. I think the reason I enjoyed it was mostly for the art style. The art is wonderfully done! The only minor issue I have, which is honestly just a personal thing, is the weird "running snot" being used as a comedic tone indicator. Just kind of gross. Also a bit confused as to why some people have black circles for eyes when others don't. It's a very odd style choice. The Cult of the Lamb and War of the Worlds nods were cute!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!

I enjoyed the book, but I wouldn’t go out of my way to recommend it. That said, the art style and intricate details are absolutely stunning, definitely the highlight!
Thanks NetGalley for the ARC

This was such a fun and fast-paced graphic novel!

I loved the artwork so much, and the colours were so bright and eye-catching. I really enjoyed the premise of this one and really loved these characters, especially Maya and Soma! I found myself so invested in this story that before I knew it, I was at the end and wishing for more!

This beauty is out 25TH February and is one I definitely think people should pick up and enjoy!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this graphic novel. It moved fast and the story kept me intersection throughout. The art work was engaging and I enjoyed looking at all the details.

What a wonderful comic! If the story sounds even remotely interesting to you, you should pick this up and be prepared to get blown away by the wildly expressive characters, beautiful art, and the clear mastery of visual design on display here. Seriously, I could rant about the color usage for another paragraph, it is that impressive.

The illustrations are great and it was a fun read - it lacked depth but it had humour which was great.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Author for sending me an e-arc in exchange for an honest review!

I love graphic novels so much, and 'Soma' was no exception. We follow Maya, a comic artist who fells burned out and uninspired in her work. Suddenly, an alien-like creature, almost like the ones she draws in her comics, comes crashing in through her window asking for her help to save the earth. We also follow her friend Juu who tries to survive on the street with the help of Vic and Hannah, two people he runs into.

It was action packed, fast paced and just really fun. I loved the art style, how expression filled the characters were, and the colours were so *chefs kiss*. I really liked the change in perspective, both in the real world, the alien world, and in Maya's comic world. Oh and the pixelated, video game part was such a cool touch as well.

The characters were likeable, and I was genuinely invested in their story. It made me smile, laugh, and even had me teary eyed at times. Normally I have a hard time with Sci-fi, but I was immediately hooked. I found the themes of rebellion, freedom, and political oppression very enjoyable, as it added some seriousness to the otherwise silly humour.

I highly recommend checking it out, and I can't wait to get my hands on a physical copy once it releases!

‘Soma’ presents an intriguing dystopian world, with themes of rebellion, freedom, and political oppression. Fernando Llor’s writing sets up a promising narrative, and Carles Dalmau’s illustrations do a solid job capturing the dark, oppressive atmosphere. However, the story suffers from uneven pacing, with some key moments feeling rushed and others overly drawn out. While the themes are compelling, the exploration lacks depth, and the characters could have been more fleshed out.

Overall, ‘Soma’ is a decent dystopian graphic novel with strong visuals, but it falls short of fully realizing its narrative potential.

This was so cute!

When you're an illustrator but then you have to save the world from an alien attack...you know...very normal things that happen in an illustrators life...

This art style was so cute and really reminded me of Steven Universe mixed with something else I can't put my finger on. I really loved how expressive the characters and their facial expressions were. And I really love how the character Soma was drawn. Very cute!

Another graphic novel that I sped through.

Thanks to NetGalley for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review! My Goodreads review is up and my TikTok (Zoe_Lipman) review will be up at the end of the month with my monthly reading wrap-up.

I was pleasantly surprised! Graphic novels are usually a hit or miss with me, even though I adore reading them. It's just that they're often so quick that I don't form attachments to the characters. This time, however, I did.

Soma is about Maya, an artist, who is going through a burn out. One day she gets an unexpected visitor: an alien warning her about danger. Together they try to save the world. Meanwhile Maya's friend Juu tries to survive with people he found on the street.

First of all I want to point out the AMAZING art that pulled me in from the first second I opened the book on my Netgalley shelf app. I am absolutely amazed by the talent. And everything looked beautiful put together. The style, the colors... everything. It is safe to say I found the art a masterpiece.

I really enjoyed the story as well. It immediately interested me while it normally takes me a couple of pages to get into a story. It was a perfect combination of humor and seriousness. It was fast-paced, but not too fast, you could still keep up with what was happening. I also adored the characters and started rooting for them.

You know what, I think it is safe to say this is the best graphic novel I have ever read. (And yes, that means higher than my previous favorites: Heartstopper). Obviously it's a different genre with this being sci-fi, but still.

I am VERY excited for this being released on February 25th and I am definitely going to try to get my hands on a physical copy. I can't wait to see other people reading it and share my love for it.

Thank you to Netgalley and everyone else who made it possible for me to read this ARC. I am incredibly grateful to have been able to read this absolutely masterpiece.

Due to the fact that I have Goodreads as an android app, I'm not able to share a link to my review. I did post this on both Goodreads and Storygraph and am planning to post on social media as well soon.

This was a really excellent comic! I loved all of the different art styles and interweaving stories. It definitely pulled on my heartstrings! Please, please, please read it because it's so so good

The art is the highlight. I love the colors. I love the font. The composition was so good. The character designs are so cute and I especially love how the eyes are drawn. The story was a little rough for me. Every time something emotional happens or two characters are talking, a gag is just around the corner. The mood never really matched any conflict presented. These people were fighting for their planet, but it really didn't feel dangerous or important because people were cracking jokes or 'being random' every other page. Surprisingly, the conclusion to the characters' stories actually felt genuine and very sweet. There was still the author's gags and jokes, but the mood was matched. Not my thing, btu I'm sure it is for someone.

📚✨ #ReseñaSoma

Si te gustan las historias de ciencia ficción con un toque humano, Soma es tu próximo cómic. 🙌🏼 En un mundo donde la creatividad parece haberse extinguido, Fernando Llor nos cuenta una aventura sobre amistad, supervivencia y la lucha por mantener viva esa chispa creativa que nos hace únicos. 🚀

Carles Dalmau le pone el toque visual perfecto a este futuro distópico: oscuro pero lleno de vida en los momentos más inesperados. 😮🔥 Los personajes luchan no solo contra la falta de inspiración, sino también por encontrar su propósito en un entorno donde ser creativo es casi un acto de rebeldía.

Si te gustan las historias que mezclan emoción, drama y un poco de reflexión existencial, Soma te va a encantar. 😍💡 ¡A veces, todo lo que necesitamos es un poco de compañía y creatividad para salvarnos! 🌱✨

#CómicRecomendado #SciFi #FernandoLlor #CarlesDalmau #CreatividadEnCrisis

I loved this!!
It deserves so much more than five stars. 10 wouldn't be enough.
I loved it.
The two main characters in the story are incredible, and they are normal people, with everyday dilemmas, which makes it easy for us to relate to them. (Even more so if you understand the life of a freelancer, because I personally saw myself in it, and it was so funny and right on point). The characters demonstrate and gain strength and resilience throughout the book and surprise us with their willpower and resistance. So throughout the story it is easy to gain affection for them and awareness of the situation they are in, in which we see the ups and downs of the decisions they have to make. It is really good!!
The story is fantastic and evolves calmly into the plot, which is something absolutely great and I loved every bit of it.
And the drawings!!! They are beautiful and absolutely magnificent. Its expressions, lines and strong colors reflect the entire atmosphere of the story and easily demonstrate the characters' states of mind.

It was truly a wonderful read, and without a doubt a must read.
And the end pages give us a huge understanding of the book process.
And are so good!!

Plot-wise, there is nothing we haven’t seen in other media, but the character design is interesting, and the colour palettes are incredible. In my opinion, it is very much worth the time to read.

and once more I give thanks to Oni Press for knocking it out of the park with this years offerings.

In Soma we meet Maya who is going through a lot of existential angst in her job. She’s a comic book artists who is finding the run of the mill story arcs that she has to illustrate so frustrating and just can’t find the time to do her own work.

The stories she has to do are so clichéd, each one has and alien invasion or kaiju appear and the main character defeats them… for this to happen all over again.

Maya also has to keep boosting Juu’s confidence about dating, placate her mother’s expectations, and deal with writer’s block. The normal run of the day stuff for all creatives.

Then lo and behold there’s an alien invasion and Maya has to save the world… Tripods though?

I loved Carles Dalmau’s work in Cult of the Lamb which I’d just read recently and those reds and oranges find another life in this angsty actioner.

Maya is great as the saviour and Soma (the alien) works really well in a redemption arc, love some of the side stories, especially the doomsday church and the D&D kids.

A riveting read that kept me glued to it for the evening.

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