Dryad by Wiebe and Barcelo is an action-packed visual romp that unites fantasy and elements of science fiction seamlessly. I loved the detail in the images, the color choices, and the way this creative team brought this visual story together. This would have made my reading life as a middle grades or young adult adventure — and it’s entertaining for adults, as well. Recommended graphic novel!

I loved this. I bloody loved it, because a) it was giving a lot of Saga vibes, mixed with Rat Queens energy (these two are my favourite comics of all time!), and b) we need more comics about loving parents who would do anything to protect their children.

The story starts with Morgen and Yale on the run, accompanied by their twins, Griffon and Rana, until they find a heaven on earth called Frostbrooks, a small sleepy village hidden from the world, and vowed to protect their children from the past. But the past came knocking on their doorsteps when the twins are about to be thrown into a world they can't understand.

The art of this comic is great, so smooth and so pleasing to the eye, and I love how the colours change gradually from the serenity and the peacefulness of Forstbrooks to the city of Silver Bay, which is giving me major Paper Girls flashback.

The cliffhanger, man! It's killing me.

I can't wait for volume 2 to drop and read it!

I was very kindly given an Earc by the publishers via netgalley in exchange for an honest review: Wow!!

Fantasy! Science fiction! Elves! Ancient magic! Wizards!

This graphic novel was absolutely spectacular! It has a feeling of saga with the interspecies couple (an elf and a human) who ran away from their home to live a normal life. When you think it’s one thing it becomes another. I love the relationship between the twins and between the parents. Each character was well fleshed out even in a short amount of time. Especially loving the family dynamic and the still obvious love between two parents fighting for their kids!

I cannot WAIT to read more!

This was such an interesting world to dive into. It was so unique and honestly reminded me of the technology vs the environment dilemma our world is facing now. I loved the unique world and I look forward to finding out more about the characters and especially the magic. This is something that fans of Saga will want to read.

4.5 stars. A fun, action-packed, sci-fi/fantasy mashup with cyberpunk elements, following a family forced to run from an idyllic village as secrets from their past catch up with them. I enjoyed the extensive world-building, and the illustrations are dynamic and eye-catching. Bonus points for the badass mom wielding a big sword (and a bigger gun) to protect her family. Fans of Saga will likely get a kick out of this as well; it’s got a lot of that same energy. Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy!

Dryad is a story of the Glass family, who've lived a peaceful life in the sleepy little town of Frostbrook for the past 13 years. Morgan and Yale moved here when their twins Griffon and Rana were just babies. Yale found comfort in his new life as a history teacher, Morgan gets by as part of the town watch (though she's not nearly as settled into life away from the city as her husband), and twins have never known anything else.
But the past never stays buried for long. A sudden attack on Frostbrook sees the Glass family dragged back into a world of crime and danger, of old friends whose trustworthiness is questionable and of tepid alliances with old enemies. It's a world that Griffon and Rana, especially, know nothing about, and they suddenly discover that there's a lot more to their parents than they ever knew—which is a lot to take in for anyone, let alone a couple of teenagers trying to find their place in the world.

This sets up Dryad for plenty of action and excitement—beyond the first chapter, hardly a page goes by without some sort of attempted murder or mass destruction. But more than that, it sets up a story about a family trying to stick together with a whole world out to get them, and with plenty of their own internal drama to work through. Again, it's serious and tense, but underscored by emotion and empathy. It's easy to understand why Morgan and Yale would have lied to their kids about so much for so long, and it's easy to understand why Griffon and Rana would be upset about that, even knowing that it came from a place of love and a desire to protect them.

The script and art come together at every turn to drive home the love that holds the Glasses together, whether they're enjoying a brief reprieve, working together to attend to their latest assailants, or dealing with their own conflicts. That last point is especially important—it's one thing to show a family's love through the lengths they go to to protect one another, or through how they come together in their hard-fought moments of peace. It's something else entirely to depict the twins lashing out at their parents over a lifetime of lies, and the parents' flailing attempts to justify themselves, without losing sight of the love that invokes such strong reactions in the first place. That's something Dryad does incredibly well.

Dryad Vol 1 is the start of an enchanting new adventure from Kurtis J. Wiebe and Justin Barcelo. Sharp writing and gorgeous art come together to tell a story that cleverly bends genre expectations, that delivers plenty of action and excitement, but, most of all, that looks at how love can hold a family together when the whole world is against them.

This wasn't long enough. I need more! Why are they running. How do they have this amish like community when they have such high technical around them?! WHAT ARE THE TWINS!?!

I NEED ANSWER'S.

BUT

The art was so beautiful and the story buzzing from the get go. I love how they have people of all shapes sizes and colors it's wonderful and I can't wait to see what's next

I didn't quite know what to expect in this graphic novel, but I found myself really enjoying it.
I was gripped from the very beginning and our main characters are set to have much potential. I will definitely be continuing with the series.
The only downside I could point out is that I felt a little bit lost midway through the volume. There were references to past events we didn't know about yet and some new characters were introduced. Despite being engaged with the story I felt lost. However, it is somehow understandable as it is the first volume of a series.
Definitely recommended!
TW: graphic violence and gore, child injury, non-explicit sex on-page.

English/ Spanish
Wow! This comic is incredible, it is a mix between fantasy and cyberpunk, it is also seasoned with adventures, family relationships and ... eroticism?
For Rat queens and Saga lovers, this is going to be your new favorite comic series.
The story begins quite calm, with a couple who are looking for something, and they take their 2 children with them, and everything is love and happiness in a small grove and suddenly ... BAM! Death, blood, and destruction everywhere. Some characters are very enigmatic and we will learn more about their story as the story progresses, but, we can take a minute to appreciate Yale, I already love him madly and with passion. My new literary crush. 4/5 because it leaves you with MANY unknowns, but even if you don't understand much, you love every moment.

Español
¡wow! Este cómic es increible, es una mescla entre fantasia y ciberpunk, además esta aderezada con aventuras, relciones famiiares y .... erótica?
para los amantes de rat queens y saga, esta va a ser su nueva serie de comics favorita.
La historia comienza bastante tranquila, con una pareja que esta buscando algo, y llevan con ellos a sus 2 hijos, y todo es amor y felicidad en un pequeo bosquecillo y de repente ...BAM! . Muerte, sangre y destrucción por todos lados. Algunos personajes son muy enigmaticos y aprenderemos mas de su historia conforme avance la historia, pero, podemos tomarnos un minuto para apreciar a Yale, ya lo amo con locura y con pasión. Mi nuevo crush literario.
4/5 porque te deja con MUCHÍSIMAS incognitas, pero aunque no entiendas mucho vas amando cada momento.

Thanks to #NetGalley for the e-ARC.

To say that I was in love from the first page would in no way be an understatement Justin Osterling art kept me enraptured from the first page; watching it change and develop with the story was a joy that I can't understate. It truly made the differences apparent and, at times, striking while also showing the beauty of the melding of the worlds.

While Wiebe's writing honestly made me smile. Morgan felt so much like the type of strong-willed character that my friends play in tabletop RPGs, and the interesting use of tech and magic is amazing. I was left in aw to learn more about this world.

My only real turn-off was the depictions of sex, which, while acting to build the characters and relations, left the prudish side of me squirming in discomfort.

I am absolutely hooked on this fantastic new series. I picked up Dryad because it gave off major Saga vibes so I thought I might enjoy it and this hooked me even faster than Saga. The first few pages had me questioning if the story was going to be a little bit bit derivative but they completely turned my expectations upside down. The artwork was fantastic, the dialogue was tight, and I could not put it down. I am very excited to see what comes next in this new series. I will definitely be recommending this series.

This graphic novel was sooooo good! I don't know what I was expecting going into it, but whatever I was thinking this definitely exceeded it. If you are a DND fan or a fan of SAGA this is probably right up your alley. Yale and Morgan bring their young family to Frostbrook trying to escape their mysterious past. Magic is dead (supposedly) and the world outside of Frostbrook is teeming with technological advancements. The two parents hope that by living in this secret location that they have finally found a safe place to raise their young ones. That is until Griff and Rana open a secret door and let some dangerous people through. Their lives as they know it are about to change forever!

An exciting mix of high fantasy and futuristic high-tech societies!! Gorgeously illustrated and with a gripping plot, I can only recommend this one to anyone looking for a new series to immerse yourself into!