Skyward – Schizanthus Nerd

Skyward Volume 3: Fix the World – Joe Henderson

Illustrations – Lee Garbett

Colours – Antonio Fabela

When we last saw Willa, she was on her way to Kansas City.

She’s decoded the treasure map in her father’s journal, even though she’s not entirely sure what it means, and it’s time to fix the world.

Meanwhile, Edison is in Chicago, where his story of giant bugs sounds like a lie to those who haven’t seen them before. It’s not.

All hell is breaking loose but it’s okay because Willa has an idea.

I wasn’t sure how to explain the wrap up of this series because everything I want to say includes spoilers. Thankfully Joe Henderson wrote this at the end of the Volume.

SKYWARD started out as the story of a father who is afraid of everything and a daughter who is fearless. It ends as a story of a woman who has experienced true fear and overcome it, becoming stronger for the experience.
On a broader level, this book is a story about fear and how humanity can overcome it. In today’s climate, I wanted to tell a story about hope and empathy, and the strength that comes from them. The world can never be fixed: it was always broken, just in a different way. All we can do is our best with what we’ve got. Try to make it the best world it can be. Approach life from hope, not fear.

After being enthralled by the first two Volumes I’m sorry to say that this final one didn’t really wow me. There’s some more action, romance and a blast from the past but the reveals and resolution were pretty underwhelming and I’m so disappointed that I can’t shout from the rooftops about how extraordinary the ending was. Maybe I expected too much after the build up of the first two Volumes.

Regardless, I still loved the artwork and am looking forward to seeing the movie when it’s released.

Once Upon a Blurb

Willa’s faced terrifying storms, giant man-eating bugs, a deadly rebellion and a whole lot of heartbreak, but nothing can prepare her for this. It’s time for Willa to fulfill her father’s last request. Time to fix the world. But a revelation will rock Willa to her core and test her in ways she never imagined possible.

Collects Skyward 11-15.

5 February, 202020 April, 2020 by Schizanthus Nerd Categories: ReviewTags: 3 stars, Graphic Novel, Image Comics, Skyward Leave a comment

Skyward Volume 2: Here There Be Dragonflies – Joe Henderson

Illustrations – Lee Garbett

Colours – Antonio Fabela

Willa and Edison have left Chicago and are on a train to Kansas City. Barrow is determined to stop Willa, no matter what, so he stops all the trains. Stuck in the middle of a forest isn’t as safe as it used to be. Since G-Day the bugs have supersized and Willa narrowly escapes being a dragonfly’s dinner when a badass warrior farmer with a sword, Lucas Serrano, saves her. Riding a butterfly, no less.

“So now we’re trapped in the middle of nowhere with a bunch of farmers turned crazy survivalists. What could go wrong?”

There’s so much going on in this volume. Giant bugs are now above us on the food chain! There are explosions! You don’t know who you can trust because it seems like practically everyone has a secret and/or ulterior motive.

It’s so much fun!

I really enjoyed the first volume. It ended with a cliffhanger and here I am again, sitting on the edge of a cliff. Now I have to wait until August to see how this all plays out in Skyward Volume 3: Fix the World.

Once Upon a Blurb

Now a fugitive, Willa leaves Chicago and goes on the run! But when she takes refuge with some low-G farmers, she stumbles into a plot to attack the city. Oh, and on top of all that: giant, man-eating bugs! Maybe we should have led with that.

Skyward Volume 2 collects issues 6-10.

2 May, 201920 April, 2020 by Schizanthus Nerd Categories: ReviewTags: 4 stars, Graphic Novel, Image Comics, Skyward Leave a comment

Skyward Volume 1: My Low-G Life – Joe Henderson

Illustrations – Lee Garbett

Colours – Antonio Fabela

I’ve been looking forward to this one for a while, mostly because of that gorgeous cover and the flying. Who doesn’t wish they could fly?!

Willa was just a baby on G-Day when most of Earth’s gravity disappeared, her mother floated away and her father confined himself to their apartment. Twenty years later Willa wants to see the world but is stuck working and paying the bills while her father hides inside.

Not only did Willa’s father somehow predict G-Day, he also claims to know how to fix it but evil Mr Barrow will do whatever it takes to stop him. After all, Mr Barrow has profited from G-Day and is currently living the high life (low life?) on street level courtesy of the gravity boots he invented.

I loved the illustrations and colours used in this volume and especially enjoyed finding out what a rainstorm looks like in this low gravity world.

I have a lot of questions about how this new world works and hope to find out more when Willa reads her dad’s journal, maybe in the next volume because – cliffhanger! Grr!

There’s violence in this series, with floating blood droplets (and also some gag inducing floating beads of sweat), so it felt like it was more suitable for a young adult audience. I wish there was more depth to the characters, particularly the boring and clichéd baddie, but I’m interested to see what happens next.

Once Upon a Blurb

One day, gravity on Earth suddenly became a fraction of what it is now. Twenty years later, humanity has adapted to its new low-gravity reality. And to Willa Fowler, a woman born just after G-day, it’s … well, it’s pretty awesome, actually. You can fly through the air! I mean, sure, you can also die if you jump too high. So you just don’t jump too high. And maybe don’t get mixed up in your Dad’s secret plan to bring gravity back that could get you killed …

1 October, 201830 April, 2020 by Schizanthus Nerd Categories: ReviewTags: 5 stars, Cover Lovin’, Graphic Novel, Image Comics, Skyward Leave a comment