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The Woods
The Woods, Vol. 1: The Arrow
On October 16, 2013, 437 students, 52 teachers, and 24 additional staff from Bay Point Preparatory High School in suburban Milwaukee, WI vanished without a trace. Countless light years away, far outside the bounds of the charted universe, 513 people find themselves in the middle of an ancient, primordial wilderness. Where are they? Why are they there? The answers will prove stranger than anyone could possibly imagine.
128 pages, Paperback
First published September 3, 2014
198 people are currently reading
5,760 people want to read
About the author
James Tynion IV
1,634听books1,761听followersPrior to his first professional work, Tynion was a student of Scott Snyder's at Sarah Lawrence College. A few years later, he worked as for Vertigo as Fables editor Shelly Bond's intern. In late 2011, with DC deciding to give Batman (written by Snyder) a back up feature, Tynion was brought in by request of Snyder to script the back ups he had plotted. Tynion would later do the same with the Batman Annual #1, which was also co-plotted by Snyder. Beginning in September 2012, with DC's 0 issue month for the New 52, Tynion will be writing Talon, with art by Guillem March. In early 2013 it was announced that he'd take over writing duties for Red Hood and the Outlaws in April.
Tynion is also currently one of the writers in a rotating team in the weekly Batman Eternal series.
Tynion is also currently one of the writers in a rotating team in the weekly Batman Eternal series.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 708 reviews
August 11, 2015
There is so much going on with this story! I liked how it had several different settings and didn't stick to one place. I also loved how fast this story moved. Something is always happening. While I enjoyed this for the most part, I didn't find it to be the strongest setup for this series. I will definitely be continuing on with this series though, because I'm quite intrigued to see where it goes!
November 27, 2018
This was not what I was expecting at all. I'm pleasantly surprised. This is a great Sy-fy mystery.
A high school is transported to a whole to new planet and no one knows what's going on. Is this like an 'Aliens' thing where they are being hunted? is this a drama where one crazy guy takes over the school authoritarian style and people lose their freedom? Is this a big mystery and no one knows what is going on? Yes, this is all of those things.
There is a fresh voice, plenty of characters, plenty of mystery and a fast pace to keep the stakes high. I hope the next one is as good, because this was a fun story to read. I wonder what is going on and I wonder how many volumes it will take before we know what is going on.
I'm glad I gave this a chance.
A high school is transported to a whole to new planet and no one knows what's going on. Is this like an 'Aliens' thing where they are being hunted? is this a drama where one crazy guy takes over the school authoritarian style and people lose their freedom? Is this a big mystery and no one knows what is going on? Yes, this is all of those things.
There is a fresh voice, plenty of characters, plenty of mystery and a fast pace to keep the stakes high. I hope the next one is as good, because this was a fun story to read. I wonder what is going on and I wonder how many volumes it will take before we know what is going on.
I'm glad I gave this a chance.
January 12, 2019
ReRead 2017
Lord of the Flies meets Lost with some of The Mist thrown in for good measure. A Wisconsin high school gets transported to an alien world. Alien creatures almost immediately kill a few students and the school starts breaking off into factions on what to do and who will take charge.
The Good: It's a great premise for a series. I look forward to seeing where this is headed.
The Bad: The artist could put more detail into the kids' faces. Sometimes they are just 2 dots and a line.
The Ugly: None of the characters are completely likable, it makes a bit hard to root for anyone.
Original review from 2015
This book is great. Can't wait to read the next one. The art has a definite Geof Darrow influence.
Lord of the Flies meets Lost with some of The Mist thrown in for good measure. A Wisconsin high school gets transported to an alien world. Alien creatures almost immediately kill a few students and the school starts breaking off into factions on what to do and who will take charge.
The Good: It's a great premise for a series. I look forward to seeing where this is headed.
The Bad: The artist could put more detail into the kids' faces. Sometimes they are just 2 dots and a line.
The Ugly: None of the characters are completely likable, it makes a bit hard to root for anyone.
Original review from 2015
This book is great. Can't wait to read the next one. The art has a definite Geof Darrow influence.
December 8, 2015
Apocalyptic mystery for teens. A little horror, a little fantasy, lots of angst: "The glowing stone is an arrow, left to show us the way. We have to follow it into the heart of the unknown. We must enter the woods..." Nothing special, but serves its purpose.
August 26, 2015
2.5 stars.
I wasn't wowed by this. There's lots of little problems with the structure of the book that keep popping up and once that happens, it's a little hard to enjoy the story for what it is.
Some kind of arrow unearths itself next to a high school. The students and faculty find themselves transported to what appears to be another planet. Six students decide to follow the arrow into the woods to see if they can discover the reason why they've been transported, while the rest of the students and faculty stay behind and grapple with more pressing issues such as no water and backed up toilets.
And that's what the biggest problem is for me. Everyone has been transported by some unknown force to another planet, they don't know where the rest of civilization is, and there's some kind of monster out there that's already killed one of the students (not a spoiler, happens at the very start), and all these kids are worried about is the stink the backed-up toilets are creating!? The faculty is worried about one of the student council members taking charge and making them look bad so they go into militant mode, creating a bully-system security detail.
There is nothing scary in this volume, but why would the reader be scared if no else in this book seems to be worried about what's out there?
I wasn't wowed by this. There's lots of little problems with the structure of the book that keep popping up and once that happens, it's a little hard to enjoy the story for what it is.
Some kind of arrow unearths itself next to a high school. The students and faculty find themselves transported to what appears to be another planet. Six students decide to follow the arrow into the woods to see if they can discover the reason why they've been transported, while the rest of the students and faculty stay behind and grapple with more pressing issues such as no water and backed up toilets.
And that's what the biggest problem is for me. Everyone has been transported by some unknown force to another planet, they don't know where the rest of civilization is, and there's some kind of monster out there that's already killed one of the students (not a spoiler, happens at the very start), and all these kids are worried about is the stink the backed-up toilets are creating!? The faculty is worried about one of the student council members taking charge and making them look bad so they go into militant mode, creating a bully-system security detail.
There is nothing scary in this volume, but why would the reader be scared if no else in this book seems to be worried about what's out there?
December 6, 2017
鈥淥h hey, let鈥檚 try a new series. This one looks good ...鈥�
20 pages in ...
*entire school gets transported to another world*
I can鈥檛 ... I can鈥檛 escape it.
2.5 rounded down
Not the best art, not the most original plot, and girls being assholes to each other for "reasons" means I'm mostly left unimpressed.
20 pages in ...
*entire school gets transported to another world*
I can鈥檛 ... I can鈥檛 escape it.
2.5 rounded down
Not the best art, not the most original plot, and girls being assholes to each other for "reasons" means I'm mostly left unimpressed.
July 4, 2015
"The woods are lovely, dark and deep鈥� " Frost tells us. But we already know what "woods" are: Mythical places for exploration, darkness, mystery, fear, joy, all of it. Good and bad things happen in them as we grow up; First sexual experiences, keggers, getting lost. Mosquito bites, sure. But scary things jump out of the dark, it's the unknown, and then everything changes. In Into The Woods, Sondheim shows us that the woods are the place of myth, of fantasy, horror. But also a place of discovery, where we learn to conquer our fears and thrive.
I thought this particular instance of going into the woods was just all right, almost equally for story and art just okay. Maybe all monster stories set in school all have to reference Buffy (for me, anyway). And pale in comparison. And sure, should be written. And are. And there are a few recently and being written, such as Revival or Sheltered. The idea in this one is that one day all this kids from Milwaukee Bay Point College Prep HS disappear and are transported to this alternate universe site, a "woods" where they encounter monsters. The monsters seem kind of tame as monster depictions go. This is coming of age stuff, so they will face these monsters. Oh, and like Buffy every year, the principal dies, which all teen readers will enjoy.
I thought this particular instance of going into the woods was just all right, almost equally for story and art just okay. Maybe all monster stories set in school all have to reference Buffy (for me, anyway). And pale in comparison. And sure, should be written. And are. And there are a few recently and being written, such as Revival or Sheltered. The idea in this one is that one day all this kids from Milwaukee Bay Point College Prep HS disappear and are transported to this alternate universe site, a "woods" where they encounter monsters. The monsters seem kind of tame as monster depictions go. This is coming of age stuff, so they will face these monsters. Oh, and like Buffy every year, the principal dies, which all teen readers will enjoy.
December 20, 2018
b枚yle g枚n眉l rahatl谋臒谋yla 5'i bast谋m. 脟脺NK脺 C陌DDEN HAKED陌YOR! harikayd谋 ya.
莽izgi roman okumaya ba艧lad谋臒谋mdan beri asl谋nda b枚yle bir 艧ey ar谋yordum. buldu臒uma inanam谋yorum fdkdg
ormanda olmamas谋 gereken yarat谋klar var, baz谋lar谋 okula giriyor ve 3 枚臒renci 枚l眉yor, okulun m眉d眉r眉 daha fazla 枚l眉m olmamas谋 i莽in bi艧eyler yapmal谋y谋z diyip 枚臒retmenleri topluyor, bu arada bir grup 枚臒renci orman谋n i莽ine dal谋yor,
i艧te bu k谋s谋m harika, b眉t眉n kitap boyunca sadece tek bir sahneyi de臒il iki farkl谋 sahneyi okuyoruz. okul-orman aras谋nda gidip geliyor VE ASLA SIKICI DE臑陌L. NASIL B陌TT陌臑陌N陌 ANLAMADIM.
莽ok gizemli ve her biri 112 sayfadan 9 cilt... a臒layabilirim mutluluktan.
莽izgi roman okumaya ba艧lad谋臒谋mdan beri asl谋nda b枚yle bir 艧ey ar谋yordum. buldu臒uma inanam谋yorum fdkdg
ormanda olmamas谋 gereken yarat谋klar var, baz谋lar谋 okula giriyor ve 3 枚臒renci 枚l眉yor, okulun m眉d眉r眉 daha fazla 枚l眉m olmamas谋 i莽in bi艧eyler yapmal谋y谋z diyip 枚臒retmenleri topluyor, bu arada bir grup 枚臒renci orman谋n i莽ine dal谋yor,
i艧te bu k谋s谋m harika, b眉t眉n kitap boyunca sadece tek bir sahneyi de臒il iki farkl谋 sahneyi okuyoruz. okul-orman aras谋nda gidip geliyor VE ASLA SIKICI DE臑陌L. NASIL B陌TT陌臑陌N陌 ANLAMADIM.
莽ok gizemli ve her biri 112 sayfadan 9 cilt... a臒layabilirim mutluluktan.
January 12, 2019
What I liked:
- diverse characters (queer & POC)
- cute little alien monster babies
- a touch of gore
- creepy creatures
What I disliked:
- 99% of the storyline & pacing
It's not bad, it's just... I couldn't get into it at all and I have no desire to continue the series.
- diverse characters (queer & POC)
- cute little alien monster babies
- a touch of gore
- creepy creatures
What I disliked:
- 99% of the storyline & pacing
It's not bad, it's just... I couldn't get into it at all and I have no desire to continue the series.
May 24, 2015
James Tynion is apparently a protege of Scott Snyder, and he did write a very good Red Hood story for Zero Year, so I gave this a shot.
It's kinda like Lord of the Flies meets a Star Trek premise meets the Breakfast Club, but with less funny, and more darkness.
A Wisconsin High School finds itself transported to some otherworldly planet (or moon as one of the kids rightly points out) in the middle of a very dense set of Woods. We meet some of the personalities, and get to know their slot or niche in High School: girl jock, outdoorsy, rebel, brain, student president, quiet big guy, needy type, etc.
It's not too bad, and I think they did a good job of not making them all seem like cardboard cutouts, plus there's room to grow as the story continues...
Obviously, the target audience is YA/Teen, but I didn't hate it for that. The principal is a tool, the coach is of course the fascist dictator type, and they try to stop,the student council from making any decisions.
Meanwhile, in the actual interesting part of the book, the brain leads a few of the others out into the woods because there was a sign left there that he felt they needed to go and pass the test of whomever brought them to the moon/woods.
It's only 4 issues, but we get left on a very interesting cliffhanger, and it was enough to pique my curiosity...
Art is decent, there's enough colours being used, instead of just gritty or dark, so I like that, but it's definitely not a sunny happy book...I think it's a good stepping stone to other dystopian/sci-fi books for kids, see how they handle this as young readers...but maybe I'm just a baby, since I thought it was entertaining enough to want to read more?
I feel like The girls would tolerate this better than the boys, and Sam probably would be wise to avoid altogether.
October 29, 2020
2020 Re-Read 3.5 Stars: So I pretty much had the same feelings that I had when I read this back in 2016. I really enjoyed the artwork. While this wasn't the best comic that I've ever read, it is creepy and I think that the premise is intriguing. I think that it does have potential to be a little confusing because the characters are transported to this planet and no one knows anything (this is even disorientating for the reader). I enjoyed that it tackles several major themes like power and survival of the fittest.
This was an interesting comic series. It wasn't the best I've ever read but I will be picking up volume 2 from the library.
This was an interesting comic series. It wasn't the best I've ever read but I will be picking up volume 2 from the library.
July 6, 2015
Probably closer to 4.5.
I am realllllly liking this so far!
I am realllllly liking this so far!
February 17, 2017
Well, I'm still pretty jet-lagged. Fell asleep at 8:30 PM woke up at 1:30 AM and can't fall back asleep. I decided to read a few comics while I was wide awake and The Woods was one that I had meant to read for a little while now.
I didn't do a lot of research before picking this one up and I'm glad I didn't. I honestly thought it just took place in a normal everyday woods. Nope, this shit got interesting real quick. Somehow, a high school full of students and faculty gets transported to another planet/galaxy? They quickly form into different groups that are all trying to figure out what to do in their own ways. Some better than others.
Honestly, I really enjoyed reading this one and I'm super eager to pick up the second volume to see where the story goes!
August 12, 2016
Picked this comic up at Emerald City Comic Con because it sounded interesting and I ended up finishing it in one sitting - almost as soon as I got home.
While the high school side is a little contrived (high school tropes in full swing, a little unbelievable that all the other staff would let this crazy gym teacher take over with such extreme measures so quickly) the other half of the book with the students exploring the woods was much more interesting. I found this first Volume to be equal parts grotesque, exciting and dark. I think it had just started to find its stride when Volume 1 ended, so I am looking forward to reading on.
While the high school side is a little contrived (high school tropes in full swing, a little unbelievable that all the other staff would let this crazy gym teacher take over with such extreme measures so quickly) the other half of the book with the students exploring the woods was much more interesting. I found this first Volume to be equal parts grotesque, exciting and dark. I think it had just started to find its stride when Volume 1 ended, so I am looking forward to reading on.
April 18, 2021
Ok, here is another of those Kindle Unlimited comics, that have been dwelling on my TBR pile for a while.
A school of 500 pupils and teachers is snatched and deposited on an alien planet, in the middle of some woods. The fauna is not friendly. Surprisingly gory for something that has been shelved as YA on 欧宝娱乐.
So, what to do? The grown-ups are English teachers and librarians and just as clueless as the kids. But then someone gets a clue and some of the kids make up their own minds. Things go sideways. Teen angst, aliens, a touch of Lord of the Flies, a bit of Lost.
The artwork isn鈥榯 horrible, but it isn鈥榯 great either. None of the characters are really very likable. But the story is different and I am interested to see where this goes next.
A school of 500 pupils and teachers is snatched and deposited on an alien planet, in the middle of some woods. The fauna is not friendly. Surprisingly gory for something that has been shelved as YA on 欧宝娱乐.
So, what to do? The grown-ups are English teachers and librarians and just as clueless as the kids. But then someone gets a clue and some of the kids make up their own minds. Things go sideways. Teen angst, aliens, a touch of Lord of the Flies, a bit of Lost.
The artwork isn鈥榯 horrible, but it isn鈥榯 great either. None of the characters are really very likable. But the story is different and I am interested to see where this goes next.
February 7, 2017
3,5 / 5
驴Y si de repente el instituto donde ibas a clase aparece a a帽os luz de distancia y m谩s all谩 de los l铆mites del universo conocido en un extra帽o bosque con criaturas terrorificas? Esta es la premisa de la que parte la obra de James Tinion IV publicada en BOOM! Studios y cuya serie est谩 en pleno proceso de desarrollo por Universal Cable Productions.
The Woods no propone nada nuevo: premisa sencilla, j贸venes protagonistas y rebeldes y grandes misterios ocultos por resolver. Pero lo hace bien, muy bien. Un ritmo sin pausa, yendo directamente al grano y dej谩ndose los grandes discursos, los rodeos o reflexiones para otro tipo de lectura. Graficamente es bastante atractivo con ese estilo cartoon que le da el trazo rasgado de Michael Dialynas, adem谩s de utilizar series inspirados o modificados exageradamente para la fauna y vegetaci贸n del misterioso bosque.
Este primer volumen sienta una buena base para la historia, nos presenta el misterio, al grupo protagonista y el ambiente donde todo suceder谩. Ah si, y nos deja con un cliffhanger de tres pares de narices.
驴Y si de repente el instituto donde ibas a clase aparece a a帽os luz de distancia y m谩s all谩 de los l铆mites del universo conocido en un extra帽o bosque con criaturas terrorificas? Esta es la premisa de la que parte la obra de James Tinion IV publicada en BOOM! Studios y cuya serie est谩 en pleno proceso de desarrollo por Universal Cable Productions.
The Woods no propone nada nuevo: premisa sencilla, j贸venes protagonistas y rebeldes y grandes misterios ocultos por resolver. Pero lo hace bien, muy bien. Un ritmo sin pausa, yendo directamente al grano y dej谩ndose los grandes discursos, los rodeos o reflexiones para otro tipo de lectura. Graficamente es bastante atractivo con ese estilo cartoon que le da el trazo rasgado de Michael Dialynas, adem谩s de utilizar series inspirados o modificados exageradamente para la fauna y vegetaci贸n del misterioso bosque.
Este primer volumen sienta una buena base para la historia, nos presenta el misterio, al grupo protagonista y el ambiente donde todo suceder谩. Ah si, y nos deja con un cliffhanger de tres pares de narices.
February 17, 2017
This was interesting.
I wanted to like it more. I think maybe it's made for teenagers (which I can get behind, love Nova and Ms Marvel is fun) but I just couldn't get sucked in to this one for some odd reason. Maybe didn't love any character, or the pacing felt odd at times, or a bit cliche and easy to see coming moments.
On the flipside the artwork is unique and quite good. I also liked some of the character's action and a surprise here and there. The atmosphere is unique and different and I have to say I did like the monsters designs.
This could be better, and it probably will get better. It feels like a big "Epic" scope that takes a few volumes to get going. I'll give it that!
I wanted to like it more. I think maybe it's made for teenagers (which I can get behind, love Nova and Ms Marvel is fun) but I just couldn't get sucked in to this one for some odd reason. Maybe didn't love any character, or the pacing felt odd at times, or a bit cliche and easy to see coming moments.
On the flipside the artwork is unique and quite good. I also liked some of the character's action and a surprise here and there. The atmosphere is unique and different and I have to say I did like the monsters designs.
This could be better, and it probably will get better. It feels like a big "Epic" scope that takes a few volumes to get going. I'll give it that!
February 9, 2015
This wasn鈥檛 too bad albeit a bit watered down for a YA audience for my normal taste.
November 5, 2015
This was a fun, quick, easy read. Only 4 issues long with a fast paced story that just kind of whips you along.
There's not a whole lot of rocket science going on in this one. You kind of just need to suspend your disbelief and go with the flow. If you are capable of that, then this can make for a pretty enjoyable read.
Basically, a high school gets teleported to another planet or a different dimension, or something? It's not really clear (yet) the why, where, or how.
And for now, it doesn't really matter. The story splinters off into a few different plot lines which add an illusion of depth that actually isn't really there.
I'm not trying to say this story is shallow, it's actually quite well told, and the artwork, though kind of cartoony, is really vibrant and contrasts some of the darker aspects of the book nicely.
It's just that everything about this story just seems kind of...simple. Not a 'been there done that' kind of thing, rather, more of a, 'yeah I totally saw that coming' kind of thing.
But you know what? It's fun. High School kids and their teachers are trying to survive in an alien enviroment and not get their faces eaten off. That's some fun reading right there!
September 24, 2015
A high school gets picked up out of Wisconsin and transported to somewhere...the distant future? Another solar system? A parallel universe? With Mayans? Vikings? I'm not really sure, but there are WOODS, and strange deadly alien? creatures.
Quickly this turns into two separate story lines. The bulk of the school becoming Lord of the Flies, with evil gym teachers and jock henchmen. The focus switches back and forth between the school power struggle and what is, in my opinion, the more interesting story. A small group of misfits have set out to explore the woods.
Overall it is very quick and reads like a teen horror B movie. Fun and mindless, with just enough gore.
Quickly this turns into two separate story lines. The bulk of the school becoming Lord of the Flies, with evil gym teachers and jock henchmen. The focus switches back and forth between the school power struggle and what is, in my opinion, the more interesting story. A small group of misfits have set out to explore the woods.
Overall it is very quick and reads like a teen horror B movie. Fun and mindless, with just enough gore.
December 14, 2015
Bullet Review:
Very enjoyable! A high school gets transported to some alien moon and, well, chaos ensues. Five teens head out to try to solve the mystery of why they are there while the rest fight to exert control.
This is the type of story I love; adventure/journey/travel/survival stories. It brings out the best - and worst - in people.
Very enjoyable! A high school gets transported to some alien moon and, well, chaos ensues. Five teens head out to try to solve the mystery of why they are there while the rest fight to exert control.
This is the type of story I love; adventure/journey/travel/survival stories. It brings out the best - and worst - in people.
May 15, 2020
Definitely not my cup of tea.
May 23, 2017
On an ordinary Monday, things for the students and faculty of Bay Point Preparatory High School in Milwaukee are about to get very extraordinary.
"What the hell was that?"
"Was that some kind of explosion?"
"What... What is that??"
'That' is the school being suddenly, unexplainably transported to another planet-
"Moon."
"What?"
"Um... It's a moon, isn't it? We're orbiting a gas giant. I'm pretty sure this is a moon. Maybe."
Fine.
'That', is the school being suddenly, unexplainably transported to an uncharted moon outside our solar system, never before seen or heard from.
The school faculty, butting heads with the overachieving, smart Student Council President, Maria, tries to regain control.
But law and order can't be expected to be kept when you have almost five-hundred hormonal teenagers all stuck in the same building under school-enforced Martial Law with no running water, a dwindling food supply, no proper sleeping quarters and, most unnervingly, no contact to their own world.
One student, a fourteen-year-old freshman, has already been killed by a creature from the Woods, the dense forest outside the circle where the school mysteriously landed.
A group of students who, before this day, had barely interacted with each other, with the exceptions of a couple of them being close friends, lead by mathematics and technology genius Adrian, goes racing off into The Woods.
Because-
"I told you! I told you there was a path... This is the first step."
Between the tensions running high and mental strings snapping back at Bay Point, and the band of high schoolers screwing around in an alien forest, what ensues is a desperate, sometimes hilarious (pardon my French) clusterfuck of a fight for survival.
Yeah, yeah. Normally I replace that particular bomb with humorous replacement eff words (usually inspired either by Adventure Time or Battlestar Galactica ) so readers of all ilks can enjoy my reviews, but, I'm losing my effing mind over this book and I couldn't be bothered to censor myself, so get the eff off my back!
Annnnnywho.
James Tynion's The Woods jumped the frak outta nowhere at me.
I mean, yeah, it was on my TBR for over two years. But it wasn't one of those comic books I stalked on 欧宝娱乐, read review after review after review, dreamily admired on websites I still couldn't afford it from, or day-dreamed about reading.
I basically saw it at the library and went-
"Oh, hey. That looks familiar."
*whips out phone*
"Oh, cool, it's on my TBR."
*yoink*
I'm lucky my blonde-brain even thought to check it on 欧宝娱乐.
The Woods doesn't build up to its story.
You, the reader, get thrown down in the middle of the panic along with everybody else.
Unlike some books where you know what's going on because Racer X already spilled the beans, The Woods keeps its mouth shut. You don't know what's going on until everybody else does.
I LOVE that. Sometimes I want to be so confused I'm two seconds from throwing the book against the wall. I'm used to being confused when everyone else isn't, though.
I like it when we're all in the same dingy, thankyouverymuch.
This is a killer story with no world-building, no character development, (maybe character revelations?) no clear plot and nothing that even resembles a coherent storyline.
Confused yet?
Welcome to Thunderdome, bitch.
I will say that the characters we have-
Karen Jacobs.
Just wants to scream right now.
Sanami Ota.
Is trying very hard not to say "I told you so."
Calder Macready.
Clearly has some kind of death wish.
Maria Ramirez.
Wishes she could strangle whoever told Mr. Beaumont to be a principal.
John Beaumont.
Wishes he could strangle whoever told him to be a principal.
Isaac Andrews.
Is getting better at pretending he's not upset.
Adrian Roth.
Knows he's smarter than the rest of the these idiots.
Benjamin Stone.
Knew it was a bad idea to take this hallway.
are a memorable cast. There's someone for everyone.
I hate comparing stuff to The Breakfast Club, but, ya know...
Not to mention, hey! Gay characters that don't have to be in some taboo "OMG no way!!!" romance to be relevant because, you know, I think there are actually single gay people.
Who knew?
Vol. 2 is at my library and I'm running off to get my fangirly little paws on it in about fifteen minutes so you are all spared my wrath.
Art specs
Michael Dialynas's art is amazing.
It's a little rough around the edges, but all for the sake of style.
Dialynas's art actually reminds of me Wes Craig's, the artist for Rick Remender's Deadly Class series.
Coincidently, I think I might've found contender to rival for my best comic book of 2017.
"What the hell was that?"
"Was that some kind of explosion?"
"What... What is that??"
'That' is the school being suddenly, unexplainably transported to another planet-
"Moon."
"What?"
"Um... It's a moon, isn't it? We're orbiting a gas giant. I'm pretty sure this is a moon. Maybe."
Fine.
'That', is the school being suddenly, unexplainably transported to an uncharted moon outside our solar system, never before seen or heard from.
The school faculty, butting heads with the overachieving, smart Student Council President, Maria, tries to regain control.
But law and order can't be expected to be kept when you have almost five-hundred hormonal teenagers all stuck in the same building under school-enforced Martial Law with no running water, a dwindling food supply, no proper sleeping quarters and, most unnervingly, no contact to their own world.
One student, a fourteen-year-old freshman, has already been killed by a creature from the Woods, the dense forest outside the circle where the school mysteriously landed.
A group of students who, before this day, had barely interacted with each other, with the exceptions of a couple of them being close friends, lead by mathematics and technology genius Adrian, goes racing off into The Woods.
Because-
"I told you! I told you there was a path... This is the first step."
Between the tensions running high and mental strings snapping back at Bay Point, and the band of high schoolers screwing around in an alien forest, what ensues is a desperate, sometimes hilarious (pardon my French) clusterfuck of a fight for survival.
Yeah, yeah. Normally I replace that particular bomb with humorous replacement eff words (usually inspired either by Adventure Time or Battlestar Galactica ) so readers of all ilks can enjoy my reviews, but, I'm losing my effing mind over this book and I couldn't be bothered to censor myself, so get the eff off my back!
Annnnnywho.
James Tynion's The Woods jumped the frak outta nowhere at me.
I mean, yeah, it was on my TBR for over two years. But it wasn't one of those comic books I stalked on 欧宝娱乐, read review after review after review, dreamily admired on websites I still couldn't afford it from, or day-dreamed about reading.
I basically saw it at the library and went-
"Oh, hey. That looks familiar."
*whips out phone*
"Oh, cool, it's on my TBR."
*yoink*
I'm lucky my blonde-brain even thought to check it on 欧宝娱乐.
The Woods doesn't build up to its story.
You, the reader, get thrown down in the middle of the panic along with everybody else.
Unlike some books where you know what's going on because Racer X already spilled the beans, The Woods keeps its mouth shut. You don't know what's going on until everybody else does.
I LOVE that. Sometimes I want to be so confused I'm two seconds from throwing the book against the wall. I'm used to being confused when everyone else isn't, though.
I like it when we're all in the same dingy, thankyouverymuch.
This is a killer story with no world-building, no character development, (maybe character revelations?) no clear plot and nothing that even resembles a coherent storyline.
Confused yet?
Welcome to Thunderdome, bitch.
I will say that the characters we have-
Karen Jacobs.
Just wants to scream right now.
Sanami Ota.
Is trying very hard not to say "I told you so."
Calder Macready.
Clearly has some kind of death wish.
Maria Ramirez.
Wishes she could strangle whoever told Mr. Beaumont to be a principal.
John Beaumont.
Wishes he could strangle whoever told him to be a principal.
Isaac Andrews.
Is getting better at pretending he's not upset.
Adrian Roth.
Knows he's smarter than the rest of the these idiots.
Benjamin Stone.
Knew it was a bad idea to take this hallway.
are a memorable cast. There's someone for everyone.
I hate comparing stuff to The Breakfast Club, but, ya know...
Not to mention, hey! Gay characters that don't have to be in some taboo "OMG no way!!!" romance to be relevant because, you know, I think there are actually single gay people.
Who knew?
Vol. 2 is at my library and I'm running off to get my fangirly little paws on it in about fifteen minutes so you are all spared my wrath.
Art specs
Michael Dialynas's art is amazing.
It's a little rough around the edges, but all for the sake of style.
Dialynas's art actually reminds of me Wes Craig's, the artist for Rick Remender's Deadly Class series.
Coincidently, I think I might've found contender to rival for my best comic book of 2017.
May 12, 2019
Not sure how I feel at this point. While the overall concept is quite original, many of the characters feel recycled and the dialogue leaves me feeling rather "meh" about their relationships. The ending was well-timed though, and I am going to give Vol. 2 a chance.
April 14, 2015
James Tynion IV (Batman Eternal) spins a science-fiction story about an entire high school 鈥� teachers, students, building 鈥� that is suddenly transported to a wilderness location on a moon in some other universe. Before the group can even get oriented to their new surroundings, they are attacked by strange creatures and there are casualties. The 500+ individuals struggle to establish order but that effort is hampered by various groups鈥� efforts to seize power. In addition, a few select students are plagued with visions of a mysterious object, which draws them into unknown danger.
After presenting at Wondercon on Garth Ennis鈥� space horror comic book series Caliban, I was on the prowl for science-fiction space horror graphic novels. I picked up The Woods Volume 1: The Arrow, which collects the first four issues, published by BOOM! Studios. Tynion populates his story with engaging and interesting characters, and he paces his storytelling for maximum effect. There is a minimum amount of horror in the first volume that may increase in subsequent volumes, but the emphasis is on science fiction.
There are two main plots, delineated by location. The first is taking place in the high school building and reminds me of Battle Royale while the small group of kids that take off for the mysterious object is reminiscent of The Most Dangerous Game. This is not a bad comparison: I thought Tynion鈥檚 story was entertaining and piqued my interest to pick up the next volume.
After presenting at Wondercon on Garth Ennis鈥� space horror comic book series Caliban, I was on the prowl for science-fiction space horror graphic novels. I picked up The Woods Volume 1: The Arrow, which collects the first four issues, published by BOOM! Studios. Tynion populates his story with engaging and interesting characters, and he paces his storytelling for maximum effect. There is a minimum amount of horror in the first volume that may increase in subsequent volumes, but the emphasis is on science fiction.
There are two main plots, delineated by location. The first is taking place in the high school building and reminds me of Battle Royale while the small group of kids that take off for the mysterious object is reminiscent of The Most Dangerous Game. This is not a bad comparison: I thought Tynion鈥檚 story was entertaining and piqued my interest to pick up the next volume.
August 16, 2017
The Woods...
Currently on a horror binge, I grabbed this randomly hoping it to be something along that line.
Not what I was expecting, though. It's more weird than scary.
Nevertheless, still entertaining.
I don't know why, but the premise reminded me of that Predator movie reboot, where folks are kidnapped, taken to a strange planet and set loose for sports. Maybe that's the whole idea here? Maybe. We'll see. I hope I'm wrong :)
Political restructuring, bullies taking charge, etc. At the sign of the first conflict, we're already seeing these typical post-apocalyptic aftermath (even though I wouldn't personally label the events in The Woods as 'post-apocalyptic').
Maybe the series will end up similar to The Walking Dead. 'Why?' is no longer the primary concern. But rather what happens to the surviving folks within the community.
I'm definitely checking out the next volume.
Currently on a horror binge, I grabbed this randomly hoping it to be something along that line.
Not what I was expecting, though. It's more weird than scary.
Nevertheless, still entertaining.
I don't know why, but the premise reminded me of that Predator movie reboot, where folks are kidnapped, taken to a strange planet and set loose for sports. Maybe that's the whole idea here? Maybe. We'll see. I hope I'm wrong :)
Political restructuring, bullies taking charge, etc. At the sign of the first conflict, we're already seeing these typical post-apocalyptic aftermath (even though I wouldn't personally label the events in The Woods as 'post-apocalyptic').
Maybe the series will end up similar to The Walking Dead. 'Why?' is no longer the primary concern. But rather what happens to the surviving folks within the community.
I'm definitely checking out the next volume.
March 22, 2016
Fairly impressive. It feels a little like "Lost" so far--which I wasn't fond of--being a strange place where people think they're dead, anarchy ensues, but the story is ripe with potential and weirdness, if sometimes overly dramatic. But it's funny, adventurous, horrific, wacky, unique, and the artwork is stunning. There are few books with bold and bright artwork like this...The Wake and Deadly Class are the only ones that come to mind. So far so good. Let's see where this goes.
April 21, 2018
I honestly don鈥檛 know how I feel about this graphic novel. I can鈥檛 say I liked it much but the art was intriguing. It was creepy and I had no idea what was going on. Also the teachers were weird as fuck and abusive which made my enjoyment sour.
I am curious about the characters and against my better judgement I want to find out what happens. I鈥檒l probably continue on and see what volume two is like 馃
I am curious about the characters and against my better judgement I want to find out what happens. I鈥檒l probably continue on and see what volume two is like 馃
October 30, 2016
New favourite comic alert!! This was like if The 100 took place in the Upside Down and it was all set on an Alien Moon. Think Lumberjanes but A LOT darker. I loved this so much. The art was stunning and I love the characters. I can't recommend this enough and I can't wait to see what happens in volume 2!!!
August 8, 2020
Read this in one sitting for Dewey's 24 Hr Reverse Readathon. I enjoy teen horror as it's more campy and creepy. This one delivered. Loved the colours used in the graphics.
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