Graphic Novel Review – Niourk by Stefan Wul and Olivier Vatine (4.5/5 stars)

Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Post-Apocalyptic/Science Fiction
Length: 176 pages
Publisher: Dark Horse Originals
Release Date: February 13, 2018
ISBN-13: 978-1506703695
Stand Alone or Series: Stand Alone
Source: Amazon Vine
Rating: 4.5/5 stars

“On a post-apocalyptic Earth, where mankind has regressed to a handful of primitive tribes hunting and foraging for a meager, oppressed existence, a lone black child, shunned by other members of his tribe, sets out on an epic journey to what used to be known as New York, land of the gods! Written by Stefan Wul, author of cult favorite Fantastic Planet, illustrated by acclaimed French comics artist Olivier Vatine, this unusual hero’s journey is a memorable examination of a child’s compassion — and the human race’s cruelty.”

I got this graphic novel through the Amazon Vine program for review. This was an impressive graphic novel set on a post-apocalyptic earth. It follows a boy named Dark Child as he struggles to survive and, through a strange set of circumstance, gains superhero like abilities.

The illustration is very well done. It is beautifully detailed with full color and is easy to follow. The story is epic in breadth. We follow Dark Child from his humble beginnings, eking out a living on the edge of a caveman-like human tribe, to his ascension to godlike power.

I enjoyed the breadth of the story and how we get to see the whole cycle of Dark Child’s life. Things do get a bit strange and tough to follow in the end; but there are a lot of interesting ideas and themes introduced throughout.

My 10 year old was begging to read this and I decided to let him. There is some swearing and some vague nudity (the cave people don’t wear much for clothing) and I was worried some of the concepts might be kind of advanced for him. However, he absolutely loved the story and we ended up sitting down and discussing some of the concepts he didn’t quite get. This was kind of mind-blowing for him and he’s been reading it over and over.

Overall I was very impressed with this graphic novel. The illustration is very well done and the story is amazing. There are some parts that are a bit confusing to follow, but in the end I would recommend. This is very well done; I am happy that I read this and excited that this is finally available in English.

This book goes towards the following reading challenges:
– New Release Reading Challenge
– Goodreads Reading Challenge
– Graphic Novel Reading Challenge