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Spera #1
Spera, Volume 1
WELCOME TO THE LAND OF SPERA
Lono's life as a princess consisted of sitting, reading, and dreaming--until the day Pira, princess of a neighboring kingdom, arrived with news of a waking nightmare! With the help of Pira's best friend--a fire spirit in the form of a dog named Yonder--the princesses now find themselves in a race against evil. The goal: Spera, a magical realm of which the princesses had only ever heard the tallest tales. The prize: their very lives!
Written, created, and edited by Josh Tierney, Spera Volume 1 is the first book in an ongoing series of graphic novels illustrated by artists from around the world.
Lono's life as a princess consisted of sitting, reading, and dreaming--until the day Pira, princess of a neighboring kingdom, arrived with news of a waking nightmare! With the help of Pira's best friend--a fire spirit in the form of a dog named Yonder--the princesses now find themselves in a race against evil. The goal: Spera, a magical realm of which the princesses had only ever heard the tallest tales. The prize: their very lives!
Written, created, and edited by Josh Tierney, Spera Volume 1 is the first book in an ongoing series of graphic novels illustrated by artists from around the world.
176 pages, Hardcover
First published September 27, 2011
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 162 reviews
September 12, 2012
[Someday, all this will be yours.
Click for larger.]
I have a daughter. An awesome daughter. She's little. She walks and talks and adventures around, but she doesn't yet read. She knows the sounds most letters make, but she's not yet stringing them together. She'll probably start reading in earnest in the next year or so. I've got big plans for her, all the books and games and things that I love that I hope to share with her.
Plan is loosely and perhaps injudiciously used here.
Less than any well-thought-out schematic for her education in the pop-cultural ephemera that I enjoy along with a splinter of the real world's populace, I have a rough idea: throw awesome stuff at her in hopes that she'll find something she herself will enjoy. Something that fits the nook of her own individual tastes and circumstances. I can't pretend to know what that will be, but more than anything I want her to be able to experience all the wonderful things out there in an environment of safety and comfort—for as long as I'm able to provide that for her.
I'm not opposed to her encountering mature, complex works such as Habibi or Sailor Twain , but I think it would be reasonable to ramp her up to such literature by first introducing her to less-confusing visions of the female person. With that in mind, over the next few months and years, I'll be looking for books that don't portray femaleness as an indictment, a weakness, or a reason to be victimized.1 And honestly, apart from a handful of books, I can't immediately think of much that fits the bill. Leave It to Chance , even though Chance's father is clearly sexist (it's a plot point)? Jeff Smith's Bone? Luke Pearson's Hildafolk ? The works of Raina Telgameier? What else? I'm sure there's more. Nausicaä could work (especially as she already adores Howl's Moving Castle), but it might be a little harrowing for her in the next couple years.
*sigh*
At any rate I'm thankful, then, that Josh Tierney and his astonishing cadre of collaborators is putting forward Spera, the story of two very different princesses and the terrible, wonderful world they adventure in. It's not so far or properly speaking either a kid's book or even one of particular interest to females—save perhaps for the bald fact that it exists and may be friendly to both demographics.
Spera takes a note from some of the best adventure stories and seems to gleefully embrace a world with dark corners and dangerous tidings. For all its beauty, lives are at stake and not everybody gets to live happily ever after. It's the kind of story a kid could get behind—one that doesn't feel patronizing or pandering. It's a story that, ironically, takes off the kid gloves.2 Pira is a princess fleeing her own realm, abandoning a queen who is conquering and terrifying and merciless. She and her friend (?) Yonder, a fire-spirit most often taking the form of a great flaming dog, stop along their way to pick up a companion in the form of another princess. Lono's father, the king of her realm, has just been murdered by Pira's mother and their kingdom is fated to be put to the sword, so Pira's arrival and invitation to flee come with fortuitous timing. The three journey through mysterious lands to find a fabled land of peace and plenty, Spera.
One of Spera's successes (in my eyes at least) is that it doesn't posit a single type of female character as being valuable. Too often, I think, authors tired of the cliches that for too long riddled the expression of female character in adventure fiction embrace a second (though reactive) cliche. As exhausted as the shrinking violet/distressed damsel has been for ages now, coming in close on its heels is the rough-and-tumble, hyper-capable, rash-decision-making girl-power girl. I'm sure that at one point, the character was somewhere in the neighbourhood of fresh, but that hasn't been the case for decades at the least.
So when Spera posits Pira and Lono as dual protagonists, I hold out hope for the story. True, Lono does seem at times to be something near the hesitant, dainty princess, and Pira cuts a quick figure for the badass tough girl; but as the story goes, it seems that they will be less of these things and more simply just capable foils for each other as they grow during the story's unfolding. At least, this is my hope.
Spera is truly an all-ages book in that—though pretty simple so far—it can appeal to kiddies and grown ups too-oo-oo.3 And though this is the case, I'm mostly interested to see how my daughter takes to it. It's built around the ideas of adventure and loyalty—and maybe around the idea that loyalty is an adventure. There're swords and monsters and spirits and dark woods and hidden caves. No princes so far. Both princesses show themselves well and truly capable, albeit in entirely different ways. And even Lono, who is not naturally brave, shows herself to have a courage that rivals Pira's (after all, the naturally frightened must exercise far more bravery to do the things that come easy to the naturally courageous). It's only the first volume and hard to tell where Tierney is going to take his story, but so far, everything seems relatively light (as light as a story about fleeing a murderous queen could be).
One of the coolest features of Spera also turns out to be one of its biggest negatives. (Though for all that, not so big a negative.) Tierney, in order to convey his story, enlists an entire armory's worth of artists, each one taking on a chapter. Flipping through before sitting down to read, I immediately recognized Luke Pearson (of Hildafolk) and Emily Carroll (of His Face All Red), but for the most part, Spera was my introduction to a number of talented artists. The problem, beyond the discrepancy in narrative tone that a rotation of artists necessarily causes, is that some of the creators employed were better illustrators than they were visual storytellers. Each contributor had interesting takes on the characters, but some had trouble conveying through their drawings what exactly was occurring on the page. It's a common kind of problem with young illustrators, but while understandable and I can empathize, it does occasionally diminish the work.
Still, these kinds of hiccoughs do not, in the end, supersede the value of Tierney's production and I'm excited to see where he'll take things in future volumes.
Note
The organization of the book was a bit of a puzzle to me. The first four chapters are presented as The Story. These are followed by a section of short pieces that look like they are to be read simply as vignettes unrelated to the narrative flow. But (!) these stories really do end up carrying on the story and are sequential parts of the grander narrative strain and build off each other. That they should be presented as something separate was confusing to me as there doesn't appear any real reason for this. Maybe there is and I wasn't careful enough in my reading to catch it. A puzzlement.
Notes
1. It breaks my heart that there will one day be a very good reason for her to encounter these things in her fiction—that she might be better made capable to encounter them in the non-fiction that makes up her actual life.
2. Kids, generally speaking, loathe kid gloves. The fastest way to prove you have no respect for a child is to shield them from all darkness. They might not realize right away that you're doing this, but sooner than later they'll catch on. And then they'll know what you think of them. And in that moment, they'll lose the tiniest amount of respect for you as well.
3. Allusion here from Kipling's poem about the Cameelious hump, the hump that is black and blue—from Just So Stories, which I've been reading to my daughter before bed.
_____________________
[Review courtesy of Good Ok Bad]
September 19, 2016
Spera is the story of two princesses, one who likes to sword fight and explore and another who likes to read and stay inside. One day, the tomboy princess, whose name is Pira, turns up in Lono's (the reader) kingdom and says that her father the king is dead. They have to get away now to save Lono's life. Where will two young princesses go to hide? A magical land called Spera. And so, the adventure begins.
I think that Spera tried to tell an engaging fairy tale with built in gender role options to educate impressionable young girls about who and what they can choose to be, but it didn't quite work. Graphic novels need more than an interesting characterization idea- to engage reluctant readers, they need to tell a great story. Spera never gets there. The underlying message is sound- let children be who they are. Don't point girls towards a book or boys towards a sword just because that's their gender. But frankly, that's it. The rest of the story, minus a run in with a creepy child, is kind of a non-starter.
Multiple authors contributed to this book so that's a plus in my mind. Every chapter the reader gets a different artistic interpretation of Pira, Lono, and the fire spirit, Yonder. I gave Spera an extra star just for the artwork. As an adult, I found the variety enjoyable but I could see it being confusing for younger readers. They may not understand why the characters look so different every couple of pages.
If I was asked for a graphic novel recommendation for young girls that has fantasy elements, I'd skip Spera and point readers towards Princeless #1 by Jeremy Whitley.
I think that Spera tried to tell an engaging fairy tale with built in gender role options to educate impressionable young girls about who and what they can choose to be, but it didn't quite work. Graphic novels need more than an interesting characterization idea- to engage reluctant readers, they need to tell a great story. Spera never gets there. The underlying message is sound- let children be who they are. Don't point girls towards a book or boys towards a sword just because that's their gender. But frankly, that's it. The rest of the story, minus a run in with a creepy child, is kind of a non-starter.
Multiple authors contributed to this book so that's a plus in my mind. Every chapter the reader gets a different artistic interpretation of Pira, Lono, and the fire spirit, Yonder. I gave Spera an extra star just for the artwork. As an adult, I found the variety enjoyable but I could see it being confusing for younger readers. They may not understand why the characters look so different every couple of pages.
If I was asked for a graphic novel recommendation for young girls that has fantasy elements, I'd skip Spera and point readers towards Princeless #1 by Jeremy Whitley.
January 13, 2016
I gave this a look because it was not only on prominent display in one local library, but a staff recommendation in two others. For something so highly promoted, I was surprised by the pedestrian nature of the writing. The father of one of the dual princess protagonists dies at the hands of the other protagonist's mother, but these major developments are off-page and essentially shrugged off as the pair decide to head off and become adventurers. There's a lot of wandering around, mundane day to day busywork, and a distinct lack of anything being explained (why is one protagonist's mother evil, why don't the princesses bother with disguises, what's the nature of the geopolitical situation that resulted in regicide, etcetera). There's a tiny bit of action, but nothing seems terribly threatening when you have two deus ex machina in the form of a magic sword and a gigantic flaming dog monster playing defense, and problems can apparently be magically solved by such novel processes as sucking another person's blood out through a gaping wound in their shoulder.
Some of the art is nice, and the artist-swapping between chapters didn't bother me the way it apparently did some other readers, but that may just be due to the art matching the story's relative incoherence.
Some of the art is nice, and the artist-swapping between chapters didn't bother me the way it apparently did some other readers, but that may just be due to the art matching the story's relative incoherence.
January 29, 2014
This had a great hook, for me. Pira is a tomboy who wants to save the princess and be an adventurer. Considering my love for Revolutionary Girl Utena, I had to read it. And there's great potential in Spera. Pira is a fantastic character, everything that I'd hoped for. Lono, the more girly princess, is a little weak, but I'm hoping she'll become more proactive. When Tierney is writing the main storyline, it's pretty entertaining, with a few nicely creepy moments.
But each chapter is drawn by a different artist. This isn't a big deal during the main story, because all of the art is good enough. But the art in the short stories section varies quite a bit, enough that some of the characters look off-model in some of the stories. In some places, the art was dragging the story down.
But I think I'm going to persist with Spera. The writing and the characters are enjoyable enough, and it's promising.
But each chapter is drawn by a different artist. This isn't a big deal during the main story, because all of the art is good enough. But the art in the short stories section varies quite a bit, enough that some of the characters look off-model in some of the stories. In some places, the art was dragging the story down.
But I think I'm going to persist with Spera. The writing and the characters are enjoyable enough, and it's promising.
February 21, 2020
Wie bereits in einem Update erwähnt, ist für mich der Zeichenstil einer Graphic Novel entscheidend für den Lesespaß. Selbst wenn ich nicht der größte Fan des Stils bin, kann ich einen Comic sehr mögen, wenn sich der Stil durchzieht. Hier gab es nach jedem Kapitel einen Wechsel der Zeichner*innen und somit des Stils. Das empfinde ich als anstrengend.
Aber, nicht nur der Stil gefiel mir größtenteils nicht, sondern auch die Geschichte selbst hat mich nicht überzeugen können. Die ersten Kapitel, in denen wir in die Welt eingeführt werden, fand ich ziemlich gut, danach wurde die Handlung repetitiv und zog sich. Es gab keine bis kaum Entwicklung in den Figuren und auch der Humor des Anfangs hat sich für mich leider zu schnell verloren.
Ich weiß nicht, ob ich noch in den zweiten Band reinlesen werde, da mir die Idee im Prinzip gut gefällt: zwei Prinzessinnen, die befreundet sind, ziehen in Abenteuer und versuchen zu überleben.
Aber, nicht nur der Stil gefiel mir größtenteils nicht, sondern auch die Geschichte selbst hat mich nicht überzeugen können. Die ersten Kapitel, in denen wir in die Welt eingeführt werden, fand ich ziemlich gut, danach wurde die Handlung repetitiv und zog sich. Es gab keine bis kaum Entwicklung in den Figuren und auch der Humor des Anfangs hat sich für mich leider zu schnell verloren.
Ich weiß nicht, ob ich noch in den zweiten Band reinlesen werde, da mir die Idee im Prinzip gut gefällt: zwei Prinzessinnen, die befreundet sind, ziehen in Abenteuer und versuchen zu überleben.
July 2, 2016
Two young princesses go on the run from danger with a cool looking flaming wolf - or goofy looking smoldering dog, depending on which artist is drawing the current chapter. This work consists of a string of short episodes drawn by different artists with jarringly different styles and appeal. It takes a strong writer telling a strong story to carry the reader through such a conceit, but Spera, alas, has neither.
March 3, 2013
Yesterday my boyfriend and I went to the library and he stocked up on some graphic novels. This happened to be one of them, and for a few minutes after finishing a book last night, this jumped off of the coffee table and into my hands. I was intrigued by the cover which made me think of some of those PlayStation video games I'd play back in the day, the ones that all the guys at the used music store would scoff at me for buying because they were "girl games". Yes, yes, things like Zelda or Mario Party, games that were fun and had cute animals or fluffy characters, or whatever. "Girl games". Screw you, people.
In any case, I flipped through this and found myself quickly flipping back to the beginning and reading all the way through. Each chapter is illustrated by a different artist, which annoyed me at first, but I got over it. I still think some are better illustrators than others but I get the idea behind the concept, and whatever, it is what it is. (I think Hwei is awesome, and I want to know everything about her now.)
I don't really know how to talk about graphic novels - I either like them or I don't, and I'm especially not sure how to talk about this one. I'm interested in art that is appealing to me, but I have no idea how to explain that to anyone else - it has to move me. I expect the same in my graphic art and/or comics. I have much love for Thor going back to my wee little childhood, and some of those aren't very pretty, but that is an exception. The artwork for Thor certainly got prettier as time went on, even if I didn't particularly care for those newer issues.
In any case, as previously stated, some illustrations in this volume were better than others. Cohesively they only sort of worked for me. I can appreciate the various interpretations of characters, but my brain works differently than that, so I didn't like having to jump into someone else's brain every few pages.
I see a few people have listed this as Young Adult, and I don't know, it probably is. It's a fast read, it was relatively enjoyable, but my third eye certainly didn't open. I'm more interested in checking out some of the individual illustrators than I am in picking up Vol 2, but I imagine I would read it under the same circumstances if the boyfriend brings it home in the future.
It did make me want to pull out my Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time again though. But I refuse because it nearly ruined my college education, and I'll be damned if I allow it to suck the life out of me now, well into my 30s.
In any case, I flipped through this and found myself quickly flipping back to the beginning and reading all the way through. Each chapter is illustrated by a different artist, which annoyed me at first, but I got over it. I still think some are better illustrators than others but I get the idea behind the concept, and whatever, it is what it is. (I think Hwei is awesome, and I want to know everything about her now.)
I don't really know how to talk about graphic novels - I either like them or I don't, and I'm especially not sure how to talk about this one. I'm interested in art that is appealing to me, but I have no idea how to explain that to anyone else - it has to move me. I expect the same in my graphic art and/or comics. I have much love for Thor going back to my wee little childhood, and some of those aren't very pretty, but that is an exception. The artwork for Thor certainly got prettier as time went on, even if I didn't particularly care for those newer issues.
In any case, as previously stated, some illustrations in this volume were better than others. Cohesively they only sort of worked for me. I can appreciate the various interpretations of characters, but my brain works differently than that, so I didn't like having to jump into someone else's brain every few pages.
I see a few people have listed this as Young Adult, and I don't know, it probably is. It's a fast read, it was relatively enjoyable, but my third eye certainly didn't open. I'm more interested in checking out some of the individual illustrators than I am in picking up Vol 2, but I imagine I would read it under the same circumstances if the boyfriend brings it home in the future.
It did make me want to pull out my Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time again though. But I refuse because it nearly ruined my college education, and I'll be damned if I allow it to suck the life out of me now, well into my 30s.
August 10, 2015
THERE IS A GIANT WEREDOG IN THIS SERIES THAT LOOKS A LOT LIKE MY (former) DOG. Who has fire coming off of him.
GAH.
This is an epicish story of a set of adventurers finding their way and battling things for cash. It could be a D&D adventure, easily. Each chapter is illustrated by someone different.
I like the androgyny of one of the characters, and obv I'm a fangirl for the weredog, and most of the monsters are madcool....
BUT. I was NOT feeling the writing. Awkward dialog, telling rather than showing... it just felt unpracticed.
Let me emphasize how much I like most of the illustrations. Those are amazing. Yay fullcolor. And yay diverse gender expression (although stories in which all of the core characters are pale-skinned now look off to me). Overall underwhelmed.
GAH.
This is an epicish story of a set of adventurers finding their way and battling things for cash. It could be a D&D adventure, easily. Each chapter is illustrated by someone different.
I like the androgyny of one of the characters, and obv I'm a fangirl for the weredog, and most of the monsters are madcool....
BUT. I was NOT feeling the writing. Awkward dialog, telling rather than showing... it just felt unpracticed.
Let me emphasize how much I like most of the illustrations. Those are amazing. Yay fullcolor. And yay diverse gender expression (although stories in which all of the core characters are pale-skinned now look off to me). Overall underwhelmed.
April 28, 2023
In between all the chores and work and other stuff I thankfully find some time to read some more of my graphic novels that I acquired yesterday at the King's Day flea market at my town! This was a stunning graphic novel and I love how we get the story told through various artists, including Emily Carroll *squee* A story about two princesses and a fire spirit named Yonder, the girls are on the run from a queen who wants to murder everything. It is a great story full of adventure, and I love how both princesses did so well on the journey, then again I expected that from Pira who is very courageous and awesome and kicks some serious butt and who I, sorry Pira, had mistaken for a boy the first time we saw her. I definitely do need to know how things go as it got quite exciting at the end.
I also love love extra bonus stories, so fun to see Cécile Brun and Luke Pearson there! Those adventures were so fun to read. Recommended!
I also love love extra bonus stories, so fun to see Cécile Brun and Luke Pearson there! Those adventures were so fun to read. Recommended!
May 26, 2019
The story was disjointed, but I feel that way because my expectations were off. I had remembered that it had many artists, however this felt at some points more of a ‘collection’ of stories rather than a collaboration.
Still lovely art and curious to see what happens next.
Still lovely art and curious to see what happens next.
September 5, 2019
4 stars mainly because Luke Pearson's story is really cool.
January 22, 2018
I found this Eisner nominee on sale, and, when I flipped through and saw some of the excellent illustration, I had to give it a chance. Bottom line, it has some beautiful moments but it doesn’t entirely come together.
I’d be a little more comfortable with this if it somehow acknowledged it’s geared toward young adult or even “tween” readers. It tells the story of two princesses who have to flee a kingdom overrun by the mother of one of them. One princess is girly and sweet, the other was literally born with a sword in her hand. They have a powerful ally in a shape-shifting fire spirit named Yonder, who usually appears as a flaming wolf. The three outrun the queen’s forces on their way to a distant land, Spera, where they can fend for themselves as treasure-hunting adventurers.
That’s almost the entire story. There are few complications, and few surprises. The girls simply ride Yonder away, find their way through distant caves, and come out the other side. There’s never a conflict that can’t be solved pretty quickly, and there’s little that remains haunting.
On the plus side, I enjoy the clear effort here to reimagine the fairy tale romance through feminized heroes (or heroines). Lono and Pira each have things to recommend her, and each stands as a kind of ideal. There’s something satisfying primal in the story; charismatic and self-reliant kids have to face up to danger.
On the down, there’s just not much beef here. Almost two-thirds of this tells the “Spera” story of their escape. The remainder is a series of short stories about their subsequent adventures, but they read like the old 3-4 page follow-ups in comics books, the ones where, after Batman has defeated the Joker in the main story, he and Alfred have to determine what’s gone wrong with some element of the Batmobile or Bruce Wayne has to fool a prying reporter to maintain his secret identity. So, as an overall story, this is mostly forgettable.
Some of the illustrations, though, are stunning. The cover by Afu Chan is beautiful and compelling, and Kyla Vanderklugt does some amazing work bringing the characters to life in the first chapter. Those are the pictures that sold me on buying this. In chapter two, Hwei is less consistent, but her finest paintings – because they’re more paintings than drawings – are perhaps even stronger.
But then…things get very inconsistent. Each chapter turns out to have not just a different illustrator but also a different aesthetic altogether. Most of the other chapters and stories are more cartoony, less about conjuring a fresh portal to the magic of fairy tale and more about moving the story along. This story simply isn’t strong enough to get by with moving along, though; absent the power of those early illustrators this rapidly deteriorates.
I could forgive it a bit if this were clearer in what it’s trying to do. The blurbs on the back describe it as a kind of anthology; as I understand it, the idea was to give a range of talented young artists the opportunity to get published in book form. If that’s really the goal here, an introduction or preface might have helped.
Instead, what we have presents itself as a coherent story, and that’s how I feel obligated to take it. After a fine first few steps, though, it doesn’t really take off. If you come across the book on the shelves somewhere, it’s absolutely worth a look to see what some of this talent can do. For now, though, I’m more interested in these artists’ next projects than I am in this one.
I’d be a little more comfortable with this if it somehow acknowledged it’s geared toward young adult or even “tween” readers. It tells the story of two princesses who have to flee a kingdom overrun by the mother of one of them. One princess is girly and sweet, the other was literally born with a sword in her hand. They have a powerful ally in a shape-shifting fire spirit named Yonder, who usually appears as a flaming wolf. The three outrun the queen’s forces on their way to a distant land, Spera, where they can fend for themselves as treasure-hunting adventurers.
That’s almost the entire story. There are few complications, and few surprises. The girls simply ride Yonder away, find their way through distant caves, and come out the other side. There’s never a conflict that can’t be solved pretty quickly, and there’s little that remains haunting.
On the plus side, I enjoy the clear effort here to reimagine the fairy tale romance through feminized heroes (or heroines). Lono and Pira each have things to recommend her, and each stands as a kind of ideal. There’s something satisfying primal in the story; charismatic and self-reliant kids have to face up to danger.
On the down, there’s just not much beef here. Almost two-thirds of this tells the “Spera” story of their escape. The remainder is a series of short stories about their subsequent adventures, but they read like the old 3-4 page follow-ups in comics books, the ones where, after Batman has defeated the Joker in the main story, he and Alfred have to determine what’s gone wrong with some element of the Batmobile or Bruce Wayne has to fool a prying reporter to maintain his secret identity. So, as an overall story, this is mostly forgettable.
Some of the illustrations, though, are stunning. The cover by Afu Chan is beautiful and compelling, and Kyla Vanderklugt does some amazing work bringing the characters to life in the first chapter. Those are the pictures that sold me on buying this. In chapter two, Hwei is less consistent, but her finest paintings – because they’re more paintings than drawings – are perhaps even stronger.
But then…things get very inconsistent. Each chapter turns out to have not just a different illustrator but also a different aesthetic altogether. Most of the other chapters and stories are more cartoony, less about conjuring a fresh portal to the magic of fairy tale and more about moving the story along. This story simply isn’t strong enough to get by with moving along, though; absent the power of those early illustrators this rapidly deteriorates.
I could forgive it a bit if this were clearer in what it’s trying to do. The blurbs on the back describe it as a kind of anthology; as I understand it, the idea was to give a range of talented young artists the opportunity to get published in book form. If that’s really the goal here, an introduction or preface might have helped.
Instead, what we have presents itself as a coherent story, and that’s how I feel obligated to take it. After a fine first few steps, though, it doesn’t really take off. If you come across the book on the shelves somewhere, it’s absolutely worth a look to see what some of this talent can do. For now, though, I’m more interested in these artists’ next projects than I am in this one.
May 14, 2013
Read this online, told there was a couple of volumes published, did not expect to see a copy in the local bookshop. Bought them both. Well worth the price.
Why?
Speaking for myself--which is what these reviews are for, anyway--it's the art that I was really in for. There's a different artist for every chapter in the volume (some of them re-appear in the later chapters), and they all have vastly different styles and vastly different perspectives. I've no idea how Josh Tierney chooses the artist that would illustrate each particular chapter, but there are times when the artist really makes a transition chapter (you know, those boring chapters where nothing really happens much) SHINE. My favourite so far is that mini-chapter with Anna Wieszczyk in Volume 2. It would definitely fall flat if illustrated by a different artist, but Ms Wieszczyk (why so hard to spell?) really gives it more than justice. I'm stalking her dA now.
Because I read this first online, I can actually get behind the whole 'main story' plus 'one-shots' in the end deal in each volume. It's pretty much the same format as the oneline comics, except you don't have to click on anything.
Anyway, I loved the art because there is art that depresses me because I can never be so good, and there is art that inspires me to do better, and all the artists who've ever worked for Spera defo belongs in the second one.
Storywise--it's the sort of journey to something/somewhere where the journey is more important than the destination. Are they actually trying to do anything? Pira wants to be an adventurer and just be herself. Lono is living her own story instead of just reading about them in books. Pira's mum just killed Lono's dad and mobilised her army against Lono's kingdom. But how are two girls and a fire spirit going to stop that? Well, I guess they need the XP first, don't they?
Also, I love how Pira goes, 'I don't want to be a princess. I don't want to be a knight.' No shoehorning into stereotypes for her and Lono. You tell them, girls!
Why?
Speaking for myself--which is what these reviews are for, anyway--it's the art that I was really in for. There's a different artist for every chapter in the volume (some of them re-appear in the later chapters), and they all have vastly different styles and vastly different perspectives. I've no idea how Josh Tierney chooses the artist that would illustrate each particular chapter, but there are times when the artist really makes a transition chapter (you know, those boring chapters where nothing really happens much) SHINE. My favourite so far is that mini-chapter with Anna Wieszczyk in Volume 2. It would definitely fall flat if illustrated by a different artist, but Ms Wieszczyk (why so hard to spell?) really gives it more than justice. I'm stalking her dA now.
Because I read this first online, I can actually get behind the whole 'main story' plus 'one-shots' in the end deal in each volume. It's pretty much the same format as the oneline comics, except you don't have to click on anything.
Anyway, I loved the art because there is art that depresses me because I can never be so good, and there is art that inspires me to do better, and all the artists who've ever worked for Spera defo belongs in the second one.
Storywise--it's the sort of journey to something/somewhere where the journey is more important than the destination. Are they actually trying to do anything? Pira wants to be an adventurer and just be herself. Lono is living her own story instead of just reading about them in books. Pira's mum just killed Lono's dad and mobilised her army against Lono's kingdom. But how are two girls and a fire spirit going to stop that? Well, I guess they need the XP first, don't they?
Also, I love how Pira goes, 'I don't want to be a princess. I don't want to be a knight.' No shoehorning into stereotypes for her and Lono. You tell them, girls!
January 31, 2016
While I appreciate the basic premise of two Princesses off on a romping adventure with a fire dog, the explanation of the reasoning behind rhe adventure wasn't fleshed out very well and I almost wished that it hadn't been included at all. Reminiscent of Princeless, but doesn't quite make the same cut. I wasn't a fan of the alternating drawing styles, as they varied immensely, but it was interesting to see the different imaginings and iterations of the trio.
Wanted more characterization past bold Pira and timid...other princess whose name I can't recall. They felt a bit 2d.
Don't think I'll read more, but It wasn't a bad slice-of-life fantasy graphic novel.
Wanted more characterization past bold Pira and timid...other princess whose name I can't recall. They felt a bit 2d.
Don't think I'll read more, but It wasn't a bad slice-of-life fantasy graphic novel.
April 21, 2021
The first four chapters were done by different artists and the other half were short stories evolving around the same three main characters also done by different artists. I liked about 60-70% of the art work, the rest was not my cup of tea.
Overall I wanted a better story line. The beginning left too many questions open, it felt like being thrown into a middle of a story but then not that much was happening either. It felt like someone had a general idea about the main characters and then everyone did some bits and pieces but it didn't really feel cohesive.
It looked promising but I ended up being disappointed.
Overall I wanted a better story line. The beginning left too many questions open, it felt like being thrown into a middle of a story but then not that much was happening either. It felt like someone had a general idea about the main characters and then everyone did some bits and pieces but it didn't really feel cohesive.
It looked promising but I ended up being disappointed.
June 27, 2018
I really enjoyed this! Two princesses, their fire dog, and loot cat with an eyepatch going on adventures. It has it all going on!
Just a warning, I was really drawn to the art, but the art in the comic is actually drawn by several artists depending on the story/chapter. Not that it's bad, some of the different art styles are really good and fitting to the story.
This book was shelved in the kid's section, but there's nothing shallow about it. Check it out if you want a good fantasy adventure.
Just a warning, I was really drawn to the art, but the art in the comic is actually drawn by several artists depending on the story/chapter. Not that it's bad, some of the different art styles are really good and fitting to the story.
This book was shelved in the kid's section, but there's nothing shallow about it. Check it out if you want a good fantasy adventure.
December 22, 2018
Surprised I’ve never seen this series recommended as a comic for the younger crowd. Two princesses flee their respective kingdoms due to war, and take off adventuring alongside their fire-spirit guardian.
The volume is a collection of short stories, and every segment is illustrated by a different artist. I usually find the swapping of art styles annoying, but found it a good match for the more loosely connected stories here. Looking forward to seeing what other shenanigans they get up to in Spera.
The volume is a collection of short stories, and every segment is illustrated by a different artist. I usually find the swapping of art styles annoying, but found it a good match for the more loosely connected stories here. Looking forward to seeing what other shenanigans they get up to in Spera.
February 17, 2023
I read this for a 12 in 12 challenge on the rec of my friend, Leah. I really liked the story and the idea of having a different artist do each chapter was novel. However, I found myself wishing the story had been done all in one art style or at least in a more cohesive one. I really liked Chapters 1 and 3 and reallllllly didn't like the art in chapter 2 and some of the epilogues. I preferred the cartoon-y, Adventure Time/Nimona style over the watercolor chapters. It was a cute read.
July 3, 2019
Me he llevado una bonita sorpresa con Spera. No esperaba que participaran varios artistas y aunque algunas historias no me han convencido por el dibujo, son todas muy simpáticas de leer. La historia en si es muy sencillita , pero funciona bien. Al menos en este primer numero.
December 12, 2019
Cute, but I definitely enjoyed the vignettes at the end, rather than the main narrative. Unsure if I will read vol. 2, but it was very cool that this volume was illustrated by a variety of artists.
July 20, 2012
Aesthetics:
This was sort of an odd comic because it has almost 10 different illustrators, all with their own unique style. Some of the artwork I loved and others not so much. Also the book itself is really nicely made.
Plot:
The story starts with the princesses running off and away from danger. Then together with a fire spirit named Yonder they travel and have adventures together. That's when it started getting confusing, at least for me. I know they are trying to reach Spera, but much of the book felt like little short stories focusing on their adventures and not really relating with the plot. Their adventures were interesting, but the plot was neglected.
Characters:
My favorite character is Yonder and I love all the different depictions of him. Pira is a tomboy and literally looks like a boy most of the time. Depending on the artist she went from looking somewhat girlish to me wondering if she really is a princess. Lono on the other hand was definitely a princess. After so much traveling I would have liked to see her grow tougher and maybe even learn to fight. There were maybe two times in the book when she was holding a blade. Besides that she just sort of stood there and shrieked during the fighting scenes. They are later joined by Chobo who I thought was adorable.
So while this book looks really pretty on the outside and inside the story is a little lacking. The writing was nothing special and the plot is a little cliched. The best thing about this is the artwork.
This was sort of an odd comic because it has almost 10 different illustrators, all with their own unique style. Some of the artwork I loved and others not so much. Also the book itself is really nicely made.
Plot:
The story starts with the princesses running off and away from danger. Then together with a fire spirit named Yonder they travel and have adventures together. That's when it started getting confusing, at least for me. I know they are trying to reach Spera, but much of the book felt like little short stories focusing on their adventures and not really relating with the plot. Their adventures were interesting, but the plot was neglected.
Characters:
My favorite character is Yonder and I love all the different depictions of him. Pira is a tomboy and literally looks like a boy most of the time. Depending on the artist she went from looking somewhat girlish to me wondering if she really is a princess. Lono on the other hand was definitely a princess. After so much traveling I would have liked to see her grow tougher and maybe even learn to fight. There were maybe two times in the book when she was holding a blade. Besides that she just sort of stood there and shrieked during the fighting scenes. They are later joined by Chobo who I thought was adorable.
So while this book looks really pretty on the outside and inside the story is a little lacking. The writing was nothing special and the plot is a little cliched. The best thing about this is the artwork.
November 22, 2015
This was a nice enough story of two princesses adventuring to the land of Spera in the company of a protective fire spirit, pursued by an evil queen (mother of the one princess). I like that the artist changes with each episode, and that this is a story of friendship and self-reliance, and it's never explained why the one princess looks and dresses like a boy, but I don't like that the classically feminine princess is regularly helpless and in need of saving and mostly worried about finding a new pretty dress. And while I like the idea of changing artists, I didn't actually like most of the styles, and I found it distracting. And, mostly, I was just bored.
I think I'm not the intended audience for this. The graphic novels I like are much more complex and nuanced; this feels very plain, and seems to be intended for a very young reader (although there IS a gruesome scene of a zombie spirit's rib cage being torn out, and - bizarrely - there is a rite in which one princess drinks the other princess's blood, so it's not for a REALLY young reader!). I'm trying to get one of my tween daughters to read it, so I can get their opinion.
ETA:
Nine year old read it, declared it "kind of medieval," and said it was good but she didn't feel like reading past the first chapter.
Twelve year old read it, said it was good and she liked it, but she didn't like the art in the second chapter so she stopped reading.
I think I'm not the intended audience for this. The graphic novels I like are much more complex and nuanced; this feels very plain, and seems to be intended for a very young reader (although there IS a gruesome scene of a zombie spirit's rib cage being torn out, and - bizarrely - there is a rite in which one princess drinks the other princess's blood, so it's not for a REALLY young reader!). I'm trying to get one of my tween daughters to read it, so I can get their opinion.
ETA:
Nine year old read it, declared it "kind of medieval," and said it was good but she didn't feel like reading past the first chapter.
Twelve year old read it, said it was good and she liked it, but she didn't like the art in the second chapter so she stopped reading.
November 11, 2013
3.5, I think. I picked this up because, while I was checking a cart of books, I flipped through the second one in the series and saw some really beautiful illustrations. It's got a great premise—two adventuring princesses—though the writing isn't fantastic and the story needs to be more cohesive. The thing I like best is that each section is done by a different illustrator; I thought it was pretty cool to see the characters from so many different perspectives. The style is a little confusing at times, but I don't know how much of this to attribute to the fact that I generally have a hard time following the graphic novel/comic book format.
October 13, 2012
I was gonna give this two stars for the artwork. At first. The stories in Spera are short and each one showcases an artist with his or her on unique style and characteristics. As an example, this is an opposite approach from the guest artists who draw Hellboy comics, who adopt the aesthetic of Mignola mixed with their own sensibilities. But I just couldn't. The writing was totally subpar and terrible. It's almost as if the writer was hiding behind all these talented guest artists, who continually managed to keep this bland, otherwise worthless comic at least marginally interesting.
June 28, 2021
This is one of those graphic novels where the art is far better and more interesting than the story itself. It was fun having a new artist for every issue and seeing new interpretations of how the main characters would look. However, the story in this is pretty nonexistent. A lot of the issues dealing with the "main story" didn't really advance anything. The girls going to an inn and eating food shouldn't have been an entire issue. I actually liked the short story format found later in this volume much better, where each issue was a self-contained little adventure. That was a lot more fun.
January 21, 2012
Some good world-building and a great pair of female protagonists but the plot felt largely underdeveloped. Way too many unanswered questions and leaving the reader in the dark. This story needed to be fleshed out more before being published as a volume 1. Still lots of potential, fun dialogue (I like the way Tierney moves between more modern and more high fantasy dialogue), some great artwork and overall a nice package.
February 14, 2013
I'm not really sure what to make of this. The story was okay, but the artwork! For the most part it put me off and for another each chapter has a completely different artist and the main characters look completely different every time. This just doesn't work for me. I also have to say that the short stories after the main story seem a little misplaced. I also agree with other reviewers who found the layout a little strange.
February 17, 2013
Having recently enjoyed another graphic novel (Saga #1), I thought I would try another -- only to be disappointed by the simplicity of the plot here and frustrated by a multiplicity of illustators, which changed how the main characters appeared in each chapter or adventure story. Princess Lono goes on the run when her friend Pira (and fire spirit Yonder) arrives to tell her that Pira's mother is about to slaughter Lono's kingdom. This book follows their trek to Spera.
July 9, 2013
So much gorgeous art! I thought I'd be annoyed, but I wasn't at all. That said, I'm not sure if I managed to miss parts of the story or if it was intentionally secondary to the art? Am I trying to hard to read things into the pages that aren't there because adventures! Yay! Maybe? Probably.
December 31, 2015
This graphic novel was so cute! I really liked the different wonderful art styles that I found throughout this reading, and although it was a bit confusing at time, it was still really enjoyable. This definitely needs some more reads!
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