Anders Nilsen

Now this is what graphic fiction ought to be! There’s a touch of sort of sideways humor, a lot of violence, and a whole ton of philosophy, all from the viewpoint of a flock of birds. I can’t begin to characterize this book, but there are birds, ghosts of birds, some mean and macabre crows, an idiot and his grandmother, an owl, a snake, a pilot, a plane crash, the underworld, and some big questions. I adored this.

(Full disclosure: I received a free e-ARC for review through Netgalley. Content warning for violence.)

In the near future,* Prometheus awakens after a long sleep. At this point, the god has been imprisoned on a mountainside for several millennia; his only company, the eagle who stops by on the daily to dine on his liver. Lucky for him, the liver of a god is not without its gifts: over the years, his tormentor and her progeny acquired the use of language, and now the two are friends. Eagle show more brings him news of his children, the humans, and bird and god wax philosophical on love, life, freedom, and the future. Despite his dire circumstances, Prometheus is certain that he'll one day walk the Earth again.

Meanwhile, a cult known as Z traffics in children and just generally causes chaos and mayhem through Central Asia (I had it pegged as the Middle East, but I guess there is some overlap), all in service to Omega - believed to be the second coming of Jupiter. Young Astrid is swept up in their plans when she's kidnapped from a shopping mall. Or maybe her fate is sealed earlier: when her adoptive father finds an orphaned baby floating down the Nile River, strapped to a car seat; when she is visited by visions of Athena(/)Seshat; or when the gods begin to suspect that she is the only one who can stop Jupiter's resurrection. Either way, her path is about to collide with those of Nico and I.O., two mercenaries on a side quest; their monkey, Mike; Teddy Roosevelt, a depressed young man wandering the desert with a teddy bear strapped to his back; and Hermaea, in chicken form.

I wasn't sure what to expect of TONGUES, VOLUME 1, but it certainly wasn't this. Nilsen has created a story that's epic in scope, but beautiful and heart wrenching down to the smallest details. I especially loved the relationship between Prometheus and Eagle - though they were doomed to be enemies, over the years and centuries and millennia their friendship blossomed and grew into something spectacularly lovely. A camaraderie that defies both nature and the gods. After Prometheus's seeming demise at the hands (err, mouth) of Might, when Eagle has to relearn human language, and the cognition that it engenders? I got chills.

The denouement of the story involves a plot by Epimetheus to eradicate the humans - a plague on the Earth, and oppressors to the nonhuman animals that Epimetheus so loves - and honestly, the vegan in me was kind of rooting for Epimetheus. The debate between Prometheus and Epimetheus resulted in some of the most thoughtful and engaging comic book panels I've ever read, even if I'm predisposed to land in Epimetheus's camp (and recent events in American have only cemented my position ... although surely Prometheus would point out the hopeful optimism of the resistance as a reason to wait and see how things play out).

TONGUES is a retelling of the story of Prometheus, set in modern day, with some trippy science fiction elements. I also detected undertones of THE LAST OF US, thanks to the face-growing fungi; and SEVEN, aka, "What's in the box!?!"

If, like me, your grasp of Greek mythology is tenuous and relies mostly on SUPERNATURAL, no worries: TONGUES is amazing, worth all the time you'll spend googling minor characters, and will definitely leave you desperate to learn more. Pro tip: there's a handy run down of the main characters at the back of the book, so flip to the last pages before starting. It will save you a ton of time and mis-identifications (I clocked Omega as Zeus; Violence as Hera; and Might as ... I don't even know what. A futuristic android? I'm still not entirely sure what they are, tbh).

As for the art, it's breathtakingly intricate and enchanting. The products of Prometheus's green thumb; the Hecatoncheires Gyges; and our maybe-savior Astrid all stand out as especially captivating. And, again: Prometheus's daily congress with Eagle - stunning in both form and content.

Honestly, I cannot recommend TONGUES enough. I just hope we don't have to wait another ten years to find out if Astrid is indeed the Chosen One. show less

A very quick read (took all of 30 minutes, maybe 45) but the art is beautiful and the stories fun and thought provoking.

What would Poseidon do faced with our current total disregard for the world's oceans?

What would Prometheus think of what his gift has wrought?

What if Isaac was old enough to engage with Abraham on the mountain, what would he have thought of the whole thing?

These and a few more questions are tackled in the pages (well, page since the book is one long accordion reminiscent of show more the scrolls on which these stories are based) of this book.

As a side note, I really want to find a way to showcase the entirety of this accordion of pictures at once. But the length of wall necessary to do so is rather out of my price range. show less

I was a bit frustrated with the first half of this book, with its multiple timelines spanning 4000 years, a scattered cast of barely defined characters, and annoying and unnecessary fold-out flaps. But patience is rewarded. As the threads began to cross and merge I found myself getting caught up in this study of Greek mythology and the modern age of man.

Basically, Zeus is worried some child of his will usurp his rule the way he did to Cronos and Cronos did to his father. He focuses a lot of show more his fretting on Prometheus, the Titan responsible for sparking the rise of man and imprisoned for his sins on a mountain where an Eagle eats his liver every day. And Zeus has his minions on the trail of a magical MacGuffin in a suitcase currently being traded between hands in a Central Asian war zone.

Unfortunately, just as it was really getting good, the book ends on a cliffhanger, awaiting conclusion in a second volume at some undefined point in the future.

Reminder to self: When volume 2 does come out, re-read this one first.

(Best of 2025 Project: I'm reading all the graphic novels that made it onto one or more of these lists:

• Washington Post 10 Best Graphic Novels of 2025
• Publishers Weekly 2025 Graphic Novel Critics Poll
• NPR's Books We Love 2025: Favorite Comics and Graphic Novels

This book made all three lists.)

FOR REFERENCE:

Contents:

Part I.
• The Prisoner's Dream
• Hercules
• The Murderer
• Leda and the Swan
• Fire and Water
• Teddy Roosevelt
• An End in Sight
• Athena Seshat
• Teddy Roosevelt's Dream, Part 1
• The Swan King
• Might and Violence
• The Eagle's Gift
• The New Gods

Part II.
• The Lion and the Mouse
• The North Star
• Get Back in the Truck
• The Messenger's Account
• Goodbye, Uncle
• The Rings
• Human Music
• Astrid's Dream, Part 1
• Gyges Hekatoncheires
• New Flora
• The Long Sleep
• The Monkey
• What Exactly Is Going on Here?
• First Words, Part 1
• Well Shit, It Floats
• Astrid's Dream, Part 2: It Makes Things Disappear
• If I Was Blind
• First Words, Part 2
• Astrid's Dream, Part 3
• Teddy Roosevelt's Dream, Part 2
• Float On

Part III.
• Astrid Underground, Part 1: Daughters of the Voice
• The Prisoner's Visitors, Part 1: People Do Things for Reasons
• Astrid Underground, Part 2: Athena Seshat
• The Prisoner's Visitors, Part 2 The Phaenon
• Astrid Underground, Part 3: The Voice
• The Prisoner's Visitors, Part 3: The Dragonfly
• Surfacing
• Teddy Roosevelt Wakes Up
• And What's Your Name?

Cast of Characters
Acknowledgments show less