Over The Wall

I wouldn't normally rate something this short and random, but I had such a strong reaction to reading this that I felt like I had to.

How did this get published? More importantly, how did the author spend so much time on excellent illustration to tell a story that is so mind mindbogglingly terrible? I'm not even sure what the target audience is here, but it feels too creepy for small children and so devoid of purpose for anyone else.

Unfortunate, since the art was good.

This was such a fun read! Very quick, too--very, very quick. I think I finished it within 15 minutes.

The story follows a young girl venturing inside an abandoned, walled-off city to find her brother, whom she can't quite remember. In this city she finds a demon who becomes her very sarcastic guide, and she unravels the mystery of the city and the one behind what's keeping her brother trapped inside.

I lovethe art style. That and the color palette of black, purple, and white led me to pick up this novel in the first place. It's bold and expressive, perfect for younger readers.

I wished it had been a little longer, to expand upon the mythology of its world and its history, but as it is it's definitely not a bad read.

So for a bit of history, a long time ago, this was the very first webcomic I actually read, all the way through (to what was posted). I than promptly forgot the site existed, as well as the story - so when I saw that the second volume was on early reviewers - it brought back a lot of memories, and I had to have it. Of course, I needed to reread the first volume, and since I now have money, I bought a physical copy.

Onto the actual review - this is such a lovely book. We have a story of a girl looking for her brother. He didn't return from the trip to the city with the rest of his group during an initiating ceremony. Whats even more bizarre, is that Anya is the only person to remember him.

The book is loving illustrated, with a great show more style in tones of purple and black. The city is a great mystery, filled with interesting characters, both scary and not. Unfortunately, its not a stand alone series - which can be seriously annoying since this is a series that grabs you, leaving you to want more. show less

Over The Wall by Peter Wartman is a nearly wordless graphic novel about a girl going in search of her brother in the monster infested ruins of an ancient city.

The city, protected both by a wall and magic, serves as a reminder of dark times. It's also a place where children are initiated into adulthood. They are sent on a quest over the wall. If they return, they are welcomed as adults. If they don't, then the city swallows them up as a sacrifice.

The girl, years away presumably from her initiation decides to go after her brother. She knows he will probably not remember her. She also knows that if she lingers, she will lose her own memory.

Her unexpected trip over the wall reveals the dark history of the city and the reasons behind show more mankind's expulsion from it. The brother and sister also manage to find an unlikely ally.

It's quick but memorable read, relying primarily on the strength of its illustrations to carry the story. The artwork is nearly monochrome, bold splotches of color and thick lines. show less

I picked this up a bit ago and for some reason didn't read it right away. A story about a young girl who wants to save the brother she is beginning to forget, this is a quickly paced volume.

Anya doesn't stop - not when presented with a demon from the stories, not when she finds her brother (broken and forgetting himself) and not even when a greater demon (a Named demon) threatens her.

We're given much of the background of the world in chunks, though even that is still somewhat sparse compared to how much we learn about Anya through her actions.

I wanted to know more about the stories (the humans say the demons got greedy, the demons say the humans became cruel) and the Old City. The magic that fuels the barrier and reasons why the rift show more happened.

Luckily for me this is a series and I have book two (Stonebreaker) waiting for me. show less

Some very good bones here (demons eating the names of humans, using those names as a shield against magic, being given a name, the history of the town, the ritual of the boys...), but not enough space to fully develop them.

This is a short YA graphic novel which I think I picked up after seeing it on a Goodreads list of standalone, non-superhero comics. It revolves around a mysterious abandoned city, cut off from the world by both physical and magical walls, and the girl who crosses the walls to try to find her missing brother.

I liked it well enough – it’s a simple story and Wartman has a pleasing artistic style, especially good at creating an empty sense of unease in the deserted city. But it raises the question of whether I should be reviewing comics the way I do novels. I read this book in, I think, less than 15 minutes, which makes it feel more analogous to a short story rather than a book. I wouldn’t review a single short story, but I feel show more compelled to review Over The Wall because it came in its own binding and my gut feeling is that it is a “book.” But because of its brevity I don’t have a lot to say about it. I don’t know! show less