Joyride Vol. 1 by Jackson Lanzing

Joyride Vol. 1 Reviews

• 
  Patrick

  If it makes a difference to you, I liked this comic enough to blurb it....
• 
  emma

  3.5 stars.
  
  This felt sort of like a more YA version of Saga. The art was amazing, and the characters and world were interesting, but I did feel that it lacked a strong focus/driving plot.
  
  Longer review to come.
• 
  [S] Bibliophage

  The only thing that I don't like in this graphic novel is that Uma is the protagonist; I prefer Catrin than her because she possessed a pleasing personality than the latter. Nonetheless, this comic series is really exciting to read and based from the synopsis of the succeeding volume, it looks like it is much better than this.
  
  Although I don't like Uma, because of the story, I would still read the second installment once I got a copy. I also want to check if there would be any development in the relationship of Catrin and Dewydd because I really want them to end up together.
• 
  anna

  rep: sapphic mcs, poc characters
  
  Galley provided by the publisher.
  
  Joyride truly was a ride full of joy! Listen, I'll be honest, I was sold from the very first line of the blurb I read & I was sure I'd love this comic book. I was not wrong.
  
  The premise is really rather simple. So we are well in the future and the Earth is run by fascists. It's also isolated from the rest of the universe by a barrier called SafeSky & has been for so long, people don't even remember anymore there are stars in the sky. But of course this wouldn't be the great adventure that it is without one of our protagonists who dreams of nothing else but leaving the planet & exploring the stars. Which obviously would be illegal. Has that word ever stopped Uma before though…
  
  Naturally Uma isn't alone in her space journey. And here we come to the best part about this book: the wonderful cast! There are three teens from vastly different backgrounds, a robot and an alien. Talk about an interesting crew! They didn't all know each other before but over time and thanks to everything they go through together, they learn to listen to each other & love each other. I'll admit I'm a sucker for the found families trope so this was basically a dream come true for me.
  
  Each of the characters is fleshed out and given agenda. And, even more importantly, they are all allowed to make mistakes and learn from them, to grow throughout the story. Their emotions are real, their banter witty & their ideas outrageous. My favorites are definitely mentioned before Uma & the other girl in our space ensemble - Catrin. They both have a complicated past that they're trying to live with and at the same time not let it totally shape them. Honorary mention in my Top Favs category to Bot - the robot who doesn't actually speak a human language and yet remains the cutest & warmest thing in the universe.
  
  I think one of the main strengths of Joyride is how fresh & vibrant it feels. This seems to come from two main sources. One: the teen characters truly feel like teens & themselves bring some novelty to the story. It's not exactly common that dialogues written for teenagers come across as natural and something that seventeen-year-olds would actually say but Joyride excels at that! And two: the story is so packed with action, with adventures that there's just no way to be bored even for a second. Those two elements also connect beautifully in a way that the plot is driven by teens and they all do things that teenagers would do. I mean, the first place they visit in space is a shopping mall! Come on!
  
  I couldn't write a review for a comic book without mentioning the art. The most important part! And OMG it's so incredible???? I absolutely loved all the character designs and the great use of colors. It's honestly a feast for the eyes! It's really hard, at least for me, to find a comic book that has a good plot and a beautiful art so Joyride is a real blessing.
  
  My only complaint would be that sometimes there was just too much action. There were a few moments where the cuts between scenes were so rapid, I was wondering if I didn't accidentally miss a page… But overall it's not much of a flaw and doesn't actually take away from the enjoyment of the whole thing.
  
  Least but definitely not last! I spy with my gay eye a budding relationship! I really hope it's explored even more in the next volume.
  
  All in all, the first volume of Joyride was a great fun! It made me nostalgic for some of my favourite shows, like Cowboy Bebop or Firefly and I simply cannot wait to see what else the series has in store! If you enjoy sci-fi stories with amazing characters, especially ones involving actual space travel, you must check out Joyride.
• 
  Chad

  As the tagline says, Earth sucks. Earth is now a dystopian dictatorship encased in a giant protective bubble. So when Uma and Dewydd get an opportunity to bail, they take it. They steal a spaceship from some slavers and take a guard, Catrin, who was chasing them along with them. Now they're freewheeling through space, making their way as they go. The book feels like the Guardians of the Galaxy movie crossed with 80's anime. It's a hell of a ride. Now I must search out volume 2.
  
  Received a free copy from Boom and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
• 
  Michael Underwood

  Energetic, fun, and hopeful. Strong characterization with great designs. To and Kniivila's art is striking, sharp, and warm.
  
  If you like Runaways, Ms. Marvel, Guardians of the Galaxy, or Star Trek, you'll probably like Joyride.
• 
  Nemo ☠️ (pagesandprozac)

  3.5 stars
  
  i liked the general concept - dystopian future, two kids steal a spaceship to get away from earthian fascists and run into difficulties along the way. it was a pretty cool idea. unfortunately though, i thought the plot was slightly too thin - there didn't seem to be an awful amount happening except from running away from the people trying to bring them back to earth. also, i really didn't like uma at the beginning, i found her very irritating and childish. she did develop throughout the book, but it was only near the very end that i stopped rolling my eyes at her.
  
  however, overall the relationships and characters were pretty good and well-written, despite my irritation with uma. also, the art was really good - i was impressed by the colouring in particular.
  
  all in all, this was pretty fun, but i don't know if i'll continue with the series.
• 
  charlotte,

  Galley provided by publisher
  
  Rep: wlw characters, non-white characters
  
  How to explain how much I adored this. I fell in love with everything about it from the first page. The art is gorgeous, the characters are amazing, the story is so exciting. And the relationships!! Don't even get me started on them. I'm just so in love with every aspect of this. I honestly do not have words for how good this comic was. Please, please, just read it. (And then come cry with me.)
• 
  . (not active on this account stop adding me)

  apparently this has sapphics in it but i must've blinked at the moment they appeared? anyway, this was just eh and not interesting at all lmao
• 
  Nicole

  First things first: I received this book through NetGalley.
  
  
  Summary: Earth sucks. The stars have been blocked out for so long that people have forgotten there was anything else besides the World Government Alliance watching over them. When Uma Akkolyte jacks an alien spaceship and punches through the stratosphere she sets forth on an adventure with an unlikely crew who are totally not ready for all the good, bad, and weird the universe will throw at them.
  
  
  Earth sucks. Steal a spaceship.
  
  YEEEEESSS!!!!
  
  
  This was such a (wait for it) joyride!!!! No but seriously, that was such a fun volume. I can't wait to read more of this and see more of it, cause the artwork was so amazing. Seriously, I love everything about this. The story is great, I LOVE the characters. I love everything.
• 
  andrew y

  Take all the pitch-perfect world building of Saga's first volume, dial it down for ~~~the youth~~~, remove the ability for characters to speak in a consistent tone, and finally also forget half the world building best practices you learned. Then you have Joyride.
• 
  Geonn Cannon

  A fun outer space adventure! Shades of Firefly, but the cast is a bit more CW than Fox. Not a bad thing, in this case. Looking forward to future issues.
• 
  Bregje

  3,5 stars.
  
  Interesting characters and world and great artwork, but there didn't seem to be much of a plot (mostly just running & being chased).
• 
  Endlesscribbles

  I have never been someone that has read or reads a lot of graphic novels/comic books. But I have to say, I really did enjoy this story. The illustrations were beautifully done. I am looking forward to reading all of this series.
• 
  Jasmine

  Oh man I like this. Space! Escaping a fascist government! Discovering the very concept of friendship!
• 
  a

  2.5 stars
  
  Meh. Boring. Also Uma was annoying af.
• 
  Marjolein (UrlPhantomhive)

  3.5 Stars
  
  Full review to come!
• 
  Amy

  So... pretty fun but I will admit to being disappointed. The characters are complete YA archetypes (manic pixie dream girl- check!) and every human is white. Sigh.
  That being said, it is beautifully drawn and may get somewhere less expected in Volume 2. Here's hoping.
• 
  kel

  the way in which i would die for these characters in a heartbeat
  
  the comic was a little confusing at times, but that's usually what happens when i first get thrown into scifi stories, but overall everything was really solid and i enjoyed it a lot
• 
  Anne-Marie

  I love the premise - teens stuck under a fascist Earth hiding from the rest of the universe end up escaping with a few extra unexpected team members... great concept.
  
  But I found the plot was limited in scope and fullness. It felt like the authors were trying to balance the world-building (really cool when we got to see that) and the runaway teens main plot in such a short amount of space (heh) (only four issues/chapters), that they didn't fully succeed in either for me.
  
  The teen characters were pretty believable with their dialogue and exaggerated emotions, but toed the line with stereotypes for me (especially Uma and Catrin). Bot (the robot character) was pretty freaking cute though.
  
  However, love the art, the depictions of the rest of the galaxy (alien shopping malls!), and the action sequences.
  
  Overall, a really fun comic that doesn't get too deep.
• 
  Paul Decker

  *I received this book as an eARC from BOOM! Studios via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*
  
  Rebel teens escape a fascist government and have crazy adventures in space. This comic is fun. There's comedy. There's space adventures. It is lighthearted and full of both friendship and familial relationships.
  
  I liked the art. There are some really interesting aliens in this book. And robots. The fashion is also pretty cool.
  
  I enjoyed this book. The characters were developed and interacted well together. I give this volume a 3.5/5.
• 
  Mike Perschon

  Fabulous art, entertaining and light-hearted writing, this book feels exactly like what’s on the tin: a Joyride. Felt like a mashup of what it was like to read Alien Legion and Teen Titans in the ‘80s. A breath of fresh and fun air in an industry with one too many books trying to be Metal Dark Knights.
• 
  Zori Amber

  Give me adventures in space. Give me a female lead. Give me rebelling against "The Man". That's usually all that I need. Joyride made me want more though...and not in a good way.
  
  Let's, as always, start with the positive. Joyride Vol. 1 sets up what will hopefully be a really interesting space adventure. The color and artwork are amazing and so beautiful. I love the designs of the characters. Plus, the plot in itself seems interesting. Not only are the three main characters - Uma, Dewydd, and Catrin - having crazy adventures in space, they each have their own reasons why they want to get away from Earth, from family issues to dystopian future related stuff, and each have aspects of themselves that the others could probably learn from. All in all, Joyride Vol. 1 has all the components for a pretty epic adventure story.
  
  And that leads us to the not so great part of this review.
  
  I want to first say that the issues I'm bringing up with this first volume in themselves are not necessarily issues that would stop me from reading the next volume or recommending this series to others. However, this is a review and these are my initial responses. First off, I thought the plot was either a bit slow in some parts and unbelievably quick or resolved to quickly in others. I think the slow parts are understandable, especially in a first volume, there is a lot of world building and character introductions that need to be done to set the stage. Other parts, though, seemed to have been really rushed and either it felt like I missed something or the climax after a bunch of build up felt very anti-climatic.
  
  Also, Uma was a hard pill to swallow. I don't know why. Like I said before, this is the first volume and probably only a drop of her past has been given so there's probably reason why she acts the way she does but my initial impression of her was that she was kind of selfish and only really looking out for herself. Which this, in my opinion, isn't necessarily a bad thing if that's what the creators were going for - to a certain extent, unlikable characters are sometimes the most realistic - but it made me really unsympathetic towards her when part of her backstory was revealed. I also really don't understand the friendship between she and Dewydd and to a certain extent, I think she's very manipulative and I wouldn't trust her too much if I was on their spaceship. Nonetheless, I'm hoping that Uma becomes more bearable once we get to know more about her and her past, along with the other characters of the series.
  
  Overall, Joyride Vol. 1 has all the ingredients of an awesome space adventure which hopefully will be mixed together in later volumes.
  
  I received a copy of this book from the NetGalley and the publisher, in exchange for an honest review.
• 
  Shali

  I liked this a lot more than I thought I would. It was actually super fun for me.
  
  So, it starts off in a future/dystopian type Earth, where Uma (teen rebel) and Dewydd (teen boy who's in love with her) are plotting their escape into space.
  I'll admit, I didn't really like Uma (in the beginning especially, but she grew on me later on).
  
  Like, honey, no. Something's really bothering your friend. Be nice. Listen to what he has to say. It actually turns out to be a super important confession. He works with this massive weapon that's based on the moon, and it malfunctioned and would have killed everyone on the base + destroyed the moon, itself. So he fixed it, because you know, he doesn't want to die, and he just wants to run away with his lady love. And then immediately after, it's used to destroy an entire city. Oops.
  
  Anyway, they run off (accidentally kidnapping a soldier lady in the process Except it's actually the princess), and hitch a ride on a pretty sweet ship.No, but Bot is so cute, for real. Let the adventure commence.
  After a high speed space-chase from a bunch of cops (Uma is trouble incarnate), the group finds themselves in one fix after another.
  
  I really liked it. I enjoyed the story, the art was fantastic, and I actually liked most of the characters. (Dewydd's brother was a pleasant surprise.) I look forward to the next volume.
• 
  Kevin

  It's cool, but I wish there was more character development; I think we should have known way in the beginning about the main characters' parts because that would have added more tension to the drama. The end also felt a bit rushed; I know this is only volume 1 and with a title like Joyride you expect things to go pretty fast, but I would have liked it to slow down just a bit.
  
  I like Catrin best; I feel like she's the most likable of the cast, aside from the robot. Uma seems like a brat and I really can't stand the way she and her best friend Dewydd talk. I know they're teenagers, but I guess that means by default that they are also annoying; they certainly sound that way.
  
  The stand out feature in this comic was the art; well done, Marcus To, and keep up the good work. I became interested in this series because I saw the cover of volume 2 and thought it looked interesting in a fun, pop sci-fi kind of way; I am going to read volume 2 because the characters are interesting, even if some of them are a bit annoying.
• 
  Ramón Fernández Ayarzagoitia

  Eng/Esp
  Really fun comic.
  Joyride feels like a YA version of Saga (in a good way), but it also tries hard to tell a relatable story with a great twist as to why humans in the future don’t visit space much. (The answer is fascism, Donald Trump, thank you for ruining space). The characters, admittedly, are a bit too archetypal, but they are set in a story where this works.
  A+ artwork and a super fun story.
  
  Muy divertido comic.
  Joyride se siente como la versión para jóvenes adultos de Saga (en un buen sentido), pero también intenta contar una historia buena con un gran giro a por qué los humanos no visitamos mucho el espacio. (La respuesta es el fascismo, Donald Trump, gracias por arruinar el espacio). Los personajes, se tiene que decir, son muy arquetípicos pero están centrados en una historia en donde esto funciona.
  Arte de 10 y una historia súper divertida.
  
• 
  Monica (Tomes Project)

  2.5/5 - Unfortunately, this one did not really do it for me, and aside from a fun premise, it's almost entirely forgettable.
• 
  Will Robinson Jr.

  Not Bad. The best way to describe Joyride as a series is to say that it is a fun space opera. I really digged the concept upon reading the synopsis for this graphic series being publish by Boom! Studios. I am a big fan of cosmic storytelling. I mean you are talking about a guy who loves Star Wars, Star Trek, The Fifth Element, Aliens, and other sci-fi epics involving space. I have just always found stories about worlds in other parts of the cosmos fascinating. This is the first new cosmic comic series I have jumped into since Guardians of the Galaxy. What makes this story unique is that our main protagonist are teenagers. The series has bit of that dystopian flavor to it mixed with contemporary teen angst. The artwork by Marcus To is not bad but I sometimes felt there was to much blank space in many panels. The use of color to set the emotion of the book was handled extremely well. Next I will say I found the main characters in this first volume pretty interesting. Unfortunately the main character of Uma came across as a bit to hyper at times and a bit obnoxious. Uma does fit the tone of the type of story the authors are trying to convey, its just that I found Dewydd and Catrin more interesting. This may be due to the fact that Lanzing has given Catrin more stakes being that she has high government rank and Dewydd seems be on a journey to grow the most as a character. Being that this book focus is on teen characters I am hoping that the writers do not do the most cliche plot device and have our characters involved in some sort of a love triangle. This space romp has a lot of potential and space being so vast gives our heroes a lot of playground to play in and also bring in unexpected sci-fi concepts. This series is definitely worth me hanging around at least until volume 2. Its not perfect but the idea of following youth who are taking a joyride threw space is a fun and interesting premise. For those interested in a few other space operas check out
  Starlight,
  Flash Gordon Omnibus, Vol. 1,
  Guardians of the Galaxy, Volume 1: Cosmic Avengers,
  Guardians of the Galaxy, Volume 1: Legacy,
  Skywalker Strikes,
  Green Lantern: Rebirth, &
  Green Lantern, Volume 6: Secret Origin.
• 
  Clémence

  Thanks to NetGalley for sending me a copy of this in exchange for a honest review. This doesn't affect my opinion in any way.
  
  I picked up this graphic novel not really knowing what to expect. I have to say, I don’t really read a lot of graphic novels (as you probably noticed, since I never really mention any on my blog). But I wanted to try something new and the story was appealing. It wasn’t incredible, but it was still enjoyable. I really liked the drawings, and some parts were really sassy which I appreciated. Overall, it is nothing exceptional. If you are into space adventures and science-fiction, and of course, if you like graphic novels, this is most likely something you would enjoy. In some parts, it reminded me a bit of Doctor Who – like the interactions with the aliens – which made me smile. The story still managed to have some twists I didn’t expect, which I greatly appreciated. Overall, it was a fine read, but I don’t think I will pick up the sequel.
  
  Full review:
  https://clemisbookishworld.wordpress....
• 
  Emily

  The artwork, the colour pallets, the style is so damn good. It’s crazy beautiful with the neons.
  
  I did enjoy the opening to the story especially the slight cliffhanger we get near the middle of this that opens the story up for a lot more.
  
  However I felt the story was kinda slow and basic in this first instalment, there wasn’t a whole bunch going on but at the same time it had a slightly erratic pacing. I really wished there was more intrigue as the characters are fairly fleshed out and entertaining it’s just the path they’re put in.
  
  It’s a good read with great art, and I may pick up the next. I just really hope the story has more grip in the future. I’m hoping that maybe because it’s the first it’s just a slow opening.