Dryad Vol 1
Kurtis Wiebe
Pub Date Jan 19 2021

Quick Synopsis:
Dryad is a graphic novel following the Glass family who escaped from their home 13 years ago and found a safe haven to protect their twin children. 13 years later, they are accidentally discovered and torn from their idyllic hideaway back to a place of technology that the  children never even knew existed. 

What I liked:
First and foremost, the art style of this book is incredible. Its so vibrant and full of color, and the palette is so intentional. You shift from warm, natural hues over to vibrant almost neons when you switch from the safe haven to the big city. The characters are also incredibly well developed and interesting. I'm fascinated by the twins and can't wait to find out what happens after the cliff hanger! 

One thing I didn't love:
Honestly, I loved pretty mush everything about this. I thought I was going to have a hard time absorbing the world building in a graphic novel, but the plot and illustrations work together to help paint the backstory for you and I felt like I got it. 

Overall Thoughts:
I loved the unique juxtaposition of Dungeons and Dragons and futuristic settings. It was partially fantasy, partially scifi, and they were blended together well. I'm definitely looking forward to picking up the next volume, because woof- that cliffhanger!

5 Stars! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a galley!

This was a decent start to a series! I really enjoyed the art throughout as it really gave the characters life. The story was good but the characters lacked depth, so I hope to see more character growth in future volumes. I hope to read more of this story!

Dryad, Vol. 1, is a fantasy graphic novel written by Kurtis Wiebe and illustrated by Justin Barcelo (at least according to the credit pages in the galley I received, many sites have a different last name for the illustrator). It is currently scheduled for release on January 5 2021. The Glass family has spent thirteen years hiding peacefully in the sleepy forest settlement of Frostbrook where Morgan and Yale planted roots and raised their twins, Griffon and Rana. But secrets never stay hidden, and the entire Glass family find themselves the target of an unearthly attack on Frostbrook. Now on the run from Muse Corp., they must flee to the massive city of Silver’s Bay to hide in plain sight. Rana and Griffon find themselves uprooted and answering for their parents' mistakes. But, they’ll soon find that the past has a way of finding you, no matter where you run.

Dryad is a fantasy with tech elements, and some serious character and world building. The artwork is well done and matches the style and mood of the story. The details and color add a great deal to the story and do their job of immersing the reader in the world. I thought the information given as to the past of Morgan and Yale was given in good , small doses. I will admit that I want more information (rather like the twins) but I suspect those secrets are such an important part of the story that there will be a big reveal and repercussions that I have not considered yet. I am more than willing to wait and find out at the pace the author has set. There is a good mix of mystery, tech, magic, and individual character building and development. My biggest disappointment is that I feel like I was just about to get to the best part- some explanations of the past and who Yale and Morgan really are when the book ended. I expected a cliff hanger- as it is fairly standard in graphic novels of this caliber- but somehow it still snuck up on me and came way too soon.

Dryad is a good start to a graphic novel series, even if it did end with a cliff hanger.

Herein lies the story of a family in hiding, living in an idyllic village. When the parents' past catches up with them one violent night, they leave it behind for the city they once called home. The teenage twins are shocked to learn their father can do magic (a skill believed to be dead) and a world full of technology existed beyond their knowledge.

I wish this first volume worked for me. I love a concept that entwines magic and technology. However, the characters fell flat and the plot follows predictable, tropey paths. I didn't understand the characters on a deep level or even really care to get to know them more. The plot relies on an air of mystery that occasionally rewards readers with morsels of information that were not the bombshells needed to match this level of secrecy.

I am glad other readers enjoyed it, but I would rather pick up a graphic novel with more depth and story.

The Glass family has been hiding in the forest, but now they are the target of an attack and on the run.  While exploring ancient ruins a group of kids accidentally release something.  The villages invaded and we find out that mom and dad are hiding a secret that changes everything.

The art is stunning and the writing is witty.  The story starts out in a beautiful forest.  There are mountains and a lake, everything is vibrant and bright.  Dad is changing a diaper and he asks what every parent wonders at some point, "How did you eat that?"

I did not see the plot twist coming and cannot wait to pick up the trade.

Creative Team:
Kurtis Wiebe, Justin Barcelo, Meg Casey, and Francesco Segala
While looking for the creative team only the names were listed.  I really dislike when review copies do this because I want to give proper credit to the team members.  Who did what?  I hope this is fixed in the final copy.

*Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for providing me with a complimentary eARC for review purposes*

Firstly I really liked the art style, which is always important with a graphic novel. Secondly this book felt like watching a Sci-Fi DND campaign, it gets into the action quickly but I don't feel like it takes away from the plot.
I did find that there were some adult moments so bear that in mind if you aren't comfortable with that.

Thank you NetGalley and Oni Press for the free ARC.

If the cyberpunk and fantasy genre had a baby, Dryad would be that baby! I loved this book. The art and story were great and super entertaining to read. I haven't quite read anything like this and I really enjoyed it. 

The story follows the Glass family. First you see Yale and Morgan escaping their old life that you don't really learn about until a few issues in. You just assume that they lived a life that wasn't suitable for children. Then thirteen years later the quiet easy living village they took refuge in is attacked by their past. You then follow the family as they navigate to escape but get pulled back into their past. I most certainly will start picking up this title in single issues!

Actual rating 3.5

I really thought I was getting some sort of fantasy here. And while I'm not exactly wrong, there is so much more going under the surface.

This is a solid start to this series, but I really didn't feel like we got enough to go on. I felt like the surprises and twists were just there for novelty rather than a real reason. Maybe that's because we don't know everything yet. But when some of the characters we are following know what's going on, it feels like things are being hidden just to increase suspense and not for good writing/storytelling.

I am curious to see where the next volume is going to go because it had gorgeous art and ended on a cliffhanger.  

(One other small side note: at the beginning of the story, the twins are stated to be 2 years old and yet they can't talk or really even babble.  This is not good development-wise, and even for being in a different world than our own, stuck out too much to the Mom in me.)

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing the E-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This first volume is a really good one. It gave me "Saga" vibes with a commistion of fantasy + sci-fi. This first volume contains five chapters.

The art was gorgeous, every page is impeccably outlined. The colors and the design's lines are excellent.

Our main characters are the Glass family: Morgan and Yale (an Elf and a Human) are married and after 13 years we can see them with their children Rana and Griffon ( I think Rana is my favorite at the moment, maybe because in my native language Rana means Frog ahah ).
A sudden attack on the town reveals the past Morgan and Yale has been hiding from their kids all their life: there is a much bigger world out there filled with technology they never even heard of.

I think something is a little bit confused, there is a lot of information presented very quickly, and something is missing.
Maybe in Volume 2 we can find them explained. I think the story has potential.

This is a solid, accessible adult fantasy graphic novel, I enjoyed the art, the world building was wonderful, and it kept me turning pages until the back cover. I'd recommend this title for libraries with a substantial adult comic collection.

I came to this from Rat Queens so I was expecting more humor. Still, I enjoyed the art and the story, it just wasn’t entirely of interest to me. I did not feel a need to keep reading but I imagine with the lovely art, that there will be people who greatly enjoy this.

I was intrigued by the premise of a fantasy/sci fi/cyberpunk story about a couple and their children. A little Saga-esque in concept, as others have said, but not really in execution or tone. Gorgeous art--the character detail were incredible and the colors beautiful (although it seemed like Yale's hair kept changing color?). Some of the humor was a little on-the-nose for my taste, a few parts of the script were a little cringy, and the plot was slow going at first. I found some plot points unclear as well. The last third was when things really picked up and I'm looking forward to vol. 2!

I’m a sucker for good comic book cover art, especially one featuring a large sword slung over a woman’s shoulder. The stunning visuals of 'Dryad', created by Kurtis Wiebe of 'Rat Queens' and Justin Osterling, drew me in immediately when I started reading; the characters and the settings are magnetic in quality, prompting me to turn page after page just so that I could see the next image.

This comic book series is like if Brian K. Vaughan’s comic series 'Saga' and M. Night Shyamalan’s 2004 film 'The Village' had a cyborg child who lived in the Shire. Married couple Morgan and Yale Glass flee the city of Silver Bay for the more rural forest village of Frostbrook, seeking to hide their twins, Griffon and Rana, from their mysterious pasts. When trouble in the form of an otherworldly hit team shows up to Frostbrook to bring the Glass family back to the city by any means necessary, the twins discover that the reality that their parents tried to protect them from is much darker and much stranger than they expected.

This first volume of 'Dryad' contains five chapters and blends genres in ways both surprising but also inevitable. The fantasy iconography (characters with pointed ears, rural villages, ruins, ancient history, etc) is re-imagined through a cyberpunk lens. But the real heart of this comic lies within the characters of the Glass family, especially Morgan and Yale. Morgan is such a memorable badass, complete with scars, hoop earrings, and bravado. Yale, on the other hand, reads more like a gentle, bearded Harry Potter—if Harry was buff and really into history. Together, they invert and subvert the gender roles traditionally given to married couples in fantasy narratives: neither is too tough or too vulnerable, but each represents a compelling mixture of both. You believe that these two people love each other and their children very much, even though they are very different people who have clearly gone through their fair share of trauma.

If I were to say there was a weakness of the book, it would be that this first volume, like many comic book series freshman entries, is a little too light on development and too heavy on proof of concept for the whole sci-fi/fantasy atmosphere. There are a lot of details to keep track of and not all of them seem equally weighted in terms of importance yet. The twins are a little too difficult to distinguish from one another in terms of personality. Griffon and Rana are still growing into their characters by the end of the volume, but their sense of betrayal and hurt at the discovery that their parents hide a large part of the world and themselves for so long works well to provide a sense of familial conflict without the bitterness or angst so common in these types of stories. The lack of development of the characters and the numerous details, however, are issues inherent to a first installment and can easily be remedied with future chapters, if the reader is invested in this concept and these characters.

I can honestly say that I don’t know where 'Dryad' will go in Volume 2; the reimagining has completely overturned any sense I have for what conventions Wiebe and his fellow creators will follow, or if they will follow them at all. I do know that I will be reading Volume 2.

'Dryad' Vol. 1 will be available January 5, 2021. Preorder here.

Absolutely beautiful artwork, but I found it really difficult to grasp what exactly was going on. I don't think I'm experienced enough in the medium.
I will definitely be recommending this to people who enjoy graphic novels, especially fans of Fable.

Really liked the art style, reminded me of the Saga comics (or whatever they're called), but I found the story really boring and confusing at times.

It wasn't that fluid as I was expecting and that bothered me somewhat. The novel just didn't bring me the joy to read it. It was just another book I will forget in 2 weeks at best.

I relly like comics because it are short and you have fun reading them, but this one wasn't my favourite.

Thank you for the e-arc 
I don’t read much graphic novels the only ones I love are Heartstopper. I tried Saga and this one but feels like sci-fi graphic novels are not for me sadly. 
While this one art is still beautiful but the story felt short a lot and i couldn’t connect to the characters

An interesting mix of high fantasy and cyberpunk. At first glance, it's impressive (a lot is happening, shit goes boom), but it lacks depth.  As the story progressed, I found the constant snark tiring and the humor unsubtle. There were some plot inconsistencies and the art, while energetic, didn't entrance me. It's ok, I guess. Nothing groundbreaking but enjoyable enough to read it.

I wasn’t sure what to  expect, however I was hooked the illustration is beautiful.The family dynamics are great and I love the sibling bond. I can't wait to see to see where the series goes.

Dryad is like if a sitcom about a lovely, odd, and dysfunctional family just suddenly became explosive, edgy, and made all of its viewers fell from the edges of theirs sits. If you like fantasy, unrestrained by age plot and high-quality art, this comic series is the Saga's young sibling we have all been waiting to join the graphic novel party.
The plot is amusing and makes me wanna come back to see what happened to everyone. Although the beginning is pretty slow, once the plot starts to develop and the characters have time to present themselves, things start to move quickly.
I could not be happier to be reviewing this earlier! A comic series that I'll sure be following in the future!

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Overall rating: 5/5
Device used: Adobe PDF Reader on Desktop
Language: English, advanced level of ESL
Reader's discretion is advised: yes, there is graphic violence, sexual language and tones, and a few not-so-subtle sexual activities portrayed along the volume
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This book hooked me right from the beginning! Between the artwork, characters, and plot I quickly fell in love. The family dynamics are great and I love the sibling bond. I can't wait to see how this series develops and what other twists will be in store.