It's a nice story, however, I feel the main characters could be more diverse. That being said, it was entertaining the whole kids save the world plot.

Great coming of age story amid the trappings of a comic convention beset by terrorists. Definitely a book to share with kids seeking creative outlets or ways to boost their self-esteem and confidence (as well as showing the counterpoints to unrealistic daydreams about costumed heroics).

Thanks to NetGalley & the publisher Europe Comics for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A fun adventure story for the hero in all of us! Follow these teens as they learn they have to save their convention from real bad guys. Who will become heroes and who will be left behind?

Cosplay by Mikko & Maribel Conejero

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Set in Paris 2022. Abel and his friends are into cosplay and are attending the Paris Comic-Con when they find themselves in a life or death situation and accidentally get themselves involved with terrorists.

I really enjoyed this, it was fun to spot all of the references to pop culture characters from so many different animes, films and shows. I quite liked the story line and the main characters and I liked the art style too. It had some black and POC representation in it too. I’d say this is appropriate for teens and up and I would definitely recommend this!

TWs/CWs - Terrorists (mentioned); Police; Blood; Cursing; Bullying; Fat shaming; Sexual Harassment; Sexism; Violence; Child death; Murder; Gun violence; Fire/Fire Injury; Bombs

A mixed bag for me...
Pros:
I loved the artwork, I thought it was colourful, fun and suited the story perfectly. I enjoyed all the inside jokes, pop culture references and spotting the background character cosplays. And as a comic con fan I loved the setting and the feeling of nostalgia and belonging it evoked. However....
Cons:
The plot was rushed and confusing at times, probably because so much was being packed into such a short book. Nearly all of the characters are pretty unlikeable and extremely under developed. There's also quite alot of sexist comments and fat shaming that made me feel a bit icky.
Overall I'd say it wasn't for me personally but will definetely appeal to lots of people so I'd still encourage giving it a chance!

Thank you Netgalley for providing me with a free digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was a fun and thrilling graphic novel about what being a hero and finding the hero within us. The characters were fun and developed throughout the story. The amount of pop culture references in this were over the top, but I get that is kind of the point. I'm still not clear on what exactly was on the flash drive or why they were at the con in the first place, but it really wasn't central to the plot. Fun and colorful art, wouldn't mind seeing more of these characters develop.

Picked this from Netgalley on a whim and actually really enjoyed it!
Loved all the references throughout, and loved the way it listed them all at the end too!
Inspired me to start working on a cosplay again!
Best bit has gotta be drunk Thor though 🤣

Thank you to Netgalley and Europe Comics for providing me with a digital ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

CW: violence, sexism, fat shaming, bullying, gun violence.

I have to admit, I really didn't like this comic.
While the concept sounded cool and the art style was pleasent to look at, the story lacked depth and was at times quite inconsiderate.

I am myself a big fan of comic cons and visited the one in my country already mutiple times. Now, said comic con has been cancelled for the third year in a row, due to the on-going pandemic. I picked up this comic in the hope of finding comfort and escape at least in a fictional experience.

I love the atmosphere and the passion of comic cons, being surrounded by hundreds of geeks and nerds who understand and respect each other, even when differing opinions occur. It's like a huge friend group, always nice and supportive even if you're total strangers.
Sadly, exactly that is the weakest point of the story. There is not a single likeable character in this book. Everyone is easily aggravated, insecure and constantly picking at each other. Even the supposed best friends I woundn't have known as friends, hadn't the synopsis told me so.

And while there were a few inside jokes that made me smile or even laugh out loud (like the Spartans passionately correcting Abel's brother that Cosplay is not dress-up or everyone miss-placing the agents in a different fandom), these were balanced by some strong no-gos of comic con behavior: fat shaming the Thor cosplayer thta he should rather go as Obelix, sexist comments that a woman couldn't be Logan and more. It was truly baffling.

Another component I found to be quite inconsiderate was the supposed death of one of the main characters. He gets shot during the middle part of the book and no one even checks his pulse or seemed truly sad - after a short time they just moved on... and later were oh so surprised that he did in fact never die but wore a self-made bullet-proof west underneath.

The portrayel of female characters was, oh wonder, also something I disliked.
Those were either objectified, desciminated, or displayed as trophies for the main characters, and of course all of them had the idealized slim-curvey silhuette and low neckline that comic women often have.
There were a few tries to redeem this situation at the end, but for me it was a bit too little too late.

Aside from these biggest critiques, the rest was rather mediocre. The plot wasn't that original and a big too fast-paced for my taste. The only things I enjoyed were the setting and the atmosphere created by the art style, which was very colorful and cartoonesque - and hence perfectely suited for the story told. It filled me with a good portion of nostalgia and longing for whenever the next comic con will finally take place.

But even that couldn't make up for a comic that was at best mediocre and at worst very dissapointing.

PS: since this is a translated work, I think the translator (Edward Gauvin) should be mentioned, at least on Goodreads, if not on the cover.

Thank you Netgalley & Europe Comics for the chance to review this heroic and coming of age comic, Cosplay.

The elements and focus points regarding young teens like Abel who love to embody their favorite characters reminds me of my friends and I attending out first Comic-Cons together. While true enough the activity and practice of making a cosplay, attending or buying the costume might seem off putting to those outside the community, it does take a lot of courage and confidence to step out into an unfamiliar area. This comic spoke well on the issues of accepting someone's differences, how bullying affects others, and the act of doing something brave minus the superpowers.

While the situation that Abel and his friends find themselves in while attending the Con is completely ridiculous, I did enjoy the story and the fact the each of them were willing to over come their fear and come up with a game plan to assist others in need; in essence making them true heroes.

The artwork and storytelling is rich, fast paced, and gives just enough insight into the characters' personalities, making them pop off the page.

Be sure to check this comic out on Kindle or your local bookstore.

4/5 stars!

Abel just wanted to participate (and possibly win) the cosplay contest at Comic-Kon, when what might be a terrorist attack goes down.

I had a fun time reading this graphic novel and I tend to enjoy ridiculous upon ridiculous situations going down, but the story felt a bit flat to me. Maybe if the story was stretched out a bit and we spend more time getting to know the characters I would have felt different. There was also an object that was taken away at the start of the story, but played a large role in the end and I'm a bit confused by that, but other than that it was a solid read.

Also, the art is beautiful and the pop culture references are so much fun.

Thank you NetGalley and Europe Comics for presenting me with an ARC of this book in exchange of a honest review.</i><i>Thank you NetGalley and <Publisher> for presenting me with an ARC of this book in exchange of a honest review.

A fun and entertaining graphic novel that gives kids a chance to envision themselves as great as their heroes. But things take a quick turn as they find themselves in the backstage of the much-anticipated cosplay competition. This story is silly and fun, but I felt like it was missing something.

I do think I might not be the one best suited to read this, as I was slowly losing interest and some of the scenes were a little too boring to my taste. But if not me, I think young teens might find this book more enjoyable than I did.

I really wanted to enjoy this graphic novel as 1: I love graphic novels and 2: I love all things related to cosplaying and events such as those related to (movies, comics, book characters etc). Unfortunately I wasn't a massive fan of the art work, and the dialogue seemed strange at times. I didn't find any of the characters that likeable, so I couldn't really connect with them.

The idea of this novel was a cool and unique one, but I don't think it was executed that well. Parts seemed rushed and messy and there was no character development.

Some positive points: I loved the diversity of the characters, the idea of the plot and there are some funny moments!

Cute and fast comic to read!
I didn't catch all the comic/pop-culture references, but I appreciate that the author took the time to point them all out at the end of the comic - I was, however, able to catch a lot of characters in this comic cosplay as well known pop-culture characters, and I have to say, slightly inaccurate Thor was my favorite (I don't remember him wearing a helmet like that, is what I'm trying to get at).
I enjoyed the fact that the style in which this comic was drawn mirrors classic comics such as Marvel or DC and that the setting speaks to the target audience.
My only point of negative criticism is concerning the format: this was extremely hard to read as a digital ebook sorta thing, (I couldn't really zoom in to read the speech bubbles and when I could, it would jump around in the comic whenever I zoomed out). It would definitely translate better into something that's published in a "traditional" comic format.
Overall, though, I would recommend this to comic and/or cosplay enthusiasts!

Maribel Conejero's art brings this story by Mikko to life. I enjoyed the references to comics universes and this take on the cosplay culture that is part of fandom. Recommended visual reading.

Abel is a cosplayer who is excited to go to the geekfest that is Comic-kon, despite what his parents think. The biggest thing on his mind is the costume contest he is entering. However, he ends up in a greater position: saving the world.

Honestly, I had a hard time getting through this one and I just think I'm not the audience for it. It definitely felt like I've done something before and mainly aimed at teenage boys. I love going to cons and have cosplayed in the past, and there is love toward that shown in this book. However, there were a lot of moments toward girls, particularly from Oscar that left a bad taste in my mouth. It also felt really formulaic that Abel gets with one of the two female characters at the end.

I did enjoy a lot of the paneling and the art is nice but that's where it stops for me.

A fun action pack display of kids getting the chance to be as cool as their heroes. Taking place during Paris comic con, the kids find themselves behind the scenes of the highly anticipated cosplay contest, when they run in with kea-i mean, men in black suits chasing down a seemingly harmless man. This book was full of fun, awkward, and nerdy moments.

Cute Story. Who doesn‘t dream to be a superhero someday like all the famois ones. These kids live the dream some of us also have.
But not all of them are capeable of fighting for what is right. I‘m curiuos if there will be a sequel. It was an easy read and a great break from reality. I really enjoyed it!

The premise sold me first- cosplayers? A nerd book? Comic-Con? As a costumer myself, consider me so in for this adventure.
Cosplay follows Abel, a young cosplayer, and his friends at Paris Comic-Kon. What starts as an exciting event, and a chance for Abel to show off his new Batman costume, quickly goes south, and Abel and his friends get caught in the cross-fire of a terrorist attack. But never fear, the cosplayers are here. And they're all wearing their superhero costumes.

Comic books are not always my jam- they can be difficult to navigate and understand- but Cosplay was both an instant favourite and 5 stars. It was easy to read and follow artistically, it had amazing character dynamics, and (my favourite part of this story) plenty of references to Marvel, DC, Star Wars, and other well-known franchises.

Loved this!

Very easy read. Almost had a Superbad vibe about it , great characters too loving the idea of cosplay and convention being at the forefront of the story.

5 stars definitely!

Abel is a cosplayer, but it seems like no one in his family understands. His older brother makes fun of him and his parents think he's just playing around. Finally the big comic convention rolls around and Abel has a chance to prove himself in the cosplay competition. But what seems to be your standard convention ends up in a stand off between an intelligence team and a rogue agent who has infiltrated the event.

I loved all the nods to other fandoms in this graphic novel. However, the pacing was too fast and the story ends up being jumbled in all the action scenes. I wish I could say I liked this one, but the plot was lackluster and rushed.