3/5 stars.

Thank you NetGalley for providing the advanced reader copy.

This graphic novel centers around a group of warriors who fight against the demonic and other supernatural beings in the name of the church and their angels. Interesting plot, great artwork. The story overall was nothing entirely too special, and it was fine. Honestly not usually my cup of tea, but I enjoyed it just fine. I'd recommend to anyone who enjoys graphic novels.

I was so excited to get this arc because the art looks absolutely stunning. However the dialect and story outside the drawings definitely lacked a bit for my taste :( I still think it was good but it is for sure more ya then new adult. thank you for the arc
3/5 stars

** I received a copy of this as an ARC through NetGalley! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I’m really excited to pick up the next volume! The characters are so much fun, and it’s jam packed with action. Wishing it was long is a great sign of a good story, and I could see this becoming an anime. I love Samson and Ezra’s dynamic, and the dynamic setting up for Ezra and Sunny—who I’m assuming are love interests? Me intrigued. Not only that but the magic system is super cool and easy to follow!

However do be mindful of heavy religious themes if you aren’t interested in that sort of stuff.

Stunning artwork with a darker storyline than I originally anticipated, loving the golden retriever and black cat trope and brilliant queer representation, my only complaint was the dialogue didn't seem to match the energy the art and storyline gave off, seemed a little immature compared to both, apart from that, I really enjoyed this and will be reading the next one

The first thing I have to say is that the art is absolutely beautiful, and probably one of the best features of the book.
The story presented has quite a few compelling aspects as well; the religious symbolism and the christian iconography were fun to spot in the art; it was packed with action sequences, which made it pretty fun to read; and the first glimpse we get of the characters is interesting enough to at least like them.

However, and this is the reason I deducted a star☆, the pacing was all over the place. It starts in the middle of the action, and you are expected to understand everything from the very beginning, which with the little info we have is basically impossible. Yes, you do, eventually, understand what's going on, but still, everything seems to go way too quickly.

I did like this first installment of the webtoon, and I am excited to read more about the characters and learn more about the story.

Let me start off by saying there were several aspects of this book I enjoyed. I loved the artwork - the book is absolutely stunning. I thought the use of Biblical mythology (literally speaking) was quite clever. It reminded me of several anime and manga series I've enjoyed, but felt unique. The author built suspense and opened a lot of doors to the point I could imagine this being a long running webtoon.

However, it was almost too much at once. The story at times felt disjointed, or characters were introduced without much explanation. I was left with more questions, few answers, and not much desire to go searching past Volume 1.

For those who may be curious, this is not a Christian graphic novel. It, like many anime and manga, pulls from Biblical mythology to lay a tentative foundation, and then the author creates the rest on their own. Do not go into this book expecting it to be theologically sound.

I really wanted to enjoy this book more than I did, but artwork and suspense weren't enough. I wish some of my questions, or even a few more characters had been introduced/ explained further.

𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴: 5 ⭐️

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁:
💛 MM Graphic Novel
💛 Slow Burn
💛 PNR Action
💛 Opposites Attract
💛 Based on the Webtoon

Covenant, Volume 1 by debut creator Lysandra Vuong is the first 18 episodes of the Webtoon brought to print! With a vivid, action-packed fantasy world as the backdrop and two wonderful but troubled men learning their way, I literally devoured this one!

Ezra is sunny and sarcastic and a bada** demon slaying exorcist with the Church of Providence. Using contracts with angels, him and his brethren are gifted temporary powers as they fight off evil. But even though Ezra is one of the top exorcists, his faith in God is nonexistent. He’s tasked with protecting a new student, Sunny, who’s angry, gloomy, and closed off because he’s being chased by evil things and he has no idea why.

Southern far, Sunny thinks Ezra is stalking him and there’s ZERO romance but I can sense the vibes between them and I know as the volumes release it’s going to be epic!

This one was SO FUN. The artistry is absolutely gorgeous. There’s humor and a ton of action. I cracked up so much when Ezra was trying to follow Sunny. His character arc is fantastic. Definitely a great way to start this series and I can’t wait to read more! I’m probably gonna end up with these gorgeous graphic novels on my shelves!

𝘙𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘦 𝘋𝘢𝘵𝘦: April 16, 2024
𝙄 𝙧𝙚𝙘𝙚𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙙 𝙖 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙥𝙡𝙞𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙮 𝙘𝙤𝙥𝙮 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠. 𝘼𝙡𝙡 𝙧𝙚𝙫𝙞𝙚𝙬𝙨 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙢𝙮 𝙤𝙬𝙣.

Welp, I have unlocked a new fetish called hot priests thanks to this lovely comic book. 😂

I've read this like 3, 4 times since getting the arc from Netgalley (how was I so lucky?!) But it is also readable online on Webtoons.

So... if you like, ahem hot priests and beautiful art, and a crazy story around a crazy bunch of queer people, enjoy!

Rating: 4.5
Genre: Horror/Fantasy
Thank you Oni Press for providing an e-copy through NetGalley.

Summary: Ezra is a priest of a special order of the Church that exorcizes demons with magical abilities and is under harsh scrutiny for their arcane practices. But Ezra’s other problem is his lack of faith in God, which prevents him from using his full power when exercising demons. So his archangel Gabriel sends him on a cryptic mission: Protect the human Sunny. Ezra has questions, but figures it will be an easy mission. Sunny, however, has dark secrets of his own. Demons are after him, strong demons, but Sunny has no idea why. It will be up to Ezra to protect his new assignment and figure out the mystery surrounding him, and Sunny will have to open up to his new partner in order to survive.

What I Liked: Covenant is a both a serious and quirky graphic novel that is brewing with action-packed fight scenes, dynamic characters, and questions about religious faith. The first issue follows mostly Ezra, the optimistic, clumsy, awkward exorcist who grapples with lack of faith yet wants to fight against evil as he battles demons, faces against the condensing Church, and keeps his friends alive. His exorcists colleagues come in all shapes and personalities, highlighting the diverse and fun relationships that Ezra has. Sunny is the total opposite: Brooding and grumpy, tired from changing schools and running from dark forces he does not understand, and miserably alone. The two meet near the latter half of the first issue, with Ezra pseudo-stalking Sunny (for his own good), and Sunny not having any of it. The art is gorgeous, with stark black and white undertones (good vs evil) along with bright flashes of color, easy-to-follow action, and the portrayal of religious magic and divine beings in a unique style. Overall, Covenant is a great fantasy/action read for new adults into supernatural graphic novels, new friendships, and a religious and demonic premise.

What I Didn’t Like: Nothing

Recommend to: Teens and new adults who like exorcists, demon hunting, and church dynamics.

Review Date: April 2, 2024

Beautiful art. Beautiful people. Lots of dynamic action scenes. Some ominous religious imagery. Interesting designs for angels and demons and tattoos and weapons. Nice use of color (full color, but a sorta limited palette or tint to everything). Just a very aesthetically pleasing graphic novel.

Ezra was bad*** but also just a sometimes whiny, awkward, silly, normal dude. Samson was short-fused and a bit of a wildcard, but she was a bad*** through and through. She was fun. Sunny was closed-off and mysterious, but for good or understandable reasons. Honestly, every character was a little bit ridiculous. But that’s just the vibe of the book. It’s not something to be taken too seriously. They were fun, lovable characters to read about.

Ezra and Sunny, who I’m guessing will end up in a romance, definitely gave off grumpy/sunshine vibes. Which is funny because Sunny is the grumpy one.

The story was about a special church of badass exorcists who go out and fight demons using magical weapons and blessings they get from angels that they ink into their skin as tattoos. The official description is actually pretty on-point.

Like I said, there was as lot of action. There was some silliness. But there were also a few more dark or serious moments. They were pretty brief here, but I would love it if the characters’ struggles get explored more in future volumes (like Ezra’s lack of belief in God and Sunny’s past).

I find a lot of graphic novel series take some time to really get into things, with the first volume being more of an intro than anything, and I did find that to be the case here. Which is fine, better that than have things feel rushed. So I’m rating this 4 stars on the basis that it was a good start to a story that I want more of.

Overall, this was a solid start to what seems like a fun, aesthetically beautiful series about some seriously kick-butt exorcists!

I’d never heard of this webtoon before but I might just have to go check out the rest!

The story and characters are interesting and I’m curious to see where the plot goes.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book.

. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC of this book for early review!. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.

Covenant is lifted up by its detailed art style, attractive characters, and likeable personalities, but those qualities don't quite make up for the immature dialogue. I know this is a translated work, but I can't help but wonder if liberties were taken. This story has the grit and vibe of something darker than "gosh darn" being used as a swear... Overall I would say that it is enjoyable, but I wouldn't sit through the dialogue for another couple of volumes without getting tired of the childish, upbeat nature of it. I would love to see more of a sunshine priest meets grumpy antichrist dynamic but I don't think this translation is sustainable for carrying the rest of the work.

Thank you, NetGalley and Oni Press for this digital ARC! This request was purely driven by the artwork of the cover and a brief summary I read about the premise. While it was entertaining for the most part, I gave this a 3.5 out of 5 overall.
•
The Artwork: The artwork was FANTASTIC! It was truly beautiful throughout. The detail of all the characters felt complete and fully realized. The color palette was vibrant when pertinent to the setting of the story. Then the usage of black, white, and gray to highlight the struggle between good, evil, and that middle ground that is so important was well done too!
•
The Premise: This has a solid premise. And a good amount of potential. I mean, I was in partially due to this. It’s a church of “priests” who practice different methods of exorcism to keep humanity safe from demon kind. However, there is corruption within the “church” (mirroring real life?? 😏) pitting morality against accomplishing a higher purpose, so to speak. Throw in angels running interference and a rescue/protection mission and it sounds like a great time!
•
The Dialogue/Execution: The dialogue was the part that took me a bit out of it. For the premise and more mature themes, I felt that the dialogue was more juvenile than I expected. It also seemed a bit repetitive, harping on the same point on multiple occasions instead of allowing the reader to continue the flow of the story and build the story. With the execution, I feel like the ending was solely to create suspense so the reader will continue the series rather than adding much to the storyline. Maybe I am wrong but it felt a bit out of place.

I plan to read Volume 2 still and I hope that it gels together a bit more with the dialogue and execution!

"Covenant" by LySandra Vuong is a captivating webtoon with an interesting and mysterious plot. The developing friendship/relationship between Erza and Sunny is at the center of the story and captivates readers from beginning to end.

The dynamic between Erza, a demon hunter with "holy magic", and Sunny, a more introverted and withdrawn character, is particularly intriguing. Erza will do anything to protect Sunny, even if it means going against his own beliefs and loyalties. This deep devotion and Erza's belief in the good in Sunny, which not even Sunny himself can recognize, creates a touching and inspiring atmosphere in the webtoon. Readers are taken on a thrilling journey, full of action, intrigue and, most importantly, the growing bond between Erza and Sunny. And then there's Sunny's dangerous secret...
I took Ezra and Sunny straight to my heart. Ezra with his funny and likeable nature and Sunny I wanted to hold in my arms the whole time! Despite the fact that Ezra is the easy-going type, he gets serious when it becomes important and Sunny's safety is at stake.
And the illustration of the webtoon in particular is incredibly good. The action is perfectly ilustrated and the emotions are tangible. The demons and the holy magic are also depicted so appropriately and fascinatingly!

Overall, "Covenant" is a must-read for fans of fantasy webtoons looking for a gripping plot and compassionate character dynamics.

I've been reading this story on WEBTOONS since it started publishing so I've been obsessed for a while. I love the art and storyline so much. I cannot wait to own this physically.

I really liked This. It’s different to what I normally read, but it’s always good to branch out a bit. The story is really interesting and thought through. The drawings are beautiful. Highly recommend

I knew nothing about this going in, but was drawn to it because of the cover. I ended up really liking the art throughout. I found the world intriguing and the characters engaging. It's definitely an introductory volume, so be prepared for it to get you interested and then leave you hanging. The dialogue was nothing remarkable, and there were times I wasn't quite sure what was going on, but I was able to follow along well enough that I had a handle on the story. I'll be picking up the next volume when it releases because I want to know what happens next!

While I am far from religious in the sense of Christianity at the least I do enjoy stories involving demons and myths of the Bible. Covenant it a unique twist on the idea exorcists and how they can use their powers to fight demons. The storyline is interesting in and of itself and the art style was one I really enjoyed as well.
The characters are all fantastic and I instantly like Ezra and then Sunny. If you are a graphic novel fan who enjoys demons and myths this is one for you. I certainly enjoyed it!

I’ve had an e-copy of this from netgalley for a while and I’ve finally read it.
This was interesting, very shadowhunter-esc and I’m definitely going straight onto WEBTOON to read more now because I’m intrigued as to where this is going to go!

the art is undeniably more impressive than the story, which not only drags but doesn't feel like anything especially worthwhile. while the magic system is interesting, the characters who wield these powers are not--they exist as mere archetypes that have been overdone, rather than fully fleshed out people.

for a first volume, not much happens in Covenant, and at over 200 pages this causes it to drag. as mentioned above, the magic system is interesting, but we unfortunately don't come any closer to understanding it or the inner workings of this world. overall, it felt like the idea of Covenant was far more interesting than the end result.

thank you to netgalley and oni press for the arc.