Thanks to NetGalley for my Advanced Reader's Copy of this book.

I wanted to love this book. The art certainly evokes the glam rock and musical transformations that Bowie was known for, but the drawings often make him look more like Beavis (and sometimes even the Joker from Batman) than the rock god Bowie was. I wish there had been more material on who Bowie was, but the book synopsis clearly states that this is about the decade he made some of his more seminal records. I don't feel like this would be a good book to introduce someone to Bowie, but I believe die hard fans will appreciate the book. On a final note, I really don't like the font used. Everyone thinks that nontraditional books like graphic novels can use any font to show more personality, but the simple fact is some fonts should never be used.

💕thank you to NetGalley and the author for an eARC💕

Only rated 1 star so I could actually write a review; DNF’d about 25% of the way through. I was very much looking forward to this book; a graphic novel about an iconic musician? Sounded like a dream come true.

Well, it definitely was NOT. About 3 bits of text per page and not even detailed text at that; doesn’t really engage at all. As for ‘following the life’ of Bowie. Absolutely not; I started to read this to hear about Bowie, NOT the interviewers life during the trip there. Absolutely disappointed.

I've been a big Bowie fan for years and was excited to see a graphic novel looking at a part of his life, a graphic novel is a great idea for exploring Bowie's life I think. Sadly, this just fell flat. Even though this series seems to be pretty basic introductions to famous creatives, I expected a bit more. The pacing was uneven and doesn't really bother with actually characterizing any of the people in it. It also expects you to have basic knowledge of Bowie already, so someone jumping in blind will be pretty confused. All in all, this was a disappointing one for me.
Also, another reviewer commented on the font used and I really can't agree more. I'm not sure if it wasn't also an issue with the NetGalley Reader making the whole graphic novel difficult to read but it put a lot of strain on the eyes.

So well done! I absolutely loved the art style and the way the interview was woven throughout the graphic novel. I’ve already recommended this to a few friends—both music lovers and those who appreciate great visual storytelling.

The more artsy pages, especially the split panels that feel like you’re inside his head? Brilliantly done. Such a creative and fitting tribute to an icon.

Thank you, NetGalley for an advanced ARC of this graphic novel

I was excited to read this and see where it was going to go, but sadly it didn't give much over about David Bowie & I was wanting to see this kind of explore more about him (since I have been a fan of his since the film Labyrinth where he played the goblin king, a role I think was made for him).

The art style was very pop art and I think that goes well with the style and how David Bowie was when Alive but I wanted more ... for anyone who doesn't know of David Bowie I can see this graphic novel being a gateway to learning some information on him but for me it didn't tell me anything I didn't already know and I wish the book was longer to tell more.

Thanks to Netgalley for this graphic novel.

I didn't know a lot about David Bowie before going into this book and I learn a lot about him. I really liked the art style very colorful without being distracting, truly amazing. However the story felt a bit flat for me. It only focus on a short part of his life and I would have like more I guess.

Thank you netgalley for this graphic novel. I really enjoyed the artwork and part of the story in this not really knowing much about david bowie but it fell a little flat too me it did give me insight on his friendship with iggy pop as well as david bowies music and his albums and stuff so i did enjoy learning some stuff about bowie because ive always thought he was a very cool and an artist who went outside of the box especially during the time he was famous.

I obtained this via Net Galley

Aside from the front cover, Bowie rarely looks like Bowie, which is a pretty big flaw for a graphic novel about David Bowie. That aside, the artwork, particularly the use of colour is eye-catching without being distracting.

Considering 80s Bowie post Lets Dance tends to be overlooked, it's good to read about the importance of his 1987 Berlin concert. In terms of audience, this is pretty much aimed at those who already think Bowie is the cat's pyjamas. Does it provide enough for them? Possibly. The spoken dialogue is somewhat leaden, but a graphic novel does provide an alternative perspective, almost a sense of being there, which may be of value. This graphic novel is one for completists as opposed to casual fans.

This is the first graphic novel by Brian Freschi, focusing on David Bowie’s Berlin era (1976–79), when Bowie and Iggy Pop relocated to Berlin to overcome their drug addictions and create some of their most iconic music.

First off, you really need some prior knowledge of Bowie to fully appreciate this. The narrative felt a bit hectic and hard to follow at times (which could partly be due to the NetGalley reader format). While the concept is great, the execution didn’t quite land for me. My daughter, a big Bowie fan, couldn’t even finish it.

That said, it’s a nice addition for hardcore Bowie fans who enjoy exploring different artistic takes on his life.

Release Date: 18/11/2025
Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!

I thought this was brilliant, I learned so much about David Bowie, which surprised me, because I used to collect his albums and read about him and I wore a jacket with his picture (my friend drew it) and I saw him in concert.
He really used to reinvent himself; it was more than a change in style, it was like he took on so many personas. It's interesting that he chose Berlin to make a change back to a more traditional personality and I knew Iggy Pop was his friend, but not that they went through all that together in Berlin.
This is a fairly short graphic novel but the story is well told and the pictures are gorgeous. Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this fantastic book about such a pivotal point in the life of someone I admire so much.

As someone who doesn’t normally pick up graphic novels, this was definitely a step outside my usual reading comfort zone but I’m so glad I gave it a shot! The vibrant color palette and bold illustrations were eye-catching and really brought the Berlin-era Bowie to life in a unique, stylized way. 🙌🏽❤️

This is an interesting concept, where we live a perceived portion of the artist's life in the format of a graphic novel. Although familiar, I am not intimately acquainted with Bowie's music and career, and there were definitely snippets that I am sure a superfan would absolutely love. For me, it felt a bit tricky to follow the "plot" and overall the work felt quite speculative and a dash like fanfic. That said, the artwork was beautiful and clear, and the layout, design and colours of the book were amazing.

Thank you to Gemini Books Group and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Icongraphics - David Bowie is an interesting look into his production process during a pivotal turning point in his career, but probably not for the reader who is looking for a more comprehensive overview of who Bowie is and why he was such an important force in shaping contemporary music.

The in media res beginning might be jarring and confusing for a reader who is unfamiliar with Bowie and his career. However, for readers familiar with the genre and period of music being covered, the insight into Bowie's relationship with Iggy Pop in the late 70s and their mutual recording processes can prove interesting. Personally, I found one of the most delightful parts of the work to be the threads it weaves between Bowie and German Expressionism. In fact, while the character style wasn't for me - the famous figures were almost unrecognizable - I really liked the interesting and emotive use of gutters, lines, and inserts throughout. In particular, I appreciated the diagonal gutters near the beginning and their reflection of the angularity of German Expressionist art and film.

Overall, I think this is a good work for a reader who is already a fan of Bowie, but not the best introduction for a more general audience.

In amongst all the graphic novel 'biographies', Icongraphics David Bowie concentrates rather on a short time in Bowie's career that defined his move away from mask and into authenticity. Set against the enigmatic Berlin, the novel explores Bowie's relationship with Iggy Pop and the process he underwent to produce Low and Heroes, albums which were turning points in his artistic journey.

Really interesting.

This graphic novel creates a vivid portrait of a particular period in Bowie's career - after the rise of glam rock with Ziggy Stardust but before his re-emergence in the 1990s. Knowing little about this era, I was drawn into the narrative, but I found it disjointed. While this may be intentional to evoke Bowie's internal chaos, unfamiliar readers may find it a barrier to entry. That would be a shame, because the art in this volume is truly phenomenal.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this title.

This was a fun way to learn more about David Bowie. It was interesting to see this bit illustrated and definitely brought history to life for me. I also had no idea the depths of his addiction and hate for LA. I really enjoyed this & if you like David Bowie give it a read!

Thank you to NetGalley for this arc in exchange for my review.

Graphic novel following the life of David Bowie in the Berlin years of the 1970s, exploring the background to his albums Heroes, Low, and Lodger. It also touches on his friendships with Iggy Pop, Brian Eno, and other musicians. I found it a little uninspiring and vague but I enjoyed the art style.

A really fun graphic novel version of the story of Bowie's years in Berlin. The story tells us of his possible thoughts and feelings of how he came to be in Berlin, the story behind the Lows album, time with Iggy Pop, and some of his personal demons.

I've been a big Bowie fan for years and was excited to see a graphic novel looking at a part of his life, a graphic novel is a great idea for exploring Bowie's life I think. Sadly, this just fell flat. Even though this series seems to be pretty basic introductions to famous creatives, I expected a bit more. The pacing was uneven and doesn't really bother with actually characterizing any of the people in it. It also expects you to have basic knowledge of Bowie already, so someone jumping in blind will be pretty confused. All in all, this was a disappointing one for me.
Also, another reviewer commented on the font used and I really can't agree more. I'm not sure if it wasn't also an issue with the NetGalley Reader making the whole graphic novel difficult to read but it put a lot of strain on the eyes.

I loved this charming graphic novel about my favorite period of David Bowie’s music career. I do wish it was longer in length since Berlin in the 1970s sounds so endlessly fascinating and inspiring. I hope there will be a forthcoming graphic novel all about Brian Eno in the near future.