We Called Them Giants

The art is absolutely stunning. Each panel feels like a painting and the use of color (particularly wherever there’s contrast) was absolute magic. Makes me really want to go read the other graphic novels by this team (Wicked + Divine and DIE) if only for the art.

Lori made a great apocalyptic protagonist - prickly and cynical with survival always the first (and usually only) thing on her mind. Combine that with Annette who’s bubbly and hopeful and brave in a way that is wholly unfamiliar and inscrutable to Lori. I wish we understood Beatrice better; instead she felt more like a means to an end.

This could have done so much more if it was longer, but even at only 100 pages, it feels complete - though not so conclusive that the world and characters couldn’t be revisited in the future.

What a astonishing artstyle, the way the colors and style blend makes such a beautiful contrast to the narrative.
I really enjoyed the story, it was a fast-paced thought provoking story about survival & love.
The pacing did feel a bit too fast, especially because it felt like we didn't get to know the characters enough.

I just finished it, read it in one sitting!!! So very lucky I got approved for an ARC through NetGalley!!! It’s a unique, beautiful and moving story! Unlike anything I have ever read before! The artwork is ASTOUNDING!!! The only negative thing about it, is that it was so short!

The art in this story was phenomenal. I found myself pausing and looking at the art for moments at a time because of how they were depicted.
I liked the main character. We didn't get to learn too much about her, but that's because the story was less about her and more about the world she had found herself in. I liked her cynical attitude and I liked the way she developed her friendships and wanted to keep them safe despite not feeling like they could do the same for her.
My one issue was that the pacing felt a little off. At times, I wasn't sure how much time had passed and how things were determined. But other than that, I enjoyed this story a lot!

Everybody is gone and maybe it was the Rapture, who knows, but now Lori and Annette are alone on an Earth that has become completely alien and hostile. Food is scarce, heat must be generated by setting fire to the depleting resources around them and now there are Giants to contend with as well. Whatever this is the girls know they have to survive it.

An interesting and beautifully illustrated read on trust and love. The plot is very simple and I think that's what makes this work so well. We have one girl who doesn't trust anyone and one who is maybe a little bit too trusting and throughout each girl grows became of what they take from each other. Although in Lori's case by the time she realizes this it's way too late.

Overall just a surprisingly uplifting read that is and is not what I expected when I started reading it.


As always thanks to Image Comics and NetGalley for the eArc!

I loved the art style it was absolutely breath taking. The story moved maybe a little too fast but Lori was a great apocolyptic character they way she never let down her guard continued to fight and always think things through. she could be seen as a bit cold but it was a nice quick read.

I've always been a fan of Kieran Gillens work and the latest addition didn't disappoint. The artwork was gorgeous and the story, while short, was a good story of how to enjoy the good things in life before they are gone.

Thank you Kieron Gillen, Image Comics, and Netgalley for this free ARC in exchange for a review.

Gorgeous art, and a lovely story. I only wish it had been longer, and that we chad learned what happened to cause the situation.

I felt like even for an illustrated oral tale, it felt like more show than tell, but that's fine, because it DOES feel like a story told after the fact, although I didn't feel that right away.

It's gorgeous, it's a little weird, the main character doesn't want anyone to get close, even you, and that's fine.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Image Comics and the authors. I received a free ARC, and this review is voluntary

The plot centers around Lori, and how after waking up one day, it appears as though everyone has vanished. She's now in this dystopian realm. As time ticks by, she does encounter other survivors. Some friendly, but most are not. Having to navigate this new world they now live in, simply trying to survive. They encounter what the synopsis calls "They," and it's beyond their initial understanding. Are they helpers, or are they here to accelerate the entropy?

I found it to have a slow build up, but with an ending worth the wait. From the color, to the character development, it was written beautifully. Definitely worth the read.

Raise your hand if you like a stand alone story. Raise you other hand if you enjoy them from a team of creators you adore. Raise your third hand if you got it early and the rabid wolves inside you have been had their greed appeased.

"We Called them Giants" finds Lori in an awkward predicament. No one is around. She isn't the biggest fan of most folks so it isn't the worst for her. But the one person she encounters is...bubbly and maybe not the most cut out for the situation they find themselves in. But that upbeat attitude helps when they are scrounging for food and avoiding the worst kind of people in the fallout of the world. At least until Giants fall from the sky.

Team behind this:
-Kieron Gillen, Writer
-Stephanie Hans, Illustrator
-Clayton Cowles, Lettering

They have worked on some of my favorite stories, such as, DIE and The Wicked + the Divine. Hope y'all will give them your time when this comes out November 12, 2024.

We Called Them Giants was a well told and utterly beautiful end of the world story by Kieron Gillen and Stephanie Hans. It's a story that has been told many times, but the touching story and the magnificent art elevated it. I really think it could have been a little bit longer and there was certainly more to mine from the world they created. Perhaps they'll revisit it again in a sequel. I'll be there to read it if they do.

Special thanks to Image Comics and NetGalley for the digital ARC. This was given to me for an honest review.

We Called Them Giants, wonderfully written by Kieron Gillen with stunning artwork by Stephanie Hans, is a new captivating graphic novel that is a story of giant beings from another world in a post-apocalyptic survival setting.

Lori wakes up to find herself alone, that is until she meets Annette. As they struggle to survive in this harsh new reality, they must navigate empty streets and evade dangerous gangs. If this seems difficult, their world is turned even more upside down when giants arrive. These mysterious beings add another layer to the already challenging existence, sparking curiosity and fear in equal measure.

Kieron Gillen, Stephanie Hans and letterer Clayton Cowles, the creative team behind DIE, is back at it again with We Called Them Giants. This tale blends elements of science fiction and drama seamlessly. Not only does the story deal with a post-apocalyptic world, but the complexities of communication between beings of vastly different intelligences, offering a thought-provoking look at what it means to truly understand one another.

We Called Them Giants has amazing emotional depth. Despite the fantastical elements at play, the characters feel real and relatable, grappling with loss, hope, and connection. This story feels a bit smaller, even with the giants, and intimate opposed to their work on DIE.

While Gillen has crafted an excellent story, the graphic novel is brought together by the gritty yet elegant artwork from Stephanie Hans. She brings the emotional journey to life, capturing the beauty and brutality of the surroundings with unique style.

We were drawn into this graphic novel by the simple yet striking cover and were hooked after the first few pages. The imagery and story are super compelling. As we dove deeper into the graphic novel the story got more complex for an unforgettable reading experience. While we are big fans of single issue comics, this being an encompassing story was a perfect way to experience.

We Called Them Giants is a truly wonderful, emotional and elegantly beautiful story to escape that crazy world in which we live. The stellar writing by Kieron Gillen and stunning visuals from Stephanie Hans give us a profound story in which we see both humans and alien beings work together to survive.

I picked this one up because Neil Gaiman gave it a great review and I have always enjoyed Gillen's other graphic novels. The artwork was stunning and the story was beautiful. The story is a mystery but the theme comes down to what it means to be connected and loved - sometimes the family we get is the family we create for ourselves. Having the main character be someone who went through the foster system and was untrusting played perfectly into the story that I think Gillen was trying to create.

As often, the art is what drew me in. The promises made by the gorgeous cover were kept until the last page and I was stunned by the beauty of the scenes. I enjoyed following the main character on her journey and seeing the friends she made along the way. Even though I was not overly attached to the characters, I was rooting for them and was heartbroken at the way the story ended.
The only thing I was disappointed in was the fact that this was a standalone and that there wasn’t more to this story, especially because the pacing made me think that this was more of an introduction. This graphic novel turned out to almost be a slice of life in a post-apocalyptic world that I found myself wanting to explore more of.

4.5 rounded up

Absolutely brilliant post-apocalyptic novel (stand-alone) about a young girl Lori who wakes up to find everyone around her has disappeared. Few survivors remain in the land, and she teams up with a classmate who is very different to her in many ways. This has elements of science fiction and post-apocalypse, it has aliens, it has a genuinely interesting art style and I enjoyed reading it a lot - I will definitely be picking up further stories by the writer, such an interesting storyline. Its a bit bloody, a bit dark but has an overall very positive message.

<i>I received a complementary copy of this graphic novel by Image Comics via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, which I leave voluntarily</i>.

The team behind Die return with a self-contained story that opens simply enough: a prickly foster child, who has long since internalised the lesson that everyone leaves, wakes one day to find that everyone really has. Or almost everyone; she meets one kid she knows, and soon there's a gang holed up in the mall, but the vast mass of humanity has vanished. And then, as the title and cover suggest, something else appears.

It's a hard one to talk about without giving too much away, but how's about this: on one level it's surprisingly long considered as a single unit from Gillen, a debut original graphic novel from someone who's already had a substantial career in single issues. And if you squint you can see where the chapter breaks might have come, but the mood definitely benefits from not being obliged to contort around them. At the same time, it's also quite short - this would have been, what, four issues, when even his miniseries usually run to five. Meaning the characters are of necessity done in broader strokes, though never to the extent of feeling sketched; they're real people, it just feels a little odd not knowing what their favourite bands are, y'know? Considered in plot terms, this could easily have been a Future Shock, but I don't mean that in the damning way I often do for Image SF books. Apart from anything else, that would have meant fewer pages of Stephanie Hans art, and especially in this quieter, emptied-out world she's doing a lot of the lifting. Just past a hundred pages is the perfect balance; short enough to be a one-sitting read, long enough to get sufficiently invested that the ending hits as hard as it needs to, and the experience can burrow its way in, the better to subsequently haunt.

SPOILERS from here on, though I'll try to keep them as pointers rather than full reveals: possibly it's the precise mulch of creative input I've had over the years, a particular strand of misanthropic sixties and seventies SF combined with a specific strain of apparently wholesome posts on Tumblr &c about animals, but I was way ahead of the narrator on what the giant wanted from the humans, and the deeply frustrating attempts at communication between the two species (some excellent work from letterer Clayton Cowles here). And I like that she never turned to camera and did the encapsulation of what was going on. But I honestly don't know whether it was meant to come as a surprise at any point, though the journey was beautiful enough and the pace judged sufficiently well that I didn't mind either way.

(Netgalley ARC - and if anyone knows why Image is currently putting some stuff on there half a year in advance, and others on Edelweiss in the month of release, I'd love to be filled in on the thinking, though in the meantime I'm certainly not going to look gift review copies in the mouth, and I don't just mean because ebooks don't have mouths)

The illustrations here are breathtaking. I just wish the actual story had held up. The premise is right up my alley, so I’m disappointed I didn’t like it more. The main character is hard to root for, although she certainly has the right to be cynical. The story just didn’t do it for me, and the ending just made me angry. I would have liked to learn more about the giants, but alas…

3.5, bumped up to 4 because the artwork is so beautiful.

Thank you to NetGalley and Image Comics for an advance copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

a pretty and mystical apocalyptic story

the character design was pretty amazing. they all felt dynamic and interesting. the main character slightly felt like a mary-sue but it's forgivable because of the art. the art was very lovely and i wonder how they did it. some panels (especially at the end) were colored beautifully. the art style is a major selling point for me.

i wish that the artist didn't have grey undertones for every human character's skin. i understand why they chose to use grey (color theory + emotions) but it's not always tastefully done, especially in some scenes.

* Thanks to the publisher Image Comics via Netgalley for the ebook!

As expected, from the duo that gave us DIE and Wicked + The Divine: Astonishing art style, a unique world and a strong main character. This quick read doesn’t hold your hand and throws you in the deep end right away. While this worked well as a one-and-done, I would love to see more of the universe in future installments and feel this could match DIE in terms of storytelling given more time.

Short and sweet. It’s a heartwarming, beautiful little story about survival, empathy, attachment issues, and relationships—with great tip-of-the-iceberg worldbuilding and wonderful art.
It’s a bit similar to the tv show The Leftovers in a sense that it’s not about the rapture itself but the people living in the changed world.
Great stuff: I’ve only read Gillen’s Star Wars stuff before, but I’m definitely gonna check out his original series.

A beautifully drawn post-apocalyptic graphic novel, with good characters, a good premise, and a beautiful ending. My only complaint is that it felt very short, and could definitely have been expanded on more. This has definitely inspired me to read more indie comics and step out the Marvel and DC hemispheres.

Astounding art and unique story! The book is fast paced and keeps you on the edge of your seat, wanting more, but withholding answers. I enjoyed that the story provokes discussion, as the world building is incomplete

Lori awake to an empty world. Everyone she knows is gone, but she manages to find another human being: Annette. Together, they try to survive among the Giants that have taken residence among them.

The story was well paced, and it has an intriguing plot that was easy to follow. The characters are well developed and they felt like people I’d know in real life, but I wish that we were able to learn more about Lori’s backstory and the origin of Giants.

I was pleasantly surprised that every single panel in this book was illustrated by hand, especially considering the amount of detail and the type of art style the artist went with! A lot of comic series will utilize 3d models to help out with backgrounds and make the process quicker, but this was hand drawn. The art is excellent and every single page pops with color. The artist is amazing and they’ve portrayed beautiful scenes through lighting, effects, perspective, color theory, and expressions!

When I saw that a new graphic novel was being released by the creators of DIE, I jumped at the chance to read it and thanks to NetGalley and Image Comics I got to read it early! Thank you once again for allowing me to read your comics. It's truly an honour to be auto approved.

The art in We Call them Giants is absolutely phenomenal. Each panel feels like a painting, and it really felt like they utilised colour in such a distinct way. Sometimes I found myself having to go back because I got to distracted by the pretty pictures.

I liked the main character, however we don't learn a lot about her as the story is more world driven than character driven.
I really enjoyed this Graphic Novel and I'm excited to try and read more of their stuff that's already out when I have the time.

Normally I find standalone comics feel rushed, but I enjoyed the pacing of this story. And to me, the Red giant reminded me of someone who has cats. Cat distribution system but with humans. I'm only putting it at a 4 star because I don't see myself going back to reread it.

I absolutely loved this graphic novel. A world where people suddenly disappear leaving only a handful of people behind. 2/3 survivors have to learn to trust the unknown in order to survive.

The art was stunning and it fit this book beautifully. It made me think of how people can often be scared of the unknown. Untrusting, even when there’s no real threat in front of them.

The art is in this was stunning, absolutely beautiful use of color. I liked the exploration of communicating across barriers, both internal and external. It felt very introspective while still following an external plot. Definietly a unique short read!

This was REALLY cool! I am so curious about the origins of the Giants, but I realize that may always be a mystery. I also REALLY loved the art style, and so much about the storyline! Lori was a great character, even if she was cynical. Loved it!!

We Call Them Giants starts with most of the human race dissapearing suddenly and Lori, who is used to surviving by herself is left alone to survive in this new world along with her friend Annette and some companions they meet along the way. It is a great story about humanity, comunication and building trust.

The art is beautiful and there is a marked difference between the beauty of some pages along with the bleakness of the new world which adds to the atmosphere.

Lori’s voice throughout is a perfect way to explore with world from her cynical point of view as she learns to trust the people around her.

Thank you to Netgally and Image Comics for providing me with an advances reader copy of We Called Them Giants and I eagerly anticipate future novels from this writing team. I would also love to learn more about this world and would read a continuation of this book

We called them Giants is not only moving but also thought provoking. I loved the parallels between the main protagonists want for a cat and her eventual storyline.

The illustrations were beautiful and I will be thinking of the graphics for a long time. They match the story perfectly.

My only thought, I wish the protagonist had a bit more back story at the beginning. I wanted more from her and why she is so sceptical of newcomers and their actions.

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this in advance.

Stunningly beautiful. Story and art. Simply gorgeous. It proves that stories can be both bleak and hopeful at the same time. Very highly recommended.

"We Called Them Giants" is a gorgeous graphic novel! The art is honestly beautiful, each panel could be a painting. The dreamy quality of the art really helps to elevate the story and adds to the otherworldly feeling of "them". The story, however, feels a tad incomplete. Most of the dialogue isn't spoken, it's merely Lori's internal dialogue. Her thoughts are basically a running narration of everything happening in the story, but it's strange. It's written as if she's telling the story to someone else, but...she's thinking to herself. I guess the "telling a story" style is meant to make it feel like she's telling the story to the reader. But it doesn't feel like that, it just feels strange. This story moves at a very quick pace. You don't learn much about the world or even the characters themselves. Because you get no chance to connect with the characters, when emotional moments happen, you feel nothing. I do find the concept very fascinating and I do love the character designs. But the message of the story just...feels like nothing. I read it and went "Okay." and had no emotional response. However, I do think this could translate well into a movie or animated film!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!

I was a big fan of Gillen and Han's comics series Die, so I was so excited to get an ARC of their graphic novel. Hans art was fantastic. I'm always partial to art styles that look similar to water colors, I also loved the contrast between colors during some of the scenes with the GIants, it really highlighted the action of the sequence.

This graphic novel might have only been about a hundred pages but I really feel like it told a complete story. There was not a lot of background on the characters, but I did not feel as if that was missing since the story is about what comes after everyone disappears. Anything before that doesn't matter. The contrast between how Lori, Annette and Beatrice all viewed what was happening to them was also interesting. The plot was easy to follow, and having these three different personality types added depth to what was going on. Overall, this was another story by Gillen and Hans I really enjoyed!

I knew the creators of one of my favorite comics, Die, would come back with a BANG! Congrats to Stephanie Hans for yet another beautiful comic and to Kieron Gillen for impressing the hell out of me :D

The story is a moving and gripping tale of learning to trust in a world where everything is uncertain and strange. The art is incredible and so so beautiful and we get just the right amount of time with each character to understand who they are. Not a single panel or sentence was wasted.

3.5 stars.
The colours, the characters and the concept are 5 star quality.
The style is 4 stars for me.
The story is 3.5 because I expected more questions and ironically, more answers.
The MC, Lori, is multi-dimensional and skeptical and this story is told from her POV. We get a bit of her back story, and the premise might be a metaphor about human relations.
Themes explored are interesting too.
But I wanted to know more back story, and mostly, more about why things were happening the way they are (avoiding giving away spoilers), who some characters were, where they came from, etc.
It was a bonus that the three more prominent characters were women.

I don’t think that I have read a comic or graphic novel as an adult. This was an entirely new genre for me and I was instantly gripped up by the cover when I saw it on NetGalley. The premise sounded perfect for me, so I jumped in!

I was absolutely blown away by this beautiful story. It took me a minute to figure out how to “read” this format as my eyes and brain were a bit overloaded with the amazing illustrations. Once I got into a rhythm, I discovered a story that devastated me (in the best way.)

We Called Them Giants is a beautiful exploration of communication and humanity. The characters were very ~real~ and Beatrice almost made me cry just from being so adorable. I loved all the feels and vibes I was able to get from this one in just over 100 pages. What an amazing introduction to the genre - if you have any recommendations on comics or graphic novels that lean towards sci-fi (or horror,) please drop them below!

**Thank you to NetGalley and Image Comics for the eARC of this unique title!!**

I adore this graphic novel and haven't stopped thinking about it or its beautiful art style since I put it down.

It's a tale about communication and learning to trust others in a world where everything is uncertain and your past has taught you to close yourself off to survive.

The artwork is beautiful and atmospheric and I often caught myself just gazing at the pages. the art style and use of colour evokes emotion and atmosphere and grips you from the first page.

We Called Them Giants was good. It's post-apocalyptic, which I love, and the art is stunning. The premise is good and the characters are interesting.

The story itself is a little thin. There's some really good world-building, but not enough payoff. There's a message at the end, but the message isn't all that dynamic.

Still, the premise is solid and the art is stellar. This was a good read on a rainy day for sure.

Stunning art, and impactful, emotional story. A must read for fans of lonely apocalypse stories and eco criticism.

Received as an ARC from Netgalley:

This was such an interesting and unique story.

A mysterious post apocalypse in which you never learn the truth behind what is happening or why it happened.

The artwork is really amazing, and the characters are all genuinely captivating.

So much mystery, with no answers provided.

The art was absolutely beautiful and the premise was intriguing, it just felt like there was too much narration for a graphic novel, and the narration that there was wasn’t that effectively written.

This beautiful post-apocalyptic graphic novel is mesmerising and moving.

The captivating story revolves around Lori, who wakes up to a world where everyone has vanished. She befriends Annette, a girl from school described by Lori as "a well-tended sunflower of a girl". The two girls, despite their differences, must unite to navigate an unfamiliar and harsh world inhabited by Giants, a gang known as "The Dogs," as well as huge wolves.

The exceptional artwork in this book showcases muted colours that create a dreamlike atmosphere, punctuated by vivid pops of colour that enhance the narrative.

The book felt complete but also somehow left me wanting more. this book is a solid 93/100, and it has compelled me to explore the author/artist’s other works.

The artwork is absolutely stunning. Truly a masterpiece in every panel. The story I truly appreciated. It's thought provoking. Truly I don't want to say too much and that you should truly pick this up and experience this for yourself. I do with we could have seen more from this story and see it expanded. to know more about the world and the beautiful giants. However, it was still just a wonderful story and I can't wait to recommend this to friends when this releases!

I've loved everything of Gillen's that I've picked up, and We Called Them Giants is no exception. The standalone graphic novel examines the dark parts of humanity in a post-apocalyptic world, and the way that the brightest parts of humanity are our ability to connect with and love other living creatures. I wasn't quite sure what to expect based on the blurb, but I wasn't disappointed. I loved Lori and how prickly and hellbent she was about surviving, and Annette worked so well as her bubbly foil. While Gillen's writing was excellent as usual, I did feel like the pacing felt a little rushed at times, and would've liked another few pages just to flesh characters and their relationships out a bit more as time passed.

But the crown jewel of We Called Them Giants is Stephanie Hans' art. I've been a fan of her work since I first saw it, but she went above and beyond with these illustrations. Her work was achingly beautiful, it stopped me in my tracks every page - I ended up rereading the story a second time so I could fully appreciate it as a whole because I had spent so much time admiring the depth and emotion in each panel. I can't wait to hold a physical copy of this masterpiece in my hands once it's out, and it's far past time that I pick up the first volume of Die from my local comic shop.

Beautiful story about the loneliness during the end of the world. Most people are gone, they’ve just vanished. Lori and Annette must fight for their survival, but that gets even harder when the wolves appear and in come the giants. Are they friends or foes?

This creative team always nails it! The colors in this absolutely killed me with how stunning they are.
Highly recommend this one sit read for a story that will resonate and stick with you.

Blown away by how stunning this art style is and how simply yet effectively the artists portrayed such depth of emotion and connection.
“Everyone you rely on. everyone you love. everyone will leave you.”
Immediately gripping and kept my attention to the very end, heartbreaking and moving, I loved this but it crushed me

I need to start by saying the artwork in this was absolutely stunning and wonderfully vibrant, it made the reading so easy.

The story itself was easily interpreted without reading however reading through, you learn Lori's thoughts in every situation and it's a wonderful insight.

Overall I loved this book, I would like to know a bit more about the characters but you learn a lot throughout anyway.

Thank you Netgalley and Image Comics for the Advanced Reader Copy in return for an honest review.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy!! I love the artwork on this. I saw the cover and said, "I MUST HAVE THIS". I was not disappointed. If you just want to look at the artwork that is a-ok, but the story is fun as well. A mysterious vanishing of people leaving a handful behind for an immense amount of time until giants rain down. Gorgeous artwork and a tense story.

Thank you to Image Comics and NetGalley for an advanced digital copy of this graphic novel. This review is my honest feedback and given voluntarily.

This was such a good story, albeit a short one. I really enjoyed this and it presented a great message. Using talented illustration and the freedom of speculative fiction, this graphic novel delivers a great, quick lesson in "you can't judge a book (or in this case, a giant), by it's cover". The question of how much trust do you give a stranger is also really at the forefront of this tale.

While I really enjoyed this quick run through of a story (little over 100 pages), I wanted so much more! More background on the premise; more information on why certain individuals were left alive; more revelations about the giants; and more longevity to the story overall. It had the foundations to be even greater than what it was, but maybe that's just my fantasy/paranormal novel brain really talking here.

The illustrations were excellent, really felt like a mix of old and new school comic vibes. I liked the color themes for the two Giant characters. I found it interesting the colors that were used vs their character profiles in this case. I feel like by default, you might switch the two, so kudos to the illustrators for planting that little design trap.

Whether this is your first graphic novel or you're a regular consumer of the media type, I think We Called Them Giants is worth a read and can be appreciated by just about anyone. I would definitely recommend. Enjoy and happy reading!

I've read a few of their other works and this is easily just as good. The art is beautiful, it's a wonderful short story about love (in a very pet like way). My only real complaint is the same complaint I have with a lot of these short one off graphic novels- I want more.

This graphic novel struck me right away because of the choice of colors, the contrast between the foreboding cold-colored and warm-colored elements that stand out, as you can already see from the cover. Then starting to read I was won over by the post-apocalyptic plot.
The plot is about this girl who suddenly finds herself as one of the few humans left on earth. She then meets other characters, among them the most interesting to me were “the dogs,” the unfiltered and unscrupulous gang that loots the city.
Then, of course, there are the giants, one of whom we know quite well. I must say, however, that I would have liked to know more about the giants, their origins, the relationship between them....
Another aspect that pleasantly struck me was the emotional and moving implication. I was glad to have this unexpected food for thought.

Very good artwork, development of character and world, and story of those left alone on a world where (no reason given) most people disappear, Survival, trust and avoidance of others is thrown into focus by the giants.

I get that other reviewers say they would have like more (possibly to come), though for me as a stand-along portrayal of people in those circumstances and how they deal with it, further exposition can be unncessary.

We Called Them Giants is a gorgeous and odd story about a girl who has to survive after of a majority of the human population vanishes without a trace. Our main character is prickly and standoffish to begin with, but we slowly see her attach herself to others and learn to trust and carve out a life worth defending. Without dipping too far into spoilers, I will say that the supernatural aspects of this comic are very well done, odd and unique, and kept me thoroughly engaged. there is plenty here to keep a reader entertained to the last page.

The art in We Called Them Giants is fantastic; several scenes are print-worthy.

My initial impression was similar to other readers. The story seemed slight, character development could've been expanded. After a reread and some reflection, I mostly changed my mind. There is just enough here to get the point across.

The mystery surrounding the giants - what they are, where they're from - was a good choice.

The initial "weird-ass rapture" (in Lori's words) seems to connect with some later narration, suggesting this is a deliberate reference to... I'd rather not say. Maybe I'm imagining it.

Overall, a warm, enjoyable tale.

Early access courtesy of Image & NetGalley.

Before I get into the review, a quick thanks to NetGalley and the publishers over at Image Comics for giving me access to this ARC in exchange for an honest review. We Called Them Giants is a comic following Lori after a rapture of sorts . She woke up one day to find nearly everyone in the world gone. She teams up with a classmate who is also left behind and they attempt to scavenge for food, to fight against a local gang for resources, and to stay warm enough to survive. Suddenly, a huge blast of light from the sky has them wondering what’s going on? And how will they survive this new challenge? We Called Them Giants comes out on November 12th and is available for preorder now.

I found the characters in this one so relatable despite the fact that this is intensely focused on plot. I didn’t love how little time we had for world building and character development but I acknowledge that this is just how it works in comics and some graphic novels. I loved the art style for this one as well. I really want to look up this illustrator to see if there’s anything else of theirs I might want to read. It was so beautiful and so well done. I would have loved an answer for the questions that are brought to the front in this comic, but we do get a conclusion of sorts that I can live with.

Overall, I think this is great for Sci-Fi and Fantasy fans. Maybe people like me who sort of miss the dystopian novels of the past as well. Also, if you like well drawn comics, you’ll enjoy this one so much.

Beautiful art work. Comic design great story and enjoyable. Thank you to #netgalley and the publisher for an ARC.

Ugh this tugged at my heart strings like I wasn't expecting. This is a fun and interesting scifi story about, seemingly the end of the world, and these two teenage girls who find themselves in survival mode together when two giants descend upon their world.

The giants were so interesting to learn about and the realization at the end with the red giant only wanting to protect what it loved absolutely gutted me. This is a great story about communication, community and found family, and love. I highly recommend.

Thank you to netgalley for providing me with an ARC of this story.
SPOILERS TO FOLLOW

WHAT THE HELL. THAT MADE ME SO SAD. I LOVED RED. AHHH HE DIDNT' DESERVE THAT. I hope this isn't the end of the story because the concept is really cool. I enjoyed the almost rapture like nature of everyone disappearing and how Lori was able to find two really good people to spend her time with. The Giants were interesting as well. I was curious as to what they were doing and why and hoped the girls would find out but they didn't... Then Red and Green died and it was EVEN SADDER. I didn't expect that for this story. It seemed like Lori was also jsut recounting everything to us after it had happened. I truly hope there more of this in the future!

So the reason I applied for this ARC is genuinely because the cover looked GORGEOUS and I've really been enjoying reading graphic novels. Friends this one did not disappoint. Just like the cover, the artwork throughout this story was absolutely beautiful and made all of the little moments throughout the story amazing to read. I read this in one sitting as it was such a short story (the ARC was 106 pages long) and it just captivated me from the start. This story truly is one of hope and is full of character growth, especially with our main character Lori, considering there's such a small cast of characters. The story genuinely left me on the edge of myself and left me wanting more. That, however, was also the only downside I really had with this comic book and is the only reason it has not received a 5 star from me. I want to know more, and as it's been advertised as a "standalone" story I don't think I'm going to get the answers I want. Overall, other than wanting a bit more I adored this story, and will definitely be picking it up when it comes out!

(If you'd like to see more of my reviews please go to my blog:
https://doesden.blogspot.com/)

Quality Rating: Three Stars
Enjoyment: Four Stars

We Called Them Giants is a cool little stand-alone graphic novel, straddling dystopian, science fiction and fantasy to tell a mostly dialogue-less tale about connections. The artwork is gorgeous and the tone and concepts are pretty neat. Most of the story is told through 'voice-over' narration which I was less of a fan of - I felt distant from the characters and world as a side effect, though it did help tie up the themes and arcs of the story within its 100 pages. The moral of the story was a bit heavy-handed for me to fully connect, but nonetheless it was an enjoyable read.

*ARC received from Netgalley - all opinions are my own*

3.75* rounded up to 4 for review.

TLDR: This comic is massively propped up by the amazing art. Some panels will honestly have you stopping and staring! The story is a bit of a let down, and the end leaves you feeling like someone’s missing. Worth the read but would likely be a borrow and not a buy for me.

The illustrations are really what makes We Called Them Giants great and it’s unsurprising, given the team worked on W+D which is one of my favourite comics. There were several panels that I just fully stopped reading to just look and appreciate the imagery.

The concept is a very interesting one and puts a spin on the “rapture” storyline which I feel is really unique and not one that I’ve seen executed in this way. The biggest let down for me though is the ending, I didn’t feel attached enough at the end to have many feelings about how things were left, but I was intrigued enough where I was left wanting to know more.

It’s not a comic that I think I will find myself purchasing or going to reread unfortunately. I’d be interested to see where and what this team does next, it’s just a shame that We Called Them Giants wasn’t my cup of tea.

We Called Them Giants is a beautiful story with each page giving a rich atmosphere and is immediately engaging. A mere 6 pages in and I was hooked, I loved the character of Lori (being cynical and logical) paired with Annette (being hopeful and optimistic) and how both ended up impacting the other.

I thank NetGalley and Image Comics for the eArc and definitely recommend checking this graphic novel out!

This is the first time I have read a graphic novel. The book cover drew me in with the stunning artwork! Then the plot sounded right up my street. I don’t usually like male authors as much as female authors but I thoroughly enjoyed this story, which took me by surprise. I am grateful to receive this ARC thank you.

Thank you to NetGalley and Image Comics for providing me with the ARC!

We Called Them Giants is an apocalyptic story that focuses on the emotional introspective of protagonist Lori, with watercolour illustrations introducing a dreamlike state, matching the sci-fi nature of the plot. While the illustrations were excellent, I felt that the story moved too fast and missed opportunities to explore the intriguing concepts it introduced. So, the story would have benefited from being longer.

Sure, the plot might feel a little eerie and the story too short compared to any SFF/post-apocalyptic comic, but this reads more like a parable, and a wonderful one, with that hurt kid that is Lori at its centre.
Stephanie Hans's art is stunning. 100 out of 5 stars. The colours complimented the atmosphere perfectly, this definitely was a pure work of art, and it was extremely hard not to be drawn into the book like some kind of magic.

We Called Them Giants is a poignant tale of survival and interdependence between humans and the "giants" that appear after a rapture removes the majority of humans from Earth. Our main character fights to survive and we follow her on the journey to find safety. This was beautifully illustrated, and the main character's voice in the dialogue is very strong.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an advance copy of this comic book in exchange for my honest opinion!

I love that this gorgeously illustrated novel focused on a trio of girls/women in an apocalyptic setting. I feel like we so rarely get to see women's POVs during books like these, especially the three different personalities we got in the main trio. Lori honestly reminded me so much of a feral housecat that needed to be taught love and trust, and Red an owner looking after three small humans. As someone, with major trust issues, I really related to her and was glad when she had a coming-of-age moment at the end of the novel. I would love to see more of this world if the author/illustrators were ever so inclined!

I recieved an ARC of this book from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review. My opinions are my own.

Overall, I really liked the artwork and story. The artwork is 5/5 and the story is 4/5, so ill round up to an overall 5/5.

I didn't like the ending. It seemed like it was setting up for a series or much larger story and I was very dissapointed with how it left off. I like to story that was told, but it felt like a story that existed in a much larger universe that wasn't fleshed out well enough.

I enjoyed (spoilers!) that they didn't fall into the sterotypical red=evil visual, and I liked that they never learned the gian't language. It just loved them, and that is all that mattered. The Christian parallels were also interesting, even if nothing other than the rapture comments were intended.

I looked up the author and found out that he also wrote some of "Young Avengers" which I quite liked so it isn't all that suprisig that I enjoyed the writing. I have also read comics drawn by the same illustrator, but I prefer the artwork in "We called them giants".

As a massive fan of Gillen, Hans and Cowels, this was a delight. I love the elements of that striking artstyle they did so well in Die, I can't wait to read more from this post world where so many people disappeared and fantastical giants walk. I really liked Lori as a character too, she's brave, curious and defiant, a great set of eyes into a world like this!

We Called Them Giants is a fantastic standalone comic which has a really unique art style and stunning visuals. (The Giants? Wow!) We follow Lori trying to survive in a world where most people have suddenly disappeared, most of the food has gone & there's no electricity. To further complicate things, is the arrival of the Giants. The story wraps up nicely and is quite bittersweet but is well worth a read.

Thanks to Netgalley & Image Comics for the arc!

3.5 rounded up to 4 for the artstyle. Rendered in gorgeous colors and visuals, it is still a one-metaphor fable and reads as such: it’s short and mostly philosophical. I can’t say it made a massive impression on me emotionally, but I enjoyed it on a visual level.

From the award-winning team that wrote Die, Inkpot Award Winner, Kieron Gillen (Uncanny X - Men, The Wicked + The Divine, Young Avengers), Hugo Award Winner, Stephanie Hans (Die, Journey into Mystery, Black Bolt, Lucifer), Eisner Nominated, Clayton Cowles (Daredevil, Batman, Die, The Wicked + The Divine) and Graphic Designer, Becca Carey (Redlands, Vampirella/Red Sonja, Buffy the Vampire Slayer) get together to tell the story of a group of people fighting to survive in a post-apocalyptic world, where titanic Alien beings have mysteriously appeared.

When foster kid Lori wakes up one morning to find that her new adopted parents have broken the one promise that they gave, to get her a kitten, she believes that they have done the same thing everyone else does. They left!

However, it soon becomes clear that something is not right. The world is silent. No one is where they should be. Believing that everyone has gone, she soon bumps into Annette, a spoilt little rich kid from school. Soon an unlikely bond forms between the two as they fight for survival against hunger, vicious gangs, feral creatures, and beings from somewhere else.

We Called Them Giants is a haunting tale that revolves around trust and love. Let down by the everyone, Lori doesn’t trust anyone, whilst Annette is the polar opposite. Brought up by a caring and loving family, she is wont to trust everyone a little too much, which sometimes gets her into trouble. However, as time moves on, we see the relationship between the two girls grow.

As We Called Them Giants is a standalone story, the writers do not spend much time holding the reader’s hand and they leave a lot of things unexplained, leaving the judgement to the reader, rather than giving large amounts of exposition and back story. This lean approach to story telling can leave some readers not connecting with the story. However, I found this tale touching and moving.

The whole comic is gorgeous, and the team have done marvellously to bring the story together. Stephanie Hans’ art is as sumptuous as ever, and the lettering and design by Clayton Cowles and Becca Carey adds to the story (I can sometimes find the lettering to comics a little off putting).

Thank you to both Image and Netgalley for the chance to read this one early, and I would definitely recommend it.

3.5*

The artwork in this graphic novel is beautiful and I spent a long time looking at the details on each page. I really enjoyed the premise and the post apocalyptic setting; the giants were magnificent, I just want to know more about them. Unfortunately, I felt like the book moved too fast for me to really feel transported to the world in the graphic novel; and I want to know more as to how most of the people disappeared in the first place and what the three lady’s are going to do next. This was a fun and intriguing read however, and I always enjoy an Image comic.

Thankyou to NetGalley and Image comics for the advanced readers copy.

3.5/5 but I'll round it up. 3.5/5. T:;DR would be as follows "stunning art, beautiful colors, average story and characters." I liked it. but I guess more for the aesthetic pleasure than good storytelling.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy.

In a post apocalyptic world, Lori wakens to find everyone just gone. She finds fellow classmate Annette and they set out just to survive. Then the giants come.

This is a story of how someone can love and be loved, without ever understanding a single word the other says. I very much enjoyed some of the obvious metaphors.

I enjoyed this very much, it was both a subtle yet painful critique of how we deal with help after trauma. The main characters were less exciting than the giants themselves and I wish there was more on if the giants had caused the rapture, etc. The book left me wanting, but not in a good way. The artistry was good, but the way the characters we drawn, the grotesqueness, was not my cup of tea, especially for the characters that were supposed to be more feminine and delicate (as you can in an apocalypse).

What -- noooo! This story broke my heart so fast and then just expects me to just move on with my life. Such gorgeous storytelling, such interesting characters. There's no need for explanations because we're suddenly in this situation and a dystopian world. Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this graphic novel

First, I would like to thank Kieron Gillen and their publisher for this Arc.

Rating 4.5 Stars

I really enjoyed this. When I read the synopsis, I was intrigued by the premise of the book. Let me tell you that it did not disappoint. The storytelling and the characters were amazing and I connected with them all. I love the themes of survival, morality, hate, love, sorrow, and acceptance. It was short but it left a large impression on me. The art was also beautiful and I love the art style because it fits the story. I really recommend giving this a read.

What a beautiful graphic novel! It doesn't certainly provide all of the answers we may want with its length, but it gives a satisfying ending and it's got beautiful illustrations throughout.

Probably more like 3¾, but am bumping it up bc the colours were fucking stunning and I am shallow like that sometimes.

The problem sometimes with the self-contained GN is that they can either contain too much story for their relatively short length, and would be better served as a mini-series, or that they drag along bc maybe they should have been part of an anthology or released as a one-shot. This is the latter.

I didn't dislike reading this, and will probably even buy it for my kid bc they will LOVE the art, but the story itself was fairly predictable and dragged on for more pages than it needed to.

Strange story, but it was a good read! I really liked the giants. I wish there were more answers to things.

It's just a surprisingly uplifting read that is and is not what I expected when I started reading it. I'd still recommend this to appreciate the illustrations and because the story is inventive despite the lack of development.

Thank you Net Galley for providing this e-arc. We Called Them Giants is a dystopian sci-fi graphic novel that explodes on the page with its vibrant coloring and design. We called them giants inviting the reader to imagine a world in which only a select few are still alive and have to choose to adapt to a new world. Our main character Lori has always had to look out for herself due to her rough upbringing. Now Lori in this new world has to navigate past trauma while learning to trust new species and new people. I don't want to give too much away but I would suggest this e-arc for fans of Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeats and Iron Giant.

Ok so I need to start by saying this was kind of phenomenal and I honestly cried at the end. A fantastic setting, some great, emotional storytelling, and the art of course was beautiful beyond words.

The only thing stopping this from being five stars was it just wasn't long enough. I don't mean that in a "I wish there was more" way (although I do), there's just so much information missing. Who the characters used to be, there's no backstory beyond a couple of sentences. Who the Giants are, there's only vague hypothesis. Maybe a prequel volume and a sequel volume could help in the future, but as a standalone it was lacking. The ending didn't feel satisfying, beautiful as it was there just wasn't a conclusion, there were no answers, you don't know what happens to them. There needed to be more depth to the story for it to feel complete.

ARC courtesy of NetGalley.

Then you to NetGalley and Image comics. I really enjoyed this comic. The artwork is beautiful and the characters are great. The story is interesting and I was glued to each page. It’s was beautiful and moving and I think it will definitely stay with me. I hope this series continues so I can continue reading about the characters and their journey.

This was a gorgeously draw exploration of interactions when communication is non-existent. In this case, the lack of communication is between the human protagonists and the giants that have arrived on Earth. The theme of inaccessible communication though, is one that can be applied in our world where people don't share languages, where we interact with other animals, or where things like mutism and hearing loss come into play. It felt like part of what could be examined in the wake of this story was what it means to communicate, regardless of who the participants are, and what experiences can be considered part of the human experience.

Where wariness and mistrust dominated the majority of the story due to our main character's life experiences, by the end we see her realizing that despite being unable to speak with the red giant, she has come to understand them, at least in part.

As a big fan of DIE, I was very excited to hear about this graphic novel. The illustration style and colours did not disappoint, the writing provided an interesting take on the standard post-apocalyptic tale. As always, Gillen's work is dream-like and eerie, I will be ordering a copy for my libraries collection.

I was gifted the pleasure of experiencing this graphic novel through NetGalley.
The illustrations are beautiful and mesmerizing, with so much detail it is easy to get lost. You can feel the chill in the air while looking at the snow covered landscape. Through the story you can feel the relationship between Lori and Annette, and feel the love that has grown between the two after being thrown together under such unlikely circumstances.
When our characters are forced together, we meet them just after the apocalypses takes place. We are led to believe it all happened very suddenly. The question is raised in the text if this could be the rapture. Two young girls, Lori and Annette come together as the last remaining people in their community, and as they recognize each other from school it's as good a pairing as one could hope for.
As with any post apocalypse story, there has to be a reason. There also has to be those left behind who become wild with the lack of civilization. This story is no different in that respect, with the men calling themselves DOGS hunting and scavenging for any food or supplies they can find.
What makes this story different, the introduction of large beings. Could they be aliens, angels? "We called them giants."
Where did they come from. Are they here with a sinister plot, or could they be friendly? Leave it to our characters to find out.

we called them giants is an absolutely beautiful story, radiating warmth even in it’s coldest pages - a celebration of love and persistence that showcases how true connection transcends all man made triviality.

as the gorgeous cover was what initially drew me to this world, i cannot write this without first mentioning how lovely the illustrations were. with an incredible use of colour and composition, stephanie hans’ understanding of expression is what really helped this tale shine.

being just over a hundred pages, this graphic novel explores a fairly straightforward plot, beautiful in its simplicity - which is somehow what makes it work so well while simultaneously leaving me wanting for more.

at times, the pacing seemed to be running a bit of a marathon - and i feel there was an excess of narration where we could have benefited from having the plot showcased in other ways.

while i was skeptical for a while due to our main character’s cynicism, that was an ending worth waiting for, a beautiful message that truly spoke to my soul.

The art was great in this quick dystopian graphic novel. It’s only 100 or so pages so the story moves quickly as we try to work out what happened and why some people were gone while others were left behind. The food is gone, their family and friends are gone and why did they leave the canned beans behind?

Thanks to #NetGallery and publisher for a copy of this book.

"We Called Them Giants" is a post-apocalyptic, dark fantasy graphic novel. A very simple story, but accompanied with gobsmackingly beautiful illustrations. Truly impressive and stayed with me long after I finished the book.

This was dazzling, a short and impactful read that I devoured in one sitting. The art was so incredibly stunning and vibrant. I would kill to have prints of some pf the pages.

The story was arguably too short, I would have loved for everything to be fleshed out more - for no other reason than me being able to read more of it.

I think this is a perfect introductory point for anyone wanting to start reading graphic novels. Thanks to my guild member NetGalley for this one.

I received this DRC from NetGalley.

I really liked the art style (reminded me of DIE), and the story was interesting all the way through. It's a short story, and so not everything is explained. It's from Lori's perspective, so it's more about how she deals with trust issues and survival, all on top of just really pretty artwork. I think their use of color palettes is done really well, both to keep scenes from being visually overwhelming and to convey the emotion of it all. Oh, and I thought the way the giant communicated with the people was funny; it was a nice touch.

The artwork is beautiful! The storyline was easy to follow and pretty interesting. I'm normally not a post apocalyptic girlie but the scifi kept me drawn in.

4 stars.

Wow, graphic novels very rarely have an emotional reaction from me but this one did. The ending was sad and bittersweet. I would have loved this to be a series, to follow the characters and the found family they created in such a difficult time. I thought the story was clear and interesting.

The art style is beautiful and detailed, a good mixture of realistic and animated. The detail was brilliant.

Definitely recommend giving this graphic novel a read!

Thank you to Netgalley for a copy for an honest review.

I really enjoyed reading this and will be picking up a copy as soon it releases. 💕
It was well written and I really enjoyed my time reading it.

Rating 4 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This could easily be 8 times longer and I’d still love it.

Pros:
Beautiful artwork.
The main character has personality.
The story didn’t go the way I expected.

Cons:
Too short (please make it a series).
None of your questions get answered.

one of the most eyeopening and beautiful pieces of work ive ever read and looked at. i wish i had come across this sooner!!

As much as I love Kieron Gillen, there tends to be a bit of an entry-barrier of assumed knowledge to his comics. Not a fan of DND/Pathfinder? You might have a hard time jumping into "DIE". Don't listen to much 90s Britpop? "Phonogram" may not be the comic for you. Even "The Wicked + The Divine" assumes at least passing familiarity with numerous gods/goddesses and musicians. So, my biggest surprise with "We Called Them Giants" isn't that it's great, it's at just how accessible it is. Gillen actually went and wrote a comic that anyone could pick up and connect to.

This is, at its heart, a story about love that can only be understood through actions. To say more would, I think, damper the impact that the gradual recognition had on my personally. Suffice to say, there is a clear parallel between this world and ours, and not in the ways that you may initially assume. The beautiful, etherial artwork perfectly showcases the story. I can't remember the last time that I read a comic and thought "I want this on a poster and/or a t-shirt!" (Dear Image: FYI page 87 would be my top pick, personally) I hope Kieron Gillen and Stephanie Hans continue to work together because they match so perfectly. I know I'll read anything the two of them create.

I loved the story, the world building and meeting the different characters. I felt completely immersed in the story and couldn't stop reading it.

The story follows Lori after all the adults disappear one morning. She meets Annette, an optimistic and too friendly kid. For a few months, they try to survive this sort of apocalyptic world. When a pretty light flashes in the sky and they check it out, this sunshine kid runs up to two alien giants and asks if their friendly.

Beatrice, an old reclusive whose enemies are then ones needing life alert, steps in as caretaker for the girls. It gives Lori a break from parenting Annette, which is a detail I like.
I loved that it feels like a standalone, but you have my favorite graphic novel artists/writers, so I'm going to want more. Not many details are given about the Giants, but just enough is given to see why they're important to Lori's arc.

Art:
So pretty, it makes me want to reread Die again. It's just a mix of vibrant and melancholy. Not gonna lie, Annette's big eyes made me think she's evil.

Overall: Thank you to #NetGalley and #ImageComics in exchange for an honest review. 5/5 #WeCallThemGiants was approximately 100 pages.
The plot was pretty steady, and the artwork is great.

We Called Them Giants is a masterful piece of speculative fiction with art that stuns in every page. I found the giants and their homes to be the most beautifully drawn in the graphic novel. The story takes on a more emotional tone that I wasn't expecting, especially towards the end, but it definitely hits hard when you have a character like Lori , cynical and struggling to live in this apocalyptic/dystopian world, narrate the story and realize the deeper meaning behind her, and her friends', relationship with the red giant. The epic conclusion is truly gutwrenching and a tale to remember.

I usually like Kieron Gillen's work, so that I loved this is no surprise.
I want to talk about it! But I don't want to give away spoilers,
so please everyone read it so I can talk about it with someone.

This was great! A short comic which I devoured in a day, but I loved the plot line and character arc within in. It’s a very human tale of loss, trust, and love. Highly recommend!

And it must be said: beautiful artwork