Angelic Volume 1: Heirs & Graces

by Simon Spurrier

[Quirky Cat]

I read Angelic as single issues.

Angelic is a new series from Image, and I’ve got to say it’s got a pretty unique concept going for it. It’s set in the far future, where humans are officially out of the picture. Instead sentient animals rule the world. They have technology, religion, everything. If you thought that Animal Farm was disturbing, in the human elements that the animals picked up, then you’ll be equally disturbed (but fascinated) here.
This series was created by Simon Spurrier (Cry Havoc, The Spire, X-Men Legacy) and Caspar Wijngaard (Dark Souls, Assassin’s Creed, Limbo). The plot is brilliant and innovated, and the artwork is absolutely striking (and in truth is the thing that originally caught my attention for this series).



I still can’t get over how unique and innovative this series was. When I picked up the first issue of this series, I really wasn’t sure what to expect (other than perhaps a few flying monkey jokes – which I actually never ended up getting…and I’m okay with that). It’s easy to look at a series about animals and assume that it’s going to be this comfortable little tale (no pun intended) about nothing. But if you go into this series expecting that, you’re going to be in for quite the shock…
The main characters name is Qora, she’s adorable, feisty, stubborn, and more than anything in the world she wants to be able to choose her own path in life. She doesn’t want to become a flightless mother (and yes, the implications are just as horrible as they sound). She wants to be a warrior, an explorer. In short, she wants to be more than her culture will allow her to be.
It’s hard not to immediately feel for Qora and the position she’s in. Actually, I was almost afraid to read the second issue of this story – I was afraid that I would learn that something horrible happened to her. It doesn’t take a crazy imagination to wonder why I’d fear that.
Qora’s adventures end up showing us (and her own people) that there is so much more to this world than meets the eye. Lies became secrets, secrets became lore, and lore faded away. To see the path her society had taken, where and how they originated, and what they became, was a fascinating study on human (and animal…I suppose sentient is a better fit here) nature.
At the end of this series there’s a little blurb from the author here, and I highly suggest you read it instead of skipping over it (I know it’s tempting for some, but trust me here). I was utterly fascinated to read of the inspiration for this plot, and honestly I almost wish there was more information to go off of here. I never would have guessed that a childhood moment would have sparked something this profound and beautiful…but it absolutely did just that.


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