Adrastea

Adrastée #1-2

by Mathieu Bablet

An immortal king who needs answers…

After 1000 years on his throne, the immortal former king of Hyperborea sets out for Mount Olympus to ask the gods why he was cursed with such a condition, and how he might finally be allowed to die to be with the one he once loved.

On his way, he will meet men, women, gods, and goddesses who will influence and reveal truths to the traveler that he has long since forgotten.

A sweeping tale of Greek Mythology reimagined through the distinct lens of celebrated author/artist Mathieu Bablet, mixing intimate character details with grand landscapes in a visual style uniquely his own.

Genres: Bande Dessinée, Comics, Graphic Novels, Fantasy, Mythology, France, Graphic Novels Comics

164 pages, Paperback

First published September 2, 2016

About the author

see https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mathieu...

Reviews

[Marquise · Rating 3 out of 5]

In a country very reminiscent of Greece, there's a king who has lived a thousand years ruling from his throne of stone, and has lost everything along the way, all he loved and all he cared for, and to complete his . . . misfortune? curse? he has also lost any memories he had of his past times and those he had met.

One day, he goes on a quest to Mount Olympus, where the gods are, to seek answers to the mystery of his existence and his immortality filled with so much forgetfulness. The first goddess, or rather monster, he meets plays Sphinx with him and poses a riddle to him that triggers the first of his memories coming back to him. That's the start of his adventures on his way to the summit, meeting some of the Olympians such as Hephaestus and Athena, and some of the monsters and nymphs and minor immortals, and each of them gives him a hint or a lesson, some very confusingly phrased, that slowly build up layer by layer towards the king having an epiphany by the end of his questing.

What this realisation is, isn't apparent from the story per se but from a dialogue where the king is told that "the most important thing isn't what comes after a life, but rather that the life itself is worth it. Even if it comes at such a high price." In other words, his immortality was supposed to teach him a lesson about the value and meaning of life (?). At least that's what I understood, the storytelling really isn't clear or straightforward.

The pacing and the storytelling style are difficult to get used to, Bablet doesn't make it easy for the reader. He doesn't explain much, and there's long silent sequences at the start and at the end that you have to interpret because there's no text to guide you, and scenes go by rapidly, sometimes back and forth in time, so you have to concentrate and often re-read portions to understand what's going on. It's not heavy on the philosophy, not at all, but it definitely forces you to think or you'll be hopelessly lost as to the author's point.

The artwork is better than the writing, though. At least the scenery and landscapes and general atmosphere, which are very skillfully done. The characters, not so much, especially not their faces and expressions, that are wooden and rather strangely drawn. The palette is nice and used perfectly to set up the mood, one reason why Bablet's style excels at setting up atmosphere.

I received an ARC through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Fátima Embark · Rating 4 out of 5]

«Quizá no deberías preguntarte el «por qué» de la vida sino el «cómo»».

1000 años han pasado. 1000 años de tristeza, soledad y olvido. Antiguo rey de Hiperbórea. El hombre inmortal. Solitario. Poderoso. Perdido. Sin recuerdos.

Necesita hacer memoria. Necesita saber por qué nació inmortal. Por qué ha sido condenado a vivir en esa odiosa soledad, en esa trampa hecha de años de vida. Necesita saber cuál es el propósito de su existencia. 
Y para eso tendrá que cruzar el mundo, alcanzar el Monte Olimpo y preguntarle a los dioses.
¿Por qué no puede morirse?
¿Quién teje los hilos de su vida
¿Qué lo lleva a seguir la senda de los humanos cuando su mera existencia es un insulto? 

Y así comienza su recorrido a través de sus propios recuerdos, ayudado por los Dioses que le observan sortear cada obstáculo. La desesperación incluso lo hará descender hasta los infiernos en busca de las mismísimas Moiras. 

El autor plantea cuestiones que ya ha planteado en otras de sus obras pero usando en este caso la mitología de una manera curiosa y visualmente impresionante. Ya he hablado de lo mucho que disfruto de las obras y el arte del autor.
El uso del color, con viñetas más o menos vivas según el momento, se funde de manera perfecta con las batallas psicológicas de los personajes. Casi se puede palpar el dolor, la incertidumbre y el miedo. Es una auténtica gozada.

Si lo conocéis, no dudo que os gustará este cómic. Y si no, siempre es una excelente puerta de entrada a la obra de Mathieu.

Un tebeo buenísimo con una edición impecable.

[Mélanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5⭐

[Maëllys · Rating 5 out of 5]

incroyable wow les dessins sont trop beaux

[Lucille · Rating 4 out of 5]

haaaaaaaaaaaa c'est tellement BEAU! J'aime tellement ce style de dessin avec une infinité de détails, des couleurs douces et lumineuses. Les paysages sont à couper le souffle, les créatures mythiques et dieux et déesses sont aussi incroyable. J'aime en particulier Talos le géant couvert de métal et de plantes!
L'histoire est celle d'un homme immortel qui parcourt le monde à la recherche de réponses, rien de trop original, au début un peu difficile à comprendre. Mais cela se prête bien au voyage et aux beautés que l'auteur dessine.

[Candice · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mathieu Bablet is amazing at everything he does.
My goodness, the details of some drawings blew my mind away.

[Katherine Vega · Rating 2 out of 5]

Soy demasiado rubia para apreciar la calidad narrativa de este libro.

PD: Los dibujos son chulos.

[Thaïs · Rating 5 out of 5]

Trop bien trop beau

[April Gray · Rating 5 out of 5]

From the publisher: "After 1000 years on his throne, the immortal former king of Hyperborea sets out for Mount Olympus to ask the gods why he was cursed with such a condition, and how he might finally be allowed to die to be with the one he once loved. On his way, he will meet men, women, gods, and goddesses who will influence and reveal truths to the traveler that he has long since forgotten."
This was an odd one, but I really liked that about it! Sometimes, you need a good "wtf?" story. IFK (immortal former king) has been sitting in his castle alone for a long, long time, and he's a little mixed-up; the things that happened in his life, the people he knew and loved, existed so long ago that he can't remember any of it. He knows he's immortal, though he doesn't know why, and this bothers him. He decides to find out, and sets off on a journey to find the gods and ask them why he was made this way, why can't he die? As he travels, he meets gods, monsters, and humans, who cause different memories to come to the surface of his mind. Because he looks the same now as he did in the past, it's not always clear *when* he is - is he still in the present, or in a memory of the past? I liked the confusion of this, because it puts the reader into his frame of mind; this guy is a walking ball of confusion. In addition to that, everywhere he goes, people want to either kill him for whatever reason, or capture him to figure out how to take his power of immortality. This is enough to make anyone a little punchy, and the way time seemed to shift all the time really makes that feeling palpable. When he finally gets to the gods, will they be able to give him answers?
I'm not going any farther than that. The ending is ambiguous, and I'm not sure what I think happened. It was a satisfying ending, though; I thought it was, at least. Following the story is a glossary of characters, creatures, gods, and goddesses with a blurb about each. Now then, the art! Wow, it was pretty amazing! The characters do have a unique style, and while it's odd and not really my favorite, the style grew on me, and did add to the weirdness of the story. The landscapes and settings though! Oh my gravy, but the world was beautiful and intricate, the coloring so moody and evocative, and the last six panels of the IFK were so quiet and lovely. All together, I really enjoyed this, but as I said, I like a bit of wtf now and then.

#Adrastea #NetGalley

[Bibliophileverse · Rating 4 out of 5]

Indeed, a book which compels you to think about it everyday. Journey of a man who could not decide whether ha has a gift or curse from Gods is extraordinary. He searches for answers everywhere and shows us the true nature of our society. How people are selfish to each other and are always indulged in wars. Also, the book focuses on all the Greek Gods and their powers. You would definitely, be intrigued to find out what happens in the end. But, the climax was the only thing I could not understand. Surely, I would like to give 4 stars to the book. Thanks to Edelweiss and Magnetic Press for providing me an opportunity to read and review the book.

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

El arte recuerda a obras clásicas del videojuego como Shadow of the Colossus o The Legend of Zelda mientras que el relato, salvando las distancias, tiene similitudes con "El Inmortal" de Borges; sobretodo en las ideas entorno a la memoria, la conciencia, la inmortalidad y el olvido.

[Loulou11 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Décidément, je n’en finis pas avec les pépites de Mathieu Bablet... Son style graphique l’emporte à chaque fois avec moi, le choix des couleurs, des ambiances, comment il fait fusionner son style à l’époque de l’Antiquité… j’ai encore Midnight Order dans ma PAL et je ne vais pas tarder à me procurer La Belle Mort pour parfaire ma connaissance de cet auteur graphique qui désormais fait partie de mes grands favoris ❤️

[Thunderstorm Muffin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Une BD magnifique, tant sur le fond que sur la forme ! Ne pas hésiter à passer du temps sur chaque page pour ne rater aucun détail !

[Greg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Extremely interesting. If you enjoy Greek Mythology, then you will enjoy this.

[Odo · Rating 3 out of 5]

5/10

[Tom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bien loin de l’idée que je m’en faisais. C’est une balade philosophique et mythologique que j’ai pris plaisir à lire. Les dessins sont exquis.

[Constantina ✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't have words to describe this beauty that I have just read. Amazing, everything was amazing. The story, the illustration, the style of writing, and drawing. This is a story about an immortal man, but it's also about mortality. And life and memories. This is one of those books that makes me glad that I am a reader, that I can discover such wonderful things.

[Jeik Dion · Rating 4 out of 5]

Encore une fois, Mathieu Bablet cogne fort. L'auteur nous raconte une fable mythologique qui se déroule dans un univers qui rappelle celui d'ICO, Shadow of the Colossus ou même DarkSouls. On parle ici de quête épique qui pose des questions par rapport au temps, à la mémoire et au sens de la vie. Rien de moins. Visuellement, c'est grandiose. J'en suis un peu jaloux! Si je n'avais qu'une BD à vous conseiller de l'auteur, ça resterait quand même Carbone et Silicium. Mais si vous avez envie d'un peu plus de "fantasy", Je vous conseille sans aucun doute Adrastée.

[Wayne McCoy · Rating 4 out of 5]

'Adrastea' with story by Mathieu Bablet is a graphic novel telling a story about an undying man on a journey to find his own death.

The king of Hyperborea has reigned for 1,000 years without aging, but immortality has its drawbacks, so he travels to Mount Olympus to ask if he can finally die and be with his loved one. Dealing with the gods is never easy and it is certainly not this time.

It's an odd tale, but it's really about the journey, not the destination. The art is worth a look, and I love how the color palette was constantly changing. The story is somewhat sparse, but the art is detailed.

I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Diamond Book Distributors, Magnetic Press and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.

[Zaz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Une jolie BD mêlant mythologie, immortalité, voyage et mémoire. L'aventure était dépaysante et très agréable à regarder, avec un style graphique particulier que j'ai beaucoup apprécié. Les fonds et les couleurs sont très travaillés, donnant une ambiance parfois champêtre, parfois sanglante, qui convient bien à l'aspect mythologie grecque. Le texte, dans la même veine, comporte une touche un brin poétique, toute en légèreté, malgré la difficulté des sujets abordés. J'ai bien aimé découvrir les quelques souvenirs du héros, mais aussi la curiosité de certains personnages par rapport à son immortalité, ainsi que la rancoeur éprouvée par d'autres. C'était une lecture agréable, même si pas spécialement joyeuse.

[AnaisCouloigner · Rating 3 out of 5]

Un roi millénaire sort enfin de sa léthargie pour se rendre sur le mont Olympe et demander aux dieux pourquoi ils l'ont condamné à l'immortalité, et par là même, à voir mourir les siens, les peuples et les siècles, sans que le temps ne l'affecte. Une plongée dans la mythologie grecque, avec plein de références que les non-initiés pourront comprendre grâce au lexique situé à la fin du livre.

[Pikobouh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Coup de cœur absolu !
Cette bande dessinée, entre mythologie, quête initiatique et questionnement philosophique, est une merveille à l'état brut !

A lire absolument.

Chronique vidéo :
https://youtu.be/d_6GaQbbDN0?t=5m42s

[Zéro Janvier · Rating 4 out of 5]

Une magnifique bande dessinée avec de la mythologie, de l’immortalité, la mémoire, et un questionnement sur la vie. Une réussite, servie par des dessins splendides.

[Aaron · Rating 5 out of 5]

The tale of the immortal man begins and ends with the unnatural sorrow one encounters when introduced to a life too full of ruined expectations. Now, whether those expectations were made quixotic by the presumptions of others, or whether those expectations were rendered morally impoverished due to heartbreak, the tale of the immortal man explores the troubles of the world and the troubles of all people. The immortal man is every man, and yet, at the same time, nobody else is like him.

ADRASTEA is savagely beautiful. Dreadful vistas of limestone deserts. Overgrown citadels whose only flashes of color include the jarring allure of blood-red poppies. Claustrophobic canal cities, haunted by the specter of human productivity. Windy grasslands occupied by vociferous harpies, forgotten earth deities, and tiny blue-petaled flowers.

However oversaturated and overwrought western literature's attention may be when it comes to classical Greek literature, Bablet's emphasis on environments that consume one's focus and territories that wither one's sincerity creates a representative tableau that pushes and pulls at each emotional dimension of the old gods (and also the tiny humans who scurry about their feet).

Nameless, and no longer with a kingdom, the immortal man sets out on a journey toward Olympus. He has questions. So many questions. But before he can earn an audience with the gods, he must first venture through the diverse lands of man. And, further, in journeying through deserts, cities, grasslands, caverns, and more, the immortal man must query (of himself and others) what it is that constitutes humanity. Indeed, one cannot ask the gods why one exists if one cannot first ascertain a proper definition of what it means to exist.

ADRASTEA wields its beautiful backdrops as the home domain of assorted logical puzzles, tests of grit, and in some cases, attempts at resurrecting humility. The immortal man is losing his memories of home and family, and often finds himself mumbling half-recollections to stir inspiration throughout his quest. But it's not always so easy. The sphinx is jocular but vicious and unrelenting. Polyphemus just destroys things. The peoples of foreign lands are hospitable, but they have no need for the curiosities of an ancient king. The nymphs play at debauchery, but death and destruction are more their ken.

The immortal man is more observer than participant. Remarkably, as with the stories of old, questions of whether the gods are too full of themselves to be of use and questions of whether humans are too ignorant to be worthy of the land's spoils dominate the graphic novel. Artemis's reflecting pool is probably the color of gold for a reason. A sacrificial orgy's color theory likely hinges on red-orange-gray for a reason. And Bablet's ferocious devotion to setting detail and environmental design doubtlessly give readers a sense of the impossible scale of this one man's story, of immortality and of cross-continental travel, for a reason.

[DevOroria · Rating 4 out of 5]

On replonge ans une BD, mythologique cette fois, et ô miracle, ce n’est pas un tome de la sagesse des mythes ! Non cette fois-ci c’est une BD à l’antique qui nous est présentée. On se plonge donc dans un monde mythique que l’on découvre petit à petit au fil de la vie du personnage principal. Et je dois le dire, il en voit des paysages variés ! Mais ceci souligne et montre tout l’art de l’auteur d’immerger le lecteur dans son monde particulier. En effet, lorsque l’on s’imagine un monde mythique, une certaine image nous vient en tête, avec des caractéristiques bien précises : des colonnes blanches, des temples purs et majestueux, un monde très lumineux somme toute. Mais ce n’est pas vraiment cela dans la BD et elle se justifie quand même et apporte même toute l’originalité au récit.

L’histoire est également très bien réussie. Si on découvre un peu le cadre, on découvre également l’histoire qui va nous entrainer, et elle peut être un peu perturbante au début. En effet, les tenants et les aboutissants du récit ne sont pas forcément très bien mis en place ni explicités dès le début. De ce fait, je ne savais pas trop où je mettais les pieds lorsque j’ai ouvert cette BD, mis je me suis laissée portée par le récit, et je pense sincèrement que c’est comme ça qu’on l’apprécie le plus. On enchaine avec le héros que l’on apprend à connaitre les actions qui apportent un rythme non désagréable qui emmène le lecteur jusqu’au final.

Le personnage principal est plutôt bien réussi. Mais petit bémol du côté des personnages, c’est qu’il n’y a que lui ou presque qui nous est présenté. En effet, puisque l’on suit son Odyssée (mais rien à voir avec notre cher Ulysse), il rencontre des personnages qui sont bien présentés mais qui n’ont en réalité que peu d’importance au regard du récit, ce qui est un peu dommage dans l’ensemble. Néanmoins, je dois saluer leur présence parce qu’elle permet vraiment au personnage principal d’évoluer : il s’inspire assez de leur passage à ses côtés, il s’inspire d’eux, ce qui prouve que les relations, mêmes courtes, qu’ils ont eu avec lui ont été marquantes, ce qui reste vraiment chouette.

La plume de l’auteur est assez sympa même si elle reste particulière. D’abord le dessin n’est pas forcément tout doux comme on pourrait s’y attendre : il est en effet plus dur, avec des détails mis en valeur d’une façon plus écharpée, tout en angles. Mais ça ne m’a pas choquée ou étonnée, parce que je trouve que le style d’histoire correspond bien au style de dessin, les deux se retrouvent en super harmonie. En outre, l’atmosphère reste franchement bien dépeinte tout au long du récit. Elle ne s’essouffle pas le moins du monde, elle reste parfaitement adaptée tout le long du roman, ce qui reste très agréable pour le lecteur et lui apporte un petit quelque chose de fantastique.

Une BD qui a su me convaincre

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

My thanks to both NetGalley and the publisher Diamond Book Distributors for an advanced copy of this new graphic story of both mythology and abiding love.

"Those whom Jupiter wishes to destroy, he first deprives of reason". This quote has been translated in numerous ways and been the subject of many books, paintings, poems and even Star Trek episodes, but the meaning has never been lost or confused. The gods do not play fair, and if you become their enemy, or even worse a plaything or a pawn in some grand game, well good luck to you. Adrastée written and exquisitely drawn by noted French artist Mathieu Bablet and edited by Mike Kennedy, is a graphic novel that tells the story of a great king, who seeks the gods to find out why they so blessed him with immortality, but took away his reasons to live.

The immortal King of the land of Hyperborea, whose name and past are lost to himself and others, finally gets the momentum to leave his dead kingdom and journey to Mount Olympus to ask the gods the only question worth asking. Why? Why this gift of immortality this curse that makes him outlive everything and everyone he knows. As he wanders more thoughts come to him, his parents, his wife, a war, his people long long years of emptiness. Above him the gods watch his journey, helping sometimes, hindering him many times, watching his path and those he interacts with. Finally after much walking, and much discord left in his wake, the immortal king gains his audience.

This is a graphic novel that is hard to describe. The story is not an easy A to B and C, kind of story, but one that floats in time, forward, past, and full of fragments as our endless living king walks. There is a helpful guide in the back which describes the mythology of the gods and places that he travels to, which is very helpful. The ending is a little vague, but it is supposed to be, as life is not what we ask of it, but what we make of it. The art however is outstanding. So much detail, so much going on per panel. The gods look so much different than one would think they should, which really shows off their differences to mere mortals, and really sets them apart. The cities are very lush and one wishes to explore every nook and cranny just to see the detail and the time put into it. One of the better illustrated graphic novels that I have seen.

I enjoyed this, though the story was like I said a tad vague, the art was beautiful and really worth exploring. There are so many great European artists in comics and grahic novels I feel bad that I will never know about. I'm glad that I was introduced to the work of Mathieu Bablet, and can't wait to see more.

[Paul Spence · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Those whom Jupiter wishes to destroy; he first deprives of reason". This quote has been translated in numerous ways and been the subject of many books, paintings, poems and even Star Trek episodes, but the meaning has never been lost or confused. The gods do not play fair, and if you become their enemy, or even worse a plaything or a pawn in some grand game, well good luck to you. Adrastéa written and exquisitely drawn by noted French artist Mathieu Bablet and edited by Mike Kennedy, is a graphic novel that tells the story of a great king, who seeks the gods to find out why they so blessed him with immortality, but took away his reasons to live.

The immortal King of the land of Hyperborea, whose name and past are lost to himself and others, finally gets the momentum to leave his dead kingdom and journey to Mount Olympus to ask the gods the only question worth asking. Why? Why this gift of immortality this curse that makes him outlive everything and everyone he knows. As he wanders more thoughts come to him, his parents, his wife, a war, his people, long years of emptiness. Above him the gods watch his journey, helping sometimes, hindering him many times, watching his path and those he interacts with. Finally, after much walking, and much discord left in his wake, the immortal king gains his audience.

This is a graphic novel that is hard to describe. The story is not an easy A to B and C, kind of story, but one that floats in time, forward, past, and full of fragments as our endless living king walks. There is a helpful guide in the back which describes the mythology of the gods and places that he travels to, which is very helpful. The ending is a little vague, but it is supposed to be, as life is not what we ask of it, but what we make of it. The art however is outstanding. So much detail, so much going on per panel. The gods look so much different than one would think they should, which really shows off their differences to mere mortals, and really sets them apart. The cities are very lush and one wishes to explore every nook and cranny just to see the detail and the time put into it. This is one of the best illustrated graphic novels that I have seen.

[Theediscerning · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, this might mean something to someone, but that someone wasn't really me. An immortal bloke of sort of Grecian king-like demeanour goes walking. And walking... And walking... His path takes him through fantasy building and estate after fantasy realm and country, and it all looks absolutely brilliant, almost Escheresque at times and utterly devoid of health and safety in the example of his own huge palace complex. He quickly gets rid of a Sphinx and her riddles, he tries his hardest to remember people he's known and loved, and his earlier memories, but someone joins in with the walking and walking, and he never shuts up.

After that there's the second half of this, as it came out in two books originally, and it's still more wonderful scenery and walking, until he gets an audience with some incredibly ugly Greek gods – Aphrodite really rocking the bulimic junkie style. It does eventually prove itself a kind of melancholic, 'hey, it's not the kind of life you leave it's the kind of life you live' moral, but if this had started with a quote from Proust, first and foremost in the world's warnings that a book is pants (either Proust or TS Eliot, both apply equally) I would not have been at all surprised. Its ravishing look demands the biggest presentation format possible, to pore over the architecture and scenery; its elusive point demands a bigger patience than some will find themselves having.

[Tamar Marvin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Imagine a classical Greek epic, but make it existential: instead of questing for glory or for home, the quest is for ultimate knowledge and understanding. In the end, Adrastea is about the process of living rather than definitive answers, the "how" as opposed to the "why," to paraphrase the book's Muses. Told mythically, both in its language and imagery, reading it transports you immediately to a dreamlike realm where inexplicable things somehow make perfect sense.

The story begins with a young prince with mysterious abilities, sequestered far in an enigmatic kingdom. It soon becomes clear that the prince has a dubious gift: immortality. Rather like the inverse of a morose man consumed by the prospect of eventual, inevitable death, the hero must undertake an epic journey seeking answers to his condition, forgetting unto oblivion the meanings he once knew, but recovering them in unexpected ways. His attempts to procure answers from the gods prove as fruitless as Deep Thought's "42." Very often, these stories end on a note that's anodyne or saccharine, or worse, evasive, but Adrastea's answer is robust and satisfying, at least to this skeptical and demanding reader.

If you are an admirer of architectural illustration and cityscapes, like me, you'll relish the artwork, which brings buildings and places more alive than it does the human (and humanoid) creatures. It quickly became apparent to me that this book is a treasure, and it catapulted into the realms of my favorites very fast.

[drown_like_its_1999 · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Greek child is told the story of an ancient king cursed with an immortal life. The king outlives not only his family but eventually his entire kingdom, after which he decides to journey to Mount Olympus to ask the gods why he has been burdened with this gift.

This was a compelling read but perhaps a bit too thin. Much like Bablet's other stories, the tale is beautifully rendered with detailed line work and dynamic color palettes depicting a dazzling variety of locales and settings. His backgrounds are especially eye catching, with towering classical Greek architecture and expansive vistas filling near every page. This work probably also has Bablet's best depiction of action yet, with combat scenes between the protagonist and giant colossi being especially good. The narrative feels aptly like epic poetry, with time and distance moving at an almost dreamlike pace and the character interactions feel less focused on relatability than on delivering the core themes. The primary theme of cherishing life no matter how long, short, or cruel it becomes is effectively delivered yet feels a bit tired given it's relative simplicity and Bablet's better execution of said theme in Carbon & Silicon.