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Astrid: Cult of the Volcanic Moon
She was the Galactic Coalition's top recruit until an incident on her final exam had her drummed out of the service. Now, down and out and looking for another shot at her dream, Astrid receives a special mission from her former commander. Alongside her old classmate Ulf, Astrid will have to survive giant insecs, brutal sects, and the ancient evil of an uncharted volcanic moon if she wants to prove herself worthy of another chance at becoming a Galactic Peacekeeper!
Swedish comics creator Kim W. Andersson (The Complete Love Hurts, Alena) weaves a comedic sci-fi epic for fans of Firefly and Mass Effect! Hold on to your butts!
Swedish comics creator Kim W. Andersson (The Complete Love Hurts, Alena) weaves a comedic sci-fi epic for fans of Firefly and Mass Effect! Hold on to your butts!
144 pages, Paperback
First published February 2, 2016
3 people are currently reading
104 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
November 1, 2018
A decent space opera. Reminds me a bit of other European sci-fi comics like Valerian or Infinity 8. Lots of adventure and craziness.
Received a review copy from Dark Horse and Edelweiss. All thoughts are my own and in no way influenced by the aforementioned.
Received a review copy from Dark Horse and Edelweiss. All thoughts are my own and in no way influenced by the aforementioned.
July 20, 2019
The story, characters and dialogue is just bad. The best character is probably Itzak who is a computer. Other than that, the illustrations and coloring is beautiful! Too bad the story didn't live up to the look of it.
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March 8, 2017Överraskande bra! Bästa var illustrationerna och tvisterna i berättelsen.
November 1, 2017
rätt Basic äventyrsstory, men väldigt snygg. gillar AI:n väldigt mycket, gillar Ulf och Astrid mycket och det är passligt obehagligt och motstridigt. Annars inte megaoriginell, men aja vill ändå mycket fortsätta läsa och är ju inte originalitet som är viktigast utan utförande - här är det riktigt bra; högt tempo, snygga färger, snyggt tecknat för det mesta och jaa bra karaktärer. Inget jag föll svinhårt för eller liksom kommer minnas forever men mycket bra underhållning den dryga timme det tar att läsa.
June 13, 2022
Swedish/English
Fint tecknad, en helt okej handling som dock aldrig riktigt engagerar eller griper tag i mig samt att det även finns en del karaktärer som jag direkt ogillar.
-
It's visually appealing and the story is for the most part okay, but there are characters that I really dislike and overall this comic book and It's content never manage to enthrall me.
Fint tecknad, en helt okej handling som dock aldrig riktigt engagerar eller griper tag i mig samt att det även finns en del karaktärer som jag direkt ogillar.
-
It's visually appealing and the story is for the most part okay, but there are characters that I really dislike and overall this comic book and It's content never manage to enthrall me.
February 1, 2020
Love the art and color in this.
December 15, 2017
It's really pretty, and the coloring is just fucking amazing, but the story completely failed to catch me simply because I couldn't stand the characters.
August 2, 2018
Ett spännande rymdäventyr av bästa klass. Här finns intriger, hemliga planer och lögner.
Längtar efter nästa del!!!!! Fler tankar på bloggen: https://obergsandra.wordpress.com/201...
Längtar efter nästa del!!!!! Fler tankar på bloggen: https://obergsandra.wordpress.com/201...
February 6, 2017
Jag har tidigare läst Alena av Kim W. Andersson och älskade den (har även båda volymerna av Love Hurts hemma), så jag har självklart varit väldigt nyfiken på Astrid. Och jag blev mer eller mindre överlycklig när jag fick frågan om jag vill ha ett recex. Så det var med stora förväntningar jag började läsa, och jag kan helt klart säga att Astrid levde upp till dessa.
Handlingen var jättespännande. Det är galaktiska rymdäventyr med en otroligt charmig huvudkaraktär. Jag fastnade genast för Astrids äventyr, och tycker att både början och slutet var fantastiska. Kim W. Anderssons tecknarstil är dessutom en jag tycker oerhört mycket om, och jag gillade verkligen färgerna i albumet.
Det enda jag hade önskat är ett svar på vem som fick det att se ut som att Astrid hade fuskat på proven. Det var en sådan genomgående grej, och jag hade behövt åtminstonde en liten ledtråd här. Men, men..om inte annat så får det mig att längta halvt ihjäl mig efter nästa del. Så alltid något!
Astrid: Vulkanmånens kult var ett sanslöst spännande rymdäventyr. Snyggt tecknat, och där jag verkligen ser fram emot att få läsa mer. Rekommenderas varmt.
Handlingen var jättespännande. Det är galaktiska rymdäventyr med en otroligt charmig huvudkaraktär. Jag fastnade genast för Astrids äventyr, och tycker att både början och slutet var fantastiska. Kim W. Anderssons tecknarstil är dessutom en jag tycker oerhört mycket om, och jag gillade verkligen färgerna i albumet.
Det enda jag hade önskat är ett svar på vem som fick det att se ut som att Astrid hade fuskat på proven. Det var en sådan genomgående grej, och jag hade behövt åtminstonde en liten ledtråd här. Men, men..om inte annat så får det mig att längta halvt ihjäl mig efter nästa del. Så alltid något!
Astrid: Vulkanmånens kult var ett sanslöst spännande rymdäventyr. Snyggt tecknat, och där jag verkligen ser fram emot att få läsa mer. Rekommenderas varmt.
December 31, 2016
I've been looking for a good space opera comic for a long time. So as soon as I saw Galactic Peacekeeper Astrid and the Cult of the Volcanic Moon, I had to pick it up.
Astrid, an aspiring Peacekeeper who has fallen from grace is looking to get another chance at living out her dream. When the Principal of the Smoltron Academy wants her to escort his niece to the Galactic HQ, she jumps at the chance. They are accompanied by Astrid's old friend Ulf and her ship's AI Itzak. But the trip hits a snag when they crash land on a remote moon inhabited by a race of beings with a dangerous religion and long term intergalactic agenda.
Positives: Good writing, good plotting, good dialogue, especially considering that it's translated from Swedish. Good art. The women don't look like Barbie dolls.
Negatives: I have trouble with the logic of how Astrid got kicked out of the Academy and then doing odd jobs to get back in their good graces. Also all of the aliens are humanoid. I'd much rather see an artist come up with some unique visuals.
So this isn't the ideal space opera comic I've been looking for, but it was fun.
Astrid, an aspiring Peacekeeper who has fallen from grace is looking to get another chance at living out her dream. When the Principal of the Smoltron Academy wants her to escort his niece to the Galactic HQ, she jumps at the chance. They are accompanied by Astrid's old friend Ulf and her ship's AI Itzak. But the trip hits a snag when they crash land on a remote moon inhabited by a race of beings with a dangerous religion and long term intergalactic agenda.
Positives: Good writing, good plotting, good dialogue, especially considering that it's translated from Swedish. Good art. The women don't look like Barbie dolls.
Negatives: I have trouble with the logic of how Astrid got kicked out of the Academy and then doing odd jobs to get back in their good graces. Also all of the aliens are humanoid. I'd much rather see an artist come up with some unique visuals.
So this isn't the ideal space opera comic I've been looking for, but it was fun.
October 22, 2017
Recovering from a bruised ego or salvaging one's ship from crashing on an uncharted moon of the gas giant Rondaal, which of the two is the greater challenge? Astrid is about to find out.
One upon a time, Astrid was the top peacekeeper candidate of the Smoltron Academy of the United Galactic Coalition for Interplanetary Peace. Naturally, as is often the case with stories that begin with "once upon a time," Astrid's quest for adventure went sideways after some fishy test results. Unsurprisingly, she was banished in the ensuing uproar and relegated to conducting salvage work in the outer reaches. So much for being the top peacekeeper candidate.
Then, a lifeline. A rush assignment from her old principle. If Astrid can transport a spoiled student, Isobel, to headquarters, then she'll get another shot at her academy exams. Hopefully. Maybe. Until things go sideways again.
ASTRID is a bright and engaging space-adventure comic with no time to waste. There aren't a lot of full-length comics whose single-creator contributor leaves readers with such a thoroughly satisfying experience, and in this regard, ASTRID delivers. The comic isn't lacking for developed characters, isn't lacking for meaningful drama, and isn't lacking for studied art in service of uniquely foreign environments.
Indeed, as young Astrid crashes her ship on a random moon, populated by a not-so-random clan of inbred insect hunters, readers are granted prime access to all conflicts physical and emotional on this distant space rock. Escape won't be easy. Astrid's instincts tell her to fight back, free the local slaves, and kickstart her ship -- all on her own. Her best friend, Ulf, wants to go the official route: signal allies for help, then sit back and wait. Isobel, meanwhile, couldn't care less; after all, she's too busy enjoying deification at the hands of the locals for her pure human heritage.
It's easy to root for the hero in this book. Astrid's track record of falling prey to pressure and of skirting danger with a bit of makeshift cursing often places her and her buddies in tough situations. But no matter how ominous the circumstance, the woman doesn't give up. In fact, this is her most annoying yet redeeming quality: Astrid doesn't find her stride until all hope is lost.
ASTRID is a compact story, if clearly hinting at a broader narrative. Fortunately, by clipping the current narrative's wings to exclusively reside on the random moon onto which Astrid and her crew have crashed, readers aren't distracted by any of a number of splinter plots that could otherwise derail a promising sci-fi story. What about Astrid's spotty academic record? What about Astrid's famous-parent bloodline? Important, yes, but not urgent, so it takes a back seat. This compartmentalization is part of what makes Andersson's story engaging; the book isn't telling a story that's too big for its characters to handle.
Professional inking and solid coloring ensure the comic is an easy read. Across a desolate alien world at nighttime, purple-orange mountains shaped like animal fangs cast familiar shadows. Deep in the heart of the mobile palace of the Donner Clan, a seductive array of red, black, and purple lure readers into the parish of an ancient, fallen chaplain. And deep underground, in the belly of a volcano, a river of illicit black-orange lava threatens to swallow whole Astrid's tiny, silver-green transport vessel.
There are occasions where the dialogue piles up a bit too much, and there are occasions where the behavioral cues are a bit too exaggerated (e.g., characters spit a lot), but overall, ASTRID is a good, quick read, and a quality find for the easygoing sci-fi fan.
One upon a time, Astrid was the top peacekeeper candidate of the Smoltron Academy of the United Galactic Coalition for Interplanetary Peace. Naturally, as is often the case with stories that begin with "once upon a time," Astrid's quest for adventure went sideways after some fishy test results. Unsurprisingly, she was banished in the ensuing uproar and relegated to conducting salvage work in the outer reaches. So much for being the top peacekeeper candidate.
Then, a lifeline. A rush assignment from her old principle. If Astrid can transport a spoiled student, Isobel, to headquarters, then she'll get another shot at her academy exams. Hopefully. Maybe. Until things go sideways again.
ASTRID is a bright and engaging space-adventure comic with no time to waste. There aren't a lot of full-length comics whose single-creator contributor leaves readers with such a thoroughly satisfying experience, and in this regard, ASTRID delivers. The comic isn't lacking for developed characters, isn't lacking for meaningful drama, and isn't lacking for studied art in service of uniquely foreign environments.
Indeed, as young Astrid crashes her ship on a random moon, populated by a not-so-random clan of inbred insect hunters, readers are granted prime access to all conflicts physical and emotional on this distant space rock. Escape won't be easy. Astrid's instincts tell her to fight back, free the local slaves, and kickstart her ship -- all on her own. Her best friend, Ulf, wants to go the official route: signal allies for help, then sit back and wait. Isobel, meanwhile, couldn't care less; after all, she's too busy enjoying deification at the hands of the locals for her pure human heritage.
It's easy to root for the hero in this book. Astrid's track record of falling prey to pressure and of skirting danger with a bit of makeshift cursing often places her and her buddies in tough situations. But no matter how ominous the circumstance, the woman doesn't give up. In fact, this is her most annoying yet redeeming quality: Astrid doesn't find her stride until all hope is lost.
ASTRID is a compact story, if clearly hinting at a broader narrative. Fortunately, by clipping the current narrative's wings to exclusively reside on the random moon onto which Astrid and her crew have crashed, readers aren't distracted by any of a number of splinter plots that could otherwise derail a promising sci-fi story. What about Astrid's spotty academic record? What about Astrid's famous-parent bloodline? Important, yes, but not urgent, so it takes a back seat. This compartmentalization is part of what makes Andersson's story engaging; the book isn't telling a story that's too big for its characters to handle.
Professional inking and solid coloring ensure the comic is an easy read. Across a desolate alien world at nighttime, purple-orange mountains shaped like animal fangs cast familiar shadows. Deep in the heart of the mobile palace of the Donner Clan, a seductive array of red, black, and purple lure readers into the parish of an ancient, fallen chaplain. And deep underground, in the belly of a volcano, a river of illicit black-orange lava threatens to swallow whole Astrid's tiny, silver-green transport vessel.
There are occasions where the dialogue piles up a bit too much, and there are occasions where the behavioral cues are a bit too exaggerated (e.g., characters spit a lot), but overall, ASTRID is a good, quick read, and a quality find for the easygoing sci-fi fan.
August 29, 2017
Astrid was on track to become a Galactic Peacekeeper, until she was found guilty of cheating on her exam and expelled from the Smoltron Academy of the United Galactic Coalition for Interplanetary Peace. Now, she takes on odd jobs in hopes that the Coalition will grant her a second chance at the exam, knowing she has been framed. In this first volume, Astrid is tasked with escorting the Principal's niece to a ceremony, only to be shot down along the way on an uncharted moon, inhabited by inbred humans bent on the destruction of the Coalition.
I had high hopes for this comic, thinking that it began with cool graphics, an interesting backstory and a no-nonsense heroine. I was sadly disappointed. Instead, I found a shoddy story and illustrations that led me to believe this was less a comic about a strong female and more a reader's comic wet dream.
See full review at: www.onemamassummer.weebly.com/bookrev...
I had high hopes for this comic, thinking that it began with cool graphics, an interesting backstory and a no-nonsense heroine. I was sadly disappointed. Instead, I found a shoddy story and illustrations that led me to believe this was less a comic about a strong female and more a reader's comic wet dream.
See full review at: www.onemamassummer.weebly.com/bookrev...
November 23, 2020
Efter bilderboksmomentet på litteraturkursen jag läser ville jag börja läsa mer blandade former av litteratur. Så när jag var på biblioteket för några veckor sen bestämde jag mig för att låna några olika serier - det här var en av dem, och definitivt den jag hade mest roligt med! Bilderna är helt otroliga, färgstarka, fångande och levande - de sög in mig i berättelsen och upphöjde verkligen den ganska bekanta handlingen. I sig var historien inget speciellt tyckte jag, men jag hade ändå kul med den. Tankarna drogs till Voltron och Illuminae, vilket gav serien en slags nostalgisk känsla. Jag är nyfiken på hur volym 2 fortsätter - förhoppningsvis kommer den snart, för jag skulle gärna vilja läsa vidare!
December 13, 2016
Lever tyvärr inte upp till (de visserligen mycket höga) förväntningarna. Att den är så sjukt snygg räddar betyget, storylinen är också rätt bra i sig, men dialogen är dessvärre så pass pajig att helhetsupplevelsen blir väldigt lidande. Det klassiska knepet att karaktärerna på var och varannan sida "tänker högt" kändes också som en för enkel (och rätt tröttsam) utväg.
Fortfarande mycket sugen på fortsättningen dock, lite mer djup till karaktärerna och lite bättre dialog så tror jag att denna serie kan bli riktigt fet.
Fortfarande mycket sugen på fortsättningen dock, lite mer djup till karaktärerna och lite bättre dialog så tror jag att denna serie kan bli riktigt fet.
July 15, 2017
Otroligt snygg och energiskt tecknad serie. Många har nämnt att dialogen känns "paj" och det kan jag hålla med om, men samtidigt tycker jag att det passar tonläget i serien. Det är ju ganska lättsamt och roligt. Dessutom brukar de flesta scifi serier vara lite pajiga utan att det stör (jag menar, kolla dialogerna i Star Trek, Linda & Valentin eller Star Wars). Jag ser fram emot att läsa om Astrids fortsatta äventyr.
May 18, 2019
A wild sci-fi action romp following a hopeful space peacekeeper as she embarks on a mission to redeem herself after a previous incident. The choppiness of the story threw me off at times, but it was fun and humorous and adventurous, with great illustrations! I’ll be looking into more of Andersson’s work for sure.
February 9, 2022
I went into this book with no expectations and came out of it the same way. I felt no attachment to any of the characters. I liked that they were drawn with shape to their body types, but that's about as much happy as I got out of it.
November 20, 2016
Astrid är ett typiskt feel good album!
Underhållande, högt tempo och riktigt riktigt kul läsning.
Med mycket humor och hjärta kastar Kim oss in i en intressant sci-fi värld, fylld med sina egna märkliga varelser och planeter. Rolig story, intressanta karaktärer, bra tempo och fantastiska färger.
Hoppas och håller tummar att vi får fler berättelse om Astrid!
Full recension kommer.
Underhållande, högt tempo och riktigt riktigt kul läsning.
Med mycket humor och hjärta kastar Kim oss in i en intressant sci-fi värld, fylld med sina egna märkliga varelser och planeter. Rolig story, intressanta karaktärer, bra tempo och fantastiska färger.
Hoppas och håller tummar att vi får fler berättelse om Astrid!
Full recension kommer.
March 26, 2017
I love the colourful cover of this trade. It drew me into the story. I loved our main character and he storyline and I need more. I will be continuing on with this series.
August 9, 2017
THIS WAS AMAZING
March 8, 2018
i liked the colors?
June 19, 2018
3.5
Riktigt snygg! Men berättelsen är bara sådär.
Riktigt snygg! Men berättelsen är bara sådär.
July 11, 2018
Read this for the Magic Readathon. This is my fourth OWL and it counts towards my Astronomy grade. I have now completed 4 OWLs.
July 14, 2018
Bra intrig och vackert ritad. Den enda stora nackdelen var väl att karaktärerna inte var fullt utvecklade. Det gör väl i och för sig inte så mycket i en första volym.
April 29, 2025
MPA ratings:
R for violence and nudity
PG-13 for language
R for violence and nudity
PG-13 for language
December 31, 2016
Loved the story and the art. The dialogue was a bit of a letdown, however. Clunky and humourless, mostly. All-in-all, an exciting and fast-paced sci-fi adventure.
January 9, 2017
Got the Swedish translation from the kickstarter, and it's cheesy, but it's a glorious cheesy. It's nostalgia about how adventure comics felt in the 80s, and frankly, if I translate the dialog back into its original English in my head, it sounds a lot better than in Swedish. I imagine it's a cultural thing - the expressions sound odd and preppy in Swedish, but pretty decent in English.
It's a beautiful book, and an outright space opera adventure. Don't expect Alena or Love Hurts when reading this. You're clearly getting the same great creator, but it's a completely different genre, and nothing is spilling over, so be aware what you're about to read.
It's a beautiful book, and an outright space opera adventure. Don't expect Alena or Love Hurts when reading this. You're clearly getting the same great creator, but it's a completely different genre, and nothing is spilling over, so be aware what you're about to read.
January 10, 2017
Interesting sci-fi. What works: Astrid is an independent woman, she doesn't look like a super hero. She has a male sidekick and they're just friends. What doesn't work: It doesn't know whether it wants to be serious, or funny, and it transitions between the two awkwardly. It has something to say, but it hasn't quite figured out what that is. I liked Kim Andersson's Alena as a film which gave me the impetus to try this, but it didn't quite work for me.
January 4, 2017
I'd probably give this book 3 stars until the final act where it really hits its stride. Loved the art work and the color palate really helps establish the atmosphere, especially in the scenes that take place in space. Dialogue left a little to be desired at times, but overall a fun story. I'll be on the lookout for further volumes.
December 6, 2016
Riktigt underhållande på sina håll, och riktigt varm på sina håll. Det är först de sista sidorna som jag tycker att Astrid hittar en balans mellan de två, och då är den riktigt bra.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews