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Crowded, Vol. 1
(Crowded #1-6)
by
Ten minutes in the future, the world runs on an economy of job shares and apps, while crowdfunding has evolved into Reapr: a platform for assassination that's trickled down from politicians, celebrities and CEOs to everyday life and all its petty resentments. A world where anyone with enough backers and the money they contribute can kill anyone else.
Like Charlie Ellison, w ...more
Like Charlie Ellison, w ...more
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Paperback, 169 pages
Published
March 26th 2019
by Image Comics
(first published March 19th 2019)
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Start your review of Crowded, Vol. 1

In the near future, everyone works as part of the gig economy. In addition, there's a crowdfunding app for assassination. When the main character, Charlie, has a million dollar crowdsourced hit put on her, she hires Vita to keep her alive for the next month until the campaign ends.
There's some neat world building here and while it starts out as a social satire, it just evolves into the same bad guys are after us, have a shoot out and hide thing again and again. There's lots of promises that ther ...more
There's some neat world building here and while it starts out as a social satire, it just evolves into the same bad guys are after us, have a shoot out and hide thing again and again. There's lots of promises that ther ...more


People have been telling me to read this since it came out, and I have not been reading it. Story of my life. Carmen's life: people recommend books to her, and she never (very slowly?) gets around to them.
But I finally picked it up and I'm very glad I did. It's excellent.

The premise is that, in the future, you can crowdsource (gofundme?) killings. You can put up money publicly on the Internet to have someone killed. If it gets two backers at minimum, it's live and anyone who kills the target get ...more

(Read as individual comics)
Because I'm trying to say when there's diversity in stories: we've got a POC MC, F/F romance.
I love Vita and will probably continue this story just for her. I did NOT like Snotgirl 2.0 or whatever her name is. She was an obnoxious character (and is supposed to be). But ugh, she's just the fucking worst.
But Vita is a BAMF and I've got such a crush! ...more
Because I'm trying to say when there's diversity in stories: we've got a POC MC, F/F romance.
I love Vita and will probably continue this story just for her. I did NOT like Snotgirl 2.0 or whatever her name is. She was an obnoxious character (and is supposed to be). But ugh, she's just the fucking worst.
But Vita is a BAMF and I've got such a crush! ...more

This was so fun! I don't know what everyone's problem is, honestly. It's like The Professional meets The Heat starring queer women in a futuristic mess we're 10 minutes away from.
I sped through the whole volume in one night. I couldn't stop reading it. I kept laughing and reacting out loud, much to the annoyance and chagrin of my daughter.
It's unique, doesn't take itself too seriously, and it's not pretentious on the nose satire.
Charlie is annoying. But she's not all bad. She's going through a ...more
I sped through the whole volume in one night. I couldn't stop reading it. I kept laughing and reacting out loud, much to the annoyance and chagrin of my daughter.
It's unique, doesn't take itself too seriously, and it's not pretentious on the nose satire.
Charlie is annoying. But she's not all bad. She's going through a ...more

Too crazy, too over the top, and not all that interesting. Another one I dropped a little bit more than half way. It's different, I'll give it that, but the rest? Meh. Sorry for short reviews but I can't be bothered to post full review on something I'm not passionate enough to even hate. It's just eh....2 out of 5.
...more

4.5
What an interesting idea. I liked the drawing style too.
In the near future, they invent an app where you can raise funds to kill a person: Reapr. Who gets the target gets the money. Originally it has been used in politicians and celebrities, or managers of corporations, people with weight that influences lives and who many want revenge, but one day the protagonist Charlotte 'Charlie' Ellison finds herself running away because everyone in Los Angeles wants to kill her for the Reward for your l ...more
What an interesting idea. I liked the drawing style too.
In the near future, they invent an app where you can raise funds to kill a person: Reapr. Who gets the target gets the money. Originally it has been used in politicians and celebrities, or managers of corporations, people with weight that influences lives and who many want revenge, but one day the protagonist Charlotte 'Charlie' Ellison finds herself running away because everyone in Los Angeles wants to kill her for the Reward for your l ...more


I just could not get into this graphic novel no matter how hard I tried. The plot sounded so intriguing but the characters and way it was done just didn't work with me. ...more

rep: wlw woc mc, wlw mc
- if I explain this concept to you, you’ll want to read it straight away: this is set in the future and there’s an app where people post hits against people and donors can crowdfund it. The person who kills the target gets all the money that was funded. The main character gets a hit on her head and becomes one of the sought after victims, with millions to her name. She hires a bodyguard on another app called “Defend” who has the lowest rating (but with the highest success ...more

I received an ARC copy of this book from Edelweiss

#same
I absolutely loved this! The world-building is interesting and entertaining, the art is colorful and gorgeous, the character designs are visually interesting, Charlie is hilariously annoying most of the time, and Vita is just absolutely amazing ALL of the time. If I was going to have one criticism it would probably be that the text is a bit dense [it took me way longer than I thought it would to read this], but also there's plenty of action ...more

#same
I absolutely loved this! The world-building is interesting and entertaining, the art is colorful and gorgeous, the character designs are visually interesting, Charlie is hilariously annoying most of the time, and Vita is just absolutely amazing ALL of the time. If I was going to have one criticism it would probably be that the text is a bit dense [it took me way longer than I thought it would to read this], but also there's plenty of action ...more

SUPER FAST REVIEW:
So the story’s fun, there’s some good action scenes and I really like the cartoony art!

Unfortunately while occasionally humorous, most of the attempts at humor didn’t work for me. I also found it extremely predictable and I don’t like any of the non-dog characters TBH.
I do like the dog a lot!
Overall not bad, I had some fun with it but it’s nothing I’d consider myself a fan of and I’m not so sure I wanna come back for volume 2. Maybe I will...
3/5 ...more
So the story’s fun, there’s some good action scenes and I really like the cartoony art!

Unfortunately while occasionally humorous, most of the attempts at humor didn’t work for me. I also found it extremely predictable and I don’t like any of the non-dog characters TBH.
I do like the dog a lot!
Overall not bad, I had some fun with it but it’s nothing I’d consider myself a fan of and I’m not so sure I wanna come back for volume 2. Maybe I will...
3/5 ...more

rep: poc wlw mc, bi/pan mc
this was so much FUN !!!!!!
also @ everyone who says charlie (the mc) is annoying & that's why they don't like this story: check ur (internalised) misogyny ...more
this was so much FUN !!!!!!
also @ everyone who says charlie (the mc) is annoying & that's why they don't like this story: check ur (internalised) misogyny ...more

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.

One of my favorites from 2018!
Its the near future and there's an App that's similar to Go Fund Me. Except its to put assassination hits on people you don't like. When some nobody makes it to the millions, shes willing to hire anyone who can protect her. This story is great, the characters are even better. The dynamic between the two girls is a perfect balance of cute and frustrating. There are times when I'd like to take out the million dollar girl. Then in other moments, I can relate with her ...more
Its the near future and there's an App that's similar to Go Fund Me. Except its to put assassination hits on people you don't like. When some nobody makes it to the millions, shes willing to hire anyone who can protect her. This story is great, the characters are even better. The dynamic between the two girls is a perfect balance of cute and frustrating. There are times when I'd like to take out the million dollar girl. Then in other moments, I can relate with her ...more

"Crowdfundead"
That title above was the series name they originally played with, and I like it. I also liked the first issue of the series, and am keen for the first volume, (comprising the first few issues and the full original story arc), to come out in March of 2019. I'm posting this review now, even though we only have the first issue available, because I liked this series enough to want to encourage interest in it.
This was sort of a three way hit. The idea of crowd funding assassinations, an ...more
That title above was the series name they originally played with, and I like it. I also liked the first issue of the series, and am keen for the first volume, (comprising the first few issues and the full original story arc), to come out in March of 2019. I'm posting this review now, even though we only have the first issue available, because I liked this series enough to want to encourage interest in it.
This was sort of a three way hit. The idea of crowd funding assassinations, an ...more

The art in Crowded is gorgeous and kinetic, but the story is a chore to read. Dialogue is endless and not as clever as it thinks it is. The plot is pointlessly circular, with the main duo running from killers here and there and back again. Like, just get to the twist already! But the twist never comes. Maybe Crowded really is just a social satire about a future where you can hire killers via a crowdsourcing app. That would be disappointing if true - and this first volume gives no hints that I'm
...more

This first volume of Crowded is fantastic and action packed, combining a dystopian future and a comedic, unlikely partnership. Crowded feels like a combination of Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 and the female cop comedy Heat – and it also feels destined to become a TV spinoff or film trilogy.
Quick summary: in a technology-ridden future Los Angeles, a crowdfunding platform for assassination called Reapr has a new target – Charlie, and the price on her head starts at a million dollars! The only bod ...more
Quick summary: in a technology-ridden future Los Angeles, a crowdfunding platform for assassination called Reapr has a new target – Charlie, and the price on her head starts at a million dollars! The only bod ...more

Set in Los Angeles in the very near future, this fast-paced hilarious comic shows the logical absurdity of apps, job shares and crowdfunding campaigns taken to the extreme. Charlie Ellison, who works 12 part time jobs, wakes up one morning to discover someone has started a REAPR campaign on her and people have raised over 1 million dollars to see her killed. Naturally she turns to the DFEND app, but only the lowest rated bodyguard, Vita Slatter, is willing to take on her case. Everyone from rand
...more

Read as individual issues.
Well that was disappointing. The series started strong, then began spinning wheels in part 4, and ended on a wet fart.
Too much is left unresolved, eventhough there is the promise of an upcoming new story arc. The revelation that (view spoiler) , feels like something that should've been revealed earlier in the story, not at the very end.
The silent assassin lady feels like a cliched chara ...more
Well that was disappointing. The series started strong, then began spinning wheels in part 4, and ended on a wet fart.
Too much is left unresolved, eventhough there is the promise of an upcoming new story arc. The revelation that (view spoiler) , feels like something that should've been revealed earlier in the story, not at the very end.
The silent assassin lady feels like a cliched chara ...more

Great idea, with fun, snarky story and artwork that reminds me a lot of Rob Guillory's work on Chew. Really enjoyed this one, though I wonder a bit about its long-term viability as a story...
...more

I am not a fan of the Awful White Girl We Have to Sympathize With Because She Is Going To Die subgenre of horror that has cropped up.
I would say, though, outside of this - which is kinda the main plot - I really liked the world and the characters.
Although I haven't researched the creators, so probably not #ownvoices, Vita is Black, her ex-lover is also a Black woman and there are lots of Black girls in particular sprinkled about. I really enjoyed this.
The world is really a stone's throw away f ...more
I would say, though, outside of this - which is kinda the main plot - I really liked the world and the characters.
Although I haven't researched the creators, so probably not #ownvoices, Vita is Black, her ex-lover is also a Black woman and there are lots of Black girls in particular sprinkled about. I really enjoyed this.
The world is really a stone's throw away f ...more

May 26, 2020
Xanthe
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
graphic-novels,
wacky-hijinks,
adult-fiction,
dystopian,
lgbtqa,
poc-protagonist,
california,
read-in-2020
Fun, ridiculous, gory, and uh, I wanted it to feel a little more far-fetched than it did. Scarily plausible is maybe the term for some of it. But ridiculous. Did I mention that? Yeah.

Jun 04, 2020
Jennifer
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
hoopla,
graphic-novels
Sometimes it's hard for me to get into stories using phone technology, but the way the story writers came up with a REAPR app is awesome. The characters are diverse and we'll developed. I loved the color choices! The story is very exciting and can't wait to get my hands on more of the story.
...more

Jun 04, 2020
Cale
added it
This is so not the right book to be reading at this time. I'm not rating it because I can't separate its satire from the current world situation and can't fairly judge it.
The story literally focuses on a world where lives have been devalued to the point that there's an app where assassinations can be crowdfunded. It's a horrific idea made all the more disgusting by its cavalier acceptance of the concept, of both crowdfunding murder and hiring bodyguards based on the equivalent of yelp scores.
If ...more
The story literally focuses on a world where lives have been devalued to the point that there's an app where assassinations can be crowdfunded. It's a horrific idea made all the more disgusting by its cavalier acceptance of the concept, of both crowdfunding murder and hiring bodyguards based on the equivalent of yelp scores.
If ...more

This is actually good if you can stick with it.
Don't like the target character Charlie at all, the art is sketchy at times, the dialog is "futuristic", they might be trying for cyberpunk. Oh they spend way to much time with other Reapers that are just as freaking annoying as Charlie. Love the puppy. ...more
Don't like the target character Charlie at all, the art is sketchy at times, the dialog is "futuristic", they might be trying for cyberpunk. Oh they spend way to much time with other Reapers that are just as freaking annoying as Charlie. Love the puppy. ...more

I love the artistry and character design of all these characters so much. the color work is beautiful and enjoyable. That being said, the story itself could use some work. Personally, I love Vida and the dog; but GOD I hate the main character. I get that right now its a lot of early impressions of her, and she'll improve overtime. But she was somewhat insuffersble until maybe the end of the story. Also, I wish more had happened story progression wise. It feels like the author is trying to stretc
...more
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