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Earthdivers #1
Earthdivers, Vol. 1: Kill Columbus
The New York Times–bestselling author of The Only Good Indians and My Heart Is a Chainsaw makes his comics debut with this time-hopping horror thriller about far-future Indigenous outcasts on a mission to kill Christopher Columbus.
The year is 2112, and it’s the apocalypse exactly as rivers receding, oceans rising, civilization crumbling. Humanity has given up hope, except for a group of Indigenous outcasts who have discovered a time travel portal in a cave in the desert and figured out where everything took a turn for the America.
Convinced that the only way to save the world is to rewrite its past, they send one of their own—a reluctant linguist named Tad—on a bloody, one-way mission to 1492 to kill Christopher Columbus before he reaches the so-called New World. But there are steep costs to disrupting the timeline, and taking down an icon isn’t an easy task for an academic with no tactical training and only a wavering moral compass to guide him. As the horror of the task ahead unfolds and Tad’s commitment is tested, his actions could trigger a devastating new fate for his friends and the future.
Join Stephen Graham Jones and artist Davide Gianfelice for Earthdivers, Vol. 1, the beginning of an unforgettable ongoing sci-fi slasher spanning centuries of America’s Colonial past to explore the staggering forces of history and the individual choices we make to survive it.
The year is 2112, and it’s the apocalypse exactly as rivers receding, oceans rising, civilization crumbling. Humanity has given up hope, except for a group of Indigenous outcasts who have discovered a time travel portal in a cave in the desert and figured out where everything took a turn for the America.
Convinced that the only way to save the world is to rewrite its past, they send one of their own—a reluctant linguist named Tad—on a bloody, one-way mission to 1492 to kill Christopher Columbus before he reaches the so-called New World. But there are steep costs to disrupting the timeline, and taking down an icon isn’t an easy task for an academic with no tactical training and only a wavering moral compass to guide him. As the horror of the task ahead unfolds and Tad’s commitment is tested, his actions could trigger a devastating new fate for his friends and the future.
Join Stephen Graham Jones and artist Davide Gianfelice for Earthdivers, Vol. 1, the beginning of an unforgettable ongoing sci-fi slasher spanning centuries of America’s Colonial past to explore the staggering forces of history and the individual choices we make to survive it.
176 pages, Paperback
Published September 19, 2023
About the author
Stephen Graham Jones
222 books10.8k followersStephen Graham Jones is the NYT bestselling author of thirty or thirty-five books. He really likes werewolves and slashers. Favorite novels change daily, but Valis and Love Medicine and Lonesome Dove and It and The Things They Carried are all usually up there somewhere. Stephen lives in Boulder, Colorado. It's a big change from the West Texas he grew up in.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 203 reviews
September 27, 2023
I got so excited when I saw that Stephen Graham Jones was doing a comic series and Earthdivers does not disappoint! Set in a not-so-distant future, Earth has become mostly inhospitable and those who can afford it have fled to the stars, leaving those left behind to roam the wasteland. A small group of indigenous people have a plan though—go back in time to kill Christopher Columbus in order to stop the United States from ever forming in hopes that will erase the past of indigenous oppression and avert the climate disaster that occurred later on. It is a violent good time, and David Gianfelice’s artwork is eye catching and delightful.
If this plan sounds I’ll-fated, you aren’t wrong and when things start to go awry the characters begin to realize history is made up of much more than one person’s bad behavior. That said, Columbus had numberous horrific actions, so seeing indigenous time-travelers come to wreck his day is pretty damn entertaining and cathartic. SGJ has promised an action packed series that will cover many eras of human history and I cannot wait. And, as one would expect with him, we get treated to some spooky stuff along with the sci fi and historical settings…like this rad talking goat straight out of puritan nightmares:
This is a strong start and I will be eagerly awaiting more.
If this plan sounds I’ll-fated, you aren’t wrong and when things start to go awry the characters begin to realize history is made up of much more than one person’s bad behavior. That said, Columbus had numberous horrific actions, so seeing indigenous time-travelers come to wreck his day is pretty damn entertaining and cathartic. SGJ has promised an action packed series that will cover many eras of human history and I cannot wait. And, as one would expect with him, we get treated to some spooky stuff along with the sci fi and historical settings…like this rad talking goat straight out of puritan nightmares:
This is a strong start and I will be eagerly awaiting more.
November 29, 2023
Killer cover made reading this inevitable.
Complex and convoluted time travel plot lines made it a little difficult to follow, but the supernatural horror elements just sort of grab you by the throat.
I feel this is going to reward re-reading once the story is complete, and I'm definitely going to be coming back until it is.
FOR REFERENCE:
Contents:
• Earthdivers: Origins - An Introduction / Stephen Graham Jones, writer
• Chapter One. Here There Be Monsters
• Chapter Two. The Storm
• Chapter Three. Yellow Woman
• Chapter Four. Indies Man
• Chapter Five. Can You See the Indian?
• Chapter Six. Where the Future Comes to Die
• [About the Creators]
• Early Character Designs and Concept Art / Davide Gianfelice, illustrator
• Script to Art Process
• Earthdivers Variant Cover Program / Aaron Campbell, illustrator
• Earthdivers Variant Cover Gallery / Maria Wolf, Angel Hernandez, Jim Terry, Christian Ward, Werther Dell'Edera, Ramon Villalobos, Maria Llovet, Heather Vaughan, J.J. Lendl, Caitlin Tarsky, Tiffany Turrill, and Daniel Irizarri, illustrators
Complex and convoluted time travel plot lines made it a little difficult to follow, but the supernatural horror elements just sort of grab you by the throat.
I feel this is going to reward re-reading once the story is complete, and I'm definitely going to be coming back until it is.
FOR REFERENCE:
Contents:
• Earthdivers: Origins - An Introduction / Stephen Graham Jones, writer
• Chapter One. Here There Be Monsters
• Chapter Two. The Storm
• Chapter Three. Yellow Woman
• Chapter Four. Indies Man
• Chapter Five. Can You See the Indian?
• Chapter Six. Where the Future Comes to Die
• [About the Creators]
• Early Character Designs and Concept Art / Davide Gianfelice, illustrator
• Script to Art Process
• Earthdivers Variant Cover Program / Aaron Campbell, illustrator
• Earthdivers Variant Cover Gallery / Maria Wolf, Angel Hernandez, Jim Terry, Christian Ward, Werther Dell'Edera, Ramon Villalobos, Maria Llovet, Heather Vaughan, J.J. Lendl, Caitlin Tarsky, Tiffany Turrill, and Daniel Irizarri, illustrators
October 7, 2023
How would the world be different if Columbus had never discovered America? Would the world be a better place? Tad travels from a post-apocalyptic 2112 to 1492 to attempt to set the world on that course.
This is told in two timelines, 2112 and 1492. It jumps back and forth with no warning, and it took me out of the story a few times. I also found the 2112 plot hard to follow as well. Hopefully, these confusions will be cleared up in the next volume. The artwork is absolutely amazing! The colors, angles, and detail really pop off the page. Would recommend for fans of Stephen Graham Jones, slashers, and sci-fi/horror.
This is told in two timelines, 2112 and 1492. It jumps back and forth with no warning, and it took me out of the story a few times. I also found the 2112 plot hard to follow as well. Hopefully, these confusions will be cleared up in the next volume. The artwork is absolutely amazing! The colors, angles, and detail really pop off the page. Would recommend for fans of Stephen Graham Jones, slashers, and sci-fi/horror.
November 20, 2023
2112, global ecological collapse. Four American Indians discover a time travel cave and try to save the world by assassinating a pre-voyage Christopher Columbus.
I enjoy the concept of preventing the functional end of the world by derailing European colonization of the Americas; it's audacious and a bit transgressive.
But--
1) Killing Columbus doesn't seem like it would accomplish that. It was an age of exploration and rampant expansionism; wouldn't it have just been someone else in 1498?
2) Even if the Americas were to go unmolested, Europe and Asia were still competing and expanding. Would there not have been an unchecked industrial revolution anyway? And assuming eventual contact between the hemispheres, would not the Americas have been pulled into that metastatic overdevelopment?
Still, a neat concept to explore.
Unfortunately, Earthdivers is poorly written, albeit in an unusual way. While the 1492 half of the book is graspable, the 2112 half is completely baffling. Conversations are filled with non-sequiturs that clearly aren't intended to be non-sequiturs. It reads like every other panel is missing; mystery pronouns, unexplained actions, nonsensical replies.
Two star writing that I'm inflating to three because it's such a bangup idea and the illustration is solid.
--------------------------------
Title note: Apparently "earthdivers" is a reference to a Lakota creation myth in which all that exists is ocean, then three animals--duck, otter, muskrat--dive for mud from which land is created.
I enjoy the concept of preventing the functional end of the world by derailing European colonization of the Americas; it's audacious and a bit transgressive.
But--
1) Killing Columbus doesn't seem like it would accomplish that. It was an age of exploration and rampant expansionism; wouldn't it have just been someone else in 1498?
2) Even if the Americas were to go unmolested, Europe and Asia were still competing and expanding. Would there not have been an unchecked industrial revolution anyway? And assuming eventual contact between the hemispheres, would not the Americas have been pulled into that metastatic overdevelopment?
Still, a neat concept to explore.
Unfortunately, Earthdivers is poorly written, albeit in an unusual way. While the 1492 half of the book is graspable, the 2112 half is completely baffling. Conversations are filled with non-sequiturs that clearly aren't intended to be non-sequiturs. It reads like every other panel is missing; mystery pronouns, unexplained actions, nonsensical replies.
Two star writing that I'm inflating to three because it's such a bangup idea and the illustration is solid.
--------------------------------
Title note: Apparently "earthdivers" is a reference to a Lakota creation myth in which all that exists is ocean, then three animals--duck, otter, muskrat--dive for mud from which land is created.
June 7, 2023
Earthdivers is a sci-fi/horror blend with a great premise. Set in a dystopian future, a group of indigenous people find a way to travel through time and decide to go back to try to kill Christopher Columbus to stop everything from happening and change the future. But of course things go very wrong. It's quite a violent and sometimes disturbing story, but it's well executed and explores interesting ideas about regret and how a system of oppression is really about more than a single person. Worth a read! I received a copy of this book for review, all opinions are my own.
March 26, 2024
3.5
Travel back in time.
Kill Columbus.
Save the World from America.
Sounds like an Indigenous Survivors wet dream or a Summer Hollywood Blockbuster that Tom Cruise would have no part off.
It's neither...kind of a more thoughtful time travel story and a little more personalised than I expected.
Intriguing concept and good read.
Travel back in time.
Kill Columbus.
Save the World from America.
Sounds like an Indigenous Survivors wet dream or a Summer Hollywood Blockbuster that Tom Cruise would have no part off.
It's neither...kind of a more thoughtful time travel story and a little more personalised than I expected.
Intriguing concept and good read.
November 29, 2023
The striking cover of Earthdivers captured my attention especially when paired with the story premise of four Indigenous survivors of an apocalypse, who attempt to change history by going back in time to kill Christopher Columbus.
The group consists of multilingual Tad of the Lakota nation, his Iñupiat wife Sosh, transgender Seminole Emily and the suspicious Blackfoot Yellow Kidney who is the one who discovered the time-traveling cave. Tad is sent back to the Spanish docks to board the Niña as his language skills give him the best chance of blending in and getting close enough to Columbus to kill him. He has to make some hard choices to blend in, with two people dying early on (heartbreakingly one was an innocent ship’s boy) and he tries to excuse his actions as he believes he needs to make sacrifices for the greater good.
The two timelines of 2112 and 1492 trade back and forth, and unfortunately, I found the action occurring in the future very convoluted. Sosh and Emily discover a secret about Yellow Kidney, and I found the man with two wives and the missing twins confusing. However, the explanation that a stable system will flatten any fluctuations despite changes made in the past was plausible enough, which is the opposite of the butterfly effect. Tad is thwarted several times in his attempts to kill Columbus (why didn’t he do it in the captain’s quarters?) and a late attempt doesn’t work out the way he had hoped, as history wishes to right itself. So how does the person that Emily sees after her time travel affect the group and society in the next volume?
As a fan of Davide Gianfelice’s work on Northlanders, he brings history to life once again in the speculative story. In fact, his art has improved, as I did have a few complaints about his depictions of the Viking era, but here the illustrations are spot on. He captures the apocalyptic feel of the future, as well as the journey of the three ships in the past. The speech bubble lettering was solid, but there were some occasional descriptive words that were hard to read in the panels. The coloring is subdued throughout the entire story with a few pops of color for Yellow Kidney’s umbrella and jacket, and red for the violence that occurs often.
This story proved to be an intriguing but frustrating read. I have listened to two short stories by author Stephen Graham Jones on the LeVar Burton Reads podcast that I enjoyed, but was not a fan of his horror novel My Heart is a Chainsaw, so I’m on the fence with him. But the recognizable historical figure on the last page has piqued my interest, so I plan to tune in for the next volume in this new series and see how that story holds up. (Actual review 3.5/5)
This review can also be found on my blog: https://graphicnovelty2.com/2023/11/2...
The group consists of multilingual Tad of the Lakota nation, his Iñupiat wife Sosh, transgender Seminole Emily and the suspicious Blackfoot Yellow Kidney who is the one who discovered the time-traveling cave. Tad is sent back to the Spanish docks to board the Niña as his language skills give him the best chance of blending in and getting close enough to Columbus to kill him. He has to make some hard choices to blend in, with two people dying early on (heartbreakingly one was an innocent ship’s boy) and he tries to excuse his actions as he believes he needs to make sacrifices for the greater good.
The two timelines of 2112 and 1492 trade back and forth, and unfortunately, I found the action occurring in the future very convoluted. Sosh and Emily discover a secret about Yellow Kidney, and I found the man with two wives and the missing twins confusing. However, the explanation that a stable system will flatten any fluctuations despite changes made in the past was plausible enough, which is the opposite of the butterfly effect. Tad is thwarted several times in his attempts to kill Columbus (why didn’t he do it in the captain’s quarters?) and a late attempt doesn’t work out the way he had hoped, as history wishes to right itself. So how does the person that Emily sees after her time travel affect the group and society in the next volume?
As a fan of Davide Gianfelice’s work on Northlanders, he brings history to life once again in the speculative story. In fact, his art has improved, as I did have a few complaints about his depictions of the Viking era, but here the illustrations are spot on. He captures the apocalyptic feel of the future, as well as the journey of the three ships in the past. The speech bubble lettering was solid, but there were some occasional descriptive words that were hard to read in the panels. The coloring is subdued throughout the entire story with a few pops of color for Yellow Kidney’s umbrella and jacket, and red for the violence that occurs often.
This story proved to be an intriguing but frustrating read. I have listened to two short stories by author Stephen Graham Jones on the LeVar Burton Reads podcast that I enjoyed, but was not a fan of his horror novel My Heart is a Chainsaw, so I’m on the fence with him. But the recognizable historical figure on the last page has piqued my interest, so I plan to tune in for the next volume in this new series and see how that story holds up. (Actual review 3.5/5)
This review can also be found on my blog: https://graphicnovelty2.com/2023/11/2...
September 11, 2023
I received an ARC copy via NetGallery in exchange for an honest review.
In this sci-fi adventure, a group of Native Americans, from a dystopian future, find a system that allows time travel. However, the cost required for this mission is expensive.
The group organizes a journey through time for one of them with the mission of killing Christopher Columbus before he discovers the Americas so as to guarantee their people independent development and, perhaps, thus save the human race from the cataclysms that have decimated it.
The story is very fascinating, full of metaphors and innuendos, fascinating.
What I didn't like is the link between the motive and the mission: I don't understand why stopping Columbus would have prevented the end of the world. However, the dynamics of time travel have been respected and in an original and imaginative form.
Too bad about the ending, I would have expected much more.
In this sci-fi adventure, a group of Native Americans, from a dystopian future, find a system that allows time travel. However, the cost required for this mission is expensive.
The group organizes a journey through time for one of them with the mission of killing Christopher Columbus before he discovers the Americas so as to guarantee their people independent development and, perhaps, thus save the human race from the cataclysms that have decimated it.
The story is very fascinating, full of metaphors and innuendos, fascinating.
What I didn't like is the link between the motive and the mission: I don't understand why stopping Columbus would have prevented the end of the world. However, the dynamics of time travel have been respected and in an original and imaginative form.
Too bad about the ending, I would have expected much more.
January 4, 2024
Stephen Graham Jones' Earthdivers peels back the skin of societal oppression, exposing a grim truth—that horror lies not just in one solitary figure, but in the very marrow of systemic malevolence.
Set in a not-so-far-away dystopian future, Earthdivers follows four Indigenous timehoppers as they enact a plan to kill Christopher Columbus and save the world from America. But the journey is anything but easy, moral philosophy and human regret asking the question: what do our actions cost and to whom do we pay the price?
Set in a not-so-far-away dystopian future, Earthdivers follows four Indigenous timehoppers as they enact a plan to kill Christopher Columbus and save the world from America. But the journey is anything but easy, moral philosophy and human regret asking the question: what do our actions cost and to whom do we pay the price?
December 12, 2023
3.5 stars--This sci fi/horror graphic novel boasts striking artwork and an incredible premise. When I could grasp the storyline, which whips around in wild directions like dueling winds, I enjoyed it. However, there were also times I felt I nearly lost the thread completely and I once again found myself wondering "is it the book or is it me?"
I am looking forward to future editions, in which I hope that some of these loose threads will be tied up and things will make more sense to me.
I am looking forward to future editions, in which I hope that some of these loose threads will be tied up and things will make more sense to me.
September 17, 2023
I don’t usually *do* sci-fi, but I enjoyed the horror elements of this. I need them to keep the momentum, but that ending was kind of lackluster. I’ll give the next one a go.
April 13, 2024
Ambitious, but heavy-handed and confusing. In a distant, bleak future, a handful of indigenous Americans find a time portal in the desert. Naturally, their best plan is "send one of us back to kill Columbus so America never happens." It's never exactly explained how "America" leads to the grim future they're in, it's just assumed that the reader gets it. Yeah, man, capitalism is real bad and stuff.
Kill Columbus would probably be fine if it leaned into the absurdist plot. Instead, it's deadly serious about time travel shenanigans, to the point that it's difficult to tell who is who because there are several of the same person running around after numerous run-ins with the time portal. Not the easiest concept to follow, particularly when we keep jumping back to the 1400s. The historical stuff is easily the best part of the book because there's an actual coherent narrative - it's in the title.
Could get more interesting/understandable in future volumes, but it could also get way more weird. I'm not super inclined to find out.
Kill Columbus would probably be fine if it leaned into the absurdist plot. Instead, it's deadly serious about time travel shenanigans, to the point that it's difficult to tell who is who because there are several of the same person running around after numerous run-ins with the time portal. Not the easiest concept to follow, particularly when we keep jumping back to the 1400s. The historical stuff is easily the best part of the book because there's an actual coherent narrative - it's in the title.
Could get more interesting/understandable in future volumes, but it could also get way more weird. I'm not super inclined to find out.
October 9, 2023
I received an E-ARC from netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion, all thoughts are my own
4.25
I am so glad I picked this up. The story is so fascinating with a time travel element the art was very nice and really appealed to me. I highly recommend.
it starts in the near future and civilization is coming to an end. a group of Indigenous friends trying to survive discover a time travel portal in a cave. they decided that in order to fix the world they should go back and kill Columbus before he "finds" America, though it is not as easy as they thought.
you will be hooked after the first issue, this volume was not enough and I cant wait to read the rest of the volumes as they come out.
feel free to search out some reviews from Indigenous reviewers as I'm not qualified to speak on these topics but Stephen Graham Jones has not disappointed with this.
4.25
I am so glad I picked this up. The story is so fascinating with a time travel element the art was very nice and really appealed to me. I highly recommend.
it starts in the near future and civilization is coming to an end. a group of Indigenous friends trying to survive discover a time travel portal in a cave. they decided that in order to fix the world they should go back and kill Columbus before he "finds" America, though it is not as easy as they thought.
you will be hooked after the first issue, this volume was not enough and I cant wait to read the rest of the volumes as they come out.
feel free to search out some reviews from Indigenous reviewers as I'm not qualified to speak on these topics but Stephen Graham Jones has not disappointed with this.
September 30, 2023
Bleak stuff, but the story was great, and I loved the artwork. The story pulled me in from the first page. I didn't understand everything that happened in the 2112 timeline, but I got enough to be shocked and on the edge of my seat to see what happens next with Emily.
As always, I enjoyed the author's supplementary comments, which always add to the reading experience for me. Don't skip the intro, friends. It's sweet.
As always, I enjoyed the author's supplementary comments, which always add to the reading experience for me. Don't skip the intro, friends. It's sweet.
March 21, 2024
Lame.
Other than colononist killing catharsis, it's pointless. Very confusing for no reason.
Lots of interludes of time traveling randos who have their own purpose.
Two lost kids? One of the main characters killed them for some reason and other side characters just pop up looking for them and its fucking confusing.
The kid from the boat shows up as a zombie time ghost? Idk. What was the point?
They didn't even explore a world without Columbus. It was all pointless
Other than colononist killing catharsis, it's pointless. Very confusing for no reason.
Lots of interludes of time traveling randos who have their own purpose.
Two lost kids? One of the main characters killed them for some reason and other side characters just pop up looking for them and its fucking confusing.
The kid from the boat shows up as a zombie time ghost? Idk. What was the point?
They didn't even explore a world without Columbus. It was all pointless
October 28, 2023
I love the premise of the graphic novel, the art is eye catching, but the backstory was muddled and confusing to me. I love time travel tales. What could/would one change? How would it affect everything that comes after? A fun and thought provoking read. I'll keep an eye out for the next installment which will hopefully clear up the current timeline plot lines.
January 18, 2024
Great concept, great art, sometimes confusing storyline in the present day.
May 21, 2024
Okay first off, I’m a huge fan of SGJ’s horror works and have a keen interest in Lakota, Crow, and Navajo myths. So this series is pretty much tailored for me.
Earthdivers is a sci-fi/horror set in a dystopian future, where the earth is dying and the white folks have scurried off to space, leaving the indigenous people behind to deal with a dying planet. A small group of Lakotas and Blackfeet soon pinpoint the beginning of all this horror - Columbus discovering America. So, logically, taking out Columbus off the annuls of history would never give rise to Corporate America, and the earth would still be a verdant paradise. Luckily, they have a time traveling cave handy, and off goes one of them for mission: Kill Columbus.
But this is a SGJ book. Of course things go very wrong. Violently wrong. As history tries hard to restore to its original version, one man (and a talking goat) rages a war for all his ancestors as he travels back in time and tries to kill Columbus in his historical journey. There’s some supernatural and violent gore along the way and the Davide Gianfelice’s artwork elevates every single panel. The ideas of how a system of oppression is about more than a single person is executed brilliantly.
This was a great read. But a rather difficult one. Not only are there multiple timelines, the bleeding of timelines and even panels into each other (I appreciate the both visual and metaphorical necessity of it) makes the story hard to follow at times. But the complexity only serves to elevate the experience. Absolutely hooked to this series and off to the next volume.
Earthdivers is a sci-fi/horror set in a dystopian future, where the earth is dying and the white folks have scurried off to space, leaving the indigenous people behind to deal with a dying planet. A small group of Lakotas and Blackfeet soon pinpoint the beginning of all this horror - Columbus discovering America. So, logically, taking out Columbus off the annuls of history would never give rise to Corporate America, and the earth would still be a verdant paradise. Luckily, they have a time traveling cave handy, and off goes one of them for mission: Kill Columbus.
But this is a SGJ book. Of course things go very wrong. Violently wrong. As history tries hard to restore to its original version, one man (and a talking goat) rages a war for all his ancestors as he travels back in time and tries to kill Columbus in his historical journey. There’s some supernatural and violent gore along the way and the Davide Gianfelice’s artwork elevates every single panel. The ideas of how a system of oppression is about more than a single person is executed brilliantly.
This was a great read. But a rather difficult one. Not only are there multiple timelines, the bleeding of timelines and even panels into each other (I appreciate the both visual and metaphorical necessity of it) makes the story hard to follow at times. But the complexity only serves to elevate the experience. Absolutely hooked to this series and off to the next volume.
May 26, 2024
3 1/2 stars, pretty good actually. I’d rate it higher if the time travel aspect was explained better. It wasn’t entirely clear what the various characters’s goals were, and their inside conversations didn’t help that much. Some of the characters intentions and appearances just confused me…Jones kind of just dumps you in the middle of everything….still want to continue though. Some pretty fun stuff.
February 19, 2024
In 2112, America is in ruins. A couple Lakota Indians discover a one-way portal to the past in an old cave. They hatch a plan to go back and kill Christopher Columbus before he reaches the new world to try to avoid his pillaging of the native tribes and maybe take back the country that was stolen from them.
As always, things go sideways. It’s intense with a bit of horror at the end. Really enjoyed it.
As always, things go sideways. It’s intense with a bit of horror at the end. Really enjoyed it.
January 20, 2024
(Content warning for racist violence.)
The year is 2112, and the world is a shithole (of course. And I don't mean that sarcastically, I genuinely believe that this is direction in which we're heading.) Rich white folks jumped ship, presumably heading for greener planets, while the less fortunate - including indigenous peoples - were left to fend for themselves.
Enter our intrepid quartet: Tad, Sosh, Emily, and Yellow Kid(ney), a group of Indigenous Americans who have discovered a cave in Arizona that allows you to travel through time - but only one at a time, and naked save for a single item from the time you wish to visit. The group's convinced that foiling Columbus's famed 1492 voyage is the way to go; if he never "discovers" America, then America will never become the capitalist juggernaut that destroys the global ecosystem. And honestly, I can't really argue with the logic of it.
Since he's a polyglot, Tad is given the dubious honor of traveling back in time. As he desperately attempts to get close to Columbus, the rest of the group searches for clues that Tad's succeeded in his mission. But the alliance starts to fracture as another group, in searching for their lost children, comes perilously close to discovering the cave.
From idea to execution, EARTHDIVERS is pretty spectacular. The idea of assassinating Columbus to save the future is *chef's kiss*, and of course that honor should go to an Indigenous American. The artwork is magnificent and the bleak desert/ocean landscapes make for a great juxtaposition.
I'm a sucker for anything time travel, even if things can get confusing at times. (Like, am I tripping, or did I spy time traveling zombies?) That's really the only reason I deducted one star - I wasn't always entirely sure what was going on, especially near the end. Still, EARTHDIVERS is a great read, and I can't wait for Volume 2.
(The title's backstory is one of my favorite parts, but I won't ruin it for those who aren't already in the know.)
The year is 2112, and the world is a shithole (of course. And I don't mean that sarcastically, I genuinely believe that this is direction in which we're heading.) Rich white folks jumped ship, presumably heading for greener planets, while the less fortunate - including indigenous peoples - were left to fend for themselves.
Enter our intrepid quartet: Tad, Sosh, Emily, and Yellow Kid(ney), a group of Indigenous Americans who have discovered a cave in Arizona that allows you to travel through time - but only one at a time, and naked save for a single item from the time you wish to visit. The group's convinced that foiling Columbus's famed 1492 voyage is the way to go; if he never "discovers" America, then America will never become the capitalist juggernaut that destroys the global ecosystem. And honestly, I can't really argue with the logic of it.
Since he's a polyglot, Tad is given the dubious honor of traveling back in time. As he desperately attempts to get close to Columbus, the rest of the group searches for clues that Tad's succeeded in his mission. But the alliance starts to fracture as another group, in searching for their lost children, comes perilously close to discovering the cave.
From idea to execution, EARTHDIVERS is pretty spectacular. The idea of assassinating Columbus to save the future is *chef's kiss*, and of course that honor should go to an Indigenous American. The artwork is magnificent and the bleak desert/ocean landscapes make for a great juxtaposition.
I'm a sucker for anything time travel, even if things can get confusing at times. (Like, am I tripping, or did I spy time traveling zombies?) That's really the only reason I deducted one star - I wasn't always entirely sure what was going on, especially near the end. Still, EARTHDIVERS is a great read, and I can't wait for Volume 2.
(The title's backstory is one of my favorite parts, but I won't ruin it for those who aren't already in the know.)
January 28, 2024
I am not a huge comic book/graphic novel reader but I am trying to get into more of them. I will say I definitely picked this up because it is written by SGJ, however I stayed for the art. The art in this absolutely stunning to the point where I want many of the panels printed out and framed to put around my apartment. Seriously, if you are a fan of beautiful art you don't even need to follow along with the story just look at the artwork. Speaking of the story, it definitely doesn't hold your hand to start. There is very little exposition introducing to you to the world and it just shoves you into the story. And since it is a time travel story, it is definitely a bit difficult to follow. However, I do think I got used to the story and its telling the more chapters I consumed. I am very interested in where the story goes next. This is definitely a horror sci-fi combination unlike any other and I definitely recommend to graphic novel fans.
December 11, 2023
Earthdivers is one of the reads of this year I was most looking forward to this year. Stephen Graham Jones is one of the most exciting writers in the horror genre. The idea of SGJ writing a science fiction story of any kind is exciting enough but this concept is just beyond cool.
The concept is simple and beautiful, the telling is complex and thoughtful. Stephen Graham Jones is the author of one of the bone-fide masterpieces of the decade so far in The Only Good Indian. While I enjoy his slasher fiction, I don’t love it like I did Mongrels or high-concept stuff like Mapping the Interior. I would argue that despite being straight horror The Only Good Indian, and the use of the time-slipping around the fan is very Phil Dickian. That said It is exciting to see SGJ go full Science Fiction.
Native American man goes back in time to kill Columbus. We open on the dead future earth, and a group of friends finds a cave that will send the multilingual Tad of the Lakota nation back in time. Tad is the one who can speak the native tongue of Columbus. He has committed to memory the details of the trip.
The narrative is divided between 2112 and 1492. The story in the past has more horrific elements and plays with history, I really loved how SGJ was able to work in details of the real history. The story in the future is a little harder to follow but what it does is set up future volumes. The characters left in the future include his wife Sosh, transgender character Emily, and the Blackfoot Yellow Kidney. Sosh is the one who sacrificed her husband but Yellow Kidney who discovered the cave has secrets.
I am trying not to give away too much, although the execution of the art by Davide Gianfelice is so fantastic that I think it is impossible to ruin the experience. The story is driven by a sense that history itself is trying to prevent change and the very last frame shows this series is more than going after one historical figure.
The concept is simple and beautiful, the telling is complex and thoughtful. Stephen Graham Jones is the author of one of the bone-fide masterpieces of the decade so far in The Only Good Indian. While I enjoy his slasher fiction, I don’t love it like I did Mongrels or high-concept stuff like Mapping the Interior. I would argue that despite being straight horror The Only Good Indian, and the use of the time-slipping around the fan is very Phil Dickian. That said It is exciting to see SGJ go full Science Fiction.
Native American man goes back in time to kill Columbus. We open on the dead future earth, and a group of friends finds a cave that will send the multilingual Tad of the Lakota nation back in time. Tad is the one who can speak the native tongue of Columbus. He has committed to memory the details of the trip.
The narrative is divided between 2112 and 1492. The story in the past has more horrific elements and plays with history, I really loved how SGJ was able to work in details of the real history. The story in the future is a little harder to follow but what it does is set up future volumes. The characters left in the future include his wife Sosh, transgender character Emily, and the Blackfoot Yellow Kidney. Sosh is the one who sacrificed her husband but Yellow Kidney who discovered the cave has secrets.
I am trying not to give away too much, although the execution of the art by Davide Gianfelice is so fantastic that I think it is impossible to ruin the experience. The story is driven by a sense that history itself is trying to prevent change and the very last frame shows this series is more than going after one historical figure.
October 29, 2023
When someone told me the premise of this book, I was immediately interested. Who wouldn't wanna read a book about a group of native Americans going into the past to try to kill Columbus and change history?! Thing is.... execution is a whole other aspect.
Maybe I need to read it again, or at least think about the story, but anything with time travel can get very confusing if not thought out. The Columbus plot had me interesting, and the ending of it is a swerve. The modern day plot was more lost on me, it could have used some work. Maybe I'll give this another read when the second vol comes out, but this didn't live up to the hype around it.
Maybe I need to read it again, or at least think about the story, but anything with time travel can get very confusing if not thought out. The Columbus plot had me interesting, and the ending of it is a swerve. The modern day plot was more lost on me, it could have used some work. Maybe I'll give this another read when the second vol comes out, but this didn't live up to the hype around it.
October 15, 2023
Intriguing premise, great concept, even better art, for a very entertaining read that, however, doesn't get more than these 4 stars just because the time-travelling in the present (the kids' dad) was a bit confusing, and so were some other small bits here and there.
It might, of course, being a case of 'to be continued', with future volumes giving us some of the insight and answers that we are lacking at the moment (or, at least, I am).
I would certainly be very interested in knowing more, and seeing what comes next...
It might, of course, being a case of 'to be continued', with future volumes giving us some of the insight and answers that we are lacking at the moment (or, at least, I am).
I would certainly be very interested in knowing more, and seeing what comes next...
October 27, 2023
I'm glad I read this in one sitting. I don't think I could have followed the multiple timelines and points of view week to week.
The time travel aspect is done in an interesting way, especially with the perspective that a stable system will flatten any anomalies. The very specific rules to use the time travel simplifies some of the questions I usually have regarding time travel.
The art is good, if occasionally quite violent.
I hope to read more of this series.
The time travel aspect is done in an interesting way, especially with the perspective that a stable system will flatten any anomalies. The very specific rules to use the time travel simplifies some of the questions I usually have regarding time travel.
The art is good, if occasionally quite violent.
I hope to read more of this series.
November 17, 2023
Well, it's bold, which is what I've come to expect from Jones. It's also complex, but so much so that it's confusing as hell. The story here (indigenous people 100 years in the future go back to murder Christopher Columbus to prevent him from creating the United States) is a bit tenuous, but there's an overarching story here that I feel like I need to know more about. This may not be a keeper series, but I'm intrigued enough to at least read the next volume.
February 19, 2024
An interesting premise and nice art, but it's let down by nonsensical character actions and awkward dialogue that doesn't flow very well. I also think it fell into the 'volume 1' trap of cramming in a few too many mysterious, unexplained happenings in the first volume.
Maybe I'll check out volume 2 in the future; though it is more likely, I will end up forgetting about this altogether.
Maybe I'll check out volume 2 in the future; though it is more likely, I will end up forgetting about this altogether.
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