What do you think?
Rate this book
Love #3
The Lion
The third volume in the lavishly illustrated series of wildlife graphic novels, each following a single central animal through an adventurous day in their natural environment. Each tale depicts genuine natural behavior through the dramatic lens of Disney-esque storytelling, like a nature documentary in illustration.
Both heartwarming and heartbreaking, this volume focuses on a solitary Lion as it wanders the plains of Africa, handling the daily hunt, and vicious rivalry, without a Pride of its own. The circle of Life takes center stage in a world where predator and prey trade places on a regular basis, and Family is something worth fighting -- and dying -- for. This exciting tale, written by Frederic Brremaud, is told without narration or dialogue, conveyed entirely through the beautiful illustrations of Federico Bertolucci.
A beautiful, powerful tale of survival in the animal kingdom that explores the all-too-identifiable, universal concepts of Life, Courage, Aging, and ultimately Love.
Both heartwarming and heartbreaking, this volume focuses on a solitary Lion as it wanders the plains of Africa, handling the daily hunt, and vicious rivalry, without a Pride of its own. The circle of Life takes center stage in a world where predator and prey trade places on a regular basis, and Family is something worth fighting -- and dying -- for. This exciting tale, written by Frederic Brremaud, is told without narration or dialogue, conveyed entirely through the beautiful illustrations of Federico Bertolucci.
A beautiful, powerful tale of survival in the animal kingdom that explores the all-too-identifiable, universal concepts of Life, Courage, Aging, and ultimately Love.
80 pages, Hardcover
First published March 20, 2014
About the author
Frédéric Brrémaud
172 books47 followersBrrémaud, de son vrai nom Frédéric Brémaud, né le 11 mars 1973 à Séoul, est un scénariste de bande dessinée français. Il signe également sous les noms de Brr ou Frédéric Alléluïa Brémaud
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 122 reviews
May 22, 2020
damn you, diminishing returns!
i did not love this book as much as The Fox or The Tiger.
the artwork is as spectacular and the encounters between predator and prey as dispassionately brutal as in the first two books
but i must confess, i found the story difficult to follow. like the two previous books, it's all told through images, with no words to guide the reader; and in The Fox and The Tiger, there were some moments that confused me, but i was able to follow the story with no problems.
here, and maybe i'm just lion-racist, but i was losing track of which lion's storyline was which. maybe it's clearer in the actual book than it is in the digital copy i'm reading off my computer, but i require distinguishing characteristics on my male lions so i can understand who is fighting whom and which lion i'm rooting for, because there are a LOT of lion fights and it got muddy.
sometimes literally!
i understand which lion opens and closes the book, but the various middle narratives are less clear.
but confusion aside, this is a wonderful book, just gorgeous
i loved the lions roaring at the crocodiles
and the hippos bellowing at the lions. 'scuse us, lions, coming through here!!
i loved this beautiful cheetah, although this is pretty much all you get of her
i loved the armadillo surprise!
i love when prey fights back:
boom
and boom! (although the consequences of this particular kick were heartbreaking)
i love the bullying hyenas, even though hyenas are nature's worst invention (there had better not be a hyena volume of this series planned)
and of course, man has to go and ruin things for everyone towards the end, but it at least made for some striking and memorable imagery
so, beauty beats out story and it gets four stars, and if anyone wants to explain it to me, or draw little family circus-style dotted lines mapping out the various storylines, i would be very grateful.
sorry about the picture quality - it's hard to photograph on my computer sometimes. i will try to clean it up if i ever get a spare moment.
come to my blog!
November 17, 2016
A beautifully illustrated wordless YA graphic novel. I grabbed this to for the illustrations and because I think my son would enjoy it. The story is a little hard to follow but overall it is magnificent and I will look for the others in the series.
May 5, 2016
I have previous read Love: The Tiger and Love: The Fox, the two graphic novels before this one and I loved them both. This one is no exception. There is just something so wonderfully beautifully with this graphic novel and I especially love the fact that it's no text, just a story told through the art. And, it's not really a happy story, it's sometimes really brutal and sad reading about the life on the savannah.
I have added some screen caps so you can see just how beautiful and detailed the graphic novel is.
I want to thank the publisher for providing me with a free copy for an honest review!
I have added some screen caps so you can see just how beautiful and detailed the graphic novel is.
I want to thank the publisher for providing me with a free copy for an honest review!
June 21, 2016
The last of the books I ordered (the dinosaur thing didn't seem as appealing). Unfortunately, this convinced me the least of all three books. Not because the drawing style was somehow less breathtaking, but the overall story that was shown reminded me too much of Disney's The Lion King. Also, while the colour palette of the artist is always very impressive, it was less vibrant here. The dominant colours were browns - I know, realistic, but the trees could have been shown in more vibrant greens for instance, or the water a bit more blue. Instead, all colours are a bit muted.
Nevertheless, I like all three books very much and highly recommend them to anyone enjoying art or being interested in nature or who has kids.
Nevertheless, I like all three books very much and highly recommend them to anyone enjoying art or being interested in nature or who has kids.
September 19, 2021
I thought it was the R-rated version of the Lion King. Beautiful artwork and no annoying voice-over.
May 11, 2016
Disclaimer: ARC via Netgalley
Dear Hubby,
You know you’re reaction to the first volume of Love? You got a little upset that different animals from different places were used together. It upset the order of the universe or something. Then I think you ate that pepper and your face turned really red.
Well, hubby my love, I think you will like this version of Love.
Okay, see, it’s about lions, one male lion in particular, so it takes place in Africa, and all the animals are from Africa. There are hippos, zebras, baboons, reptiles, and wildebeests. And rhinos. I know how you love rhinos, hubby dearest.
The focus of the plot is however, the lion, a male. He has a quest which is to try to find a place for himself in the world. It’s a quest story in short. Though, Disney’s Lion King it is not. There is no singing lions or bird councilors. It’s more Wild Kingdom than Animal Kingdom.
That hubby is the draw of the Love series.
As always the artwork is magnificent. Honesty, we should get some prints and frame them.
The best part of the book is the lion cubs, and their play time. It’s so cute. They pull on whiskers, play with an impromptu ball. They even get dad in on it.
Like Love 02, the focus, besides the animals, is on family relationships and there are several scenes of the lions and other pride (pack, group, and tribe) animals interacting with each other. It is just so magnificent.
So Hubby, dearest, I really think you should buy and read this excellent book in the great Love series.
Love and smooches,
Bracelet Wifey
Dear Hubby,
You know you’re reaction to the first volume of Love? You got a little upset that different animals from different places were used together. It upset the order of the universe or something. Then I think you ate that pepper and your face turned really red.
Well, hubby my love, I think you will like this version of Love.
Okay, see, it’s about lions, one male lion in particular, so it takes place in Africa, and all the animals are from Africa. There are hippos, zebras, baboons, reptiles, and wildebeests. And rhinos. I know how you love rhinos, hubby dearest.
The focus of the plot is however, the lion, a male. He has a quest which is to try to find a place for himself in the world. It’s a quest story in short. Though, Disney’s Lion King it is not. There is no singing lions or bird councilors. It’s more Wild Kingdom than Animal Kingdom.
That hubby is the draw of the Love series.
As always the artwork is magnificent. Honesty, we should get some prints and frame them.
The best part of the book is the lion cubs, and their play time. It’s so cute. They pull on whiskers, play with an impromptu ball. They even get dad in on it.
Like Love 02, the focus, besides the animals, is on family relationships and there are several scenes of the lions and other pride (pack, group, and tribe) animals interacting with each other. It is just so magnificent.
So Hubby, dearest, I really think you should buy and read this excellent book in the great Love series.
Love and smooches,
Bracelet Wifey
May 11, 2016
(Received from Netgalley for review.)
Absolutely gorgeous. I'm so happy when I see a book in this series is coming out, because I know that I'm going to be treated to beautiful and realistic animal art. I love that these books are always about nature without intervention from man, and I very much look forward to the next one.
Absolutely gorgeous. I'm so happy when I see a book in this series is coming out, because I know that I'm going to be treated to beautiful and realistic animal art. I love that these books are always about nature without intervention from man, and I very much look forward to the next one.
May 15, 2023
Collection "entincille" = D.L. March 2018 = Prix AKM21 = eo
The gorgeous art gives this my third *- he has the nature of the wild and the magesty of animals mastered.
I was confused about the main character again- I wish the narrative followed him the entire time instead of other animal . Those other occurrences could have him in it or just be mixed it with him in at least one panel every page.
The gorgeous art gives this my third *- he has the nature of the wild and the magesty of animals mastered.
I was confused about the main character again- I wish the narrative followed him the entire time instead of other animal . Those other occurrences could have him in it or just be mixed it with him in at least one panel every page.
August 22, 2016
I read the first book in this series, "Love: The Tiger" and thought it was an interesting idea. I missed the second book but grabbed this one when I saw it. This was one of a slew of books that wouldn't open in Adobe Edition and I ended up getting it from the library after it released.
The artwork in this is indeed lush, even stunning at times, though the color palette is more subdued and somber, a reflection of the story's geographical setting. I missed the vibrant colors form the first book but they would have been out of place in this one.The actual drawings were full of detail but at times the details were murky. It was frequently difficult to know which of the lions on the page was the one we were meant to be following; sometimes he had a dark mane, sometimes a light one, and sometimes no main at all. The blurb says the story occurs in a single day but it didn't read that way; it seemed to take place over a longer stretch of time. The panel arrangement and the artwork often made for a confusing story line. Like the first book, the scenes are graphic; Bertilucci and Brrémaud make no attempt to soften up how brutal and violent life in the wild is. A few pages were too much for me and I skimmed or skipped over them. The ending was heartbreaking and the last of page of panels was bittersweet.
The story was difficult to follow and the artwork, while often gorgeous, added to the confusion. Unlike the first book, we do get names of some of the different animals in the story, as part of some extra artwork at the page. "Love: The Lion" didn't wow me but if you want an unglorified, non-Disney look at a day in the life of a lion, this book should fit the bill.
The artwork in this is indeed lush, even stunning at times, though the color palette is more subdued and somber, a reflection of the story's geographical setting. I missed the vibrant colors form the first book but they would have been out of place in this one.The actual drawings were full of detail but at times the details were murky. It was frequently difficult to know which of the lions on the page was the one we were meant to be following; sometimes he had a dark mane, sometimes a light one, and sometimes no main at all. The blurb says the story occurs in a single day but it didn't read that way; it seemed to take place over a longer stretch of time. The panel arrangement and the artwork often made for a confusing story line. Like the first book, the scenes are graphic; Bertilucci and Brrémaud make no attempt to soften up how brutal and violent life in the wild is. A few pages were too much for me and I skimmed or skipped over them. The ending was heartbreaking and the last of page of panels was bittersweet.
The story was difficult to follow and the artwork, while often gorgeous, added to the confusion. Unlike the first book, we do get names of some of the different animals in the story, as part of some extra artwork at the page. "Love: The Lion" didn't wow me but if you want an unglorified, non-Disney look at a day in the life of a lion, this book should fit the bill.
June 27, 2016
Absolutely gorgeous artwork, but the story was a bit too hard for me to follow. The male lions all looked so similar that I really wasn't sure who the more central character was, and that left me a bit confused. This series seems to focus on one animal in each volume, so I'm not sure if the previous volumes were set up the same way, but I wasn't a big fan of the disjointed story. It was definitely pretty to look at though!
October 21, 2017
Beh, questo non l'ho mica capito!
Anche perché ogni tanto non sapevo chi fosse il leone nella vignetta. Se era il protagonista o uno dei tanti leoni che popolano questo libro. E sì che l'ho letto due volte.
Ho cercato anche di leggere la storia in funzione di Quarto potere, ma il film spiega solo l'ultima tavola, ovvero il leone che ricorda. Purtroppo tutta la faccenda è un po' confusa.
Per chi non avesse visto il film di Orson Wells:
I disegni sono favolosi come al solito. Non capisco, però, l'arrivo dell'aereo alla fine. Perché l'autore infila questi avvenimenti .
Beh, adesso mi manca solo quello dei dinosauri...
Anche perché ogni tanto non sapevo chi fosse il leone nella vignetta. Se era il protagonista o uno dei tanti leoni che popolano questo libro. E sì che l'ho letto due volte.
Ho cercato anche di leggere la storia in funzione di Quarto potere, ma il film spiega solo l'ultima tavola, ovvero il leone che ricorda. Purtroppo tutta la faccenda è un po' confusa.
Per chi non avesse visto il film di Orson Wells:
I disegni sono favolosi come al solito. Non capisco, però, l'arrivo dell'aereo alla fine. Perché l'autore infila questi avvenimenti .
Beh, adesso mi manca solo quello dei dinosauri...
October 14, 2018
Yet again, gorgeous art, but I think I actually enjoyed this one even less than I did The Tiger--I found the story really difficult to follow, and a brief driving event felt a little too similar to one in The Fox to be terribly interesting to me. But at least I'm caught up to the fourth volume, which is why I picked this series up in the first place! Now we'll find out if it works for me any better than the previous three did...I'm kind of doubting it? But I guess you never know!
February 19, 2019
This story not as good as the first two but the candid moments with the cubs won me over.
December 23, 2022
Heartbreaking. I was so sad the whole time.
April 16, 2019
Love series - four trips into animal’s world
Czech version here: vlcibouda.net/komiks/love-ctyri-vylety-sveta-zvirat
Writer Frédéric Brrémaud and artist Federico Bertolucci created comics series named Love. No, it’s not erotic series, but a bit of that is there also. This series is about animals. Not about antropomorf animals, as is usual in comics books and animated movies. This is about wild animals. It’s like National Geographic documentary movies. These animals don’t talk. They are hungry, they want survive and they will do everything for it. Ideal topic for silent comics books.
“IN THE ANIMAL KINGDOM, ANIMALS NEITHER LOVE NOR HATE EACH OTHER.
LOVE AND HATE ARE PARTS OF A NATURAL WHOLE. A SUPREME BALANCE MANY CONSIDER TO BE UNIVERSAL, OR EVEN DIVINE. AN ELEMENTAL LOVE.
A LOVE THAT MANKIND COULD NEVER EXPERIENCE.”
It’s fantastic how much animal species was Brrémaud able add into each story. Love comics books looks like books with animals for kids but in kid’s books animals don’t torn another animals to pieces. When python is crushing monkey and her eyes are going from head almost then it’s not nice picture and smaller kids can have nightmares then. :-)
The Tiger
The book tells about one day in tiger’s life. Simple and fast storytelling with clever scenario. The reader wishes him success, despite he cannot identify with him. It’s interesting that scenario doesn’t following only the tiger but also tapir as his prey, crockodile, piranhas and many other species - from ants to elephants. Their ways will be crossing these day and they will affect their live each other. Scenario is clevery working with thrill when you are folloving more animals at once and you don’t know when their confrontation will happen and who will survive.
Art of Federico Bertolucci is amazing. He can draw animals in move very well and also he can create atmosphere of the jungle very nice. All the sun shining through the trees… wonderfull! Another interesting thing are angles of view that are used for showing view of unexpected animals.
The Fox
The story of fox is on the similar principes like the tiger. Many animals species and their ways are crossing. There is some species that probably never can meet or it’s not so usually but fight of bear with polar bear is simply cool :-) As in the Tiger also here stronger animals are hunting weaker animals and hunted animals are doing everything to survive. Big role in story of fox have island. The story takes place on an island somewhere in the north and that island is just torn to pieces by vulcanic eruptions. The most of “wow moments” in book is due to power of vulcan and how incredibly is it drawn. The fox is in role of predator and also prey. But it’s not important now. Now she has to run in opposite way that another animals, in direction to the volcano and lava. On the hill is hole under the tree and in the hole is small baby fox. Who will, be there faster, mother fox or lava. Art of Federico Bertolucci is amazing again.
The Lion
The story of lion is trip on safai between the lions. The other animal species don’t have bigger role now - they are only prey. This story is about lion alpha male and his pack, about lion renegades and one young lion avenger. Story is not so clear here and it’s not easy to identify lions in story.
The Dinosaur
Trip to the world where everyone wants to eat everyone. Fast scenario is following small and nonstop hungry chicken with teeths - or rather his toothy ancestor. This toothy chicken wants eat everything smaller than him and everything bigger wants to eat the chicken - including big dogged T-Rex. This story is shorter that the others and the rest of book contain bigger bonus part with draws and studies.
Czech version here: vlcibouda.net/komiks/love-ctyri-vylety-sveta-zvirat
Writer Frédéric Brrémaud and artist Federico Bertolucci created comics series named Love. No, it’s not erotic series, but a bit of that is there also. This series is about animals. Not about antropomorf animals, as is usual in comics books and animated movies. This is about wild animals. It’s like National Geographic documentary movies. These animals don’t talk. They are hungry, they want survive and they will do everything for it. Ideal topic for silent comics books.
“IN THE ANIMAL KINGDOM, ANIMALS NEITHER LOVE NOR HATE EACH OTHER.
LOVE AND HATE ARE PARTS OF A NATURAL WHOLE. A SUPREME BALANCE MANY CONSIDER TO BE UNIVERSAL, OR EVEN DIVINE. AN ELEMENTAL LOVE.
A LOVE THAT MANKIND COULD NEVER EXPERIENCE.”
It’s fantastic how much animal species was Brrémaud able add into each story. Love comics books looks like books with animals for kids but in kid’s books animals don’t torn another animals to pieces. When python is crushing monkey and her eyes are going from head almost then it’s not nice picture and smaller kids can have nightmares then. :-)
The Tiger
The book tells about one day in tiger’s life. Simple and fast storytelling with clever scenario. The reader wishes him success, despite he cannot identify with him. It’s interesting that scenario doesn’t following only the tiger but also tapir as his prey, crockodile, piranhas and many other species - from ants to elephants. Their ways will be crossing these day and they will affect their live each other. Scenario is clevery working with thrill when you are folloving more animals at once and you don’t know when their confrontation will happen and who will survive.
Art of Federico Bertolucci is amazing. He can draw animals in move very well and also he can create atmosphere of the jungle very nice. All the sun shining through the trees… wonderfull! Another interesting thing are angles of view that are used for showing view of unexpected animals.
The Fox
The story of fox is on the similar principes like the tiger. Many animals species and their ways are crossing. There is some species that probably never can meet or it’s not so usually but fight of bear with polar bear is simply cool :-) As in the Tiger also here stronger animals are hunting weaker animals and hunted animals are doing everything to survive. Big role in story of fox have island. The story takes place on an island somewhere in the north and that island is just torn to pieces by vulcanic eruptions. The most of “wow moments” in book is due to power of vulcan and how incredibly is it drawn. The fox is in role of predator and also prey. But it’s not important now. Now she has to run in opposite way that another animals, in direction to the volcano and lava. On the hill is hole under the tree and in the hole is small baby fox. Who will, be there faster, mother fox or lava. Art of Federico Bertolucci is amazing again.
The Lion
The story of lion is trip on safai between the lions. The other animal species don’t have bigger role now - they are only prey. This story is about lion alpha male and his pack, about lion renegades and one young lion avenger. Story is not so clear here and it’s not easy to identify lions in story.
The Dinosaur
Trip to the world where everyone wants to eat everyone. Fast scenario is following small and nonstop hungry chicken with teeths - or rather his toothy ancestor. This toothy chicken wants eat everything smaller than him and everything bigger wants to eat the chicken - including big dogged T-Rex. This story is shorter that the others and the rest of book contain bigger bonus part with draws and studies.
August 29, 2016
I admit, I didn't know exactly what I was signing up for while picking up this story, but I'm happy I did it. It was an interesting experience and I'd like to repeat it with the other two volumes of "Love".
The authors had a wonderful idea to use only images to tell the story. After all, "a picture is worth a thousand words".
In the story, we'll follow a single lion banished from its pack, wandering through the African plains. Authors marked him with distinct darker mane, so he's easily recognizable.
Few times the story reminded me of "The Lion King", but really, which story about lions wouldn't? But don't be mistaken, by picking this book you won't get a cute Disney story. You'll get a realistic tale about few animals that might've as well happened many times before and might happen again. You'll see the nice, funny moments of playtime and you'll see the hunt and fight scenes.
The graphic is lovely - the calm brownish colors fit perfectly. They're realistic and wonderful. The drawings are lively and atmospheric. It's really nice to watch. I'd love to get a paper version of this novel one day. After all, it doesn't require translation so there shouldn't be a problem to sell it pretty much everywhere ;).
Should you pick up this book? Yes, if you like stories about nature and lovely graphics. Yes, if you want something refreshing. And yes if you're in a reading slump - no words after all ;)
I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Check my reviews ar: https://maginibooks.wordpress.com
The authors had a wonderful idea to use only images to tell the story. After all, "a picture is worth a thousand words".
In the story, we'll follow a single lion banished from its pack, wandering through the African plains. Authors marked him with distinct darker mane, so he's easily recognizable.
Few times the story reminded me of "The Lion King", but really, which story about lions wouldn't? But don't be mistaken, by picking this book you won't get a cute Disney story. You'll get a realistic tale about few animals that might've as well happened many times before and might happen again. You'll see the nice, funny moments of playtime and you'll see the hunt and fight scenes.
The graphic is lovely - the calm brownish colors fit perfectly. They're realistic and wonderful. The drawings are lively and atmospheric. It's really nice to watch. I'd love to get a paper version of this novel one day. After all, it doesn't require translation so there shouldn't be a problem to sell it pretty much everywhere ;).
Should you pick up this book? Yes, if you like stories about nature and lovely graphics. Yes, if you want something refreshing. And yes if you're in a reading slump - no words after all ;)
I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Check my reviews ar: https://maginibooks.wordpress.com
June 27, 2016
Gorgeous. Like David Attenborough in comic form. No words, just the beauty of the animals.
March 26, 2019
Other than the title information, this is a wordless graphic novel, gorgeously illustrated, depicting a day in the life of a lion on the Serengeti.
I was intrigued by the title and mesmerized by the pictures. I did not realize that it is the third in a series of books, each featuring a different wild animal.
Although the plot was challenging to follow, I was amazed by the raw beauty of the images, even in the brutality of the fights.
I found this book in the children's section of the library, and I would caution parents to be aware of the nature of the story. Much blood is shed and sensitive young children may find the images disturbing.
But compared to what is depicted in many video games, I guess it's tame. And there are a few scenes that seem to pay homage to Disney's animated movie, The Lion King.
interesting quote:
"In the animal kingdom, animals neither love nor hate each other.
Love and hate are parts of a natural whole. A supreme balance many consider to be universal, or even divine. An elemental love.
A love that mankind could never experience." (p. 4 - unpaged)
I was intrigued by the title and mesmerized by the pictures. I did not realize that it is the third in a series of books, each featuring a different wild animal.
Although the plot was challenging to follow, I was amazed by the raw beauty of the images, even in the brutality of the fights.
I found this book in the children's section of the library, and I would caution parents to be aware of the nature of the story. Much blood is shed and sensitive young children may find the images disturbing.
But compared to what is depicted in many video games, I guess it's tame. And there are a few scenes that seem to pay homage to Disney's animated movie, The Lion King.
interesting quote:
"In the animal kingdom, animals neither love nor hate each other.
Love and hate are parts of a natural whole. A supreme balance many consider to be universal, or even divine. An elemental love.
A love that mankind could never experience." (p. 4 - unpaged)
October 19, 2017
I am ruined by Disney... too many moments put me in mind of The Lion King. Which makes me love the movie more for being true to life; but I feel that the artist should have worked harder here to avoid the similar imagery. An extra half star for the ending.
December 12, 2021
Gorgeous artwork -- captures the natural environment perfectly. Follows the life of a lion in its day-to-day travels, hunting, resting. Truly a beautiful book and is a tribute to wildlife and natural habitats. It's like Animal Planet in a book (lol). Love it
May 26, 2019
Ωραία επιλογή σχεδιαστικού στυλ, αχαμνό σενάριο.
March 26, 2020
I appreciate these wordless journeys
December 13, 2018
Love: The Lion is a graphic novel that shows the going abouts in a day of some African animals. We follow a multitude of animals, not just lions as the title might suggest. This is the third book in a series that does this similar concept but with different animals each volume, so they don't need to be read in any particular order.
After finishing it I was pretty confused so I immediately went back and re-read it to try and figure out what I missed. I figured out that the lion with the dark mane is the one from the begining and all through to the end. I was confused at the end because I was like "who is this random black maned lion? He was there earlier but like?" Yeah I dunno.
Love: The Fox was the first book of this no-narrative type of storytelling I had ever read and it blew my face off. I haven't read the first book in this series, Love: The Tiger so I can't compare to that. But yeah, Love: The Lion didn't live up to it's predecessor. It didn't feel satisfying. This almost felt kind of pointless. It literally took five minutes to read the whole thing, and although the art is amazing I'm not sure it would be worth buying. That hurts me to say because I can tell a lot of work went into this.
I downloaded a free copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Click to read all of my Love Reviews:
Volume 1 (N/A)
Volume 2
Volume 3
Volume 4
After finishing it I was pretty confused so I immediately went back and re-read it to try and figure out what I missed. I figured out that the lion with the dark mane is the one from the begining and all through to the end. I was confused at the end because I was like "who is this random black maned lion? He was there earlier but like?" Yeah I dunno.
Love: The Fox was the first book of this no-narrative type of storytelling I had ever read and it blew my face off. I haven't read the first book in this series, Love: The Tiger so I can't compare to that. But yeah, Love: The Lion didn't live up to it's predecessor. It didn't feel satisfying. This almost felt kind of pointless. It literally took five minutes to read the whole thing, and although the art is amazing I'm not sure it would be worth buying. That hurts me to say because I can tell a lot of work went into this.
I downloaded a free copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Click to read all of my Love Reviews:
Volume 1 (N/A)
Volume 2
Volume 3
Volume 4
June 6, 2016
Having read the previous one, which took place in the Arctic, I was looking forward to this one, obviously placed in Africa. As before there’s absolutely no dialogue; the animals definitely do not talk, but there’s plenty you can understand of their emotions through their facial gestures.
A typical scene features a lioness tackling an antelope-type animal, but it slips away and forces the lioness to get crafty. It works; the pride eats the kill in the rain and defends it from hyenas.
But the main story follows one of the lions, who takes off to look for his own land, getting into fights with every other male lion he comes across. He follows a vulture to an area teeming with animals, where a horselike creature frolics with insects as everyone heads off to the river. There’s already a pride of lions there, scaring all the animals into crossing the river, where the crocodiles feast. One lioness gets a faceful of buffalo kick, but another takes down a zebra so all can dine. There’s shots of a cub pulling on daddy’s whiskers while others play soccer with a poor armadillo.
All these books have a huge plot point near the end, like the volcano in the last one; here a plane goes down and starts a big fire. The burning ostrich is surreal, even more so that the suddenly bleak landscape.
But what really makes this volume different is the ending, which is a downer compared to the previous. The story wasn’t as concise; whereas in the last one we eventually found out why the fox was acting so strange, here the ending doesn’t feel like it has closure. I can make an assumption as to where the writer was going with this, but it isn’t spelled out enough for me to buy it.
But of course the artwork is luscious, and more than enough reason to get this.
A typical scene features a lioness tackling an antelope-type animal, but it slips away and forces the lioness to get crafty. It works; the pride eats the kill in the rain and defends it from hyenas.
But the main story follows one of the lions, who takes off to look for his own land, getting into fights with every other male lion he comes across. He follows a vulture to an area teeming with animals, where a horselike creature frolics with insects as everyone heads off to the river. There’s already a pride of lions there, scaring all the animals into crossing the river, where the crocodiles feast. One lioness gets a faceful of buffalo kick, but another takes down a zebra so all can dine. There’s shots of a cub pulling on daddy’s whiskers while others play soccer with a poor armadillo.
All these books have a huge plot point near the end, like the volcano in the last one; here a plane goes down and starts a big fire. The burning ostrich is surreal, even more so that the suddenly bleak landscape.
But what really makes this volume different is the ending, which is a downer compared to the previous. The story wasn’t as concise; whereas in the last one we eventually found out why the fox was acting so strange, here the ending doesn’t feel like it has closure. I can make an assumption as to where the writer was going with this, but it isn’t spelled out enough for me to buy it.
But of course the artwork is luscious, and more than enough reason to get this.
May 4, 2016
Brrémaud is an amazing comic book artist and his Love series is breathtaking. The third part wasn't as good as the former ones, but it's still basically perfect. Lion reminded me of The Lion King - in a good way though. It's a beautiful and sad story about a lion not fitting in with the other lions and how nature takes care of those who don't (quite brutally actually). Mostly we just see life on savanna and everything in it is so damn real. I love the fact that the comic is without text except the descriptions at the back, which were a great add-on. Reading Brrémaud's comics is like watching nature films and it's just mind-blowing. The story about the lion is a bit scattered though, and somehow I wished there had been more conflicts such as the airplane crashing. Something that would make you stop and think.
The art is pure perfection. The line art is amazing and the use of colors is also very vibrant and fitting for the comic. The panel structure is very good and supports the lack of text, which is really important. Brrémaud moves the story well and it's easy to follow what is happening. The sense of movement is just wow and it's as if the animals are actually moving. The animals have actual facial expressions, which you hardly ever see and that I liked a lot, since it gave them character. These comics are just so awesome that it's hard to find words to describe them. I'm very much in love with Brrémaud's style and I do hope he keeps doing these amazing and educational comics.
The art is pure perfection. The line art is amazing and the use of colors is also very vibrant and fitting for the comic. The panel structure is very good and supports the lack of text, which is really important. Brrémaud moves the story well and it's easy to follow what is happening. The sense of movement is just wow and it's as if the animals are actually moving. The animals have actual facial expressions, which you hardly ever see and that I liked a lot, since it gave them character. These comics are just so awesome that it's hard to find words to describe them. I'm very much in love with Brrémaud's style and I do hope he keeps doing these amazing and educational comics.
July 17, 2016
'Love: The Lion' is the third book in the confusingly titled Love series. Each has followed a particular animal (first a fox, then a tiger) over the course of a day. All are told without words. Only the pictures given guide the reader through the story.
This wordlessness makes for a title that can be enjoyed internationally. Also, the focus is strictly on the art to convey what is happening. In all three books, there have been points where I've found this confusing, and that is perhaps moreso here since in the previous volumes, the action is on a solitary type of animal and this time there is a pride of lions. The main lion is distinguished by a different mane, but the action shifts away from him more than in previous stories.
We see animals gather at a watering hole with lions looking on hungrily. The crocodiles get first dibs on the water buffalo and zebra, then the lions. It's a cruel world for prey and the books take an unflinching look at this (which is why I'm confused at calling these books Love and have been from the start).
The art is stunning and it's why they should be read. There is a lot of story told with only expression and nuance and that makes the storytelling brilliant.
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.
This wordlessness makes for a title that can be enjoyed internationally. Also, the focus is strictly on the art to convey what is happening. In all three books, there have been points where I've found this confusing, and that is perhaps moreso here since in the previous volumes, the action is on a solitary type of animal and this time there is a pride of lions. The main lion is distinguished by a different mane, but the action shifts away from him more than in previous stories.
We see animals gather at a watering hole with lions looking on hungrily. The crocodiles get first dibs on the water buffalo and zebra, then the lions. It's a cruel world for prey and the books take an unflinching look at this (which is why I'm confused at calling these books Love and have been from the start).
The art is stunning and it's why they should be read. There is a lot of story told with only expression and nuance and that makes the storytelling brilliant.
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.
May 28, 2016
I received this book for free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
This was my first foray into the Love series, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. This is a series of comics being produce, each focused upon a single animal and its life cycle in general. The previous two volumes in this series (The Fox, and The Tiger) were exceptionally well reviewed and award winning. The stories are told entirely through the visual medium, with stunning artwork, brutal realism, and no dialogue whatsoever. This makes for fascinating sequences, and unfortunately in this volume, a bit of confusion due tot he number of lion fights and the similarity between each creature.
The artwork was strikingly beautiful. Multiple pages I wouldn't mind having up on my walls for the sheer beauty of it. The work put into the animals is truly breathtaking. In particular the armadillo, cheetah, and vultures stood out to me. Not to mention the gazelle the lioness attempted to bring down.. The confusion in the lion fights was made up for by the dynamic action of it all. In particular the fight in the rain stood out to me, where the lion reared up, muddle belly on full display, teeth bared and claws out. Chilling, and captivating in equal measure it was a wonder to behold.
I would love to see the previous installments in this series, and to follow it in the future. It's nice to see an animal comic housed in realism, and to be able to linger upon such beautiful artwork a while.
This was my first foray into the Love series, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. This is a series of comics being produce, each focused upon a single animal and its life cycle in general. The previous two volumes in this series (The Fox, and The Tiger) were exceptionally well reviewed and award winning. The stories are told entirely through the visual medium, with stunning artwork, brutal realism, and no dialogue whatsoever. This makes for fascinating sequences, and unfortunately in this volume, a bit of confusion due tot he number of lion fights and the similarity between each creature.
The artwork was strikingly beautiful. Multiple pages I wouldn't mind having up on my walls for the sheer beauty of it. The work put into the animals is truly breathtaking. In particular the armadillo, cheetah, and vultures stood out to me. Not to mention the gazelle the lioness attempted to bring down.. The confusion in the lion fights was made up for by the dynamic action of it all. In particular the fight in the rain stood out to me, where the lion reared up, muddle belly on full display, teeth bared and claws out. Chilling, and captivating in equal measure it was a wonder to behold.
I would love to see the previous installments in this series, and to follow it in the future. It's nice to see an animal comic housed in realism, and to be able to linger upon such beautiful artwork a while.
May 8, 2016
This graphic novel is just absolutely gorgeous. Most of the panels are worthy of being framed as full size pieces. There is no text, which seems fitting for a wildlife-focused book. It definitely had a national geographic feel-the art was incredibly realistic and the "story" felt pretty fitting, too. Lots of fighting, death, eating, but also heartwarming scenes of mothers caring for their young and the young cubs being playful together.
Stunning and moving. Loved this book, which I received from NetGalley.
Stunning and moving. Loved this book, which I received from NetGalley.
May 18, 2016
I received a free copy from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This is the third installment in a graphic novel series that focuses on all sorts of wildlife (the first one being about a tiger, the second one about a fox) and we follow a lion around in his daily life. This graphic novel doesn't have any text but still conveys its story easily and beautifully enough. The art is stunning and I definitely adored this book. It comes out July 12.
This is the third installment in a graphic novel series that focuses on all sorts of wildlife (the first one being about a tiger, the second one about a fox) and we follow a lion around in his daily life. This graphic novel doesn't have any text but still conveys its story easily and beautifully enough. The art is stunning and I definitely adored this book. It comes out July 12.
July 14, 2015
Beautiful artwork! love the wordless story format that slows for a more general interpretation of events.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 122 reviews