We Called Them Giants
A teenage girl encounters huge, mysterious aliens in the engrossing graphic novel We Called Them Giants.
Lori, who is used to being moved between foster families, feels hardened to the world. When she wakes to find that most of the population has disappeared, she reasons that “The rapture is when all the good people disappear. I don’t believe in good people,” so this can’t be that. She and schoolmate Annette team up to navigate their strange new circumstances. On the run from a gang, they witness a pair of giant aliens fall from the sky. Annette is taken by the red giant; later, it saves Lori’s life. Suspicious of the red giant and unable to understand its language or motivations, Lori comes to realize that, despite her initial doubts, the giant is her best hope for survival.
The story is fueled by bold narrative decisions. The mass disappearance of humans and arrival of the aliens are kept mysterious, creating tension and intrigue as people gather information through guesswork and experience. Lori’s emotional breakthroughs and rediscoveries of how to trust are a satisfying second thread. And the illustrations are sleek and dynamic, with invigorating depictions of movement throughout. Their expert showcase of colors emphasizes the contrasts between the bleak, barren environment and the potent, powerful “otherness” of the aliens.
We Called Them Giants is a thrilling graphic novel about alien contact on a postapocalyptic Earth.
Reviewed by
Peter Dabbene
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