Cover blurb
In a post-apocalyptic far future, dinosaurs roam the desolate land, while the last denizens of humanity survive together in technological cities. On his quest for vengeance, Jarri joins a rebel group intent on destroying the totalitarian regime that controls this dystopian world. But the clandestine god-like Network is not all it seems, and Jarri is about to uncover a mysterious truth that will change humanity forever…
My thoughts
Negalyod: The God Network is a French graphic novel first published in 2018, with the English edition published in 2022. The story is set in what appears to be a far-future Earth populated by both humans and dinosaurs, although it is never explained why dinosaurs exist in this setting. The world is dying, with the landscape scarred by giant pipelines that suck up the last of the planet’s water to sustain flying cities that house the elite. Most people on the surface live a primitive existence using technology pieced together from the scraps of a previous, more advanced civilization. The one exception is a globe-spanning internet that can be accessed through devices that look like small floating mirrors. Readers eventually learn this network is sentient and possibly the force behind the world’s sorry state of affairs.
Jarri, the protagonist, is a Pachycephalosaurus-riding cowboy driving his herd of Styracosaurs to market when some thoughtless antics by passing military pilots wipe out the herd, his sole possession. Jarri vows to get revenge by taking down the totalitarian government responsible for his misfortune. He teams up with rebels and, through a series of adventures, starts to learn the truth about his world and the network that runs it. Also, he can talk to dinosaurs.
Negalyod is a beautiful but frustrating work because artist Perriot clearly had many interesting ideas but didn’t know quite what to do with them. The first two-thirds of the novel are pretty fun as Perriot takes his time establishing Jarri and his world. I can best describe the look of the comic as Mad Max meets Dinotopia, with some Mesoamerican influence thrown in. Other critics have noted that the art is inspired by famed artist Moebius, and the fact that Perriot nails that style so well is a testament to his talent. The plot is simple but effective, spiced up here and there with well-executed action scenes, including one that could have come straight out of the previously mentioned Mad Max.
Unfortunately, Negalyod falls apart in the third act. We get answers to the setting’s mysteries that are more confusing than satisfying, and after a couple of reads, I’m still unclear about the main villain’s motivations. The speed of the story also kicks into overdrive, jumping over character beats and previously established narrative elements so Perriot can wrap up the novel as quickly as possible. Then there are elements that never really amount to anything. For instance, there is a subplot concerning Jarri’s search for his missing mother, but it has no bearing on the main story and is resolved with a handwave. There’s also Jarri’s ability to have conservations with dinosaurs, but it is only brought up a few times, seemingly existing to provide a whopping deux ex machina in the final pages of the story. (It also raises the awkward question of Jarri being a cowboy who sells dinosaurs for meat. I mean, would we still eat beef if cows could talk?)
Negalyod has great art and is a fun read. I just wish it had a stronger ending and that Perroit had put more thought into the plot and worldbuilding. Still, if you go into the book with your expectations appropriately set, you should have a good time.
Trivia
- A sequel, set 20 years after the events of the novel, has been published but not translated into English at the time of this review.
- You can view samples of Perriot’s work (in black and white) at ArtNet.
Prehistoric Pulp 