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Namesake Comic #1
Namesake, Volume 1
Namesake is the story of Emma Crewe, a woman who discovers she can visit other worlds. She finds out that these are places she already knows – fantasy and fairy lands made famous through the spoken word, literature and cinema. Her power as a Namesake forces her to act as a protagonist in these familiar stories as she figures out how to get home. But as she travels, she discovers that those controlling her story have their own selfish goals in mind – and her fate is the key to everyone’s happy ending.
This volume collects the prologue through chapter 5 of the popular webcomic.
This volume collects the prologue through chapter 5 of the popular webcomic.
144 pages, Paperback
First published May 5, 2012
8 people are currently reading
1155 people want to read
About the author
Isabelle Melançon
22 books39 followersIsabelle Melançon is a French-Canadian artist born in 1985. She grew up in a family of book and comic-lovers. She reads manga, European comics and American comics and has been drawing ever since she could lift a pencil. She used to want to be a dragon-riding knight, then envisioned a career change as a fantasy writer at the age of 10.
Since then, Isabelle has been drawing her way through school, which included doodling on lockers, and graduated from the University of Ottawa with a visual arts and administration double-major. Isabelle has a few published graphic novels and art exhibits under her belt. Namesake is her first long-term project.
Isabelle’s drawing style is heavily influenced by American and Japanese animation, as well as older Victorian and french illustration work, creating a fluid yet detailed mix.
She is madly in love with fairy tales and literature and enjoys playing with the classics in her comic and written works.
She has been maintaining a LiveJournal “comic journal” about her life and favorite fandoms for the past five years. She currently lives in Montréal, Québec with her significant other, “Link”.
She bites and pokes with a rusty spoon when provoked and believes that sarcasm can be an art form.
Since then, Isabelle has been drawing her way through school, which included doodling on lockers, and graduated from the University of Ottawa with a visual arts and administration double-major. Isabelle has a few published graphic novels and art exhibits under her belt. Namesake is her first long-term project.
Isabelle’s drawing style is heavily influenced by American and Japanese animation, as well as older Victorian and french illustration work, creating a fluid yet detailed mix.
She is madly in love with fairy tales and literature and enjoys playing with the classics in her comic and written works.
She has been maintaining a LiveJournal “comic journal” about her life and favorite fandoms for the past five years. She currently lives in Montréal, Québec with her significant other, “Link”.
She bites and pokes with a rusty spoon when provoked and believes that sarcasm can be an art form.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews
June 23, 2015
You like stories? You like parallel worlds? You like cute kickass female characters? You like nerdy adorkable warlocks with somewhat questionable morality? You like cats that can talk? You like Alice in Wonderland or the Wizard of Oz? Then you will like Namesake!! Seriously go read it now!!
June 28, 2011
While the book itself has yet to be released, I have been keeping up with the series online due to it being a webcomic.
It is a definite must for those of you who like fantasy and fairy tales with a bit of a twist... and I'm not simply saying this because the authors are friends of mine!
So far, it is only available through the website (www.namesakecomic.com). You should go anyway and give it a read!
It is a definite must for those of you who like fantasy and fairy tales with a bit of a twist... and I'm not simply saying this because the authors are friends of mine!
So far, it is only available through the website (www.namesakecomic.com). You should go anyway and give it a read!
February 21, 2020
Uno de los dos mejores webcomics (ahora en físico) que he podido leer. Para los amantes de los cuentos de hadas, las conspiraciones y los romances más lentos que caracol escalando rascacielos. Estos primeros cinco capítulos son imaginativos, divertidos y abren bastantes incógnitas que mantendrán a cualquier lector enganchado.
Ok, necesito que lo lean para tener con quien discutirlo. Por favor.
Ok, necesito que lo lean para tener con quien discutirlo. Por favor.
March 3, 2013
This is a webcomic, but you can get the books in hardcover and paper back as well - I think they're currently out of stock, but having asked the authors, they'll be having more printed soon. In the meantime, you can read this story at namesakecomic.com.
Namesake is absolutely fantastic. The story is captivating to me, and I myself have in the past two weeks re-read the entire comic three times. The art is some of the most beautiful I have ever seen - the style is great. For those of you who are unaware, the story of Namesake incorporates elements of our world with elements of other worlds - Wonderland and Oz, thusfar, though there are bound to be others. Emma is an unknown Namesake who is thrust into the world of Oz, and the organization Calliope (in charge of the tracking and maintaining knowledge and protection of Namesakes) has absolute no idea in which world she has turned up.
Namesake is absolutely fantastic. The story is captivating to me, and I myself have in the past two weeks re-read the entire comic three times. The art is some of the most beautiful I have ever seen - the style is great. For those of you who are unaware, the story of Namesake incorporates elements of our world with elements of other worlds - Wonderland and Oz, thusfar, though there are bound to be others. Emma is an unknown Namesake who is thrust into the world of Oz, and the organization Calliope (in charge of the tracking and maintaining knowledge and protection of Namesakes) has absolute no idea in which world she has turned up.
September 18, 2013
This is a review for both Volume 1 and 2 because I read both at once and have the same to say for each.
I saw an ad for this comic on a page for a different comic I read. Looking for something new to read through and judging the art to be unique and decent, I decided to spend some time reading through. I stayed up until almost 3 reading through the archive. The art is consistently good and compliments the writing, and the story is unique with excellent world building at least on the part of Oz. I am still confused about some of the 'real world' mechanics, though I'm sure (I hope) they are about to be explained further. The writing didn't fall into some of the pitfalls I see in other self-published mediums by taking me out of the story with out of character writing or overuse of conventions.
I'm excited to add this comic to my RSS update collection! Keep up the good work, ladies.
I saw an ad for this comic on a page for a different comic I read. Looking for something new to read through and judging the art to be unique and decent, I decided to spend some time reading through. I stayed up until almost 3 reading through the archive. The art is consistently good and compliments the writing, and the story is unique with excellent world building at least on the part of Oz. I am still confused about some of the 'real world' mechanics, though I'm sure (I hope) they are about to be explained further. The writing didn't fall into some of the pitfalls I see in other self-published mediums by taking me out of the story with out of character writing or overuse of conventions.
I'm excited to add this comic to my RSS update collection! Keep up the good work, ladies.
May 23, 2014
It's like someone tossed a bunch of classic fantasy novels in a tornado as it ripped through Kansas, then ejected the contents on the magical side of the rainbow. Do recommend. Also, wonderful illustration. Read it here: http://namesakecomic.com/comic/prolog...
July 14, 2019
I've been reading a lot of portal fantasies this year so this graphic novel was a perfect addition (thanks to April for the suggestion and letting me borrow it!). I love the concept of the story, that these namesakes are destined to be sent to their associated portal worlds. I'm intrigued by why Emma is in Oz, I want to know more about Warrick and Calliope, I am IN! Also love the overall creepiness of this, not scary, but definitely unsettling in parts. This book counts for one of my cards for Bookland for July "a recently acquired graphic novel".
April 1, 2019
It's a really interesting idea with lots of well-known characters from Oz. I'm very excited to see where the story is going and what's up with "the Dorothy".
January 12, 2019
The Namesake series has an interesting premise centered around the need for visiting fairy tale worlds and reliving stories in order to keep them alive. I enjoyed the story and characters very much, and the art was overall good, though not necessarily my preferred style. At times, there were issues with subject/verb agreement or using the wrong form of a word, so I think a stronger editor would have been helpful.
Overall, I really enjoyed this first volume and would recommend it to fans of fairy tales. I plan to check out the next volume.
Overall, I really enjoyed this first volume and would recommend it to fans of fairy tales. I plan to check out the next volume.
January 19, 2013
This is a brilliantly done webcomic.
Despite being a webcomic, it is so well written that you can hear the characters accents in your head. This is not accomplished by unusual spellings of words, but rather by the careful consideration of which words these characters would and would not use. This results in a delightful range of dialogue that spans over 200 years worth of expressions.
The artwork is astonishing, mostly being done in black and white, with only one specific color being used on the highlights of a page. That one color tells more about the mood, the setting, and the personality of the characters contained on that page then an entire spectrum of colors would.
While some of my friend whom I have recommended the series to, that did not have a basic knowledge of fairy tales, say that it can sometimes be a bit confusing, I believe that to be intentional. The main character, having found herself thrown into Oz with only a vague recollection of the movie, is just as lost to any references as the average reader. This is what I think makes this series brilliant, that we all have the potential to enter the fairy tales that we fantasized about as children. But once we got there would we be able to make it back out again?
Despite being a webcomic, it is so well written that you can hear the characters accents in your head. This is not accomplished by unusual spellings of words, but rather by the careful consideration of which words these characters would and would not use. This results in a delightful range of dialogue that spans over 200 years worth of expressions.
The artwork is astonishing, mostly being done in black and white, with only one specific color being used on the highlights of a page. That one color tells more about the mood, the setting, and the personality of the characters contained on that page then an entire spectrum of colors would.
While some of my friend whom I have recommended the series to, that did not have a basic knowledge of fairy tales, say that it can sometimes be a bit confusing, I believe that to be intentional. The main character, having found herself thrown into Oz with only a vague recollection of the movie, is just as lost to any references as the average reader. This is what I think makes this series brilliant, that we all have the potential to enter the fairy tales that we fantasized about as children. But once we got there would we be able to make it back out again?
December 22, 2012
I loved this so much! It was the first kickstarter I ever contributed too and it had completely skipped my mind until I saw it on the shelf last night. I grabbed it and decided to give it a read.
Emma gets sucked into the World of Oz, which is confusing because normally only a Dorothy would get sucked into the Wizard of Oz. Oz is very confused with many of the original roles being filled by others and originals missing. Calliope must figure out where Emma is and help her b/c when things go wrong in the stories, it messes up the outside world in addition to the story.
I love love love the art style here and the coloring, and I'm super excited that I can keep reading it online!
Emma gets sucked into the World of Oz, which is confusing because normally only a Dorothy would get sucked into the Wizard of Oz. Oz is very confused with many of the original roles being filled by others and originals missing. Calliope must figure out where Emma is and help her b/c when things go wrong in the stories, it messes up the outside world in addition to the story.
I love love love the art style here and the coloring, and I'm super excited that I can keep reading it online!
August 17, 2017
Wow, Namesake is a cool webcomic. put inkheart story traveling with very dynamic characters who are learning and growing, and you have an adventure that's worth telling. The characters are relate able, the plot is dynamic, and the setting is beautiful.
March 1, 2014
Got my shiny new Kickstarter hardcover set. It's even prettier than the first edition and still just as Wonderful, especially for fans of the Oz series beyond the Wizard.
February 2, 2017
It's a bit fuzzy from time to time, but after a while I got into the story and it's a good read (yep, pun intended).
April 24, 2020
Quick disclaimer : I bought the first, printed volume of this webcomic at TCAF in may last year. Last week, I read this book, and then I immediately rushed online and binge-read a huge chunk of what came next. So while I’m going to try and only review the content of the first book here, keep in mind that I am speaking with knowledge of the awesome things that come after it.
I picked up Namesake partly because I love the work of the artist (who has contributed to a few comic anthologies I am particularly fond of, including the Valor anthologies) and partly because I am a huge fan of re-imagined fairy tales. (Before anyone rushes to ask me to review their novels: NON-GRIMDARK re-imagined fairy tales. Thank you very much.)
While I have never been much of a fan of the wizard of Oz, and I haven’t read/seen Wicked, I love the concept of a ~not that evil~ wicked witch of the west. And BOY does that book deliver. At TCAF, when I bought the book, I flipped through it at random and asked the artist to sketch me Warrick next to her autograph, and I am not regretting that decision in the least. I have a new favourite character everyone, and he is absolutely worth the several evenings I spent binge-reading the webcomic to find out what happens to him. Not only does the story get better and better, but the art also gets better and better so Warrick gets even cuter as time goes on. Perfect.
But this book isn’t about Warrick, so enough about my weird crush. This book is about Emma, and the world of namesakes. Namesakes, as explained in the blurb of the book, are people who sometimes randomly get transported to other worlds to live out fairytales, according to their names. Simple, right?
But that simple premise quickly gets derailed. Emma isn’t a Dorothy, the organization over-seeing the namesakes have no idea who or what she is, and terrible shadow monsters are spreading confusion and terror into the fairy tale world… This first book does a very good job of setting up it’s mysteries fast, and making us want to read on to figure out just what the heck is going on. With a big cast of characters that are all incredibly charming and an art style that gets more and more beautiful as the series goes on, Namesake is a great webcomic for fans of portal fantasies, and complicated world-building. It also does a terrific job at working with both the historical elements around how and why the original fairy tales were written, and the « canon » of each of those stories.
In conclusion, I have to go back to reading the webcomic now, Warrick is the best, and I’m considering how much buying all of the volumes of the printed comic is going to break my bank.
I picked up Namesake partly because I love the work of the artist (who has contributed to a few comic anthologies I am particularly fond of, including the Valor anthologies) and partly because I am a huge fan of re-imagined fairy tales. (Before anyone rushes to ask me to review their novels: NON-GRIMDARK re-imagined fairy tales. Thank you very much.)
While I have never been much of a fan of the wizard of Oz, and I haven’t read/seen Wicked, I love the concept of a ~not that evil~ wicked witch of the west. And BOY does that book deliver. At TCAF, when I bought the book, I flipped through it at random and asked the artist to sketch me Warrick next to her autograph, and I am not regretting that decision in the least. I have a new favourite character everyone, and he is absolutely worth the several evenings I spent binge-reading the webcomic to find out what happens to him. Not only does the story get better and better, but the art also gets better and better so Warrick gets even cuter as time goes on. Perfect.
But this book isn’t about Warrick, so enough about my weird crush. This book is about Emma, and the world of namesakes. Namesakes, as explained in the blurb of the book, are people who sometimes randomly get transported to other worlds to live out fairytales, according to their names. Simple, right?
But that simple premise quickly gets derailed. Emma isn’t a Dorothy, the organization over-seeing the namesakes have no idea who or what she is, and terrible shadow monsters are spreading confusion and terror into the fairy tale world… This first book does a very good job of setting up it’s mysteries fast, and making us want to read on to figure out just what the heck is going on. With a big cast of characters that are all incredibly charming and an art style that gets more and more beautiful as the series goes on, Namesake is a great webcomic for fans of portal fantasies, and complicated world-building. It also does a terrific job at working with both the historical elements around how and why the original fairy tales were written, and the « canon » of each of those stories.
In conclusion, I have to go back to reading the webcomic now, Warrick is the best, and I’m considering how much buying all of the volumes of the printed comic is going to break my bank.
February 28, 2024
3,75/5
A Namesake is a person who can magically travel to other worlds based on their name.
The main character of Namesake is Emma Crewe, a young woman from Toronto who doesn't read, or watch TV, or even have the internet at home. She discovers that she is a Namesake, but travels to OZ and is expected to fill the role of the Dorothy. Emma has to deal with Oz's troubles, figure out how and why she went there, and how to get back to her sister.
Color is used to emphasize important items or to demonstrate when magic is being used!!
A Namesake is a person who can magically travel to other worlds based on their name.
The main character of Namesake is Emma Crewe, a young woman from Toronto who doesn't read, or watch TV, or even have the internet at home. She discovers that she is a Namesake, but travels to OZ and is expected to fill the role of the Dorothy. Emma has to deal with Oz's troubles, figure out how and why she went there, and how to get back to her sister.
Color is used to emphasize important items or to demonstrate when magic is being used!!
September 8, 2022
This is a very compelling, but also very odd and fairly dark graphic novel. I wasn't quite sure what to think of it. I am interested enough to read the second volume, but I'm not sure that I would recommend this one.
Note that it does really help to have read "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" and also know some of the other Oz stories (fortunately I have read the Oz graphic novel series, so I knew at least some of the lore). Otherwise readers could really be lost.
Note that it does really help to have read "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" and also know some of the other Oz stories (fortunately I have read the Oz graphic novel series, so I knew at least some of the lore). Otherwise readers could really be lost.
Read
October 16, 2018This book takes fairy tales and classic literature, mixes them up with a good dose of World as Myth (though with a much different flavor than Heinlein!), and pulls you in with fantastic artwork. The cast of characters in nicely diverse, the plot is original and engaging, and the characters are delights to follow. Absolutely one of my favorite webcomics.
December 28, 2019
Well the beginning drags a bit, mainly because there is a ton of exposition to get through in order to set the stage for the story. In fact I feel like this book is almost entirely setting the stage for what’s to come. I’m glad I slogged through it though, I’m really excited to see what happens next!
September 5, 2020
I'm glad that I read the original source material (that being the wizard of oz), because as it was said in this graphic novel, "That wasn't in the movie!" I think this was an interesting start to this story, I kind of got confused sometimes because there was so much backstory and many names being dropped, but I got the hang of it.
August 20, 2017
I had forgotten just how much stuff happens at the beginning of this series. A re-read was definitely necessary, and the bonus content included in the book makes the purchase worth it. I can't wait for my copy of book 3 to arrive, and then I can finally get caught up with the web comic.
January 2, 2018
I got this volume set a while ago from a convention, and I might check out more of this webcomic. The premise is very creative and the characters seem interesting as well. I especially appreciate how our protagonist is a WOC.
February 19, 2019
While it wasn’t as captivating as I was hoping for, it still caught my interest. Mildly at first but the last chapter had me reeled in and I would say it ended on a bit of a cliff-hanger. I wasn’t sure at first if I would continue with the rest of the volumes but I can say now, I will.
December 16, 2020
A fun twist to the "girls who traveled to other worlds" trope-- this volume seems to mostly focus on Oz, but there will undoubtedly be more from Wonderland and other places in future installments. Delightful characters with a dark/twisted fairytale setting-- just my thing.
July 25, 2022
Got to meet one of the amazing creators, cant wait to meet the others. The world building is wonderful and the graphics adorable.
Emma give badass main character vibes and I'm here for it, as she navigates the new world and tries to make her way back home to her sister
Emma give badass main character vibes and I'm here for it, as she navigates the new world and tries to make her way back home to her sister
December 14, 2024
Namesake features a unique reimagining and combination of many well known fairy tail settings. I was charmed near instantly by the lovable characters and the rich and unique magic system. I would heavily recommend it for any enjoyers of Oz, Wonderland, and other such settings.
September 14, 2017
I love how dark the art gets—it's both gorgeous and gruesome. I'm totally enthralled by the story, and the creepy mystery of what's gone wrong in Oz. I'm excited to start the next volume!
September 26, 2017
The art is gorgeous, and it's good enough to keep reading, but I'm not sold yet. It's a little interesting and a little cute, but I'm still missing a little something.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews