# Comics  > Image Comics >  REVIEW: They're Not Like Us, #1

## CBR News

Eric Stephenson and Simon Gane ensure "They're Not Like Us" #1 is not like any other comic about superpowered youngsters, with a well-characterized and nicely detailed issue that takes a minimal approach.


_Full article here._

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## quinnzel

This is another title I'm really looking forward to. Definitely got it on my pull-list for next week.

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## DIVINITY

My Image-Gem of the Month!!! I loved it, art, dialogue, and colors...

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## InformationGeek

I read this and thought it was just as good as Nowhere Men, which I thought was just okay.  This book is perfectly fine and reads an like alternate universe X-Men book with some darker twists to it, but that's it really.  Everything is perfectly acceptable, but not particularly memorable.  I liked the main character so far at least...  I honestly gave it a 7 out of 10.  Hopefully it picks up with the second issue.

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## Anduinel

Huh. I may give this a shot next week.

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## JJ Fiegel

I guess this was as enjoyable as Nowhere Men, which I also don't care for in the slightest. I was surprised by this issue though: I thought Stephenson hated superhero comics. Why is he writing an issue of the X-Men?

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## Deniz Camp

I thought NOwhere Men was much, much stronger. 

And this isn't at all a superhero comic. This is a story of the impact of psychic abilities on society, and what might actually happen. It's science fiction, not superhero.

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## johnmahananda

I also thought _Nowhere Men_ was pretty strong. But...is it finished? It seemed like it paused mid-stream (?) And, if it's not finished, will it be? Why does this writer get a new title if he hasn't completed another for Image?

Anyway, _TNLU_ strikes me as middling. The introduction of the characters was hackneyed. The art is pretty decent. The dialogue is serviceable. But, overall, it has an X-Men feel to it...and I don't need any more X-Men feel...

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## wwise03

I am a bit surprised by the negative reaction in this book...I thought it was fantastic! I am intrigued by the start of a new X-Men-like book (lord know you can't jump into X-Men now due to convoluted back stories and/or poor quality). I thought the art in they're not like us was far superior to nowhere men, and I am intrigued to learn more about this cast of characters. Perhaps this book could've benefitted from a double sized first issue in order to better introduce the world. Outcast and Tooth & Claw both benefitted from a longer first issue.

As far as Nowhere Men is concerned, the artist (Bellegarde) has been having some sort of emotional problems and is afraid to draw the book (too blunt?). Bellegarde wrote an open letter maybe a year ago explaining his problems. Stephenson made the decision to wait for Bellegarde to get better instead of dumping him in favor of an artist who is I unafraid to draw the book. At this point, we just have to wait for bellegarde to get better if we ever want to see more nowhere men.

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## JJ Fiegel

> I thought NOwhere Men was much, much stronger. 
> 
> And this isn't at all a superhero comic. This is a story of the impact of psychic abilities on society, and what might actually happen. It's science fiction, not superhero.


Yeah, I know it's not exactly a superhero comic, but it's essentially an X-Men comic. I mean, these guys even meet in a mansion and have codenames. If it's not X-Men it's Heroes. Or the another one of the billion stories where a bunch of randos get powers and we study it's effect on society. It couldn't more more hackneyed if it tried.

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## Deniz Camp

> I also thought _Nowhere Men_ was pretty strong. But...is it finished? It seemed like it paused mid-stream (?) And, if it's not finished, will it be? Why does this writer get a new title if he hasn't completed another for Image?


Because he's the publisher for Image Comics. He can do whatever he wants. 

Not that not finishing one piece of work is necessarily a reason not to get other work.

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## Deniz Camp

> Yeah, I know it's not exactly a superhero comic, but it's essentially an X-Men comic. I mean, these guys even meet in a mansion and have codenames. If it's not X-Men it's Heroes. Or the another one of the billion stories where a bunch of randos get powers and we study it's effect on society. It couldn't more more hackneyed if it tried.


I don't disagree, but at least here it seems that it will at least explore the more pragmatic side, rather than deal with any outright superheroics. Even Warren Ellis' "No Hero", which also had a similar vibe, didn't really deliver on that promise, and television like Heroes or ALphas (from what little I saw of it) went quickly into 'villain of the week' or 'big bad villain' mode.

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## DIVINITY

The X-Men comparisons are fair, the similarities are apparent, but the mature tone, and non-superhero approach, sets it far enough apart, from your average, every month X-Men comic. From a creative standpoint, I loved how the cover, serves its purpose as a cover, and the beginning of the story, which ended with a great cliffhanger, that makes you automatically, wanna read the next issue. 

I've had Nowhere Men, on my short-list for awhile now, it's unfortunate, what the artist is dealing with, but I look forward to reading what's been released thus far.

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## Detox

The first issue was fine. It set things up fairly well. Ill probably give it a good few issues just to see this cast of characters in action.

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## quinnzel

I liked this first issue okay but it was a tad disappointing for me. I think I was just expecting a little more but I didn't dislike it. I'll probably pick up #2.

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## thewarning

I was a bit disappointed here. Like it good enough, but was really hoping for it to blow me away like Nowhere Men did.

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## johnmahananda

> Because he's the publisher for Image Comics. He can do whatever he wants. 
> 
> Not that not finishing one piece of work is necessarily a reason not to get other work.


Fair enough.

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## expectdelay

The premise and the unfolding of the story was interesting to me.  Also most of the art was good, however something about the faces and/or eyes seemed off.  Some of them also seemed to basically be copies of other faces, cut and pasted and slightly changed.  It was very off putting.

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## matt levin

good enough to follow another two or three issues, but for me, not good enough to preorder beyond that yet.

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## hufnagel0

> good enough to follow another two or three issues, but for me, not good enough to preorder beyond that yet.


Yeah, kinda how I feel. I'll get the next few to give it a chance of showing me what it's about.

Also, saying that Nate Bellegarde is too afraid to do Nowhere Men is a pretty inaccurate description of his situation. In short, he had a whole bunch of life happen to him, but you could find out more about what he's been struggling with with a bit of research. http://multiversitycomics.com/news/n...f-nowhere-men/

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## Joker

> I thought Stephenson hated superhero comics.


His issue seems to be with the publishing practices of Marvel and DC, not the superhero genre.

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## King's_Gambit

> I also thought _Nowhere Men_ was pretty strong. But...is it finished? It seemed like it paused mid-stream (?) And, if it's not finished, will it be? Why does this writer get a new title if he hasn't completed another for Image?
> 
> Anyway, _TNLU_ strikes me as middling. The introduction of the characters was hackneyed. The art is pretty decent. The dialogue is serviceable. But, overall, it has an X-Men feel to it...and I don't need any more X-Men feel...


Nowhere Men's disappearance has nothing to do with Eric Stephenson.  The delays have been due to the artist, Nate Bellegarde, struggling with mental health issues.  Bellegarde actually wrote a pretty lengthy essay on the matter - his focus is on getting healthy first, as it should be.  

Anyway, I just read this book last night.  I loved the level of detail on the art and the colours and lettering were great.  Stephenson's writing though just didn't wow me.  The book just felt like a ton of exposition without much more than that.  I definitely also understand those who have called out the X-Men feel - it's the X-Men if Xavier was kind of a dick.  

I'm interested to see how the second issue is though, with that cliffhanger and, also, hopefully, most of the exposition out of the way.

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## DIVINITY

http://www.bleedingcool.com/2015/01/...pin-different/

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