What do you think?
Rate this book
The Expanse graphic novels
The Expanse: Origins
Based on the bestselling books and tying into the hit television series, THE EXPANSE ORIGINS reveals the untold origins of the crew members of The Rocinante. As interplanetary tensions reach an all-time high, the crew of The Rocinante finds themselves at the center of a conflict that threatens to destroy all of human civilization. But before they were heroes, each member of the crew faced moments that would come to define them and brought them one step closer to the ship they now call home.
144 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 7, 2018
235 people are currently reading
2028 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 171 reviews
May 8, 2018
Posted at Heradas
First things first, these stories follow The Expanse television series continuity and not necessarily the book series continuity. Granted, there isn't much difference between the two, but they are growing further apart as the show continues to develop the books to series, and I'm starting to make an effort to keep them separate in my head. Each issue collected here covers a backstory for an individual main character on the show. The first four of these were originally released as individual digital comics. They are combined in this collection with a new fifth issue covering Detective Miller's backstory before the events of The Expanse, and this is the only physical release of these issues.
James S.A. Corey (Ty Franck and Daniel Abraham), the writers of The Expanse book series and the television adaptation, created these backstories, but the nitty gritty writing is done by Hallie Lambert and Georgia Lee, two more writers from the show.
The stories are a little uneven, quality wise, but the Naomi, Amos, and Miller issues are very good. I’d read 100 more issues of Miller going around catching bad guys and being morally ambiguous on Ceres. All in all, they're much better than the usual TV tie-in comic book fare, and this collection is definitely worth checking out if you're a fan of The Expanse.
#1: James Holden: 2/5
Holden disobeys an order to fire on a ship, gets into a fight with a superior officer, gets discharged. I was really hoping for more from this. It doesn't tell us anything that we didn't already know, and the artwork was fairly generic. The Alex/Amos/Naomi backstories in the novels/novellas have a lot more to them, so hopefully their issues in this series will get into some of that stuff.
#2: Naomi Nagata: 4/5
This is a great little backstory for The Expanse tv series involving Naomi hiring Amos as a mechanic for the Canterbury. The story hints heavily toward additional background yet to be revealed for both Naomi and Amos. It has some terrific moments that really add to the overall development of these characters. I think it's a massive improvement compared to the first issue which focused on Holden, although the artwork is still just.. Okay.
#3: Alex Kamal: 2/5
Ehh, It was okay. I was hoping for something much more interesting in Alex's past.
#4: Amos Burton: 4/5
What a clever way to give a little hint of Amos' backstory. His life from The Churn is so tragic. I cannot wait to see how they handle it on the show. Also, the inclusion of the infamous socio/psychopath trolley problem test in this was a nice touch.
#5: Josephus Miller: 5/5
The best of the five for sure. This story makes the whole collection worth checking out. Heartbreaking and bittersweet. Miller makes some concessions to take down a big hitter on Ceres, and it costs him more than what he bargained for.
First things first, these stories follow The Expanse television series continuity and not necessarily the book series continuity. Granted, there isn't much difference between the two, but they are growing further apart as the show continues to develop the books to series, and I'm starting to make an effort to keep them separate in my head. Each issue collected here covers a backstory for an individual main character on the show. The first four of these were originally released as individual digital comics. They are combined in this collection with a new fifth issue covering Detective Miller's backstory before the events of The Expanse, and this is the only physical release of these issues.
James S.A. Corey (Ty Franck and Daniel Abraham), the writers of The Expanse book series and the television adaptation, created these backstories, but the nitty gritty writing is done by Hallie Lambert and Georgia Lee, two more writers from the show.
The stories are a little uneven, quality wise, but the Naomi, Amos, and Miller issues are very good. I’d read 100 more issues of Miller going around catching bad guys and being morally ambiguous on Ceres. All in all, they're much better than the usual TV tie-in comic book fare, and this collection is definitely worth checking out if you're a fan of The Expanse.
#1: James Holden: 2/5
Holden disobeys an order to fire on a ship, gets into a fight with a superior officer, gets discharged. I was really hoping for more from this. It doesn't tell us anything that we didn't already know, and the artwork was fairly generic. The Alex/Amos/Naomi backstories in the novels/novellas have a lot more to them, so hopefully their issues in this series will get into some of that stuff.
#2: Naomi Nagata: 4/5
This is a great little backstory for The Expanse tv series involving Naomi hiring Amos as a mechanic for the Canterbury. The story hints heavily toward additional background yet to be revealed for both Naomi and Amos. It has some terrific moments that really add to the overall development of these characters. I think it's a massive improvement compared to the first issue which focused on Holden, although the artwork is still just.. Okay.
#3: Alex Kamal: 2/5
Ehh, It was okay. I was hoping for something much more interesting in Alex's past.
#4: Amos Burton: 4/5
What a clever way to give a little hint of Amos' backstory. His life from The Churn is so tragic. I cannot wait to see how they handle it on the show. Also, the inclusion of the infamous socio/psychopath trolley problem test in this was a nice touch.
#5: Josephus Miller: 5/5
The best of the five for sure. This story makes the whole collection worth checking out. Heartbreaking and bittersweet. Miller makes some concessions to take down a big hitter on Ceres, and it costs him more than what he bargained for.
April 5, 2021
“we’re all a little broken inside… but we can help fix each other.”this is a graphic novel showcasing what the main cast of season one of the expanse was up to before the show properly kicked off. we’ve got five origin stories for james holden, naomi nagata, alex kamal, amos burton, and joe miller.
it’s entertaining, but ultimately adds very little new content.
most of these backstories can be cobbled together from the show. some are even thoroughly explored in the show; amos’, alex’s, and naomi’s histories instantly come to mind. and honestly, none of the stories really add surprising insights into the characters that can’t be gleaned from other sources.
i bought it because i was starved for content (alas, the delivery of leviathan wakes was delayed), and it barely scratched that itch for me. it’s short and minimal, and it feels flat in ways the show absolutely does not.
the same goes for the art: there is minimal shading, barely-there backgrounds, and a sketchiness to the lines that i felt was very at odds with the almost clinical approach to coloring. characters are very stylized and difficult to recognize except by hairstyle and clothing. preferences in art style may vary wildly, though, so i’d recommend previewing a couple of pages to see if it’s your cup of tea.
i don’t feel i wasted any time reading it, but i do think this is one of those books that’s probably only really interesting to big fans of the show. i’ll also be the first to shallowly admit that the cover looks gorgeous on my shelves, so it almost functions as a cool piece of merch :)
the absolute highlight in this collection was naomi’s origin chapter, and i felt that alex’s and miller’s were also well done. as always, holden kind of gets the short end of the stick.
individual reviews for every story are down below beneath the spoiler tag to keep everything scroll-friendly. again, recommended for fans of the show only.
✎ 3.0 stars for the whole collection.
["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>
August 19, 2018
The background stories of Naomi, Holden, Alex, Amos and Miller felt lightweight.
February 11, 2021
4.0 Stars
This is a short graphic novel that explores some of backstories behind the beloved crew of the Roci.
This is a short graphic novel that explores some of backstories behind the beloved crew of the Roci.
April 11, 2021
As the title suggests, these are backstories of our favourite crew, set several years before the plot of the main storyline of the books.
Definitely a companion piece for fans of The Expanse. The characters are done in the image of the TV series. The artwork is pretty basic and not good. Why do media-tie ins always have such bad artwork? Is that an unwritten rule somewhere?
Jim Holden, Naomi Nagata, Alex Kamal, Amos Burton and Miller each get a chapter.
Holden‘s chapter was the weakest for me. It shows the end of his military career and is the least believable. ★★½☆☆
I really liked Naomi‘s chapter — strong story, I connected emotionally and it had Amos in it.... I love Amos! ★★★★★
Alex Kamal‘s chapter was surprisingly good, considering that he is my least favourite member of the Roci‘s crew. ★★★★☆
Amos‘s chapter was a little too wacky, sad and a little upsetting. ★★★½☆
And Miller‘s chapter didn‘t do much for me. This is a media tie-in to the TV series and his likeness to TV Miller was the least well done. ★★☆☆☆
You don‘t miss much, if you don‘t read this. If you don‘t know the series, don‘t bother with this. Watch the series first or, even better, read the books. They are a lot of fun!
Definitely a companion piece for fans of The Expanse. The characters are done in the image of the TV series. The artwork is pretty basic and not good. Why do media-tie ins always have such bad artwork? Is that an unwritten rule somewhere?
Jim Holden, Naomi Nagata, Alex Kamal, Amos Burton and Miller each get a chapter.
Holden‘s chapter was the weakest for me. It shows the end of his military career and is the least believable. ★★½☆☆
I really liked Naomi‘s chapter — strong story, I connected emotionally and it had Amos in it.... I love Amos! ★★★★★
Alex Kamal‘s chapter was surprisingly good, considering that he is my least favourite member of the Roci‘s crew. ★★★★☆
Amos‘s chapter was a little too wacky, sad and a little upsetting. ★★★½☆
And Miller‘s chapter didn‘t do much for me. This is a media tie-in to the TV series and his likeness to TV Miller was the least well done. ★★☆☆☆
You don‘t miss much, if you don‘t read this. If you don‘t know the series, don‘t bother with this. Watch the series first or, even better, read the books. They are a lot of fun!
September 17, 2021
As a general rule I don't read graphic novels since they are just glorified comic books, but browsing for James S.A. Corey books on Amazon, I came across this one. There are a bunch of spin-off novellas from the Expanse series but so far none of them seem to be available in print editions. I have previously read all eight of the Expanse novels that have come out as of this date (September 2021) but have not watched the TV series. I enjoyed learning some of the background on five of the main characters that this book presents and would recommend it to anyone who likes to follow the series, for that reason.
August 14, 2021
Pretty cool to get the origin stories on several of crew of the Roci and Miller.
February 14, 2018
not as garbage as most tie in graphics!! points for you.
November 23, 2019
I loved this little glimpse into all their back stories... It makes you appreciate the characters so much more.
December 25, 2020
Backstory of our heroes created by the writing Duo of James S.A. Corey. Part of the Unlimited ComiXology if you have that service.
December 14, 2023
This graphic novel explores some of the backstories of each of the main characters in The Expanse series. It was touching to see the broken lives they had come from and how it shaped them. It also showed a little of what brought Holden, Alex, Amos, and Naomi together on the Canterbury
May 31, 2019
Good writing adds to the backstory of each character. The graphics weren't overly impressive.
February 28, 2021
Quick little background stories of our favorite Expanse characters. They attempt to, and succeed for the most part, explain why they act and think they way they do in the current TV series. I say series and not books because they are artfully drawn to match the actors that play them, but the stories could hold true either way I guess.
March 5, 2019
For some reason, the writing felt better than the art in most of these stories. In fact, the facial expressions were so similar that I actually had to look back and see if I'd lost track of where I was reading. You can tell the male characters apart by their hair color, which is better than nothing, I suppose.
That said, the writing was choppy, but generally very good. There were few real surprises, but the backgrounds fleshed out things we already knew, or sort of knew, about the characters and their personalities. The one I came away feeling sorry for was the pilot, Alex Kamal. That was a gut-kicker of a back story.
This is a book worth reading if you're a fan of the series or its TV adaptation, but isn't absolutely necessary. Good, but not great.
That said, the writing was choppy, but generally very good. There were few real surprises, but the backgrounds fleshed out things we already knew, or sort of knew, about the characters and their personalities. The one I came away feeling sorry for was the pilot, Alex Kamal. That was a gut-kicker of a back story.
This is a book worth reading if you're a fan of the series or its TV adaptation, but isn't absolutely necessary. Good, but not great.
March 1, 2018
This book collects the four issues of The Expanse: Origins featuring the crew of the Rocinante released as digital comics and adds a new story featuring Josephus Miller written by Hallie Lambert and illustrated by Huang Danlan. Set on Ceres, Miller's backstory feels as gritty as the character we get to know in the books and television series. It's only a brief look at his past, but it's compelling. The art is stark, which is fine for this story, but doesn't really align with the scenery in my head when I read the dialogue. Still, this collection is a nice addition to the Expanse saga.
February 23, 2018
This collection provides a fair amount of backstory for The Expanse series proper without significant overlap with the print novellas and includes Detective Miller's story (remember him from the early books?) which doesn't appear to be available as a standalone. Nice art and good (short) stories.
January 5, 2020
It was really nice to see some backstory for these characters. I’m a little disappointed that the way they are drawn does not more closely match their descriptions in print. For example, I was expecting the Belters to have longer limbs than the Earthers. And I thought that I remembered Alex being bald. Maybe these renderings are meant to match the actors in the TV series. I haven’t seen that yet.
July 7, 2020
Five tales for each of the main characters of The Expanse. Set before the books Leviathan Wakes and the series, this tells some of the starting points of each character. Linked more to the show than the books due to the art work, these are all a little bittersweet, like each character is still trying to find home, someone to love, something important. A meaning. The Expanse crew are certainly a mixed bag of individuals, all damaged, all searching and that's very clear in these strips.
I think my favourite is Naomi's tale, which is how she meet Amos, and Amos' story which is really bonkers!
I think my favourite is Naomi's tale, which is how she meet Amos, and Amos' story which is really bonkers!
September 23, 2018
Yikes. These aren't actually written by the dynamic duo, the art is workmanlike and uninspired, and most of the stories feel like they're trying too hard. Totally skippable, even for completists.
May 9, 2021
I went into this thinking the worst.
Comic adaptations don't do it for me. But I liked the art in this one, and I thought the stories showed little glimpses of the characters that I didn't know from the books. Not a lot of meat there, and a little mediocre, but it exceeded expectations.
Comic adaptations don't do it for me. But I liked the art in this one, and I thought the stories showed little glimpses of the characters that I didn't know from the books. Not a lot of meat there, and a little mediocre, but it exceeded expectations.
June 20, 2023
Cute backstories for everyone. Amos and Miller's were the weakest even though they are probably my 2 faves out of the 5 in this collection of origin stories. Still fun to see more of the world. Although this was clearly more based on the show then on the novels because Alex has a kid before the Roci and that's only cannon in the show.
February 18, 2019
Not as great set of stories. Not nearly as satisfying as the books.
June 12, 2020
My review of this book can be found on my Youtube Vlog at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1mXOE...
Enjoy!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1mXOE...
Enjoy!
April 26, 2018
I am been meaning to read these *forever.*
I love that there's so much background in this collection. Seeing where Alex choices came about with his family, leading to the Roci. Seeing how Holden's moral made for a thorny path in the military. Seeing Amos's past even more than his novella, and FINALLY my dreams were answered with getting to see how Naomi and Amos first met/worked into the relationship they are in now.
I love that there's so much background in this collection. Seeing where Alex choices came about with his family, leading to the Roci. Seeing how Holden's moral made for a thorny path in the military. Seeing Amos's past even more than his novella, and FINALLY my dreams were answered with getting to see how Naomi and Amos first met/worked into the relationship they are in now.
April 10, 2018
I loved rereading this!
September 25, 2018
If you're invested in the Expanse series, these origin stories for the main characters are sure to please. They've got the heart and charm of the 600 page novels condensed into a series of (admittedly not super action-packed) short stories. The only real drawback is the unimaginative art, but the solid story-telling more than makes up for it.
March 20, 2019
Now I know a bit of the background stories of four of our fav characters: Holden, Alex and Amos and Naomi. Naomi's and Alex's moved me the most. However, 'The 'Churn' gives a much better account of Amos's previous life on Earth.
March 23, 2018
I enjoyed learning more about the back stories of these characters. Alex Kamal's story is heartbreaking, the others were about what I would have expected. I recommend this for Expanse fans.
January 13, 2024
While I found this to hold my interest, I was hoping for something with a bit more meat. In any case this is an enjoyable addition for the expanding universe of Corey's novels.
July 21, 2020
Great backstory on the crew of the Rocinante and even Detective Miller! Think I love Naomi's the most. I can't get enough of The Expanse universe!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 171 reviews