The Dilemas of Destiny.
"Many are called, but few are chosen." - from a Parable of Jesus Christ
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The Dilemas of Destiny. "Many are called, but few are chosen." - from a Parable of Jesus Christ |
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by
Maurice
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Buffy, the Vampire Slayer (Dark Horse; ongoing series, color, 32p, $2.95). In every generation, there is a Chosen one. She alone will stand against the vampires, the demons, and the forces of darkness. She is…the Slayer. [TV show intro] Okay, I know the title sounds silly. Yes, the show is targeted to teens, obviously showcasing the latest fashions, slang and rock music. Yes it's dark and violent, and features all a manner of evil creatures and occult ritual. But there's a reason Ken Tucker in Entertainment Weekly chose Buffy as the best TV show of the year, over such notables series as Ally McBeal, NYPD Blue, even ER. And why Matt Roush praised Buffy in a recent TV Guide. Buffy's creator, Josh Whedon, had the audacious conceit to realize that for most of us, high school is hellish experience. Buffy the Vampire Slayer cleverly utilizes traditional horror archetypes like vampires and demons to explore real world teen traumas, both mundane (learning to drive, running for prom queen) and serious (relationship abuse, the difficulty in communicating with adults). Buffy Summers lives in Sunnydale, a nice small town that just happens to be located over a dimensional gateway to Hell. This makes the town a stomping ground for all manner of evil meanies. Buffy is a Chosen one, the latest in a lineage of females entrusted with the responsibility of battling the Dark Forces. She is guided and trained by a Watcher, Giles, an Englishman and scholar of the occult. Unfortunately, Buffy would prefer to shed her slayer responsibilities and just be an ordinary girl. Where other teens her age stress out about looks, clothes, boyfriends, Buffy's concerns include finding time to study amongst her nightly patrols, giving up cheerleading for kung fu lessons, and hiding her slayer activities from her mother. It's a novel premise, which is terrifically executed. The show successfully walks a fine line between humor and horror, drama and farce, satire and serious issues, with nary a misstep. Now Dark Horse is publishing a Buffy comic, which successfully embodies the spirit of the show. I could nit-pick -- the illustrated characters do not resemble their TV counterparts, and Buffy cracks too many jokes while fighting for her life (she's not Spider-Man) -- but it's not fair to compare art from different mediums. If you like Buffy the series, then check out Buffy the comic. It just might slay you (sorry, couldn't resist).
Concrete: Strange Armor - Paul Chadwick (Dark Horse; 5 issues, color, 32p, $2.95). Shattered from a romantic break-up (though it's been over a year), still feeling vulnerable and confused, Ron Lithgow decides to wrap himself in the comforting embrace of nature. But the camping trip he takes with his friend Michael will prove to be much more fateful than any relationship woes. The two are abducted by aliens and imprisoned in a hidden spaceship where they are subjected to torturous experiences that lead to true horror -- their brains are transplanted into bodies of living rock. Eventually they escape their captors, but Michael dies during the attempt. Ron is alone, his body a foreign object, truly the ultimate stranger in a strange land. The saga of Concrete and his search for purpose and a place in the world is one of the most popular series that emerged during the first modern wave of alternative comics. Concrete's story has been told in a variety of mini-series and graphic novels all kept in print by Dark Horse. Now, twelve years after its premiere, creator Paul Chadwick has revisited Concrete's origin and has, er, fleshed out many of the details. We learn more about the cover story concocted to explain his appearance without alarming the populace, that Concrete spent time as a "guest" of the military and was subjected to in-depth examinations, and that he originally supported himself through commercial endorsements and by playing celebrity. And we learn the event that triggered Concrete's decision to discover how he can use his alien form to be of service to others. Concrete is high up on my list of comics for grown-ups. If you are looking for a book with heart and soul, look no further.
Destiny: A Chronicle of Deaths Foretold (DC/Vertigo; 3 issues, color, 48p/$5.95 ea.) The year 2000 came and went and displayed itself on our clocks and computer screens without the technological mayhem anticipated by many. Prophets, futurists and doomsayers alike breathed a sigh of relief. And humankind celebrated the birth of the new millennium. But the celebration was premature. A virus much more deadly than Y2K began to infiltrate again the populations of Earth, striking down the innocent and unsuspecting like an angry hand of God. Experts were at a loss to explain why a new antibiotic resistant strain of bubonic plague should unexpectedly become active. The prophets and doomsayers nodded their heads. And civilization began to unravel. Cities became graveyards, and once-friendly communities turned into ghost towns, as the healthy barricaded themselves from friends and neighbors, desperately hoping that isolation would insure their survival. For Ruth Knight, alone in her country home, the aloneness has become suffocating. So when a polite young man shows up on her doorstep extending a hand of friendship, she throws caution to the wind and allows him to stay. The man, Jack Ryder, claims he's come into possession of a sacred book, a transcription of a mysterious parchment predating the thirteenth century. [It contains] a page purportedly torn from the mythic Book of Destiny. The ancient piece of paper accurately described in detail the coming of the Plague of Justinian, the Black Death, and the Great Plague. And Ryder claims the book also charts the path of the current epidemic, knowledge -- which if true -- could allow one to avoid its deadly impact. Thrice before throughout history, individuals tried to use this knowledge to thwart fate. Could Ruth be more successful? Just who is the mysterious Ryder, and why is he offering her such an opportunity? And most importantly, does she want to know her destiny? Alisa Kwitney's leisurely storytelling effortlessly interweaves past, present and possible future into a seamless, absorbing narrative. The ancient, cryptic character of Destiny makes brief though significant appearances. Neil Gaiman's seven archetypal entities known as the Endless - Death, Dream, Desire, Despair, Delirium, Destruction, and the eldest, Destiny, are some of comic's most fascinating characters. Here's hoping this is the first of an Endless series of mini-series. Highly recommended. ***** The opening of the new Star Wars movie brings forth the following: It's been a Force to reckon with. For decades Star Wars fans have pestered head Jedi George Lucas for a new Star Wars movie. When Lucas announced a few years ago that a new film was indeed in the works, the excitement immediately began building. Internet fan sites started a countdown and posted insider news. A month before the film's May 19 opening date, rabid fans began lining up at select theaters. The blockbuster success of Star Wars, Episode One: The Phantom Menace is a foregone conclusion. What Hollywood is wondering is if the film will do business of 'Titanic" proportions. For ten years, Dark Horse Publishing has helped keep interest alive by releasing a steady stream of Star Wars comics and graphic novels. These stories explore various nooks and crannies of the Star Wars universe, feature established characters from the movies as well as a plethora of newbies, and take place in various time periods. If you're a Star Wars fanatic, the comics are a must read. If you're just a fan, they provide enjoyable escapist reading. Below is a list with brief descriptions of some of the more recent Star Wars comics. May the Force be with you.
Six years after the decisive battle of Endor and the destruction of the Death Star, the fight for freedom continues. Darth Vader may be dead, but a revitalized Empire, directed by a mysterious new leader, strikes anew at the struggling Rebel Alliance. The merciless heirs of Jabba the Hutt have placed a monumental bounty on the heads of Princess Leia and her husband, Han Solo. Massive World Devastators, a new weapon more powerful than the Death Star, ravage entire planets. And rumors abound that Jedi master Luke Skywalker has succumbed to the Dark Side of the Force…
This story is set between The Empire Strikes Back and The Return of the Jedi. Darth Vader wants Luke Skywalker captured alive. But Prince Xizor, a galactic trader, wants Luke dead. And Luke, along with Leia, Chewbacca and the droids want to rescue Han Solo, who's been encased in carbonite and given to Boba Fett, the most notorious mercenary in the galaxy. Find out what happened before our intrepid heroes rescued Han from the slimy Jabba the Hutt. And speaking of slime…
A collection of stories featuring the sleazy slugworm. Jabba loves to cut interesting deals and thrives on intrigue and excitement. Intergalactic crime, political overthrows, slavery, Jabba has his, uh, fingers in it all. But the goods he trades in are the lives of others, and in that business you've got to keep your head -- or you'll lose it permanently.
Four thousand years before Luke Skywalker ascended as the final Jedi, his predecessors wandered throughout the universe. This story focuses on Ulic Qel-Droma and Nomi Sunrider, two young Jedi in training. But their lessons turn into a trial by fire when they have to face the reigning crimelord Great Bogga, a Hutt who has killed one of the universe's most powerful Jedi masters.
In the depths of space, a foolish, arrogant young Jedi awakens an ancient, deadly power. This seductive evil will beckon him down a fateful path that will make him a Dark Lord of the Sith, and his power will make galaxies tremble in fear. This storyline continues in The Sith War, Fall of the Sith Empire, and The Golden Age of the Sith.
A relentless blitz of Empire propaganda wants to convince everyone that the Battle of Endor was never fought. But Wedge Antilles and his Squadron comrades know the truth, that many of their friends gave their lives to destroy the second Death Star. They're determined that the Truth will be revealed. The X-Wing Rogue Squadron series focuses on military strategy and aerial combat. Other X-Wing graphic novels include Battleground: Tatooine (the race is on to find a cache of hidden military weapons), Requiem for a Rogue (a simple search and rescue mission turns deadly), and In The Empire's Service (the Rogue Squadron squares off against the Empire's elite Fighter Division).
This story is set between the first and second movies. The destruction of the first Death Star has dealt a critical blow against the evil Empire. Darth Vader barely escaped, and the dark lord is consumed with desire to find the pilot who fired the fatal shot, and who resonates so strongly with the Force… Other Star Wars comics available include graphic novel adaptations of all three previous movies; an ongoing Japanese manga-style comic; trade paperback collections of the Star Wars newspaper comic strip; a Droids graphic novel series featuring the comic misadventures of R2D2 and C-3P0; solo comics and a collection starring Boba Fett the bounty hunter; a series of illustrated graphic story albums; a number of pop-up comic books; a new ongoing monthly Star Wars comic; and both a mini-series and graphic novel adaptation of the new movie The Phantom Menace. Of course this doesn't include the tidal wave of tie-ins (fiction books, magazines, toys, model kits, clothing, fast-food promotions, yada yada.) Perhaps the next movie should be called Star Wars: Commercial Overkill. Next ArticleReturn to This Month's Index
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