World Famous Comics: Wasteland Book 1: Cities In Dust
Wasteland Book 1: Cities In Dust
By: Antony Johnston Publisher: Oni Press Average Rating: Binding: Paperback Label: Oni Press Number of Items: 1 Number of Pages: 160 Publication Date: April 25, 2007
Product Description: A hundred years after the Big Wet, Earth has been left a broken, infertile world of rock and sand. The town of Providens is like many others on the post-Big Wet planet - small, mostly illiterate and struggling for survival. But while most communities are like Providens, not all the cities that survived the Big Wet are. Some are like Newbegin, burgeoning metropolises that combine pieces of past societies with the new status quo. When Providens welcomes a stranger named Michael into its midst, will the quiet man lead them to the better world of Newbegin or shatter what little order still exists?
Good start Keeping it short so as not to repeat things, this is a post-apocalyptic story, occurring a bit over 100 years after the war that destroyed most of civilization as we know it. There are the traditional elements of desert-like landscape, survival in harsh conditions, "Mad Max-esque" technology, and mutated beings that either a) look really ugly and are bestial or b) have special abilities.
One has to remember that this is just book one in a series. So far it looks like there will be decent character development and an interesting storyline. I look forward to seeing where this is all going to go. I also hope that we find out more about The Big Wet, the event that destroyed everything.
The art is greyscale and done well, though some characters start to look alike, and it's kind of low contrast where I personally tend to like higher contrast in my black/white graphic novels.
One element that stood out to me is the cultures of the people in the book - particularly their speech patterns. Its done well and isn't cheezy. Also nice to have a strong (so far a main character) female character.
The book is not a stand-alone read, no element is self-contained so it reads like a first chapter to a much larger story. I look forward to future releases.
EDIT TO ADD: I have since read the second volume and want to confirm that the story does indeed flesh out and become more involved. The plot and characters really start to become more defined and the tale itself is beginning to elevate to a more epic level, but at a measured pace. I am pleased with the way the story is unfolding and look forward to future volumes.
What is the Big Wet? The world as we know it drowned. One hundred years later the Earth is still poisonous. There are no clouds, there are no birds, and there are no trees. There are, however, mutated monsters living in the dead cities and infesting the desert like vermin. And people are just trying to survive.
We meet Michael, a loner who walks the wastes, and has been doing so for a very long time (which, in a world that can kill you in a hundred different ways, is saying something). And we meet Abi, Sheriff of Providens, who cares about her people, possibly more than she can afford to.
When the town of Providens is ransacked by Sand-Eaters, the survivors must trek to the city of Newbegin. The desert alone is tough, but Sand-Eaters and "wulves" make it tougher. When a caravan comes along, the travelling is easier, but the company is questionable. And in the town of Newbegin itself, the ruling council is looking more and more unfavorably against the new Sun-Singer religion, a religion which everyone from Providens belongs to.
This series is written by Anthony Johnston and illustrated Christopher Mitten, both Oni Press regulars. This volume collects the first six issues of the monthly series.
Yes it's another post-apocalyptic story. But it's well executed. The story is character driven, and those characters are interesting. What little we know of the history is told by the Sun-Singer priest as a fireside fable. (And on the website www.thebigwet.com) The art is stylized and dynamic. The action is intense and even scary at times.
There are a few weak points where the story doesn't quite track, like lots and lots of mutants attacking but the battle seeems to end too quickly, and some of the minor characters look similar so it's tough to follow who's talking. But these problems are few and far between.
Overall this is a great beginning and I will definately be buying the next volume.
Anything Goes Trivia
Megaton Man
Tailipoe
Trevor
