Halo Graphic Novel: Review

Noble Ire · Post by **Noble Ire** » 2006-08-04 12:38am

Well, needless to say, my day was made when a copy of the new Halo Graphic Novel finally made its way to my doorstep. There wasn't very much press or advertising for it (I only heard of it twice; once from the old thread here, and then a distribution announcement I saw on RvB), and its release caught me off guard, but I bought it as soon as I could (and it was a bargain, too; only fifteen dollars on Amazon). Anyways, I just finished the book, and I thought I might put up a short review. For those of you who haven't heard, its a collection of short stories, and I'll lay them out as presented:

The Last Voyage of the Infinite Succor
Lee Hammock and Simon Bisley

This first story, the longest of the group and centerpiece of the book, recounts a mission of a Covenant Spec Ops squad, lead by the Sangheili commander "Half-Jaw" that the player fights alongside in Halo 2. As the Master Chief flees from the newly-released Flood menace on the first Halo, a hijacked Covenant dropship crashes its way into an agricultural ship and proceeds to infect the crew. The Spec Ops squad is dispatched to find out what happened, retake or destroy the ship, and rescue the Prophet who is trapped onboard.

I'm not a big connoisseur of comics, but I do read through them from time to time, and I think I can tell when the artist is into his work. He was here. The art may not be the most realistic, sacrificing clean lines for the gritty and even hideous imagery that derelict corridors and Flood monstrosities entail, but it is very engaging nonetheless. Though Bisley takes some artistic license with Covenant aesthetic and look of the Flood, their essence is preserved. Especially well done are the Sangheili warriors, both while in repose and engaged in blistering death duels with the marauding parasites. And the extensive usage of dual energy swords is a very cool touch, and never overdone.

My only issues with the story was the dialogue early on, which seemed rather clunky, but that cleared up quickly, and the plot was quite easy to follow. The bits of background on the Covenant included and the expansion of the Flood were welcome additions as well.

Armor Testing
Jay Faerber, Ed Lee, and Andrew Robinson

This short depicts, as the name suggests, a field test of the new Mjolnir Mark VI armor Master Chief receives at the beginning of Halo 2, conducted at the Songnam research facility also mentioned in the game. The art used for this story couldn't be more different from that of Infinite Succor, clean, clear lines and vibrant colors, but it suits the more familiar human setting. I really liked the art in this one as well, and the action was depicted well. Indeed, my only problem with Testing is the odd depiction of the Spartan at the center of the tale, and I'm not talking about gender. Nevertheless, it’s an enjoyable read.

Breaking Quarantine
Tsutomu Nikei

Essentially a retecon for a controversial part of the novel First Strike, this piece recounts the unkillable Sgt. Johnson's escape from near-certain doom after Captain Keyes accidentally releases the Flood from stasis. Its short and completely free of dialogue, but both of those factors only heighten the desperate and confused mood the story is trying to convey. A mid-ground between the previous two styles, with a good deal of Japanese influence (the artist is a manga author, after all), I think that this piece had the overall best art of the collection.

Second Sunrise Over New Mombasa
Brett Lewis and Moebius

The last and most original short in the book, Second Sunrise shows the Covenant invasion of Earth from the point of view of a photographer working in ONI's (UNSC Intelligence) propaganda department. The piece follows him as he attempts to balance artistic credibility and the demands of the military (his job is essentially filtering and editing remote news footage of the war to make it seem as though thing aren't going as badly for humanity as they really are), and then his desperate flight through embattled streets as the Covenant descend upon the city. It also contains a brief lead-in, if a rather obvious one, for Halo 3.

As much as I liked the story of this one, I couldn't really get into the art. Although it shifts from place to place, the overall style is very modern, urban-abstract, a artisitic method I've never been very fond of. Nevertheless, it never gets to over-the-top, although it comes close in places. Another small issue I had was with the portrayal of Covenant weaponry and of the soldiers themselves; it didn't really distract, but I think the artist drew a little too much from older Scifi imagery (although the homage to a Martian tripod was neat).

The collection is completed by a gallery of twenty or so stand-alone pieces of art, each from a different artist, among them Craig Mullins. It was an unexpected touch, and really helped fill out the book. Among my favorites was one by Bungie artist Lorraine McLees (who also wrote the foreword), of the Chief surrounded by a truly formidable arsenal of human weaponry.

Overall, the graphic novel is a must buy for any Halo fan, or anyone with a appreciation for high-quality comic artwork. I have high hopes for the future of the franchise (and Bungie proves that it's the best company ever. Again.)

9.5/10

Sharpshooter · Post by **Sharpshooter** » 2006-08-04 12:51am

It's out? Damn, I'd completily forgotten about it@

Majin Gojira · Post by **Majin Gojira** » 2006-08-04 01:05am

The only expination for Armor Testing I can think of is that she's a Spartan I, and not a Spartan II.

But that has quite a few holes in it.

Ford Prefect · Post by **Ford Prefect** » 2006-08-04 03:47am

Of all the stories in the graphic novel, I've wanted to read Breaking Quarantine, because I've got a fondness for the artist and the subject. However, anything featuring Half-Jaw can't be bad, and I like the sound of the art in that.

DPDarkPrimus · Post by **DPDarkPrimus** » 2006-08-04 07:54am

They need to make a print of the picture with the Chief and his arsenal.

I was slightly underwhelmed by the graphic novel, myself.

Laird · Post by **Laird** » 2006-08-04 02:05pm

That's not a HGN, This! is a HGN.

DPDarkPrimus · Post by **DPDarkPrimus** » 2006-08-04 02:24pm

AAAAH, it's signed by Frankie! [/jealous]

Darth Sephiroth · Post by **Darth Sephiroth** » 2006-08-04 02:47pm

So could someone please tell me how Sarge managed to get out alive

Hawkwings · Post by **Hawkwings** » 2006-08-04 03:11pm

you may want to spoilerize this...

Laird · Post by **Laird** » 2006-08-04 06:31pm

Darth Sephiroth wrote:So could someone please tell me how Sarge managed to get out alive

buy the book.

Majin Gojira · Post by **Majin Gojira** » 2006-08-04 09:40pm

I have the book and I still don't quite understand it.

Noble Ire · Post by **Noble Ire** » 2006-08-04 11:05pm

Majin Gojira wrote:I have the book and I still don't quite understand it.

He killed a few Flood, and then ran all of the way to the elevator. I don't see what's not to get. And if you're talking about getting off of Halo period, read First Strike. Essentially, he makes his way to a Pelican which manages to survive the explosion and is rescued by the Chief.

Grasscutter · Post by **Grasscutter** » 2006-08-05 11:09am

DPDarkPrimus wrote:They need to make a print of the picture with the Chief and his arsenal.

I was slightly underwhelmed by the graphic novel, myself.

Especially since the binding process cuts out the entire middle of the illustration

.

The stories were fun, quick reads but nothing memorable. The big selling point for me was the art, which makes me especially sad that the Chief and arsenal spread is impossible to see properly without cracking the spine.

Majin Gojira · Post by **Majin Gojira** » 2006-08-05 11:16am

Noble Ire wrote:
Majin Gojira wrote:I have the book and I still don't quite understand it.

He killed a few Flood, and then ran all of the way to the elevator. I don't see what's not to get. And if you're talking about getting off of Halo period, read First Strike. Essentially, he makes his way to a Pelican which manages to survive the explosion and is rescued by the Chief.

That I got, what I didn't get was that everyone was touting it as an alternate explination (aside from "First Strike") of how he escaped Halo. All it showed was, really, how he escaped a cut scene.

Noble Ire · Post by **Noble Ire** » 2006-08-05 02:51pm

Majin Gojira wrote:
Noble Ire wrote:
Majin Gojira wrote:I have the book and I still don't quite understand it.

He killed a few Flood, and then ran all of the way to the elevator. I don't see what's not to get. And if you're talking about getting off of Halo period, read First Strike. Essentially, he makes his way to a Pelican which manages to survive the explosion and is rescued by the Chief.
That I got, what I didn't get was that everyone was touting it as an alternate explination (aside from "First Strike") of how he escaped Halo. All it showed was, really, how he escaped a cut scene.

You have a point, and I'm not really sure what people were expecting. I guess they just thought that he could have never fought his way away from the infestation by normal means. The simplest explanation does make the most sense here, though; after all, even a normal marine was able to make it part of the way through the Library by himself (as per The Flood).

Majin Gojira · Post by **Majin Gojira** » 2006-08-05 09:10pm

On the other hand, it really emphasized the Flood's "One bite and your hooked" aspect. Shoutout to all All Flesh Must be Eaten players! Woo!

UCBooties · Post by **UCBooties** » 2006-08-07 03:44pm

wait a sec, I thought New Mambossa was the city the covvies invaded at the beginning of Halo 2?

Alyeska · Post by **Alyeska** » 2006-08-07 03:55pm

Link

Cortana sure is good looking.

Netko · Post by **Netko** » 2006-08-07 06:25pm

Alyeska wrote:Link

Cortana sure is good looking.

She always seemed to me to be a Rommie ripoff (the good kind, in season 1, not the atrocities under the same name that came later) in her visual design and even in character a bit. But yeah, hawt (both of them).

Laird · Post by **Laird** » 2006-08-07 07:48pm

mmar wrote:
She always seemed to me to be a Rommie ripoff (the good kind, in season 1, not the atrocities under the same name that came later) in her visual design and even in character a bit. But yeah, hawt (both of them).

The fact that Halo with cortona was still in development about to be released in 1999(the mac version before microsoft bought out bungie and Xboxed it) a full year before Andromeda was aired on TV in 2000. I say your full of crap.

Netko · Post by **Netko** » 2006-08-07 08:19pm

Meh, didn't mean it in that sense. I know they were developed with overlaping development times. The similarities are surprising tho, and they've always made me take Cortana as a sort of Rommie light when I think of the character (yes, yes, I know, it could be easily argued that Rommie is more of a Cortana light with the newer sequels in the picture, but I don't have an XBox so I only played the original Halo, and have only fragmentary info of the later ones - and want to keep it that way until they finaly release Halo 2 on the PC).

But since that particular style and character backstory does it for me, more holographic hot/cool female AIs are good I say!

DPDarkPrimus · Post by **DPDarkPrimus** » 2006-08-09 11:06pm

Majin Gojira wrote:On the other hand, it really emphasized the Flood's "One bite and your hooked" aspect. Shoutout to all All Flesh Must be Eaten players! Woo!

Aye, but remember, according to the novels, Sarge has immunity to the Flood infection, due to some act of BAMFness involving plasma grenades.

Hawkwings · Post by **Hawkwings** » 2006-08-10 12:24am

Well, looking at both First Strike and the HGN...

On page 72, first frame, is an infection form jumping off of Johnson, or maybe the one he pushed off. Certainly could be interpreted as "passed me up", like it says in First Strike, page 47. So, the HGN doesn't *explicitely* retcon First Strike, which means to me at least, that Sarge has still got Flood Regeneration Power!

Darth Sephiroth · Post by **Darth Sephiroth** » 2006-08-10 12:45am

mmar wrote:Meh, didn't mean it in that sense. I know they were developed with overlaping development times. The similarities are surprising tho, and they've always made me take Cortana as a sort of Rommie light when I think of the character (yes, yes, I know, it could be easily argued that Rommie is more of a Cortana light with the newer sequels in the picture, but I don't have an XBox so I only played the original Halo, and have only fragmentary info of the later ones - and want to keep it that way until they finaly release Halo 2 on the PC).

But since that particular style and character backstory does it for me, more holographic hot/cool female AIs are good I say!

Rommies only advantage is her avatar, and Cortana could probably hijack the Andromeda if she got onboard and was so inclined

DesertFly · Post by **DesertFly** » 2006-08-10 02:16am

Darth Sephiroth wrote:Rommies only advantage is her avatar

Ahh, and what an advantage it was. Especially when it came to lonely teenage boys like I once was.