Andrea Speed
January 7th 2005, 03:26 AM
Reviewer: Andrea Speed andy@comixtreme.com
Quick Rating: Good
Title: Trendal's Legacy, Part 1: What Ye Sew ...
In the future, gods are among us - and find themselves at odds with each other.
<a href="http://www.comixtreme.com/gallery/data/media/10/underl1.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.comixtreme.com/gallery/data/thumbnails/10/underl1.jpg"align="left" border="0"> </a>Script: Rick Beckley
Created By: Greg B. Robinson
Pencils: Abdul Rashid
Inks: Greg Robinson
Colors: Bill Keeter & Mike Estlick
Letters: Michael Thomas
Cover Art: Abdul Rashid & Mike Estlick
Publisher: Eidolon Studios
Review: This book is pretty much listed as a science fiction series, but it has a large dollop of fantasy in it, made clear in the beginning. In fact, I’m torn over whether the opening - employing the plot device of having the computer fill in a crewman of past events - is brilliant or something of a cheat. But either way, it gets the opening exposition over pretty quickly, and fills you in on what you need to know, namely there was an ancient war between gods that led to the creation of a special breed called “underlords”, an amalgam of Human beings and resurrected demigod spirits.
Several of these underlords are traveling in a spaceship as this issue begins, a galactic peacekeeping force, including a new recruit who needs the briefing. He’s also the source for a bit more clumsy exposition at the beginning, but that gets over pretty fast, and we’re on to the meat of the story, namely an odd distress signal that brings this ship of underlords to a ravaged and mysterious planet. It is here we get to see some of their powers in action, and the story really picks up at the end, where an old enemy that might be a true threat to these underlords rears its ugly head.
Most first issues suffer a bit from all the story set up, but this one suffers mostly from too many characters at once as opposed to too much exposition; you really don’t get much of a sense of the characters here, not until they go into action. But, having said that, the story does pick up once they get to the planet, and the premise is very intriguing.
The art by Rashid has a sort of neo-manga styling to it, and maybe be just a little too cartoonish at times. But he excels at the action scenes, which do have some spark to them, and you get some sense that he enjoys drawing the underlords naturally shifting armor. He’ll be inking his own work in the next issue, and as the last pages prove (he inks them), he’s more than up to the task. The coloring by Keeter and Estler is quite good, rich and with some good power effects.
Eidolon Entertainment also has a “contest” running, where people can submit a script or art sample for a chance to do a back up story in Underlords. Call it audience participation, but it’s a neat idea, and rules can be found in the back of this issue.
It’s not a bad start, and it’s over just as it’s getting good, leaving you wanting more. There’s a lot of potential here, and I am interested in seeing where this series goes from here. Go to their web site - www.underlords.com - for more details.
Ratings:
Story:http://www.comixtreme.com/reviews/full.jpghttp://www.comixtreme.com/reviews/full.jpghttp://www.comixtreme.com/reviews/full.jpghttp://www.comixtreme.com/reviews/none.jpghttp://www.comixtreme.com/reviews/none.jpg
Art:http://www.comixtreme.com/reviews/full.jpghttp://www.comixtreme.com/reviews/full.jpghttp://www.comixtreme.com/reviews/full.jpghttp://www.comixtreme.com/reviews/half.jpghttp://www.comixtreme.com/reviews/none.jpg
Overall:http://www.comixtreme.com/reviews/full.jpghttp://www.comixtreme.com/reviews/full.jpghttp://www.comixtreme.com/reviews/full.jpghttp://www.comixtreme.com/reviews/none.jpghttp://www.comixtreme.com/reviews/none.jpg
Quick Rating: Good
Title: Trendal's Legacy, Part 1: What Ye Sew ...
In the future, gods are among us - and find themselves at odds with each other.
<a href="http://www.comixtreme.com/gallery/data/media/10/underl1.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.comixtreme.com/gallery/data/thumbnails/10/underl1.jpg"align="left" border="0"> </a>Script: Rick Beckley
Created By: Greg B. Robinson
Pencils: Abdul Rashid
Inks: Greg Robinson
Colors: Bill Keeter & Mike Estlick
Letters: Michael Thomas
Cover Art: Abdul Rashid & Mike Estlick
Publisher: Eidolon Studios
Review: This book is pretty much listed as a science fiction series, but it has a large dollop of fantasy in it, made clear in the beginning. In fact, I’m torn over whether the opening - employing the plot device of having the computer fill in a crewman of past events - is brilliant or something of a cheat. But either way, it gets the opening exposition over pretty quickly, and fills you in on what you need to know, namely there was an ancient war between gods that led to the creation of a special breed called “underlords”, an amalgam of Human beings and resurrected demigod spirits.
Several of these underlords are traveling in a spaceship as this issue begins, a galactic peacekeeping force, including a new recruit who needs the briefing. He’s also the source for a bit more clumsy exposition at the beginning, but that gets over pretty fast, and we’re on to the meat of the story, namely an odd distress signal that brings this ship of underlords to a ravaged and mysterious planet. It is here we get to see some of their powers in action, and the story really picks up at the end, where an old enemy that might be a true threat to these underlords rears its ugly head.
Most first issues suffer a bit from all the story set up, but this one suffers mostly from too many characters at once as opposed to too much exposition; you really don’t get much of a sense of the characters here, not until they go into action. But, having said that, the story does pick up once they get to the planet, and the premise is very intriguing.
The art by Rashid has a sort of neo-manga styling to it, and maybe be just a little too cartoonish at times. But he excels at the action scenes, which do have some spark to them, and you get some sense that he enjoys drawing the underlords naturally shifting armor. He’ll be inking his own work in the next issue, and as the last pages prove (he inks them), he’s more than up to the task. The coloring by Keeter and Estler is quite good, rich and with some good power effects.
Eidolon Entertainment also has a “contest” running, where people can submit a script or art sample for a chance to do a back up story in Underlords. Call it audience participation, but it’s a neat idea, and rules can be found in the back of this issue.
It’s not a bad start, and it’s over just as it’s getting good, leaving you wanting more. There’s a lot of potential here, and I am interested in seeing where this series goes from here. Go to their web site - www.underlords.com - for more details.
Ratings:
Story:http://www.comixtreme.com/reviews/full.jpghttp://www.comixtreme.com/reviews/full.jpghttp://www.comixtreme.com/reviews/full.jpghttp://www.comixtreme.com/reviews/none.jpghttp://www.comixtreme.com/reviews/none.jpg
Art:http://www.comixtreme.com/reviews/full.jpghttp://www.comixtreme.com/reviews/full.jpghttp://www.comixtreme.com/reviews/full.jpghttp://www.comixtreme.com/reviews/half.jpghttp://www.comixtreme.com/reviews/none.jpg
Overall:http://www.comixtreme.com/reviews/full.jpghttp://www.comixtreme.com/reviews/full.jpghttp://www.comixtreme.com/reviews/full.jpghttp://www.comixtreme.com/reviews/none.jpghttp://www.comixtreme.com/reviews/none.jpg