Everything old is new again.
There are a lot of books out there that start with a good idea that lasts through the first arc, then perhaps the second, and suddenly the characters lose cohesion. They make decisions that change them fundamentally, or they ignore their credo to create new tension in ideas that maybe don’t fit with the original message. This doesn’t happen all the time, but we’ve all read enough books that have gone that way, and it happens in television ALL the time (American TV especially, British shows tend to end with people wanting more, which can be a good thing.). Steven Prince has created a series that lives, breathes, and lets go in an organically complete way. His story is only as long as it’s needed to be to tell it, and he has the confidence to leave it whole in our hands.
Prince shows us why it’s so refreshing to have something completely creator controlled in the current environment of mega-budget, mainstream movies and supersized publishing companies. His story has a unique perspective on the world, and his voice is never hard to identify within the narrative. He makes his feelings about the world very clear, and though this tale takes place in a faraway galaxy, the commentary on our world is easy to identify. What’s interesting, though, is that there is a definite opinion on the institutions he shows us; it doesn’t feel like a heavy handed bashing of them (which is impressive given that he delves into religion and high level politics), not as a whole at least. There’s no mistaking where individuals fall on the good/not-so-good spectrum.
I love the simplicity of the artwork throughout the series, and there’s a definite maturing of it as the books continue. The use of black and white becomes the style as the Three are exemplified by a white, black, and gray ball. Not only does this keep the look streamlined and easy to follow, but it also has major thematic contributions throughout, especially the ending. There’s a subtle nuance to the images, and it makes what seems like a simple, black-and-white panel hold such a large amount of the basic themes of the entire series. The ending will have you jumping back to the beginning to find all of these little treats, and I promise it’s a whole lot more fun the second time around.
The Third series is for anyone who likes sci-fi action with a little philosophy, like The Matrix (though significantly more subtle), or those who just enjoy a pair of rebels turning their backs on the world. Steven Prince has some cool things to say, and I liked what I heard.
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