Tales of Honor #2 (Image Comics-Top Cow, 2014)

Continuing a five-issue adaptation of On Basilisk Station, by David Weber.

There's not a whole lot I can say about this second issue that I didn't say about the first [LINK]. My overall assessment remains the same, that it holds up very well as a graphic novel adaptation of the introductory volume to David Weber's ever-expanding Honorverse, told through the memories of the main character, Honor Harrington, looking back on her first starship command from captivity and probable execution as a war criminal. I will emphasise that script-writer Matt Hawkins seems to know the Honorverse like the back of his hand and by this narrative device provides a unique perspective that makes this a refreshingly original version of a story I've read and reread in Weber's original prose. It is not simply a straight illustrated retelling of the original “tale of Honor,” but manages to be something that both contributes to this longtime aficionado’s appreciation of the Honorverse and is, in my opinion, accessible to someone unfamiliar with the world and characters. I hope there are comics fans who will be turned on to the novels by this new presentation, although I've seen no sales data and have no idea how these first couple of issues have done. My hope is, very well.

Tales of Honor #1 (Image Comics-Top Cow, 2014)

Cover D by Patrick Tatopoulos
It's actually wrap-around.

Beginning a five-issue adaptation of On Basilisk Station, by David Weber.

Especially in this day and age, when comics projects are spoiled months in advance even of the product's solicitation in Previews and are old news by the time they actually see the light of day (the Internet is a wonderful thing … but not in this respect), having something as near to my heart as this is come onto my radar with only a few weeks' warning (see my post of 17 January [LINK]) is virtually inconceivable. Were I among those privileged to attend larger conventions, or even a more assiduous reader of the Weber'verse fora, doubtless I would have known longer, but as far as I can tell those not within those circles knew little or nothing about the entire multimedia enterprise overseen by Evergreen Studios to bring the tales of Honor Harrington to the wider world through comics, gaming, and film until the appearance of the January Previews and more specifically the issuance of the press release of 14 January [LINK]. My own post linked above describes my immediate enthusiasm for the prospect. Now, after an amazingly short period of anticipation, the first issue is here. How well does it hold up? Does it meet my expectations?

The answers to those questions are, in short, Very well, and Yes, for the most part. Here's a short discussion of the issue, which I would definitely recommend to anyone looking for an introduction to the Honorverse in particular or to a well-executed fairly “hard” military sci-fi comic – or just a darn fine comic book story – in general. As I write the second part of that – “a well-executed fairly 'hard' military sci-fi comic” – it occurs to me that the Dark Horse Star Wars comics franchise (albeit a bit more in the realm of "sci-fantasy") is about to be a thing of the past, and while I don't read much of it at all I know there are many who do, and perhaps an Image Comics Honorverse franchise could fill a void that I'm skeptical corporate Disney/Marvel will be able to.

Quick Hits

Sometimes I read or watch things quicker than I have time – or motivation, or perhaps even focus – to sit down and do a full blog post. Nothing against whatever those items are. I feel a compulsion to blog something for virtually everything, but I don't want this to turn into a barrage of short posts. Hence periodic “Quick Hits.”

Marvel Tales by Alan Davis (Marvel 2012)

This is a collection of various recent works for Marvel Comics done by Alan Davis, who is one of my favorite artists. His style I would characterize as a combination of Neal Adams and John Byrne, with a dash of elegant smoothness of line all his own. Here we find three annuals from 2012 – Fantastic Four Annual #33, Daredevil Annual #1, and Wolverine Annual #1, along with a Thor special from a few years back, Thor: Truth of History. The three annuals actually form a single story arc although each can be read on its own, and tie into one of my favorite properties created by Davis, ClanDestine, a half-djinn English family/reluctant super-team. I like team books; I like family sagas; I love England – ClanDestine is a natural for me. In these stories we learn more about the “black sheep” of the group, Vincent Destine, whose history and fate always hung over the original 1990s series and a subsequent 2000s mini-series like a pall. I'm not sure how the Thor special fits in, although there is one minor character who also appears in the Daredevil Annual. Probably it's more that it was another work by Davis that could be thrown in to make a decent-sized collection. I'm not complaining; anything by Davis is good with me, and this story has its own special charm, presenting a secret history of the Sphinx as well as hilarious miscommunications between Thor and the Warriors Three and denizens of ancient Egypt.