There are new trends going on in comics. Traditional hand drawn sequential art has given way to computer generated art in comics like Elektra. But if you think that the big boys like Marvel have the edge on this style, you thought wrong. It is Image, whose pioneering series Red Star has truly redefined the art of comics.
Red Star is a War Epic, well a loosely based on the Russian invastion of Afghanistan. Imbohl, and evil sorcer and dictator, of the United Republic of the Red Star orders the death of millions of citizens. This massacre brings about a revolution inspired by writings and words of Soviet Avant-Garde whose dreams of Utopia were shattered by Joseph Stalin's regime. Red Star is a prologue to a mystical/spiritual tale where the spirits of those who passed away fight alongside soldiers struggling for victory.
The story opens with the Battle of Kar Dathra's Gate, in Al'Istaan and the Red Star is losing. Maya, a sorceress, who uses her powers to destroy enemy fleets, struggles to find her husband, Marcus, who fights back hordes of enemy troops in a battle doomed from the beginning. Can a spirit save him or is he doomed to Troika, the enemy spirit that looks to claim his soul? As the story progresses, Maya takes part in this struggle with no victory in sight, but as she says, If an army can't find truth or at least hope in their country's propaganda, they will be destroyed. Perfect slaves, these soldiers feel they are free, but are trapped in a hopeless battle with no end in sight. Her countrymen dying all around her, Maya seems to be the only reasonable person who sees that her government only cares about victory and that big weapons mean little in a holy war where strong religious beliefs and powerful spirits defend a land to their death.
Red Star simply stated is a masterpiece. The artwork contains both computer and sketch art combined courtesy of Adobe Photoshop for a unique, surreal look at a war that should have never been fought. Breathtaking landscapes, marvelous weapons and realistic, almost living, breathing characters light up a story that seemed impossible to be fully depicted in a comic sized trade paperback. This four-part story is now available on the big screen in a tabloid sized trade that truly allows the movie quality tale to shine in a big way.
Speaking of big, the price tag may seem a bit steep, but I feel that it is truly worth $24.95. I have never seen a comic book like this before and looking past a fascinating story and awesome style of artwork, the paperback also comes with a DVD version of the series. The DVD contains tons of art, a glossary of terms with info on the characters and the connections to Russia's history, a sketchbook, interviews and even a bibliography for your convenience.
This is the ultimate comic book, and it should be required reading in literature and history classes. Red Star may be a science fiction/fantasy, but the events they depict are all too real and the emotions from each character just sting of honesty in a time where we deal with war, loss and religious conflicts. The end will grab you and leave you wanting even more as we discover that no war has ever ended that did not begin another.
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