Halo Graphic Novel [Hardcover]

Don't believe the naysayers. If you enjoy Halo and you have an open mind towards graphic novel storytelling then you will enjoy this book. The guys below obviously have no taste in art nor any taste in storytelling---how can Moebius, Nihei, Bisley, etc. have contibuted terrible art? They are all sought after graphic novel artists. The reviews below seem more reflective of wanting to see this book do badly than actually have real criticisms beyond "this is bad, that is bad, etc." My fave stories in this book was Nihei's and Moebius's. Really strong art and moving story lines. Don't buy the hype just buy the book and enjoy the read. Let the haters hate. Halo will always reign supreme.

As the book is a collection of stories, rather than a single graphic novel, a brief review of each is warranted:

The Last Voyage of the Infinite Succor

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

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

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

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.)

Greetings,

I have only dabbled in the Halo games because I am terrible with modern first person shooters. I decided to buy the Halo graphic novel because I am a fan of comic books and I wanted to know more about the Halo universe.

This book contains four short stories. It also has a brief gallary of artwork.

The stories are OK, but only OK. Not bad. Not great either.

The artwork ranges from delightfully detailed to confusingly jumbled. Several times, I had to stare at a page for several seconds to understand what was happening in the pictures.

A positive note is the fact that people who are unfamiliar with the Halo game stories can read this book. If you are a fan science fiction on a basic level, you should be able to follow the stories. Plus, there are letters from the creators of the stories before or after the narratives.

To be honest, reading the messages from the creators was more entertaining than the comic stories. Think of it like watching a DVD in which the extras are more entertaining than the feature film.

I would have prefered that the Halo graphic novel feature ONE story, like "The Dark Night Returns." This is supposed to be a novel, after all.

The best story is the tale about a reporter and an attack on Earth. If that story had been developed into a fun saga, the Halo graphic novel would have been truly special.

The Halo graphic novel is nice. Is it worth your money?

If you are a diehard Halo fan, buy this book.

If you are not, find a diehard fan and borrow his book.

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