Pacific Rim: Tales From Year Zero HCPublisher: Legendary Comics
Release Date: July 2013
Price: $24.99
Creators: Travis Beacham (writer), and various (artists)
Format: 112 pgs., Full Color, 7" x 10-1/2" Hardcover
ISBN: 9-780-7851-5394-8
Age Rating: N/A
ICv2 Rating: 4 Stars out of 5
Beacham wrote the screenplay for Pacific Rim, and has included a number of valuable pieces of plot in this graphic novel, a prequel to the film. The huge art crew turned in work that was good, but not great, with five different pencillers, four inkers and three colorists working on this short book.
At more than 20 cents a page, it really is a bit pricey for the size and scope of the work, with several pages devoted to the making of the book.
On the other hand, the graphic novel itself is good and well-paced, and shows that at least the screenwriter thought out the answers to some of the questions about the story and the world, showing that he may have done some good world-building in the film. Oddly, some of the information in the graphic novel seems crucial to understanding the film, and it will be interesting to see how it is conveyed to those who have NOT read the book.
"Kaiju" monsters in the tradition of Japanese movies slugging it out with human-operated giant robots, AND with explanations that make it all make sense. This will have an audience, but some will consider it over-priced, and it's already being pirated on the net.
Violence and partial nudity will put this in the hands of teens and up, but the movie is rated as PG-13, so that makes sense.
--Nick Smith: Librarian Technician, Community Services, for the Pasadena Public Library in California.
