Publisher: Titan Comics
Release Date: December 2017
MSRP: $19.99
Creators: Joe Haldeman, writer, with Marvano, artist
Format: Trade paperback, 6.8 x 10.2 inches, 144 pages, color
ISBN: 978-1785860898
Age Rating: not listed by publisher
ICv2 Rating: 3.5 Stars out of 5
This adaptation came out in France in 1990, and is a very good attempt to do a short adaptation of Haldeman’s classic SF novel. Unfortunately, the low page count causes the story to feel rushed and incomplete, even though each individual page is beautifully illustrated, and each individual scene is well-told.
As a result of this, readers already familiar with the novel may be disappointed by the adaptation, but those who have not read it yet may find it to be an intriguing introduction to Haldeman’s universe. It’s a philosophical war story, sort of a reply to Heinlein’s Starship Troopers.
The basic premise of the story is that mankind’s first contact with aliens goes very badly, and war ensues. As the war develops, relativistic effects create a situation where the soldiers in that interstellar war quickly get out of synch with the rest of the universe. The war itself is a peculiar one in which humans don’t even know who they’re fighting at first. The story is thought-provoking and interesting, even in this abridged form, but it’s a bit like a Classics Illustrated version of a long novel…good, but it could have been better at a higher page count.
Suitable for adults and older teens, due to the nature of the story and its style.
--Nick Smith: Library Technician, Community Services, for the Pasadena Public Library in California.