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Xeno's Arrow © 2001 Radio Comix
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Xeno's
Arrow
Review
by: Trey
Stone
Publisher:
Radio
Comix
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Freewheeling
Space Opera, Or Social Satire
Science
fiction is one of those genres little touched in modern comicdom.
Despite the cranky old man aspects of his rants, Warren Ellis
is correct in saying that comics are heavily weighted towards
the superhero end of things. This is unfortunate, in that
you have to dig for stuff in the other genres. More often
than not, they are put out by independent studios who are
often more daring and show more love in the writing than the
big boys. Diamond does not hype them in its catalogue. But
on the other hand, if you see something interesting, take
a chance on it and it's good, you have journeyed into undiscovered
territory, you hip reader, you. You are on the cutting edge.
Science
fiction does have a little representation in comic books.
The biggest example running at this time is Warren Ellis's
own William Gibson meets Hunter S. Thompson tale, Transmetropolitan,
published by DC/Vertigo. To go further into science fiction,
you have Sirius's Wandering Star, now available in
trade. Science Fiction of a more whimsical feel, Alice
in Wonderland meets Star Wars, is Sirius's Akiko.
Going even more indie, there is the currently on hiatus due
to arrival of new family kick ass space opera, Galaxion.
I'll be writing reviews of Akiko and Galaxion
later.
For
now, the subject of today's review is Xeno's Arrow,
from Cup O' Tea Studios, www.xenosarrow.com.
The publisher is Radio Comix.
The
hero of our story is young Xeno, an adolescent male of an
undetermined alien race (he is blue-skinned, oval-headed,
with skinny arms longer than even skinnier legs). He is a
"ward" of the Intergalactic Civilization, and a guest in what
could be described as a "zoo", a station where the I.C. keeps
sentients deemed barbaric. They are "educated" in the ways
of Civilization (as the I.C. defines it) until they and their
races are judged fit to join.
Xeno
is the only known member of his species, as he was the only
member found on a derelict starship. And he remembers nothing
about his people, because he was only an infant, in cryogenic
freeze. He has the heart of an explorer and is constantly
studying, living for the day he can join the I.C. Exploration
Fleet as a Navigator and go looking for his people. The Zookeeper,
the man/lizard in charge of the station, has taken a personal,
almost fatherly, interest in his case. He seems to lightly
support, but subtly downplay Xeno's curiousity. Curiousity
is subtly discouraged in the I.C.
Xeno
runs into trouble when he begins encountering other wards
in the Zoo. These run the gamut from Clemens, a rebel and
malcontent who refuses to stay in her cell and looks like
a large opossum, to Z'nyd'n, who is some kind of snail in
an exosuit, and is of an extremely nervous disposition, to
Okiris, who is a female bird-looking alien and very sarcastic
and abrupt in personality, to finally "Captain" Kobb, who
is seemingly of the same reptilian race that the I.C.governorship
is, is apparently some kind of rebel, and a bit of a nut.
In a building conspiracy that Xeno (because of his affinity
for interstellar navigation) was the last piece, this motley
crew steals a starship with a loopy A.I., and with a swarm
of Flutters (chatty butterflies apparently composed of light,
tagging along because this is all oh so exciting), and escape
from the Zoo.
And
thus completes issue ten, book one of Xeno's Arrow.
Book two is now underway, with the hapless crew of this ship
trying to figure out how to operate it, evade pursuit, resupply,
and figure out where they are going to go and what they are
going to do next. And along the way, we will examine conservative,
censorship-oriented governments, oppressive big and corrupt
(is there any other kind?) corporations, crass, mindless commercialism,
noisy, empty media, and the meaning of what it means to be
civilized, to be sentient. And we'll be having a good time
the whole while.
A
great, smart space opera, that is fun and asks the deep question
at the same time. Greg Beettam, one of the writers, has admitted
to being a Babylon 5 fan, and like B5, this story takes it's
time in developing. But it is necessary, interesting, and
it pays off. He also draws the book, and gives it a quirky
look, simple, yet expressive. He and his writing partner,
Stephen Geigen-Miller, have a great science fiction tale building
here. Get on board and take the journey.
Four
bananas. Stoney says check it out.
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