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Orbital #3
Nomads
Caleb and Mezole are on Earth for celebrations to mark the end of the Human-Sandjarr wars. When an incident occurs between Malaysian fishermen and nomadic alien species they are brought in to investigate and act as negotiators.
56 pages, Paperback
First published August 21, 2009
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
July 7, 2017
Review for vol 3 and 4.
It's still a great story that flawlessly goes on and art is fantastic. More intrigue and more adventures for Caleb and Mezoke. More amazing (and creepy) aliens. However, I miss humor, again...
It's still a great story that flawlessly goes on and art is fantastic. More intrigue and more adventures for Caleb and Mezoke. More amazing (and creepy) aliens. However, I miss humor, again...
June 25, 2020
And so the march through Orbital continues (although they are not exactly huge books). Another full read and you can see that the story is starting to develop - only in size but in complexity. The story is now settling in for the long run.
I just cannot get over how creative the art work is and so crisp and clear I was looking at some of the scenes and honestly how long does something like that take to create - skill and patience now that is something to wish I had.
Well I didnt have to wait too long at all - it seems that the next edition had been delivered to me it just got scooped up with a load of other mail and flyers and left on the side - see these books are just too thin they need more substance (or preferably pages) so I do not do this again - although I have some of ordered all the other books in one go.
Well the events of the first two books have now subsided though very much still present - there are no other issues a foot - but are they unique and separate or are there larger stories afoot. I can say now (as I hope this does not class as a spoiler) but from book 1 to 2 there was a cliff hanger - now with things resolved there we move on to book 3 and it seems we are following the same trend.
Something new is happening and it does not bode well - however as this book draws to a close you realise that we have another cliff hanger. Well this time I came prepared and hopefully I will not be waiting so long this time (although I guess technically I was the one at fault).
What I can say is that the art and the story are just as crisp as before and this time I did not feel I could second guess or predict where it was all going. This book is edging towards a full 5 stars the question is where will that put the next instalment.
I just cannot get over how creative the art work is and so crisp and clear I was looking at some of the scenes and honestly how long does something like that take to create - skill and patience now that is something to wish I had.
Well I didnt have to wait too long at all - it seems that the next edition had been delivered to me it just got scooped up with a load of other mail and flyers and left on the side - see these books are just too thin they need more substance (or preferably pages) so I do not do this again - although I have some of ordered all the other books in one go.
Well the events of the first two books have now subsided though very much still present - there are no other issues a foot - but are they unique and separate or are there larger stories afoot. I can say now (as I hope this does not class as a spoiler) but from book 1 to 2 there was a cliff hanger - now with things resolved there we move on to book 3 and it seems we are following the same trend.
Something new is happening and it does not bode well - however as this book draws to a close you realise that we have another cliff hanger. Well this time I came prepared and hopefully I will not be waiting so long this time (although I guess technically I was the one at fault).
What I can say is that the art and the story are just as crisp as before and this time I did not feel I could second guess or predict where it was all going. This book is edging towards a full 5 stars the question is where will that put the next instalment.
August 7, 2022
A group of nomadic aliens with customs that are strange to humans arrives on Earth. At the same time, mysterious killings start happening. Locals are quick to blame the recently arrived aliens for the killings, so tempers flare. The art is beautiful and the world building is very satisfying. Volume 3 sets up the mystery and volume 4 brings it to its climax and conclusion, so it's best to get both volume 3 and 4 together.
July 31, 2020
I was already a dedicated fan of "Cinebooks" (a company that translates and publishes French comics into English) when Orbital appeared - a sort of magical combination of both Mass Effect and Fifth Element. The third volume (actually the first half of a slightly chunkier second volume in the original French) details the attempts of our leads Caleb and Mezoke as they try to keep the peace during a diplomatic visit on Earth whilst dealing with the demons of their own respective pasts. It's a slim volume and certainly feels truncated -but the story is still as riveting and nuanced as the first two books.
The real draw here is the superb artwork of Serge Pelle - for the French comics are pure art and almost every single panel in the book could stand alone as a stunning picture. His vivid mixture of expressive characters and densely detailed locations is gorgeous to me. I love how it feels both very deftly digital and extremely physical all at once. I'm particularly drawn to his muted palettes and I love how each and every scene has its own atmosphere at play. The only negativity in Orbital at all for me lies in the rather stiff and clumsy lettering which is credited to "imadjinn" frequently it is hard to tell who is speaking and particularly the boxes and their tales occasionally don't quite match what's happening on the page. Perhaps I'm used to a more intrusive form of lettering but rather than enhancing the story the stout rectangles of dialogue frequently trip it up.
On the whole though, Orbital is a lovely and really underrated chunk of sci-fi comics and it made me deeply miss the heady days of selling at comic conventions and the enormous hole visiting the Cinebooks table would leave in my profits.
The real draw here is the superb artwork of Serge Pelle - for the French comics are pure art and almost every single panel in the book could stand alone as a stunning picture. His vivid mixture of expressive characters and densely detailed locations is gorgeous to me. I love how it feels both very deftly digital and extremely physical all at once. I'm particularly drawn to his muted palettes and I love how each and every scene has its own atmosphere at play. The only negativity in Orbital at all for me lies in the rather stiff and clumsy lettering which is credited to "imadjinn" frequently it is hard to tell who is speaking and particularly the boxes and their tales occasionally don't quite match what's happening on the page. Perhaps I'm used to a more intrusive form of lettering but rather than enhancing the story the stout rectangles of dialogue frequently trip it up.
On the whole though, Orbital is a lovely and really underrated chunk of sci-fi comics and it made me deeply miss the heady days of selling at comic conventions and the enormous hole visiting the Cinebooks table would leave in my profits.
August 16, 2011
(This is a combined review of Orbital, Vol. 3: Nomads and
Orbital, Vol. 4: Ravages
)
Just prior to the celebrations marking the end of the Human-Sandjarr wars, an incident occurs between Malaysian fisherman and the nomadic alien species Rapakhun. The Human Caleb and Sandjarr Mezoke, security heads for the big event, must defuse the tense situation before it shatters the newly found peace. Though this story encompasses volumes 3 and 4 of the Orbital series, no prior knowledge of the previous books is required to enjoy this exciting tale. Pellé's delicate, Euro-art shines with its simplicity. He focuses on the important details, choosing to center on the story rather than showcasing his prodigious talents. Runberg clearly and intelligently details the complex alien interactions, while never talking down to his audience. Orbital delivers the all-too-rare comics combination of humanist and alien encounter fiction wrapped in a package of beauty and quality.
Just prior to the celebrations marking the end of the Human-Sandjarr wars, an incident occurs between Malaysian fisherman and the nomadic alien species Rapakhun. The Human Caleb and Sandjarr Mezoke, security heads for the big event, must defuse the tense situation before it shatters the newly found peace. Though this story encompasses volumes 3 and 4 of the Orbital series, no prior knowledge of the previous books is required to enjoy this exciting tale. Pellé's delicate, Euro-art shines with its simplicity. He focuses on the important details, choosing to center on the story rather than showcasing his prodigious talents. Runberg clearly and intelligently details the complex alien interactions, while never talking down to his audience. Orbital delivers the all-too-rare comics combination of humanist and alien encounter fiction wrapped in a package of beauty and quality.
August 14, 2022
This third episode of the series is the last one on Kindle Unlimited as far as I can tell.
It’s a good continuation, with a complex story where there are no villains nor good guys. Our protagonists are both shown to have messy, dubious pasts that impact their present. Once again this seems to be the opener to a two-parter or a longer arc. The art remains highly imaginative.
The pace of this episode is slower than the previous two, less reliant on frantic action. It’s an improvement, I find, although there’s less content in this episode, and the stakes are for the moment deceptively low.
I don’t think this episode does enough to make me purchase the instalments that are not on KU. If anything, I’ll look out for hard copies in French.
It’s a good continuation, with a complex story where there are no villains nor good guys. Our protagonists are both shown to have messy, dubious pasts that impact their present. Once again this seems to be the opener to a two-parter or a longer arc. The art remains highly imaginative.
The pace of this episode is slower than the previous two, less reliant on frantic action. It’s an improvement, I find, although there’s less content in this episode, and the stakes are for the moment deceptively low.
I don’t think this episode does enough to make me purchase the instalments that are not on KU. If anything, I’ll look out for hard copies in French.
November 8, 2022
(4 of 5 for the very next, very same but different adventure of our "agent" duo)
The first story, two volumes long, swings to another, which is split too. In this book, we have the first part which honours the principles of the previous story. Backstage plays, manipulating, sabotages. Same principles, a different feel. Which is good. Orbital has the right tempo and thrilling and intriguing content. I enjoy it quite a lot even if it felt more like "Valerian" sci-fi than "Star Trek" one and later I started to like less fantasy in my fantasy and more sci-fi in my sci-fi.
The first story, two volumes long, swings to another, which is split too. In this book, we have the first part which honours the principles of the previous story. Backstage plays, manipulating, sabotages. Same principles, a different feel. Which is good. Orbital has the right tempo and thrilling and intriguing content. I enjoy it quite a lot even if it felt more like "Valerian" sci-fi than "Star Trek" one and later I started to like less fantasy in my fantasy and more sci-fi in my sci-fi.
February 10, 2020
I am still enjoying the art and the story in the third volume. The action and the overarching theme of xenophobia and integration mesh well and the characters and world continue to develop.
I wish volume 4 was on kindle unlimited. I might buy it, but there are so many free alternatives already on my reading list that I will probably wait.
I wish volume 4 was on kindle unlimited. I might buy it, but there are so many free alternatives already on my reading list that I will probably wait.
September 4, 2018
Great art as always, and I like this story better than the previous one.
February 29, 2020
Great
Loved it. Finally great artwork and a compelling story in the same tome is a rare gem these days. Reminds me of the Valerian comics.
Loved it. Finally great artwork and a compelling story in the same tome is a rare gem these days. Reminds me of the Valerian comics.
June 4, 2024
Another cracking instalment. Usual bobbins but really well done.
May 14, 2015
Great graphic novel by Belgians. Some of the original Dutch words can still be found in the pictures,church is cool. Wonderful detailed art. Seems strange that everyone, okay, every other person ,smokes in this, but it might be a product of the upbringing of the artist. I am a little upset with my local library...they have the first three of this set but not the fourth even though it was printed several years ago.
March 26, 2024
First part of another two-parter, so it's hard to judge it on its own, but it's an intriguing set-up -- alien nomads, having settled on earth, are suspected of messing with fishermen. Meanwhile there's a ceremony normalizing relations between humans and Sandjarrs that Mezoke isn't all that happy about. There are also a few references to the previous adventure, meaning that the dangling threads haven't been forgotten. We'll see how Book 4 resolves all this.
April 2, 2013
Continuing the story I began a couple of years ago; I'm so glad this showed up translated from the French. The art is simply gorgeous, and the worldbuilding is great; this case file (also in vol 4) was a little weak, but Orbital is such a pleasure to read I can't ding it for anything. Looking forward to more.
February 25, 2015
Truly amazing story telling, space opera, interesting sub-plots and wonderfully detailed art. It is also important that it is not mandatory to remember or know the previous parts of the saga. Main plot is very interesting and keeps you nailed to your seat until the very last page. Can't wait until I get my hands on the next and final chapter.
January 17, 2014
From the rather awesome foundations of the opening two volumes (or first mission), the Orbital series continues to develop. It moves in its own way, and those who like their space opera or comic books predictable are in for a surprise. There are some very likable elements to this, pick it up and enjoy.
January 23, 2012
Excellent.
April 27, 2015
Addictive and beautiful.
December 8, 2016
приємно візуалізована і досить цікаво розказана як на комікс оповідка… беруся до четвертої частини основної історії (всього п'ять, здається).
August 10, 2017
Review up tomorrow!
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews