Nexus Archives, Vol. 1

Nexus Archives #1

by Mike Baron, Steve Rude

On the distant moon of Ylum, an enigmatic man is plagued by nightmares. He is forced to dream of the past. He dreams of real-life butchers and tyrants, and what they have done. And then he finds them, and kills them. The year is 2841, and this man is Nexus, a godlike figure who acts as judge, jury, and executioner for the vile criminals who appear in his dreams. He claims to kill in self-defense, but why? Where do the visions come from, and where did he get his powers? Though a hero to many, does he have any real moral code? These are but some of the questions that reporter Sundra Peale hopes to have answered.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Science Fiction, Comic Book, Superheroes, Fiction, Fantasy

216 pages, Hardcover

First published July 1, 2007

Reviews

[Pat the Book Goblin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow! This was great! I wouldn’t call Nexus a hero but an antihero. Honestly, I like antiheroes better anyway. I loved the story, the characters were fun and interesting, so much depth, and the artwork was great! I’m excited to read the rest!!!

[Malum · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun in places, but it focuses too much on Nexus's personal life and not enough on fun space action. We get a few panels and Nexus blasting people and then countless pages of him sitting around in his base being enigmatic.

[ComicNerdSam · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really didn't expect to enjoy the hell out of this like I did. The art by Rude is so slick that your eyes slide across the pages with ease, and Baron's writing is really passionate without being overbearing. Really great bit of 80's space opera.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series is, hands down, the best super-hero series of all time. Steve Rude, who was already among the best in the business even in these early stories (which are downright rough by his standards), is one of the top 2 to 3 comic book illustrators of all time. He's staggeringly versatile with his style, relentlessly creative with page layouts, and simply unable to cheat his readers. His linework is painfully gorgeous, and the level of detail in his pages is George Perezian.

Mike Baron is pushed by Rude's creative input and artwork, to consistently produce what is, by far, the best work of his career in Nexus. Outlandish sci-fi concepts act as laser-like metaphors for the modern world, and morality is never black or white. Even our hero Horatio makes dubious choices.
But that's why Nexus succeeds. It doesn't offer platitudes or preserve a status quo. It's escapism that still expects the reader to bring a worldview and moral expectation to the story, although it leaves room for the reader to interpret the story based on their own particular vantage point.

Have I sucked up enough yet? Because, seriously, Nexus is that damn good.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
I picked up a couple new Nexus projects in the last year or two, but haven't found time to read them yet - Kickstartered projects, one each by Baron and Rude - so I thought a reread of the entire series was justified before starting the new books. While Rude's art shows plenty of promise, it's almost raw compared to his eventual brilliance. Baron's scripts are strong from the start - it's amazing that everything is in place right from the start.

[Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Back to where it all began. I first read these stories upon their release. I have the comics in storage, and probably haven't reread them in 20 years. That said, I still remembered some of the script and the panels when I read this collection last night. "I owned a bike factory. All my employees had a piece of the action." Great comic, just one of the best.

How good you ask? Alan Moore liberally "borrowed" from Baron in writing Watchmen. Moore lifted the relationship between Nexus and Sundra and directly plastered it on the early Doctor Manhattan-Silk Spectre romance. The creating of a structure on the moon is a straight lift from Nexus to Watchmen.

Rude is still getting his chops, but one can see his growth as an artist issue to issue. Each issue has at least one "wow" panel.

Baron's writing is entertaining and clever. There is a sense of refreshment in the script, as it's unlike anything else I've read, and that was especially true circa 1981.

I also like the Gulacy covers which are in this book as full pages. Those first covers did help create the comic's tone for me as the reader.

Dark Horse did a tremendous job on the book taken as an object, great production values and product design.

[Shannon Appelcline · Rating 5 out of 5]

Black & White Issues (1-3). I'm quite impressed that Nexus' greatness is right here, from the first three issues. We get Horatio's tragic past and his morally compromised present, all in a neat package. This isn't a story of a killer or an assassin; it's the story of a man who's plagued by what he's forced to do. Baron and Rude also do a great job of creating a Ylum that's full of interesting people, all with their own interests; and creating a universe that's interesting too. There's enough here to tell a lot of story about -- full of mysteries and morality -- and fortunately Baron and Rude got the chance to do so [8/10].

Color Issues (1-4). Though I found the use of gray shades and zippotone good in the black and white issues, the whole comic takes on a new depth as soon as it goes color. Beyond that, these issues does a great job of really looking into the hearts of several characters (Horatio, Nexus, Sundra, Judah, Ursula) and it continues pushing hard on the moral quandaries at the heart of the comic [8/10].

Definitely the start of something terrific.

[Rob McMonigal · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am probably the only one of my friends who doesn't think Nexus is amazing. I just find it to be too generic sci fi for my taste. But if you like Nexus, these archive editions are amazing.

[James Elkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was a Nexus fan from the first issue. Literally the 1st magazine size black and white Capital Comics #1. I could tell you a story...but you’ll hear several as you read this series (as I write this I am reading volume 3). Long story short: Mike Baron and Steve Rude are truly great storytellers. Beyond it being a great example of how a cosmic comic superhero story should be told, it’s also an intelligent thoughtful story, presented in a compelling and dramatic way.

[Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved Nexus then, and I love Nexus now. Baron's story is timeless. Fantastic art by The Dude. So many great characters here too.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun read. Lots of quirky and kitchy touches on today's society with a twist for far in the future.

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finally got around to this thanks to an inter-library loan.
Fast-paced like a 2000AD story. The color is a huge improvement.

[Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a comic filled with big ideas. It turns the whole paradigm of a superhero on its ear. This is really more a comic dedicated to fleshing out Baron's universe, and how Nexus plays into it. It is a read that is filled with fun concepts, zany interactions, and bleak politics. It is a sci-fi worldbuilder, that stood out from the rest of the pack in the 80s and still stands firm today. Plus, Rude's work on the book is monumental.

[Scott Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is hard to review because it is so unique that there is very little context in which to decide exactly what it is that one is reading. On the one hand, it is a very dark take on the superheo mythos, on another, a compelling far-future science-fiction tale, and on a third, a darkly hilarious mediation on life, violence, justice, and how inevitably, inseparably, and indistinguishably the three entangle themselves. The most important thing you need to know? It's good comics!

[Fraser Sherman · Rating 4 out of 5]

The opening arc for Nexus, a 25th century man transformed into a fusion-powered assassin eliminating war criminals, petty tyrants, ganglords and others at the command of ... well, we don't know and at this point I'm not sure he does (I know, but only because I've read later issues). A very strong debut.

[Raechel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nexus is an interesting comic about a man who dreams of the violent acts committed by the murderers of the universe. He then either must suffer with the nightmares or kill the murderers.

The art is classic. The plot is interesting and grabbing. Overall, I'm enjoying the story of the man Nexus.

[Jota Houses · Rating 2 out of 5]

Por algún motivo, Nexus no ha envejecido bien. Lo he disfrutado mucho menos que en mis años mozos cuando era un soplo de aire fresco en un acartonado paisaje de superhéroes. Desafortunadamente se ha quedado atrás.

[Jdetrick · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are some interesting ideas here, and despite its roughness, Steve Rude's art is still great. But the book is very obviously rough and somewhat amateurish and it screams "black and white independent".

[Brian Rogers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pulled my Nexus collection off the shelf and am once again amazed by how good it is - quirky, offbeat, gorgeously illustrated, densely plotted, and possessed of a wide vision and a solid theme. There really was nothing else like it, and I suspect there still isn't.

[Frank Taranto · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good art and storyline combine to make enjoyable reading/viewing.

[Rick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nexus (Volume 1) (black & white series) #1-3 -

Nexus (volume 2) #1–4 -

[George (Abandoned Places) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of my favorite graphic novels of 2010

[Marianne Kearney-brown]

I liked this book until our Steve (Sutta LeBerq) gets killed off.....

[Steven · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well-drawn, right-wing, executioner style vigilantism in space.