Aeon Flux: The Herodotus File

Aeon Flux

by Mark Mars, Eric Singer

The Secret History Of Aeon Flux
Spy. Assassin. Seductress. Her instincts, honed for survival. Her psyche, primed for anarchy. Her body, sculpted for action. She's Aeon Flux, a lethal, leather-clad spy who cuts through a brutal swath of subterfuge through Bregna, a high-tech society controlled by her nemesis, Trevor Goodchild. But Trevor's and Aeon's bond is deeper than that of assassin to tyrant, and the mystery that drives their twisted relationship has remained as impenetrable as Aeon's padlocked chastity belt, until now.

The Herodotus File
This explosive file of classified intelligence reveals Trevor Goodchild's chilling plan to consolidate power by erasing history, and the hiring of mercenary agent Aeon Flux to transform his plan into an Orwellian reality. Crammed with transcripts, surveillance, and memos, the file explores the dark corridors of Aeon's mysterious life, bringing into question her ultimate allegiance. Is Aeon truly loyal to Trevor's vision of Bregna? Or is she stealthily subverting his plot from the inside out? This stunning file tells a story of intrigue and treachery, of domination and submission, of love and hate so perverse, it could only spring from the otherworld of Aeon Flux.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Science Fiction, Fiction, Comics

96 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 1995

Reviews

[Eric K. · Rating 5 out of 5]

The new cover with Charlize Theron is unfortunate. The original 1995 cover is really something special, and worth seeking out if you're the odd sort into both rare first editions AND comic books.

I was a really big fan of Aeon Flux for years. Watched it and loved the original shorts on Liquid TV, waited and waited and waited all year for Aeon to get to the top of that tower and almost had a heart attack watching the final segment. Watched every episode of the series when it aired and didn't understand a thing but thought it was cool. Bought the 3-VHS(!) box set of cassettes and watched them over and over, finally "getting" it. Saw (and hated) the movie. Bought and critiqued the Directors Cut DVD set.

My fan credentials thus established, the Herodotus File is my absolute favorite presentation of Aeon in any medium. The book's central conceit that its contents are a "file" of random documents is brilliant in both concept and execution. Aeon and Trevor are both archetypically pitch-perfect throughout. The art and design are superb (get the original cover!). The writing is sharp, funny, and philosophically challenging, but the damn thing actually makes sense for once.

Every self-identified serious Aeon fan should read this.

PS: Screw you Peter Chung. Having a year to think on it I hold to my original position -- you butchered your own creation with your terrible edits to the Director's Cut DVD.

-- escapade52

[xenia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pataphysics for hot girls and neuvo psychonauts.

[Phillip Goodman]

It's not a comic or graphic novel, but its not a novel or novella either, and it is beyond the scope and ambition and execution of any cheap companion piece, what the hell is it then? it's graphic, but not a novel, theres pictures and words, but no combination pictures (comics) as such, is it an illustrated book, its a book, its illustrated, but what sort of book is it, and are the pictures secondary to the text? is the text not a picture too? yes, the text too, is handled as visual information, so what is it? it's almost a remade prop from the original animation, though it was never used in the show, but it acts as an artifact from that world, an experimental form of book, perhaps, anarcho-book? remix-lit? whatever it is, it's very very good, not brilliant, but exceptionally inventive, in all sorts of ways, transgressive and experimental in form and content, an ambiguous book form.

[The Dark Krystal · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is made up of letters, transcripts, news clippings and surveillance video screencaps about how the rivalry began between Breen Prime Minister Trevor Goodchild and Monican spy Aeon Flux. It even poses the theory that Bregna and Monica was once Bregnica before a wall went up overnight separating the two.

I got this for Christmas eons ago (hahaha...no) back when the full episodes were on MTV.

[Dana Jerman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can’t believe I forgot to include this on my read shelf.
Like so many other astute reviewers here, read it a million years ago and still have a copy on my bookshelf back home.
One of my favorite bits has to do with the schematic for the FUG.
Overall, this document stands as a kind of independent and unfilmed episode of the show, and also as backstory for characters and tone. Sexy, full throttle and technicolor as always.
🖤

[Bryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I learned that bad-ass as this story was, it's no match for a flooded basement that wasn't properly dried out.
(Thanks, Stacy :P)

At least I learned a valuable lesson: Rely not on friends; just yourself.

[Dee Maselle · Rating 5 out of 5]

For fans of the original animated show. The Herodotus File is fun to read and take in visually. It's not quite a comic or graphic novel, but it's a mix of art experience and reading. Transcripts, journal entries, memos, secret "photos" that reveal a sexy story.

[XxXviciously]

awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11

[Guy · Rating 3 out of 5]

interesting exploration of the aeon flux universe with some violence and sex. It's clip book style is not something I admire.