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Finder #10
Finder: Third World
There's never been a metropolis, slum, or building that Jaeger couldn't infiltrate, escape, and/or loot--until now! Multiple award-winning creator Carla Speed McNeil collaborates with color artists Jenn Manley Lee and Bill Mudron to create the very first full-color Finder graphic novel. First serialized in the pages of Dark Horse Presents, this Finder adventure now includes sixteen extra story pages and extensive annotations by McNeil. Finder: Third World also proves to be a massive, eye-opening turning point in the life of Jaeger, a major character in this mysterious, complex, sci-fi flavored world and the intriguing, wily heart of Finder itself!
184 pages, Paperback
First published September 16, 2014
3 people are currently reading
132 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
December 24, 2023
Carla Speed McNeil, you freaky comics maker! I love you. No one gives the reader more storylines in a single volume.
To the uninitiated: you really do need to read at the very least the full and complete volumes one and two before reading this, or it will make even less sense.
To the uninitiated: you really do need to read at the very least the full and complete volumes one and two before reading this, or it will make even less sense.
September 2, 2015
I first read this as it was originally being serialized in the finest anthology comic Dark Horse Presents over a period of about two years. Upon completing that sequence I was enthralled enough with Carla Speed McNeil and her vast tapestry that I hunted up and read the earlier collected editions. None of which I was the slightest bit disappointed with. McNeil weaves a complex, multifaceted narrative that meanders through a mass of cultures and species that coexist in a world that often seems only slightly removed from our own, but is also so alien to ours as it often seems incomprehensible. This dichotomy is the heart of Finder and embodies Jaeger, the protagonist of Third World and in many, but not all, of the other stories. Here he has taken the job of delivering packages, something that his unique talents are well suited for, and shenanigans follow him where ever he goes. McNeil never loses sight of character-driven stories but they are set in an example of some of the finest world-building ever executed. The collected editions offer copious endnotes by the author which provide an enormous amount of extra detail and insight, but these endnotes only enhance the reading experience they are not necessary to enjoy the tale. I had originally given this sequence 4-stars, but with having read the earlier stories now and with the additional story and endnotes I am compelled to upgrade that to 5-stars.
July 20, 2015
This was by far the most WTF and at times, disappointing, in all the Finder I've read (which is to say, all of it). It's the first Finder I've seen in colour, which was briefly interesting, but I didn't feel it added to Carla Speed McNeil's illustration style at all.
Third World follows the adventures of Jaeger as a courier/messenger. That fact alone makes it one of the more straight-forward and cohesive storylines in the world of Finder, but there were so many bizarre and confusing moments in my first reading of it that I was never fully on board. I'm still giving it 3.5-4 stars because the second half picks up and starts to go in a more interesting multi-issue arc direction, but it was clear that McNeil was packing in several ideas that deserved much more attention than they received.
For anyone new to Finder, I would recommend starting with Finder, Vol. 04: Talisman (which is #4 in the very affordable first Library omnibus collection, but stands alone better than any other portion). Then either go back and read the rest of Finder Library 1 and 2, or check out Finder, Vol. 09: Voice. If you can, I highly recommend flipping to the back after every few pages to catch up on the end notes, which add a great deal of insight.
Third World follows the adventures of Jaeger as a courier/messenger. That fact alone makes it one of the more straight-forward and cohesive storylines in the world of Finder, but there were so many bizarre and confusing moments in my first reading of it that I was never fully on board. I'm still giving it 3.5-4 stars because the second half picks up and starts to go in a more interesting multi-issue arc direction, but it was clear that McNeil was packing in several ideas that deserved much more attention than they received.
For anyone new to Finder, I would recommend starting with Finder, Vol. 04: Talisman (which is #4 in the very affordable first Library omnibus collection, but stands alone better than any other portion). Then either go back and read the rest of Finder Library 1 and 2, or check out Finder, Vol. 09: Voice. If you can, I highly recommend flipping to the back after every few pages to catch up on the end notes, which add a great deal of insight.
March 24, 2021
So fine: I have to revisit this great series. This recent volume, with appropriately splendid color, is a great start or restart. The term "world-building' is thrown around a lot in fantasy & sf, but it came to mind big time as I appreciated Carla Speed McNeil's visionary storytelling and comics art. This great little volume, told in vignettes, collects the chapters from a recent series of installments in Dark Horse Presents.
Highly recommended.
Thanks to Fulton County Public Library for the loan.
Highly recommended.
Thanks to Fulton County Public Library for the loan.
July 23, 2015
so gorgeous in color! has a short story feel to it that might not be welcoming to new readers of this world, but an excellent addition to the Finder series.
August 5, 2024
Jaeger gets a job and gets outside of Anvard again, as Carla Speed McNeil continues to explore the nooks and crannies of this amazing world she's created. As always, lots of cool details and lots of interesting additional insights in the endnotes. We get to see Jaeger acting a sin-eater for the first time in quite a while, and it's a brutal experience (for everyone!), along with a fascinating city of transmittable illnesses and a helluva cliffhanger.
January 14, 2021
the atmosphere of the book is fantastic, but it gets bogged down in parabolic dialogue exchanges that don't seem to go anywhere fast. the twist ending was a bit too arbitrary for my tastes. perhaps another few pages could have given the ending room to breathe.
anyway, i don't think i'll read anymore, but part of me is curious about the rest of the series.
art: 3/5
story: 2/5
anyway, i don't think i'll read anymore, but part of me is curious about the rest of the series.
art: 3/5
story: 2/5
January 19, 2017
As much as I enjoy Finder, this volume is disjointed and pulling in too many directions to be wholly satisfying.
March 1, 2018
Finder: Third World is multiple layers of creative genius. I especially like the thought that went into the world building and how it led me to Gene Wolfe's Ascian world.
February 7, 2019
So dense but so worth it.
June 19, 2019
Continues to be the best.
February 14, 2021
Beautifully illustrated story about a courier in a dystopian megalopolis, but the whole thing is deeply episodic, so ultimately there is not much of a center to hold this together.
March 5, 2015
I just reread this and it's still fantastic, and making me yearn for a continuation more than ever.
This is clearly meant as a jumping-on point for new readers, introducing the main setting, the domed city of Anvard, and the kinda-sorta (only not really) main character, Jaeger, in its first half. Not that seasoned readers shouldn't also find this guided tour of the city - for the first time in glorious colour - a joy to behold!
The second half of the book takes us out of Anvard, and into places that neither we as readers, nor, apparently, even Jaeger himself has ever seen. This is exciting in itself, because reading Finder is an exercise in imaginary travel, and discovering a new corner of the comic's vast and strange world is a significant part of the joy of reading a new Finder story. As an added bonus, the land- and cityscapes of the second half of the book are even more gorgeously drawn and coloured than those of the first.
As for the plot, it is meandering, episodic, and open ended, leaving us with something of a cliffhanger, even, which doesn't look like it'll be resolved within the next few years... It also leaves us with a bunch of intriguing, even tantalising new questions, and few, if any, of the old ones answered. But life isn't tidy or linear or plot-shaped, and Finder is nothing if not lifelike - no matter how many dinosaur professors, pirate farmers, and flying whales populate its pages.
This is clearly meant as a jumping-on point for new readers, introducing the main setting, the domed city of Anvard, and the kinda-sorta (only not really) main character, Jaeger, in its first half. Not that seasoned readers shouldn't also find this guided tour of the city - for the first time in glorious colour - a joy to behold!
The second half of the book takes us out of Anvard, and into places that neither we as readers, nor, apparently, even Jaeger himself has ever seen. This is exciting in itself, because reading Finder is an exercise in imaginary travel, and discovering a new corner of the comic's vast and strange world is a significant part of the joy of reading a new Finder story. As an added bonus, the land- and cityscapes of the second half of the book are even more gorgeously drawn and coloured than those of the first.
As for the plot, it is meandering, episodic, and open ended, leaving us with something of a cliffhanger, even, which doesn't look like it'll be resolved within the next few years... It also leaves us with a bunch of intriguing, even tantalising new questions, and few, if any, of the old ones answered. But life isn't tidy or linear or plot-shaped, and Finder is nothing if not lifelike - no matter how many dinosaur professors, pirate farmers, and flying whales populate its pages.
December 7, 2015
I'm a big fan of the Finder series and am very glad to see McNeil publishing new stuff under the Dark Horse banner. Most of the work in this volume was originally presented in Dark Horse Presents on a monthly basis, meaning that it's in color (first time for Finder) and is comprised of small chunks (eight to twelve pages at a time).
If you are not familiar with Finder, McNeill's protagonist is Jaeger, who among other strange abilities can always get himself anywhere and find practically anything. Not surprisingly, he finds himself a job in this volume for a courier company. The setting is a mixture of some science fiction, a bit of fuzzy culture, and a lot of the life of indigenous peoples. It's basically like nothing else I read; McNeill seems to excel at producing the sui generis works that I associate with comics artists like Donna Barr or Larry Marder. Their worlds are real, compelling, and (oddly) logical with huge amounts of otherness and still a strongly emotional grounding. If you like the comic book Saga, it dips in the same pond McNeill regularly swims in: depictions of people you know in settings you cannot imagine.
If you are not familiar with Finder, McNeill's protagonist is Jaeger, who among other strange abilities can always get himself anywhere and find practically anything. Not surprisingly, he finds himself a job in this volume for a courier company. The setting is a mixture of some science fiction, a bit of fuzzy culture, and a lot of the life of indigenous peoples. It's basically like nothing else I read; McNeill seems to excel at producing the sui generis works that I associate with comics artists like Donna Barr or Larry Marder. Their worlds are real, compelling, and (oddly) logical with huge amounts of otherness and still a strongly emotional grounding. If you like the comic book Saga, it dips in the same pond McNeill regularly swims in: depictions of people you know in settings you cannot imagine.
June 7, 2016
Carla Speed McNeil is a master in her own created genre of aboriginal sci-fi. If you haven't yet picked up her astonishingly good Finder series I would urge you to start with the first book, as this is not a good place to start. It is, however, a delicious treat for those who have read the 1400 or so preceding pages. Jaeger is unsatisfied with his current lot in life and so decides to take on a Real Job. He winds up as a delivery boy at X-Ray's Courier service, and against the odds he is astonishingly good at it. He finds shortcuts in the city that should not exist, and manages to deliver packages to people who he should never have been able to find. He becomes so skilled that he attracts the attention of the upper management- and it turns out that excelling in this position may have been the worst mistake of his life. It's wonderful to dip into this rich world in full color. This is, both for art and for writing, one of my favorite comic series of all time.
October 9, 2014
Latest volume of McNeil's FINDER series, which focuses back on Jaeger, and fills in some gaps regarding his adventures in Antvard and elsewhere.
I love this story, concept and artwork - 'nuff said.
If you're new to FINDER, this is an okay place to start (it's the first FINDER collection in color) - and if it's enough to hook you, then go back to the earlier volumes to find out more about Jaeger's world... and to better understand some events that lead into the Third World story cycle.
I love this story, concept and artwork - 'nuff said.
If you're new to FINDER, this is an okay place to start (it's the first FINDER collection in color) - and if it's enough to hook you, then go back to the earlier volumes to find out more about Jaeger's world... and to better understand some events that lead into the Third World story cycle.
June 28, 2015
Very interesting selection from book group. There's an extensive world-building, some of it based on actual Native history and some of it fictional (i.e. dinosaurs). It was interesting to read that part because I had a hard time telling which was which.
The main character was interesting and charming and there was a constant attempt on my part to discern what was going on and yet not being able to keep up no matter what.
Anyway, I don't think I'll read anymore, but part of me is curious about the rest of the series.
The main character was interesting and charming and there was a constant attempt on my part to discern what was going on and yet not being able to keep up no matter what.
Anyway, I don't think I'll read anymore, but part of me is curious about the rest of the series.
March 2, 2021
McNeil writes the most complex, elaborate, and satisfying stories in the industry.
I read McNeil's work in the Finder series in two phases, sometimes three. First, I read the story. Second, I read the story again along with the page-by-page notes. And sometimes, I read the story alone a third time. I almost always reread these stories many times over the years.
This one ends with Jaeger in the most precarious situation I've ever seen him. No spoilers. If you read this series, keep doing so.
I read McNeil's work in the Finder series in two phases, sometimes three. First, I read the story. Second, I read the story again along with the page-by-page notes. And sometimes, I read the story alone a third time. I almost always reread these stories many times over the years.
This one ends with Jaeger in the most precarious situation I've ever seen him. No spoilers. If you read this series, keep doing so.
November 10, 2014
This is OK as a stand alone volume, but I'm biased and the Finder books might just be My Favourite Fandom Evar.
Start at the beginning, you won't be sorry. Amazing world building, fantastic art, a smartass sense of humour and endnotes. Read once through for story and pacing, then again with a bookmark at the back for a running director's commentary on a series that reads like movies.
Start at the beginning, you won't be sorry. Amazing world building, fantastic art, a smartass sense of humour and endnotes. Read once through for story and pacing, then again with a bookmark at the back for a running director's commentary on a series that reads like movies.
April 9, 2015
A longer form story, delivered in vignettes, about what Jaeger gets up to when he disappears from the other character's lives. We don't learn as much about Jaeger as we do about the Finder universe, but the variety of people and settings he encounters are great fun to explore and Jaeger's curiosity serves the reader well as he wanders/is kidnapped and ends up in all sorts of strange places.
September 16, 2014
Carla Speed McNeil's latest addition to Jaeger's saga shows off her lush world-building and gritty art in gorgeous, glossy color, telling the Finder's story in a series of compact vignettes, with the usual notes in the back for in-jokes and historical references.
November 20, 2014
Hooray for new Finder, and in beautiful color! I really love the way Carla Speed McNeil has created this huge world, and the interplay of race/culture/class within it. There is some gross medical stuff toward the end though.
April 8, 2015
OK, I feel that I dropped inside the middle of this story and am still trying to figure it out. I'm intrigued enough to look for the other titles. And to find out what happens next. What is the first book I should have read in this series?
Read
August 3, 2015I'm gonna hold off on reviewing this. For some reason, I thought I could pick this up without having read the rest of the series. I felt so lost reading through this. Hopefully reading earlier volumes will make more sense.
June 30, 2015
one of the more accessible Finder storylines, beautiful artwork as usual, great world building.
November 6, 2014
I love this series so much.
November 6, 2014
Finder's fantasy/sci-fi/whatsit is still one of my favorite comic-book series.
December 26, 2014
This was my third and final gift to myself this Christmas This series means a lot to me.
January 25, 2015
Like reading a fever dream. Unsure if I started with the right volume but I liked it and will look for more.
May 6, 2015
So, I read the wrong Finder~Ooops! It was different, but kinda interesting...I did wonder, tho.Maybe the other one was ist & will help me see clearly, or maybe not.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews