Maralinga

by Jen Breach, Douglas Holgate (Illustrator)

Maralinga spins an alternative history from the 1956 British nuclear tests in the Woomera. Three hundred years later a ruined, irradiated, post-apocalyptic Australia is a place where monsters are real and one girl, the last of an isolated and dying community in Melbourne's south, launches on a desperate journey to find sanctuary and a mythical inland sea.

Genres: Graphic Novels

42 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2015

Reviews

[Deb Omnivorous Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story is set in an unusual interpretation of an Australian post apocalyptic scenario.

Unlike the more mainstream graphic novels in this genera there are no mad car chases, or gang warfare (yet). This is an understated story which relies on suspense, visual narrative and the imagination of the reader.

The style of art is unusual and perfectly complements the story setting, using an almost monochromatic palate with different colour schemes used to set the scenes and locations and occassional bursts of opposing colour for emphasis.

The story starts in Melbourne, 2256 and this fist chapter is very clearly on a different timeline to the next sections of the story. What is not obvious (at least to me) is that the apocalyptic event that shaped this world occurred in Australia of the 1950's, we must assume it has something to do with the nuclear testing run in the area by Britain in the 50's (I only know this because I had listened to the Author on a panel at Comicon).

This is only the first in a series, the story does not end here. I really, really am looking forward to the next one.

[Ery · Rating 3 out of 5]

Had to read it twice to see what was going on!