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EI8HT (single issues) #1-5
8PT: Exilul
O combinatie intre Rafael Albuquerque foarte cunoscut pentru seria American Vampire de la DC Comics si Mike Johnson foarte cunoscut pentru Supergirl tot de la DC Comics. Cei doi au creat un univers minunat intr-o dimensiune neprietenoasa unde Joshua , un calator in timp, se gaseste blocat. Ramas fara memorie si nereusind sa comunice cu echipa de cercetatori ce l-a trimis nu-i mai ramane decat sa-si urmareasca inima si o voce straina care sa-i calauzeasca destinul in acest triunghi bermuda a spatiului si timpului. E Dr Who, e Mad Max, e orice. Artistul foloseste 4 culori pentru a adauga un extra layer de adancime si inteles povestii.
126 pages, Paperback
First published October 7, 2015
6 people are currently reading
183 people want to read
About the author
Rafael Albuquerque
568 books99 followersBorn in 1981, in Porto Alegre, south of Brazil, Rafael Albuquerque begun his professional career working for advertising, producing illustrations for local companies. The comic book interest, however, started in 2002, when he decided to work exclusively for the publishing market.
Basically all of his portfolio was shown only at internet, and trough this media came his first comic book job. The Egyptian company AK Comics asked for some samples, and then he got his first gig overseas. Rafael´s colaboration (not only as artist, but sometimes as creator) was very important for the company.
In 2005, with the writer Felipe Ferreira, has created the owner creator graphic novel Crimeland (first called Rumble in la Rambla), published in 2007 by Image Comics.
For Boom! Studios has illustrated series like Savage Brothers (written by Andrew Cosby and Johanna Stokes), Pirate Tales (written by Chris Ward) and Jeremiah Harm (created by Keith Giffen and Alan Grant).
Rafael has also colaborate in antologies like Tales of Fear Agent (with Ivan Brandon) for Dark Horse Comics, Wonderlost (written by C.B. Cebulski) and the Eisner Award nominated 24Seven - vol2.
Nowdays Rafael is an exclusive artist from DC Comics, working in books like Blue Beetle (writtenby Keith Giffen, John Rogers and Matthew Struges), Robin (written by Chuck Dixon) , Stanger Advetures (written by Jim Starlin) and Superman/Batman (written by Michael Green and Mike Johnson).
Basically all of his portfolio was shown only at internet, and trough this media came his first comic book job. The Egyptian company AK Comics asked for some samples, and then he got his first gig overseas. Rafael´s colaboration (not only as artist, but sometimes as creator) was very important for the company.
In 2005, with the writer Felipe Ferreira, has created the owner creator graphic novel Crimeland (first called Rumble in la Rambla), published in 2007 by Image Comics.
For Boom! Studios has illustrated series like Savage Brothers (written by Andrew Cosby and Johanna Stokes), Pirate Tales (written by Chris Ward) and Jeremiah Harm (created by Keith Giffen and Alan Grant).
Rafael has also colaborate in antologies like Tales of Fear Agent (with Ivan Brandon) for Dark Horse Comics, Wonderlost (written by C.B. Cebulski) and the Eisner Award nominated 24Seven - vol2.
Nowdays Rafael is an exclusive artist from DC Comics, working in books like Blue Beetle (writtenby Keith Giffen, John Rogers and Matthew Struges), Robin (written by Chuck Dixon) , Stanger Advetures (written by Jim Starlin) and Superman/Batman (written by Michael Green and Mike Johnson).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 74 reviews
October 13, 2015
Joshua agrees to go back in time, or rather to another dimension in time called the Meld to kill a man called the Spear in the hope that this will save his wife that is sick. The people that are sending him to the Meld is promising that they will save her. Unfortunately, he lands in the Meld without the memory of is wife or his mission, but slowly the memory is coming back to him.
This story turned out to be more interesting that I expected when I started to read it. As usual, I was a bit confused in the beginning about the mission, the meld, why Joshua had to kill a man called Spear. But that just meant that I was in the same boat as Joshua. We had to figure out things together. This is the kind of story that from the start doesn't make much sense, but as the story progress you start to put the pieces together even though not all the pieces are explained since the story ended with a cliffhanger. But I did enjoy the story very much, it was engaging to read, and I really really wanted to know how everything was connected. And the Meld got dinosaurs...love that!
I liked the art and the coloration of the art, it suited the story. There is just something about the lack of bright colors, except when it comes to the red on the faces of the people in the Meld and the yellow background that brings out the art in the story.
I received this copy from the Dark Horse Books through Edelweiss in return for an honest review! Thank you!
This story turned out to be more interesting that I expected when I started to read it. As usual, I was a bit confused in the beginning about the mission, the meld, why Joshua had to kill a man called Spear. But that just meant that I was in the same boat as Joshua. We had to figure out things together. This is the kind of story that from the start doesn't make much sense, but as the story progress you start to put the pieces together even though not all the pieces are explained since the story ended with a cliffhanger. But I did enjoy the story very much, it was engaging to read, and I really really wanted to know how everything was connected. And the Meld got dinosaurs...love that!
I liked the art and the coloration of the art, it suited the story. There is just something about the lack of bright colors, except when it comes to the red on the faces of the people in the Meld and the yellow background that brings out the art in the story.
I received this copy from the Dark Horse Books through Edelweiss in return for an honest review! Thank you!
June 1, 2017
Rafael Albuquerque tries himself as a writer on time travel sci-fi story. Tough choice. Tough luck.
Time travel stories are a bitch to master, all these paradoxes and stuff, I tend to think you have to be seasoned writer to pull a good one. And sadly Albuquerque doesn't. It's not so much the time travel stuff itself that doesn't win the day, it's all the rest.
The concept: things, people, disappear anywhere and anytime and end up in the Meld. Which should be a huge jumble of whatever but for some reason looks more like your average heroic fantasy world where everybody speaks english. Convenient, ennit?
Ooookay. Now the characters: your average small time loser who ends up being the savior of a revolution, the kick ass female counterpart-and his little brother whose head you want to bash against a hard surface half of the time- the stubborn elders, the half crazy scientist...
Oh, I almost forgot the blond blue eyed nazi. A blond blue eyed nazi is always handy to play the bad guy.
To make sure any dummy can get it, there's even a color chart to help place the different times involved.
I'll add that for creator-owned work Albuquerque is sloppy as can be and that'll wrap this review.
Time travel stories are a bitch to master, all these paradoxes and stuff, I tend to think you have to be seasoned writer to pull a good one. And sadly Albuquerque doesn't. It's not so much the time travel stuff itself that doesn't win the day, it's all the rest.
The concept: things, people, disappear anywhere and anytime and end up in the Meld. Which should be a huge jumble of whatever but for some reason looks more like your average heroic fantasy world where everybody speaks english. Convenient, ennit?
Ooookay. Now the characters: your average small time loser who ends up being the savior of a revolution, the kick ass female counterpart-and his little brother whose head you want to bash against a hard surface half of the time- the stubborn elders, the half crazy scientist...
Oh, I almost forgot the blond blue eyed nazi. A blond blue eyed nazi is always handy to play the bad guy.
To make sure any dummy can get it, there's even a color chart to help place the different times involved.
I'll add that for creator-owned work Albuquerque is sloppy as can be and that'll wrap this review.
January 9, 2025
Pretty solid time travel story. Takes place mostly in The Meld, an area outside the time stream where things lost in time wash up. A fun, exciting adventure story. I like the art but hated the monochromatic coloring. Would have preferred either full color or black and white. Purple and white, Orange and white, etc. was very distracting.
January 5, 2024
Twisty SF graphic novel about time travel.
April 13, 2018
A fun but brief story about a man sent to a place between time where things/people from different parts of time have slipped. He is there on a mission but can't remember what it was but he follows the clues and people there to try to figure out what is going on.
The use of color is well done with the background giving you a visual signal whether you are in the past, present, future, or in the in-between place.
This is billed as volume 1 but as this was released in 2015 we may not be getting a volume 2. The story does wrap up enough loose ends to still be enjoyable.
The use of color is well done with the background giving you a visual signal whether you are in the past, present, future, or in the in-between place.
This is billed as volume 1 but as this was released in 2015 we may not be getting a volume 2. The story does wrap up enough loose ends to still be enjoyable.
June 12, 2016
This was a lot of fun. We've got a time-skipping story that fluctuates between the past, present, future, and something called The Meld, a weird mixed up cocktail of all time eras. Dinosaurs, spaceships, tribal clans, dangerous beasts, and overlords with future tech abound here. A hint at romantic drama also ties things together. The artwork is satisfying as well, done in a stylized sketchy style which I tend to like. Looking forward to the next volume.
February 23, 2018
This is a time-travel adventure, with all the paradoxes that sort of thing implies. It’s not badly done yet not exactly top shelf storytelling.
I’m not even going to try to sum up the plot, partly because it’s twisty but also because it doesn’t really have an ending. There is an immediate threat which is dealt with, but the larger mysteries of who everyone is and how they’re all interrelated are only hinted at.
I presume those answers will come if further volumes are published.
The art suffers from looking all the same, which is why they used the gambit of coloring different time periods different colors. It’s not bad in and of itself, it just lends an air of simplicity to the whole affair. But overall it’s a fine divertimento.
I’m not even going to try to sum up the plot, partly because it’s twisty but also because it doesn’t really have an ending. There is an immediate threat which is dealt with, but the larger mysteries of who everyone is and how they’re all interrelated are only hinted at.
I presume those answers will come if further volumes are published.
The art suffers from looking all the same, which is why they used the gambit of coloring different time periods different colors. It’s not bad in and of itself, it just lends an air of simplicity to the whole affair. But overall it’s a fine divertimento.
June 13, 2017
Pse. M'agrada la línia del dibuix, però la tonteria de separar els temps en diferents gammes cromàtiques no s'aguanta per enlloc ni aporta res més que confusió.
D'altra banda, la trama és de primer de viatges en el temps i els trucs i twists es veuen a venir d'una hora lluny.
No ofèn, però tampoc alimenta.
D'altra banda, la trama és de primer de viatges en el temps i els trucs i twists es veuen a venir d'una hora lluny.
No ofèn, però tampoc alimenta.
November 22, 2017
Really enjoyed this one! It took me a little bit to figure it all out but I thought the concept of the different timelines was really cool! Looking forward to reading more!
August 1, 2015
More reviews (and no fluff) on the blog http://surrealtalvi.wordpress.com/
Ei8ht, Volume 1, collects issues 1-5 of the single issues. A hard science time travel plot device is tied to a softer story of a man trying to save his wife in this science fiction tale. Several viewpoints begin disparately but then start to converge by the end of the first chapter. And although there are a lot of ideas in here, the concept is let down by sloppy art and uninspired writing (far too many info dumps). This never felt like it was taking full advantage of the graphic format and that the illustrations were subordinate to the story.Story: A time traveler, Joshua, is sent to a special place independent of time called the Meld - a 'time gyre' where animals and things have been deposited and trapped from all periods of Earth's history. He has been sent to kill one man; he is told that doing so will save his dying wife. But when he arrives, it is without his memory and with only a figure 8 on his wrist to tell him what needs to know. As his memories slowly return, several other time travelers will come into play - each affecting The Meld. For Joshua, the only thing that matters is that the woman who saved him looks very familiar - and he will have to fight to save her from the tyrant of The Meld.
My first thought with this volume was that we have an update of John Carter of Mars - but with time travel replacing space travel. Certainly, the author has great fun with the plasticity of time and enjoys tweaking the reader with subtle clues and hints that there is a lot in the future affecting Joshua's present. Oddly enough, by the end, it didn't sound all that clever any more - the solutions to the mysteries early on were rather pat and unimaginative. And I'm getting the impression that we have a very unreliable narrator if things turn out in future issues as I suspect about his wife.
The illustration work has a conceit: panel backgrounds are color coded to tell readers if something is in the past, present, or future. I didn't need the color schemes and quickly forgot about the coding once I started reading. By the end, when I went back to look at something in the start, I saw the coding page again and kind of wondered why they did it. It wasn't a confusing story and the color coding wasn't really needed. In fact, once I looked again, I found it odd that scenes from 1940s Nazi Germany were color coded the purple meant to be the present (unless there is some twist or I missed something, the book is not set in the 1940s). Since most of the book takes places in the Meld, it's a very orange world (the Meld's 'out of time' color).
Which brought me to other problems. Things like everyone in the Meld speaking one language - despite being from all periods of time and places. Even the German soldier spoke perfectly - it just didn't sit right. Not to mention the fancy outfits using a lot of cloth and metal armor - where's the cotton? Where are the looms? Who shapes all that fancy metal armor? Did weavers and metalsmiths randomly show up in the Meld and teach all they know? It's just so unlikely. Plus, add in surprisingly sloppy drawings (e.g., in one panel, the tyrant's horns are dragon shaped and then the very next panel has them shaped like ram horns) and I couldn't help but feel someone didn't think this through thoroughly enough and then rushed through the illustration work.
As a time waster, Ei8ht is fine. But I couldn't help but feel we were promised a better title than what was delivered here. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.
July 22, 2016
A well thought out time-romp with quite a few twists along the way.
December 6, 2018
This was an interesting read. It almost loses itself at some points. Don't try to plectrum everything in its proper order. Just go along for the ride. That's the best way to enjoy this book. The characters aren't interesting at all. There's a mad scientist, a time traveling Nazi and dinosaurs. That's all you need to know about the people in this book. I think to next issues will get better but for now this is a good start to a series.
I read this via Edelweiss. I thank them for this book. #Edelweiss
I read this via Edelweiss. I thank them for this book. #Edelweiss
October 31, 2017
Bueno, si a priori una historieta me gusta por tener elementos de mi agrado, Eight tiene TODO lo necesario: ¡Viajes en el tiempo! ¡Dinosaurios! ¡Nazis! La historia de Rafael Albuquerque -que él mismo dibuja y se apoya en un guión de Johnson sobre su plot- nos lleva de la nariz durante cuatro de los cinco episodios que dura, con incógnitas que se irán revelando con paciencia (y muy efectivamente) tales como quién es Joshua, el viajero en el tiempo, como conoce a los otros personajes que lo aguardan en el Meld -una especie de línea temporal paralela dónde van a caer todas las cosas que se van perdiendo en el tiempo- y como se vincula su historia con la del Dr. Hamm, un científico que sólo ansía conocer esta línea cronólogica alternativa. Para cuando llega el cierre, mi único pero está en lo fácil que se resuelve el conflicto con el villano principal y que quedan demasiadas puntas abiertas pero, claro, la serie bien puede seguir (todo parece indicar que así es) y retomar todas las líneas argumentales que quedan aquí pendientes. En cuanto al arte, abundar sobre el tremendo nivel del brasilero -uno de los mejores en lo suyo del mundo, simplemente- es ser obvio por completo. Aquí juega además oportunamente con el color -que va cambiando según donde transita la historia- que lo hace un placer de leer. Esperemos que esta historia siga, que aquí quedo yo esperando ansioso esa continuación.
August 6, 2018
This is a fun time-travel story with some of the usual paradoxes, but not enough to make my head hurt like time travel stories often do. Joshua - who seems to be a regular Joe, not a scientist or soldier - is sent back into the past, but ends up in the Meld, a place outside of time where random elements of different eras get dropped together. Or actually, it turns out that that was where he was supposed to be. He doesn't remember anything at all, until certain clues start to give him hints as to his own personal past and story. Another scientist-traveler is aiming for the Meld and ends up in the distant past. As I got a few chapters into this 5-issue trade collection, I thought this might be a series to follow. Unfortunately, there were only 5 issues published. The final issue reads like the authors are trying, much too quickly, to wrap up a storyline that had been intended to run much longer, and it's a pretty unsatisfying conclusion. Not quite everything gets tied up (I have a few suspicions of where the story was headed after this), but the reader is left with nowhere to go from here. Too bad. I would like to have seen this continue.
April 9, 2022
4.5⭐️
How this was so gripping in such a short book I don’t know. I think it helps that right before this I read Recursion by Blake Crouch and I’m simultaneously reading Dark Matter. This was a short and simple sci-fi fantasy that deals with time travel. I really enjoyed Albuquerque’s art in this too. There are different colors for different timelines which I think made the story easy to follow. Other people might think it dumbs the story down for readers but I don’t really see the harm of it. I just think it makes it accessible to younger readers too. I’m not sure if there will be more after the first 5 chapters but I hope so. The concept of The Meld would allow for spin-offs easily I think. Would be a cool mini-series too! So glad I randomly picked up this volume. Would recommend to any sci-fi fan who can enjoy a fun time-travel story without nitpicking some cliches sprinkled throughout.
How this was so gripping in such a short book I don’t know. I think it helps that right before this I read Recursion by Blake Crouch and I’m simultaneously reading Dark Matter. This was a short and simple sci-fi fantasy that deals with time travel. I really enjoyed Albuquerque’s art in this too. There are different colors for different timelines which I think made the story easy to follow. Other people might think it dumbs the story down for readers but I don’t really see the harm of it. I just think it makes it accessible to younger readers too. I’m not sure if there will be more after the first 5 chapters but I hope so. The concept of The Meld would allow for spin-offs easily I think. Would be a cool mini-series too! So glad I randomly picked up this volume. Would recommend to any sci-fi fan who can enjoy a fun time-travel story without nitpicking some cliches sprinkled throughout.
September 13, 2017
The time-travel aspect is similar to Paper Girls, but less confusing in my opinion. The artist distinguishes the timelines by using different main colors, similar to Cry Havoc, but more simple.
I'm not a huge fan of the art style, and I'm still convinced Hari is a female character. There was only two women in the entire book, which was a disappointment considering the excessive number of men. At least both of those women had distinct personalities and independence, although the one who self-sacrifices doesn't even get a name or a real introduction anywhere in the book.
If I come across the next volume though the library, I will pick it up, but it's not something I would spend money on.
I'm not a huge fan of the art style, and I'm still convinced Hari is a female character. There was only two women in the entire book, which was a disappointment considering the excessive number of men. At least both of those women had distinct personalities and independence, although the one who self-sacrifices doesn't even get a name or a real introduction anywhere in the book.
If I come across the next volume though the library, I will pick it up, but it's not something I would spend money on.
August 30, 2018
Joshua wakes up in a different place and time altogether, on a mission. But his memory is fragmented. He learns quickly he's in the Meld, outside of time but in a very different space under a harsh rule. He slowly pieces his past together to hopefully have a future with his wife. But did he just meet her for the first time?
Good twists throughout on the good 'ol trope of time travel and causality. The writer explains in the beginning that the past is green, the present is purple, the future is blue, and the meld is entirely different. Thus the artist renders the time frames according to the colors. Nice!
Good twists throughout on the good 'ol trope of time travel and causality. The writer explains in the beginning that the past is green, the present is purple, the future is blue, and the meld is entirely different. Thus the artist renders the time frames according to the colors. Nice!
March 27, 2019
A fine first volume but nothing special. I'm not huge on time travel stories anyway and this one didn't add anything new, reminded me a bit of la jetee. I had to roll my eyes when the bad guy was revealed to be because time travel. Also had to roll my eyes at the character's motivation, felt very done before and too close to . The character must be pretty naive and trusting or has never read All my sins remembered...
Art was attractive though I had some trouble distinguishing certain characters. If you need a key to the art you're probably being too clever with it...
Art was attractive though I had some trouble distinguishing certain characters. If you need a key to the art you're probably being too clever with it...
January 25, 2022
Ce l'avevo da tempo ma non l'avevo mai letto. Così, complice un pomeriggio pigro sul letto con tanto di copertina elettrica accesa, l'ho cominciato e l'ho finito.
Ammetto che una seconda lettura gli gioverebbe perché ci sono passaggi che mi hanno confusa, ma nel suo insieme la storia mi è piaciuta parecchio.
I colori sono molto scuri però si addicono alla storia. Anzi, arriverei anche a dire che i disegni, seppur lontano anni luce dalla mia zona di conforto, mi sono piaciuti.
Peccato che non esista un secondo volume. Questo chiude parecchi fili, ma ne rimangono anche molti di aperti e sarei stata curiosa di sapere come gli autori avrebbero continuato la storia.
Ammetto che una seconda lettura gli gioverebbe perché ci sono passaggi che mi hanno confusa, ma nel suo insieme la storia mi è piaciuta parecchio.
I colori sono molto scuri però si addicono alla storia. Anzi, arriverei anche a dire che i disegni, seppur lontano anni luce dalla mia zona di conforto, mi sono piaciuti.
Peccato che non esista un secondo volume. Questo chiude parecchi fili, ma ne rimangono anche molti di aperti e sarei stata curiosa di sapere come gli autori avrebbero continuato la storia.
October 22, 2024
EI8HT #1, Rafael Albuquerque, Mike Johnson
Fast paced intensive story. It's got several key elements that make for an enjoyable tale- time travel, dystopia, sci fi, medieval conflict, oh, and dinosaurs
#1- "You're about to make history."
#2- "We call it THE MELD. It's where people and things from faraway places come together."
#3- "The Meld is where your keys go when you lose them. That missing sock in the laundry. Even, as horrible as it may be, a PERSON."
#4- "There is no hope where I come from. WHEN I come from, I should say."
#5- "There's no God in the Meld, soldier. If you need to pray to anyone.. PRAY TO ME."
Fast paced intensive story. It's got several key elements that make for an enjoyable tale- time travel, dystopia, sci fi, medieval conflict, oh, and dinosaurs
#1- "You're about to make history."
#2- "We call it THE MELD. It's where people and things from faraway places come together."
#3- "The Meld is where your keys go when you lose them. That missing sock in the laundry. Even, as horrible as it may be, a PERSON."
#4- "There is no hope where I come from. WHEN I come from, I should say."
#5- "There's no God in the Meld, soldier. If you need to pray to anyone.. PRAY TO ME."
April 22, 2019
Beautifully drawn book that suffers from a shoddy script. Would've been a 1 star, if not for the art.
There is a paradox at the centre of this time travel story, which forces the writer to hit certain story beats to make the plot work - what actually happens is that the book feels extremely rushed, full of plot contrivances, and paperthin characters whose motivations seem to be purely plot-driven. Convenient coincidences seem to continually happen, most of them off-page.
To top it all off, the central paradox isn't even resolved in this book.
There is a paradox at the centre of this time travel story, which forces the writer to hit certain story beats to make the plot work - what actually happens is that the book feels extremely rushed, full of plot contrivances, and paperthin characters whose motivations seem to be purely plot-driven. Convenient coincidences seem to continually happen, most of them off-page.
To top it all off, the central paradox isn't even resolved in this book.
April 20, 2022
I feel like every comic creator wants to tell a time travel story and here Rafael Albuquerque dives in and its really good. It doesn't bore readers with the science of it. The book throws readers right into the adventure as characters are trying to figure out what is going on and how to fix it. The art, especially the coloring, was pitch perfect. I'd love to see the story continue. Overall, time travel done right!
September 19, 2022
Reminds me very much of what I had wanted Rick Remender’s Black Science to be before it collapsed on itself. A wild tale of two-fisted time travel that makes innovative use of color to keep the reader grounded. Great fun.
December 29, 2016
Начало истории о путешествии во времени с благородной целью спасти близкого человека или может весь мир...
August 2, 2018
I loved reading this time-travel-adventure. The pacing is a bit off at times and the ending feels rushed. It could have used an extra 22 pages. I wonder if we'll ever see another volume....
October 10, 2018
For what it is, it's not all bad. Though it is incomplete and will probably never be resolved.
April 16, 2019
HQ muito interessante, arte eficiente, adorei as cores. Gosto muito dessas histórias de viagem no tempo. O final me decepcionou, mas ai fica minha curiosidade com os próximos capítulos da história.
August 19, 2019
👍 good art, good time stuff, would Meld again
October 13, 2021
Bello, nulla di originale
Displaying 1 - 30 of 74 reviews