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Highlander (Dynamite) #1
Highlander, Volume 1: The Coldest War
From the dawn of time we came... moving silently down through the centuries... struggling to reach the time of the Gathering, when the few who remain will battle to the last. No one has ever known we were among you... until now! In "The Coldest War," Connor and a band of companions race to prevent the legacy of the Kurgan from destroying the present day, while in the past, the same group faces the Kurgan himself as the dreaded immortal works to create a race of Soviet Super-Soldiers! From Dynamite Entertainment, writers Brandon Jerwa and Michael Avon Oeming, artist Lee Moder, and a host of cover talent comes this first collection of the all-new Highlander comic book series! This collection features Highlander issues #0-5, a complete cover gallery (featuring Tony Harris, Gabrielle Dell'Otto, Stephen Sadowski, and Dave Dorman along with the photo covers), and more!
144 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2008
28 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
September 5, 2023
I understand the need of publishers to milk a certain franchise for as long as they can, especially one with a cult following. Easy money. However, I don't understand why they keep giving the job of continuing the story to people who clearly don't know what they're doing.
I loved first Highlander movie, enjoyed rest of them (other than that awful sequel) and those few episodes of the show I've watched, but this comic book... Connor Macleod is the part of some covert group of immortals who are waging war against USSR who makes super soldier with Kurgan as the head of the project? Just story alone is enough to back away from this book, but I endured looking for something that's not there. Not to mention the art which only gets worse in issue 5, no matter how impossible that sounds.
Just skip this and wait for the Henry Cavill's reboot of the franchise.
I loved first Highlander movie, enjoyed rest of them (other than that awful sequel) and those few episodes of the show I've watched, but this comic book... Connor Macleod is the part of some covert group of immortals who are waging war against USSR who makes super soldier with Kurgan as the head of the project? Just story alone is enough to back away from this book, but I endured looking for something that's not there. Not to mention the art which only gets worse in issue 5, no matter how impossible that sounds.
Just skip this and wait for the Henry Cavill's reboot of the franchise.
June 27, 2018
Rebooting the Sequel
28 June 2018 – Coffs Harbour
Remember that movie from the Eighties where the tag line was ‘there can be only one!’ (okay, probably not, but stick with me here). The one with the awesome soundtrack by Queen and where they had a Scotsman and Sean Connery running around with swords lopping off people’s heads? Then remember how they decided to completely butcher what was an awesome movie by making a sequel. Well, it seems like they have decided to pretty much ignore the sequel (and I won’t even say respectively at that) and simply write a series of comics (or graphic novels if that is the term you prefer) instead.
As it happens, the whole sequel thing basically didn’t happen and instead the big battle with the Kurgan wasn’t the big battle that gave Conner McLeod the prize, but rather it was just a big battle with somebody who happened to be the most powerful immortal out there, and his defeat has basically meant that the remaining immortals can simply go around pretending that one day they won’t be forced into battle so that somebody can get a prize that, well, nobody actually knows what it is in the first place. In fact, the suggestion now is that not only does nobody know what this prize is, but nobody particularly wants it anyway (or so it seems).
Like the movie, this story jumps between eras, though it is between the 1980s and the 1960s. Conner is basically a member of a team of immortals who were tracking down the Kurgan who, as it turned out, was working for the Soviet Union on a super soldier project (so, it wasn’t just the Americans who were trying to create super soldiers). It also seemed that even though there was a big battle at the end, and apparently all of these soldiers self-terminated, it ended up that some escaped. So, the professor who originally was involved in this experiment teams up with Conner and a couple of others to attempt to track them down.
Remember, this is still the 80s, so we still exist within the era of the Soviet Union, so not surprisingly we have KGB running around, and of course these secret Soviet experiments to help tip the balance in their favour. However, it seems to be more about cleaning up a mess that had been left behind than anything else. Also, there happens to be a bit of an addendum where Conner’s wife Brenda (from the film) has a nasty accident, and once again we have this idea of Conner outliving a loved one, and the problems of being what one would consider a ‘good’ immortal. The idea is if you pretty much live forever, then it is difficult, if not impossible, to form lasting attachments with people. I guess it does put a bit of a perspective on things.
As for the story, it actually wasn’t all that bad. In fact it was a little better than some of the others that I have read, but then again I guess the whole super hero genre does tend to wear me down a bit. Sure, the occasional movie is pretty good, but I’ve never really been able to get into the comic book genre. Well, in some cases I have, but really, this was quite a fun read, with special ops, and immortals once again being the immortals from the first film, but I doubt I’ll go out of my way and look for any more.
28 June 2018 – Coffs Harbour
Remember that movie from the Eighties where the tag line was ‘there can be only one!’ (okay, probably not, but stick with me here). The one with the awesome soundtrack by Queen and where they had a Scotsman and Sean Connery running around with swords lopping off people’s heads? Then remember how they decided to completely butcher what was an awesome movie by making a sequel. Well, it seems like they have decided to pretty much ignore the sequel (and I won’t even say respectively at that) and simply write a series of comics (or graphic novels if that is the term you prefer) instead.
As it happens, the whole sequel thing basically didn’t happen and instead the big battle with the Kurgan wasn’t the big battle that gave Conner McLeod the prize, but rather it was just a big battle with somebody who happened to be the most powerful immortal out there, and his defeat has basically meant that the remaining immortals can simply go around pretending that one day they won’t be forced into battle so that somebody can get a prize that, well, nobody actually knows what it is in the first place. In fact, the suggestion now is that not only does nobody know what this prize is, but nobody particularly wants it anyway (or so it seems).
Like the movie, this story jumps between eras, though it is between the 1980s and the 1960s. Conner is basically a member of a team of immortals who were tracking down the Kurgan who, as it turned out, was working for the Soviet Union on a super soldier project (so, it wasn’t just the Americans who were trying to create super soldiers). It also seemed that even though there was a big battle at the end, and apparently all of these soldiers self-terminated, it ended up that some escaped. So, the professor who originally was involved in this experiment teams up with Conner and a couple of others to attempt to track them down.
Remember, this is still the 80s, so we still exist within the era of the Soviet Union, so not surprisingly we have KGB running around, and of course these secret Soviet experiments to help tip the balance in their favour. However, it seems to be more about cleaning up a mess that had been left behind than anything else. Also, there happens to be a bit of an addendum where Conner’s wife Brenda (from the film) has a nasty accident, and once again we have this idea of Conner outliving a loved one, and the problems of being what one would consider a ‘good’ immortal. The idea is if you pretty much live forever, then it is difficult, if not impossible, to form lasting attachments with people. I guess it does put a bit of a perspective on things.
As for the story, it actually wasn’t all that bad. In fact it was a little better than some of the others that I have read, but then again I guess the whole super hero genre does tend to wear me down a bit. Sure, the occasional movie is pretty good, but I’ve never really been able to get into the comic book genre. Well, in some cases I have, but really, this was quite a fun read, with special ops, and immortals once again being the immortals from the first film, but I doubt I’ll go out of my way and look for any more.
February 4, 2014
The writer of this comic also writes for G.I. JOE. That particular tidbit explains a lot regarding this incarnation of HIGHLANDER. Here, we have what essentially feels like a G.I. JOE script adapted for the HIGHLANDER universe. It wouldn't surprise me at all if that were actually the case. At any rate, everything about this story feels off, as though it were created by people who only understand HIGHLANDER on a very superficial level and think of Connor Macleod as a potential stand-in for James Bond. It also doesn't help that the story keeps jumping back and forth between two different timelines in which similar things are happening to the very same characters. It gets disorienting.
June 26, 2014
The main problem of this story is that it was not a very suitable for the Highlander concept. Russians are developing super soldiers and the immortals are the only ones who can stop them - really? I later found out that the writer also works on the G.I. Joe comics and that probably explains the mismatch here.
Not for a Highlander fan. As always, there can be only one.
Not for a Highlander fan. As always, there can be only one.
January 24, 2017
Terrible art - some of the worst physical rendering I've ever seen in a commercial product actually - is barely redeemed by the inherent welfare of beloved characters. I fear for future volumes. I'll still read them, but I fear.
September 2, 2020
Between the two stories presented I'd give this an Average of 3 STARS.
"The Coldest War" (which is issues #0-4, but ran together without chapter/issue breaks) does not feel like a Highlanders story at all. Its basically Connor thrown into a generic James Bond adventure with some "buddy" immortals. The story jumps between the 'past' and 'current' timeline of just after the first film. Its written to try and set up parallels but it ends up being a hard to follow jumble. The Kurgen is of course relegated to the 'past' story and is pretty much used as a generic villain. Sad because he is such a great character in the film.
The saving grace is the 2nd story, "New Year's Eve" which by itself I give 4 STARS. Its a nice smaller story without a lot of action, but with great story telling which much more conveys the Highlander feel. It also has a lot of nods to the film and a nice little guest spot by Duncan. I seriously wish this story were the major portion of the book. Hopefully the following issues will take a hint from this storytelling team.
"The Coldest War" (which is issues #0-4, but ran together without chapter/issue breaks) does not feel like a Highlanders story at all. Its basically Connor thrown into a generic James Bond adventure with some "buddy" immortals. The story jumps between the 'past' and 'current' timeline of just after the first film. Its written to try and set up parallels but it ends up being a hard to follow jumble. The Kurgen is of course relegated to the 'past' story and is pretty much used as a generic villain. Sad because he is such a great character in the film.
The saving grace is the 2nd story, "New Year's Eve" which by itself I give 4 STARS. Its a nice smaller story without a lot of action, but with great story telling which much more conveys the Highlander feel. It also has a lot of nods to the film and a nice little guest spot by Duncan. I seriously wish this story were the major portion of the book. Hopefully the following issues will take a hint from this storytelling team.
November 6, 2022
Trying some Highlander comics for the first time. Love the first movie, and the show, but most of the expanded universe stuff has been a rough go for me. This comic is a little cringy. The Kurgan army storyline was okay as a quick read, but the New Years reunion between Duncan & Conner where Brenda gets hit by a car is really bad. All in all, these are really only for folks who are deep into the mythos, and even then only as a curiosity.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 28, 2022
Ticks all the boxes:
- cold war
- ninjas
- super-soldiers
- sword-fight while falling from an airplane...
- cold war
- ninjas
- super-soldiers
- sword-fight while falling from an airplane...
September 28, 2025
actually, i
preferred planet zeist exiles,
ramirez swearing
preferred planet zeist exiles,
ramirez swearing
June 20, 2015
Continuity in the Highlander franchise is a tricky thing to explain to any but the hardcore fan, so my apologies if the following is as clear as mud: This graphic novel (which collect issues 0-5 of the tie-in comic series by Dynamite Entertainment) takes place shortly after the events of the original Highlander film, but within the timeline of the Highlander TV series, in which the events of the movie were retconned a bit. Which means that Connor MacLeod has defeated the monstrous immortal known as The Kurgan, exactly as seen in the movie, only without winning The Prize... it was just another fight between immortals and not the final battle. Savvy?
Okay, now that's out of the way... the story begins with Connor abruptly called away from his new bride, Brenda Wyatt, to reunite with two other immortals and an elderly human scientist for a secret mission into the heart of the Soviet Union. Through flashbacks, we learn that the four of them had confronted The Kurgan once before, 20 years earlier, along with an army of genetically engineered cultist warriors who were fanatically loyal to the villainous immortal. They thought they'd defeated the cultists then, but now that Kurgan is dead, they're back and looking to avenge their old master. They've already caused the historic accident at the Chernobyl nuclear plant, and now they have bigger things in mind. They've got to be stopped...
Following the resolution of this storyline (comprising issues 0-4), we have a short interlude (issue 5) featuring Connor's kinsman Duncan MacLeod. Brenda has been injured in a car accident and is in surgery while the two immortal cousins talk, argue, and console one another.
Both stories capture the general tone of the Highlander TV series and are enjoyable, if rather superficial. The villains of "The Coldest War" are never fleshed out in any meaningful way and are merely "the bad guys"; the same with Paul and Tasya, Connor's immortal comrades. We learn nothing about either of them and have no real emotional connection to them. The elderly mortal in the story, Doctor Volkov, fares a bit better, but only just. Brenda is a virtual non-entity in both stories. On the positive side, however, the writers have a good grip on the voices of the two MacLeods, and it's easy to imagine the dialogue being spoken by actors Christopher Lambert and Adrian Paul.
The artwork by Lee Moder in "The Coldest War" and Kevin Sharpe in "New Years Eve" is hit-and-miss, although I see a better resemblance to the actors in Sharpe's work. The action is at least easy to follow, which I find is occasionally a problem in modern comics.
Overall, this is a pleasing but not spectacular return to the Highlander universe for fans of the franchise, but I can't imagine it would make any new fans. I am willing to continue with Volume 2, though, so that's something...
Okay, now that's out of the way... the story begins with Connor abruptly called away from his new bride, Brenda Wyatt, to reunite with two other immortals and an elderly human scientist for a secret mission into the heart of the Soviet Union. Through flashbacks, we learn that the four of them had confronted The Kurgan once before, 20 years earlier, along with an army of genetically engineered cultist warriors who were fanatically loyal to the villainous immortal. They thought they'd defeated the cultists then, but now that Kurgan is dead, they're back and looking to avenge their old master. They've already caused the historic accident at the Chernobyl nuclear plant, and now they have bigger things in mind. They've got to be stopped...
Following the resolution of this storyline (comprising issues 0-4), we have a short interlude (issue 5) featuring Connor's kinsman Duncan MacLeod. Brenda has been injured in a car accident and is in surgery while the two immortal cousins talk, argue, and console one another.
Both stories capture the general tone of the Highlander TV series and are enjoyable, if rather superficial. The villains of "The Coldest War" are never fleshed out in any meaningful way and are merely "the bad guys"; the same with Paul and Tasya, Connor's immortal comrades. We learn nothing about either of them and have no real emotional connection to them. The elderly mortal in the story, Doctor Volkov, fares a bit better, but only just. Brenda is a virtual non-entity in both stories. On the positive side, however, the writers have a good grip on the voices of the two MacLeods, and it's easy to imagine the dialogue being spoken by actors Christopher Lambert and Adrian Paul.
The artwork by Lee Moder in "The Coldest War" and Kevin Sharpe in "New Years Eve" is hit-and-miss, although I see a better resemblance to the actors in Sharpe's work. The action is at least easy to follow, which I find is occasionally a problem in modern comics.
Overall, this is a pleasing but not spectacular return to the Highlander universe for fans of the franchise, but I can't imagine it would make any new fans. I am willing to continue with Volume 2, though, so that's something...
October 14, 2015
"The Coldest War" is an adventure of Connor McCleod set after the first film, results in an action-packed and fast read, that feels more like a cover ops, espionage story with some 'lander mumbo jumbo, to the point you could swap the character with a GI JOE one (writer of this has GI JOE credits to his resume). "New Year's Eve", the backup feature, is more in line with the emotional part of the highlander mythos, andreunites two McCleoda for a more reflexive story.
If you are a fan of the highlander concept, this may be a treat, if you aren't this may feel as a generic soldier story with a sci-fi fantasy twist, that may not be bad, but not memorable.
If you are a fan of the highlander concept, this may be a treat, if you aren't this may feel as a generic soldier story with a sci-fi fantasy twist, that may not be bad, but not memorable.
March 12, 2008
While i like many of the decisions made here (picks up after first movie, ignores sequeals, shows that Kurgan/MacLeoud fight was not the final fight), but I still found the story a little underwhelming. Also, the art here is pretty poor as well. I just hope that as the series goes on it only gets better. Not bad, but mainly for Highlander fans only.
September 16, 2014
The story was a bit loose, the art not great, but hey, it's teh Highlander, so i can forgive all that. The second story in this book was great though, more Connor and Duncan please!
June 14, 2012
Hard to compete with the movies not horrible. No ramirez! What's up with that. Maybe in volume two.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews