Manifest destiny T01: La Faune et la flore

Manifest Destiny #1-6

by Chris Dingess (Other), Matthew Roberts

Suivez le Captaine Merriwether Lewis et le Lieutenant William Clark dans leur effrayante traversée d'est en ouest des États-Unis d'Amérique au début du XIXème siècle.
Lorsque le Président Jefferson accorde 2500 dollars de budget à Lewis et Clarke pour financer leur expédition, ils sont loin de se douter de ce qui les attend. Confrontés à des monstres plus terrifiant les uns que les autres, des hommes transformés en horribles créatures, leur vie est en danger. Seront-il capable de mener à bien leur expédition ?

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Fantasy, Horror, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Graphic Novels Comics

146 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2014

About the author

Chris Dingess is the writer and creator of Manifest Destiny published by the Skybound imprint of Image Comics. He also served as Executive Producer and writer for ABC's Agent Carter.

Reviews

[Matthew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Did I just meet my new favorite graphic novel? Yes . . . I think I did!



Holy cow! Volume one of Manifest Destiny was so freaking entertaining I cannot wait for more. I gobbled this up faster than any graphic novel volume I can remember. If the future volumes are even half as entertaining, I am in for a treat.



So far, this graphic novel is the perfect mix of historical fiction and fantasy/horror. And, basing fantasy/horror on the expedition of Lewis and Clark is super creative and very unique in my book. I am not sure what sort of crazy brainstorming session led to this idea, but I am so thankful it happened.



The artwork is phenomenal! Total eye candy! I found myself lingering on every panel . . . every frame . . . just so I could take it all in. Here’s to hoping that they don’t change artists partway through the series like I have seen done before. If they stick with this artwork, they will have me through to the end!



It’s violent! It’s twisted! It’s funny! It’s irreverent! It’s entertaining! Come one and all to explore the Louisiana Purchase with Lewis and Clark – just know the dangers are not what you might expect!

[Sam Quixote · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think the trend started with Pride and Prejudice and Zombies – classic stories/characters/historical figures being mashed into pulpy, dispensable books. From there we got Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter and Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters, and so on, to name a couple. Manifest Destiny is similar in that the pitch is essentially “Lewis & Clark: Monster Hunters”, but it’s much better than the aforementioned dross (and probably why the creators wisely went with Manifest Destiny for a title!).

The legendary American explorers, Lewis & Clark, head west into uncharted America where they meet Sacagawea, a Native American, who will be their guide. But they’re not on a mission of exploration, which is just a cover story – they’re secretly out to seek and destroy the monsters only a handful of men in the young American government, including the President, know about! That’s right, the American frontier once contained mythical creatures like buffalotaurs and dryads – and they’re all gonna burn!

Manifest Destiny is actually a lot less corny than you’d expect given the setup – it plays out like a horror mystery film from the 70s like The Wicker Man rather than the schlocky, over-the-top blood’n’guts horror stories we get these days. Writer Chris Dingess quietly builds tension at the start peppering the story with strange visuals – a giant green arch, a flower shaped like a skull – before revealing giant animal-headed warriors and Swamp Thing-esque Plant Zombies.

But the aspect of the book that will have the biggest impact on you will be the outstanding art team of Matthew Roberts and Owen Gieni whose images are so beautiful. The opening page of unspoiled natural America in all its glory is pure candy for your eyes, and there are tons of moments where you’ll pause in the narrative to look closely at the page – the skull flower in particular was stunning, but the buffalotaur designs are incredible, and the various types of plant zombies are so weirdly alluring yet sickening, you can’t help but stop and stare to take in the detail.

Dingess and co.’s take on Lewis, Clark and Sacagawea and their revised story works really well and as a first volume is a brilliant start to this great series. Manifest Destiny is a highly enjoyable historical adventure with elements of thriller/mystery/horror and contains gorgeous art – an excellent comic well worth reading!

[Magdalena · Rating 4 out of 5]

This volume tells the real story about Captain Meriwether Lewis and Second Lieutenant William Clarks mission into the west. President Thomas Jefferson has sent them out not just to explore, they are also going to catalog exotic life and get rid of all the monsters that are standing in the way for the expansion of the United States.

I thought that I was just going to read perhaps 50 pages of the volume then sleep and continue the next day. Instead, I read through all six issues, then I could sleep. It was just so riveting to read that I couldn't stop. This is a history lesson, with a twist to it and what a wonderful twist. The Wild West is truly wild. Also, the banter between Lewis and Clark were marvelous. I eagerly await the next volume to read more about their adventure.

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with a free copy for an honest review!

[Lono · Rating 4 out of 5]

You know what I remember about U.S. History class? The shape of the girl’s ass that sat 2 seats in front of me and wore bike shorts (the 80’s answer to yoga pants) every…single…day…..and stealing the answers to the final exam out of the teacher’s desk to pass the class by the skin of my teeth. I guarantee that if History class had been more like Manifest Destiny this dip-shit would’ve gotten at least a “B” and probably had a lot fewer embarrassing erections.



Manifest Destiny Vol.1: Flora and Fauna follows Captain Meriwether Lewis and 2nd Lieutenant William Clark’s trek into the then unexplored North American frontier. This time these guys have more than just angry Native Americans to worry about. Dingess adds to the adventure by mixing healthy portions of the fantasy and horror genres into the action to create something a lot more interesting. To me anyway.



This first volume spends a lot of time fleshing out Lewis and Clark’s personalities, their histories, and just what their stakes are in this venture. Lewis, being the scientist of the pair, is constantly cataloguing and scribbling away in his journal, which also acts as the narrator for portions of the story. Clark is the war-hardened veteran. A brave, stoic, and no bullshit kinda guy that hands out lashes for even the most minor infractions. Surround them with a crew comprised of seasoned soldiers and paranoid convicts and shit really gets interesting.



Then, to sweeten the pot even more, throw in some mythical beasts, lethal plants, a few bloody battles, some creepy elements, hints of what might be a shady government conspiracy, and the most interesting take on Sacagawea that I’ve ever read and the hook is set. I’m all in.



Matthew Roberts is pretty darn good artist. Here’s another Image illustrator that’s totally new to me that I’ll be looking out for down the road. His style reminded me a bit of Tony Moore (of Fear Agent and early Walking Dead fame). Owen Gieni also did a wonderful job coloring the book.



There are a bunch of excellent books out there that have been blending genres really well. Hellboy, The Sixth Gun, and Copperhead being some good examples. I’d say Manifest Destiny falls into this category as well. Another shout out to Image Comics for yet another creator owned title that’s certainly worth checking out if anything you read in this review interests you.


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[Chad · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yet another great image book. Think H.G. Wells's The Lost World meets Lewis and Clark. What if the Lewis and Clark expedition actually encountered monsters throughout their travels?

[Dave Schaafsma · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am so sick now of zombie stories. I am one of the originals, who saw The Night of the Living Dead when it was actually shown in theaters and I loved it. And then when it comes to irony and satire and zombies, I laughed hard at Pride and Prejudice and Zombies and thought that was clever but that was enough for me. I dipped into others like that, and thought, okay, that joke was funny once. This one seems to be along those same lines, Lewis and Clark and Zombies and other monsters, a history and zombies mashup. Set up as actual history, of course, with journal entries, adding in all the crazy stuff for fun. I thought it was better than some of the other classics and monster stories, actually. Pretty funny. And the art was pretty well done.

[Drew Canole · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this years ago when it first came out and I'd been meaning to keep reading the series since then.

Well damn, it's still ongoing! I chose a weird time to re-read it because the final volume is being serialized now. So I have a few months to wait for the final few issues. I've read up to Issue 47.

It's a fantastic series.

I haven't seen anything else by writer Chris Dingess or artist Matthew Roberts.

Roberts has done a fantastic job illustrating this series. He's quite unique. The coloring, I believe all done by Owen Gieni is also great. Nice watercolor style with a dynamic palette but never overwhelming.

I loved the first few volumes of exploring this wild America. The plot is essentially Lewis + Clark go to America, but this is an America out of an HP Lovecraft nightmare. York and Sacagawea are main characters here too.

I think the series was cut a bit short, probably due to how long it's taken to come out. That said, thus far it looks like its going to come to a very satisfying end.

[M. Tatari · Rating 4 out of 5]

Canavarlar, kızılderililer, tuhaf yaratıklar, zombiler ve balta girmemiş ormanlar... Manifest Destiny uzun zamandır okuduğum en güzel harmanlardan.

1804 yılında, Başkan Jefferson'ın emriyle Amerika'nın keşfedilmemiş topraklarının haritasını çıkarmak için yola koyulan bir grup maceracının başından geçen doğaüstü olayları konu alıyor çizgi roman. Başlarında Yüzbaşı Clark ve Yüzbaşı Lewis adında iki sıkı dost var. Bu ikilinin emrindeyse bir avuç asker ve bu göreve katıldıkları takdirde kendilerine ikinci bir şans tanınacağı söylenen bir grup mahkûm. Clark ve Lewis'in herkesten sakladığı şeyse asıl görevlerinin bu topraklardaki tüm canavarları temizlemek olduğu...

Buffalo adamlar, bitki zombiler, devasa sivrisinekler ve daha nicesi... İlk sayfaları biraz sıkıcı geçse de bir açılıyor pir açılıyor. Farklı bir şeyler arayanlara tavsiye olunur.

[Valéria. · Rating 4 out of 5]

No clue why I avoided this series for so long, but definitely glad I managed to get to that at this point.
It’s really well written, the pacing is exactly the way I would want from it, characters interesting, sceneries beautiful, violence and blood appropriate amount! Onto the second book!

[Eric · Rating 4 out of 5]

Before I begin this review, I have a small confession. I love table top gaming, and was an avid paper-and-dice gamer when I was younger and could get enough people together to run a campaign. Beyond the archetypal Dungeons & Dragons was my all-time favorite RPG, Deadlands. One of the great things about Deadlands was its inimitable flavor. It was a "Weird Western" and it was fully committed to its theme -- the game play involved not only dice, but decks of poker cards and poker chips, for example. It blended its frontier attitude with macabre horrors unearthed during westward expansion. Basically, this graphic novel could be a loose prequel to it, and it made me love it.

Manifest Destiny has the historical premise of Lewis and Clark mapping the newly acquired portions of the westward continent, meeting with real life guide Sacajawea, who is channeling River Tam in this graphic novel. In addition to facing the foreseen trials of such a large expedition, there are unforeseen horrors awaiting them in the untamed wilderness beyond. In this first volume, which I sense is only the beginning of these nightmares, Lewis and Clark encounter both local fauna -- buffalo minotaurs, or buffataurs as they nickname them -- and local flora -- plants that zombify the entire ecosystem around them -- while dealing with a crew of both soldiers and criminals out to earn their pardon. And all this is managed with a dark sense of humor. It's an excellent travelogue of a Lovecraftian American frontier, as told in absolutely stunning, illustrated detail -- seriously, I can't compliment the artwork highly enough.

This volume is still the beginning of the tale, as the party has only just left St. Louis. I, for one, cannot wait to read more.

Full disclosure: I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a review.

[The Lion's Share · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this. It's like that film Master and Commander, mixed with Jason and the Argonauts ha!

I look forward to reading volume 2!

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was great! A perfect mix of history and monsters. The art was beautiful. Really keen to read the others in the series.

[mark monday · Rating 3 out of 5]

did you know that Lewis & Clark weren't just intrepid early American explorers, they were commissioned by Jefferson himself to DESTROY ALL MONSTERS? with the help of lovely, slaughter-happy warrior Sacagawea, of course. this isn't exactly an intellectually rigorous experience, but who needs rigor or an intellect during a gory monster-hunting adventure. dialogue was fine if goofy and the art is vivid. nearly everyone is lantern-jawed. the story's focus is entirely on giving creeps & thrills in equal measures. at first it appears to be, let's say, politically unreconstructed, but references to Lewis & Clark's past complicity in a massacre of Indians and the offhand treatment of the slave York hint at certain points to be made in future volumes; the entire concept of "manifest destiny" will no doubt come under severe review. but for now at least, this is an entertaining and page-turning albeit rather basic yarn.

[Chris Lemmerman · Rating 4 out of 5]

What if Lewis & Clark's expedition wasn't just exploration, but to seek out and destroy anything supernatural that might threaten the expansion of the United States?

Look, I don't know much about American History being an Englishman, but I do know that I love a good monster story. This first volume introduces our main characters, Lewis & Clark obviously, as well as the rest of their band of explorers made up of actual military officers and some prisoners who signed up to cut down their sentences Suicide Squad style. There's also the addition of Sacagawea midway through, who is incredibly badass and shows up literally everyone, which is amusing.

Together they battle a band of buffalo centaurs and a Swamp Thing-esque zombie virus, and that's just the first six issues. It's an interesting premise, and there's enough of an ongoing mystery teased here to imply that there's more going on than just unconnected monster attacks. There's also definitely hints that both Lewis & Clark are hiding things from one another which are going to cause problems down the line.

On art we have Matthew Roberts - it took me a few issues, but I realised who his style reminds me of, and it's a good compliment for a horror comic because it's Tony Moore. Everyone's a little square in the jaw like Moore, and Roberts draws some funky horror monsters. The Swamp Thing zombies were especially creepy, and there's a sequence where Lewis & Clark attack them only for their bodies to reform which made me shudder.

A solid start, an intriguing premise, lots of action, lots of mystery, great art. Can't really ask for more than that.

[Zedsdead · Rating 4 out of 5]

In 1804, a party of Army volunteers and shifty criminals was dispatched by President Thomas Jefferson on an exploratory expedition to the Pacific Ocean. The famous Lewis and Clark undertaking. In this gorgeous, inventive retelling, their challenges include swamp things, biso-mino-centaurs, and persistently incipient mutiny.

This was fun. It captures a danger-and-determination pioneering spirit and seamlessly blends in elements of visionary fantasy horror. Exceeded my expectations.

[Danger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lewis & Clark in a nascent America, fighting a slew of grotesque monsters while on their famous journey west. What’s not to like? A fun and fast-paced opening to a promising series.

[Abriana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have not heard anyone talk about this, but like why??? I mean SACAGAWEA

[Nik · Rating 4 out of 5]

Im Jahre 1804 macht sich eine Expedition unter Captain Meriwether Lewis und Lieutanant William Clark auf, in Mission für Präsident Thomas Jefferson Teile des Wilden Westens bis zur Pazifikküste zu erschließen. Wie ihre historisch belegbar existierenden Pendants der Lewis-und-Clark-Expedition müssen sie dabei verschiedenen Widrigkeiten trotzen, allerdings sind diese in Chris Dingess Geschichte eher ...übernatürlichen Charakters. Als die Gruppe kurz vor dem Fort La Charette einen riesigen, geheimnisvollen Torbogen entdeckt, nimmt das Unheil seinen Lauf. Menschenfressende Kreaturen machen Jagd auf die Entdecker und auch die im Titel erwähnte Flora wartet mit bösen Überraschungen auf.

Manifest Destiny hat von der ersten bis zur letzten Seite eine überzeugende Abenteuer-Atmosphäre und dafür auch das richtige Setting. Die bunte Truppe aus Entdeckern sieht sich Gefahren jenseits ihrer bisherigen Vorstellungskraft gegenüber, gleichzeitig ist eine Umkehr für Lewis und Clark aber ausgeschlossen, denn wissenschaftliche Neugier und Pflichtbewusstsein gegenüber ihrem Auftrag dominieren. Dabei müssen die beiden immer wieder schwierige Entscheidungen treffen, um Erfolg und zumindest das Überleben zu sichern.

Man fühlt sich natürlich direkt an Archetypen des Genres erinnert, wie z.B. Skull Island in "King Kong". Da liegen auch sicher die Inspirationsquellen, aber das ist nichts Schlechtes, denn grundsätzlich mag sich solche Geschichten und Dingess bedient das auch überzeugend. Auf der Ebene der Figuren ist es nach dem ersten Band noch etwas oberflächlich, mit Lewis und Clark hat man allerdings zwei tragende, einschätzbare Hauptfiguren, generell lassen sich die Personen bis jetzt ganz gut einordnen und es gibt eine Grundlage, auf die kommende Bände aufbauen können.

Die große Stärke des Bandes liegt m.E. in den detaillierten Zeichnungen und den Einfällen zu den verschiedenen Kreaturen, denen sich die Entdecker stellen müssen. Das spannendste an Monster-Geschichten sind halt mitunter die Monster, und Chris Dingess sowie sein Zeichner Matthew Roberts haben gute Ideen visuell sehr überzeugend umgesetzt, der Horror-Effekt funktioniert definitiv. Es geht teilweise recht blutig zu, die Quantität der Gewaltdarstellung ist aber im Rahmen, Dingess verliert sich nie in Splatter-Orgien, sondern dosiert die Blutströme wie ich finde sehr gut.

Manifest Destiny ist für Freunde von fantastischen Abenteuer- und Horrorgeschichten einen Blick wert, ich bin schon auf Volume 2 gespannt.

[Trike · Rating 5 out of 5]

Manifest Destiny is a Lovecraftian take on the Lewis & Clark expedition, with monsters and mayhem galore. It's akin to the Weird Western genre simply because it's set in the right place, but it's more like Robert Charles Wilson's Darwinia or Arthur Conan Doyle's The Lost World, where explorers venture into a strange and hostile landscape that is utterly alien to what they know.

The story is quite compelling and Dingess manages to sketch differing personalities and attitudes of the various characters with just a few lines and reactions to the strange things they encounter. It's impressively efficient.

Matthew Roberts' art is likewise terrific, and he deftly distinguishes between numerous secondary characters. This is no mean feat, as most of these characters are wearing similar outfits whether they are soldiers or citizens whose clothes are of the same palette due to the era and materials available to them.

There's none of this business of fancy cross-page panels or experimental bullshit with the art: it's nice, clean lines with a simple layout intended to get the story across. Being able to tell one soldier apart from another at a glance is something more artists should try to emulate.

I probably would have held back on the reveal of the creatures as well as the reason for the expedition a bit longer, but I can see why they decided to simply jump in with both feet and put it out there. Once you read the cover, after all, the mystery is spoiled anyway.

I enjoyed this so much I'm ordering the next one right now. Fortunately, it's being released next week.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love a great blend of history and mythological creatures. Read this book only if:

1) Sacajawea is not only kickass---she's a badass woman/child. I wanna know her backstory---so very badly. :]



2) Flora plant monsters might be more exciting than your typical zombie...

3)Minotaur is not the same as a buftaur---buffalo-taur---does anyone out there have a good name for that beast?

There's so much to love about a good adventure story. A good adventure story with a mix of interesting characters, plots, and knowing that there is a LOT MORE TO EXPLORE.



Move over futuristic world and weird sea voyages---I think I'd like to explore the West. I will be closely keeping up with this series, and am excited to see where Dingess will take me...

[***Dave Hill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lewis & Clark meet H. P. Lovecraft, as the explorers begin their mission into the wilds of the Louisiana Territory and beyond. But rather than just dysentery, starvation, and unfriendly Indians, they also have to face man-eating buffalo minotaurs and a strange, sentient flora that takes over all fauna -- including humans.

Chris Dingess gives us gives us what is, at one level, a simple horror tale, but looks to be much deeper than that. L&C both have their own secrets, and share some as well -- the mission has clearly been sent in order to do more than simply explore, and a lynchpin to that is the young Indian woman (and warrior), Sacagawea.

The artwork by Matthew Roberts is detailed, expressive, yet still simple in form. The dialog feels nicely period while never become a struggle. It's a fine book, and I highly recommend it.

[Bonnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting premise - Lewis & Clark explore the New World and there are monsters? The art was amazing. Some graphic and visceral imagery. I am very curious to see where this goes!

(I liked this more on re-read. Very gritty and disturbing!)

[Devero · Rating 3 out of 5]

I primi albi raccolti in TP di questa serie sviluppano in ambito horror e fantasy l'esplorazione del territorio della Louisiana e oltre, e presentano i due capitani, Lewis e Clark, in modo nettamente differenziato come personaggi. Sebbene da appassionato di storia del west abbia storto particolarmente il naso di fronte all'idea stessa, sono comunque fortemente interessato al suo svolgimento e sviluppo. Sono interessato a vedere come continuerà, che cosa getterà nel calderone l'autore.
Questo perché purtroppo per Dingess, per un lettore del BVZM come me, il ricordo dei primi albi de Storie di Altrove (2, 3 e 5 se ricordo bene) dove si sviluppava una weird story sullo stesso tema del viaggio di esplorazione, è un confronto che lo sfavorisce.
Comunque a questo primo TP le 3 stelle ci stanno, anche per i disegni abbastanza buoni, specialmente nelle caratterizzazioni dei vari soldati.

[Václav · Rating 4 out of 5]

(4,1 of 5 for this monster-hunter alternative take on L&C exploration)

I looked forward to this as an exploration adventure, and paranormal is one of my favourite topics in comics. I must admit, I expected something else. It’s quite dark and horror-like sometimes, but there is also humour. I expected it to be a bit more serious, to be honest. But it’s fine either way. I can do more adventure-style stories. It was sometimes a bit too chatty, sometimes a bit bland, but the theme and the adventure kept me reading. I believe it will get even better as the story progresses, and I’m curious to see where it goes next.

I liked the art even though, again, I would like it more “serious” or dark. But for a more adventurous style than a horror-like story, it fits very nicely.

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

Now this is good historical fiction! I knew nothing about this but positive word of mouth, and it just reenforces my fear of flora, fauna, and fungus silently sneaking up on us. It's a scary world when you're not the apex predator.

[Jonathan Maas]

Pure imagination. Interesting premise, addicting plot - and characters hold depth. Disney level talent on all fronts, but not a Disney tale ;)

[Alyssa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read: May 2014
Where It Came From: eARC from publisher via NetGalley*
Genre: Historical-supernatural-graphic-novel
Rating: 3.5 Sad Dead Herons

The Quick and Dirty:
Lewis and Clark lead an exploration of the United States’ new territory at the behest of President Jefferson, and encounter all sorts of supernatural monsters and other entities. Also, Sacagawea kicks some major ass.

The Wordy Version:
Lewis and Clark are on a mission from Jefferson to explore and document the Louisiana Purchase. At least, that’s the public face of the mission—Jefferson has actually tasked the two with leading the expedition to destroy the monsters inhabiting the interior of the continent and make way for westward expansion. L and C are naturally a little skeptical about this less-public aspect of the assignment, but carry on as their president has ordered. They've got a bunch of military men in the party, supplemented with freed criminals—expendable manpower for what horrors might be ahead. Their first stop is La Charette, the westernmost bastion of civilization.

It soon becomes clear that Prez Tommy J is not, in fact, losing his marbles, when they are attacked by a bison/minotaur/centaur creature while investigating a structure that looks mysteriously like the plant version of the St. Louis arch. Things go downhill from there—more murderous bison creatures, a naked lady with scary green eyes jumping off a cliff but leaving no body behind, an abandoned fort, moss zombies… They make it to La Charette and eventually find some of the village’s survivors. The original plan was to hook up with an Indian girl at the fort (wonder who that could be?), but they’re forced to make plans to leave without her. Said plans are derailed by various malevolent flora and fauna, and the awaited Indian girl swoops in to save their asses. More than once.

Lewis is a kind of happy-go-lucky-ish, scholarly type of individual, while Clark seems to be the harder, less forgiving military man. Their bromance could get pretty epic. Other prominent characters include a particularly slimy convict named Jensen, who suspects the real reason the criminals were brought along on the trip and has no qualms about the measures he may have to take to escape. Sacagawea is the strong, silent (and pregnant) type, and her husband/baby-daddy Toussaint Charbonneau seems a little creepy, especially when we find out he’s being paid by L and C for delivering her to them, with more money to come when the baby is born…

I didn’t have especially strong feelings about the art in general, but there were some really cool full-page panels. It’s actually a pretty gruesome graphic novel at times (bison creature dissection, anyone?), and the slime ball Jensen says some pretty offensive things (cannot WAIT until some creature gets him. Or Sacagawea!), but it didn’t make me squeamish enough to stop reading. Overall, I was feeling kind of in the middle about it—it was interesting enough, but maybe not so much that I would seek out the next installment. But some set up at the very end involving plant prophecies and demons from Clark’s past, as well as some loose ends, such as Sacagawea’s undisclosed role (both from L and C’s perspective and from her own) and the green-eyed cliff-jumper, convinced me the next volume is worth a place on my TBR. I’m looking forward to further development of some characters we only got a glimpse of, like Mrs. Boniface from La Charette, and York, Clark’s African-American companion (slave, freedman, servant—we don’t know yet).

*As ever, much as we are grateful for the copy, our review is uninfluenced by its source.


Originally posted on Read This / Eat That

[Brian Poole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Manifest Destiny, Vol. 1: Flora & Fauna puts a clever spin on a famous chapter of American history to create an intriguing adventure story.

Manifest Destiny recasts the iconic mission of Lewis & Clark as a commission to hunt monsters, clearing the frontier for U.S. expansion westward. Meriweather Lewis, a scientist with a gun, and William Clark, a brawling solider, lead a gaggle of volunteer soldiers and convicts given pardons in exchange for service into the American wilderness. There, the expedition encounters such phenomena as a forerunner of the St. Louis arch made entirely of vegetation; a race of human/buffalo hybrids; a virus that turns humans into plant-like zombies; and a large, carnivorous plant. The heroes face harsh terrain, the mysteries of the wild and treachery from within their crew. Sacagawea, positioned as some potential sacrifice to the dark powers of the wilderness, comes across as a native warrior goddess.

The script from Chris Dingess is economical in the best sense of the word. He provides enough exposition to set the stage for the expedition’s mission without overthinking things like “human/buffalo hybrids” and “killer plants.” The characters just accept those oddities at face value and the script’s decision not to attempt some grander explanation is a good choice. Dingess might plan to explore the origins of such bizarre occurrences down the road, but for now, chooses to usher readers into this world without burdening them with too much background. Dingess does a nice job with the almost fraternal bond between Lewis and Clark and the internal dynamics of the frightened crew, as well as the people they encounter on their journey.

Artist Matthew Roberts (working with colorist Owen Gieni) produces some impressive visuals. They craft some lush, beautiful landscapes that take advantage of the format and then contrast them with dark and shadow-drenched scenes that effectively evoke the fear of the unknown in the wilderness. Roberts’s character work strikes a decent balance between realism and cartoonishness. The leads cut appropriately heroic forms, the convicts are dark and oddly formed (in a good way) and the monsters are rife with details that enhance the horror effects in a way that doesn’t take the reader out of the moment. The artists’ presentation of Sacagawea goes for a more realistic depiction, instead of some impossible, frontier fantasy beauty.

Manifest Destiny, Vol. 1: Flora & Fauna performs a careful balancing act among its story threads that never gets away from its creators. The blend of adventure and horror is something the entire creative team gets right throughout, but never at the cost of personal drama. The cast is large, but the central characters make a strong impression. Several characters harbor secrets and plots that bubble up throughout the course of Volume 1 without coming to a head, setting the stage for the next arc.

Manifest Destiny is a great example of the creative work being done at Image these days and a mark of how far the publisher has come since its crass early roots. Manifest Destiny, Vol. 1: Flora & Fauna is recommended for fans of horror, adventure and history. If you’re in the sweet spot of enjoying all three genres, this is the book for you.

A version of this review originally appeared on www.thunderalleybcp.com

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lewis and Clark…Sacagawea…exploring new lands…meeting new people…the adventure of a lifetime- what could possibly go wrong???

As coincidence would have it, I was reading this book while my family was in St. Louis, where this adventure gets its start. It was a neat juxtaposition to compare the pictures of the Mississippi and the arch in the book, to what the city and surrounding area look like now. What starts out as what you imagine the expedition looked like in 1804, quickly takes a sharp left turn when the group encounters a living arch, Minotaur-type creatures who are half human/ half bison, and vegetation that take over people turning them into plant zombies. Sacagawea is introduced as a mysterious warrior along with her disgusting husband Charbonneau.

I had SO many problems with this book. I thought at first, cool, this story will be fun. It was not. What upset me the most was how Sacagawea was portrayed. It first must be noted that I don’t like when historical women are misrepresented to the public. The Disney movie about Pocahontas and the Fox movie about Anastasia drive me wild with how inaccurate they are and my worry that youth will watch them and think they are historically factual. While I understand that no one is reading this graphic novel for its accuracy, I was pissed at how she was portrayed. She was sexualized and crude comments were made about her by some of the men. This then leads to my next complaint- the mature content. This was some of my own doing for I failed to notice the small notice on the back that it was rated M. It’s not that I’m a prude, I read and enjoy The Walking Dead and Locke & Key that incorporate sexuality into their stories, but in this story is seemed gratuitous. I think younger boys might gravitate towards this book that is labeled action/adventure and then be introduced to some wildly inappropriate remarks and pictures while reading the novel.

So Image Comics takes history, government conspiracies, and re-images (get my pun?) the events by shaking it all together into what I consider a convoluted mess. There are future volumes, as this first volume only covers the beginning of the journey. I am vaguely interested in the Sacagawea plot line and what subterfuge Lewis and Clark hinted at regarding her and her future infant and how it will play out, plus I know the expedition will be eventually encountering Big Foot/Sasquatch, so I might skim future volumes just so I can get upset again. (Edit- I gave the series another chance and ended up liking it!)

This review can also be found on my blog: https://graphicnovelty2.com/2016/07/2...

[Matej Kondas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Píše se rok 1806 a Amerika je pořád do značné míry neobjevená. Proto prezident Thomas Jefferson
vysílá badatele a vědce Meriwethera Lewise a Williama Clarka ke zmapování území a jejich průzkum. To je ta historická část téhle velké americké osídlovací expedice.

Ta druhá je že výprava má především za úkol zmapovat obyvatele a monstra v této oblasti žijící, k tomu jim dopomáhá loď naložená zlepšováky a po zuby ozbrojená posádka vojáků a bývalých trestanců.
Při své plavbě, při úkolu vyzvednout tajemnou indiánskou dívku v pevnosti La Charette, narazí Lewis a Clark na podivné bizoní kentaury, obří oblouk který nevypadá že by ho postavili lidské ruce a také na parazitní rostliné zombíky, kteří jim dost zatopí.

Amerika totiž nepatří jen jejím novým obyvatelům nebo indiánům, ale především stvůrám a divnostem, mnohem starším nežse na první pohled mohlo zdát.

Manifest Destiny je série, která se veze na vlně aktuálního historického nerdství a popularizaci historie prostřednictvím propojení s dobrodružstvím, pulpovou zápletkou a nějakým tím nadpřirozenem k tomu.

Chris Dingess je od pohledu fanoušek historie a věřím tomu že i Cthulhu. Jediné co trošku vadí je občasná kostrbatost vyprávění a zmatení čtenáře ohledně motivace některých postav.

Pokud máte zájem o americkou historii a baví vás dobrodružné příběhy, Manifest není rozhodně špatná volba. Kostrbatost a plochost příběhu, ale mohou pro některé čtenáře představovat docela problém, proto neříkejte že jsem Vás nevaroval.