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Highlander: The American Dream #1-5
Highlander: The American Dream
Travel through time in this sword-clashing adventure spanning over a hundred years from the 1860s to the beginning of the first movie.
In the thirty years since its release, Highlander has inspired a cult following and numerous spinoffs with its epic clashes between powerful immortals. Now, The American Dream follows Scottish swordsman Connor MacLeod as he navigates through the American Civil War and 1950s Manhattan toward The Gathering in 1986. Reunite with familiar faces, such as Connor’s secretary Rachel, and meet new immortals, such as Osta Vazilek, but remember... There can be only one!
In the thirty years since its release, Highlander has inspired a cult following and numerous spinoffs with its epic clashes between powerful immortals. Now, The American Dream follows Scottish swordsman Connor MacLeod as he navigates through the American Civil War and 1950s Manhattan toward The Gathering in 1986. Reunite with familiar faces, such as Connor’s secretary Rachel, and meet new immortals, such as Osta Vazilek, but remember... There can be only one!
120 pages, Paperback
First published November 8, 2017
2 people are currently reading
30 people want to read
About the author
Brian Ruckley
112 books169 followersI was born and brought up in Edinburgh. After studying at Edinburgh and Stirling Universities, and after a good deal of displacement activity (varying from spending three months in the rainforests of Borneo trying to record the dawn chorus of gibbons to briefly working in a tea warehouse / factory), I moved to England to enter the world of full-time employment.
As much by luck as judgement, I had a series of on the whole enjoyable and interesting jobs, mostly based in London. All of them save one have been in the charity sector, and at various times they have involved extensive overseas travel, environmental and community projects, nature conservation and fundraising.
Writing was a big feature of my childhood, and has ebbed and flowed as a spare-time occupation ever since. I sold a couple of short stories in the 1990s, but didn’t really start thinking seriously about writing novels until the 21st Century had got underway.
At the start of 2003, I turned myself into a freelance consultant on environmental projects, partly in order to devote more time to writing; since then, the writing side of things has taken over almost completely.
I am now back in Edinburgh, where I live with my lovely wife, and miss the excitement of London only a little, and only occasionally.
As much by luck as judgement, I had a series of on the whole enjoyable and interesting jobs, mostly based in London. All of them save one have been in the charity sector, and at various times they have involved extensive overseas travel, environmental and community projects, nature conservation and fundraising.
Writing was a big feature of my childhood, and has ebbed and flowed as a spare-time occupation ever since. I sold a couple of short stories in the 1990s, but didn’t really start thinking seriously about writing novels until the 21st Century had got underway.
At the start of 2003, I turned myself into a freelance consultant on environmental projects, partly in order to devote more time to writing; since then, the writing side of things has taken over almost completely.
I am now back in Edinburgh, where I live with my lovely wife, and miss the excitement of London only a little, and only occasionally.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
October 14, 2024
If you ignore all the inconsistencies in the "Highlander" franchise, you can enjoy it, as it has (mostly) entertaining stories. I guess all flaws come from the fact that the franchise sprouted from a school project of a UCLA student who had only that one idea, which was taken from him and made into an inconsistent but entertaining franchise. That being said, I did enjoy "Highlander" 1 and 3 (I will not mention the second one). I enjoyed a few episodes of TV series and movies that came after. It's nothing to write home about, but it's a guilty pleasure.
This graphic novel is a prequel to the first movie that ends pretty much as the movie starts. However, it bends the story a bit by introducing a new Immortal not mentioned in the movie. Regardless, it's a fun adventure that goes from the American Civil War to the '50s and ends in 1985. The art could've been better. I can understand that they couldn't use Lambert's likeness due to licensing issues (but they did draw him for the covers), but the way Mutti drew him is awful. Not only him, he has a talent to make all characters look the same. It's still better than second movie.
This graphic novel is a prequel to the first movie that ends pretty much as the movie starts. However, it bends the story a bit by introducing a new Immortal not mentioned in the movie. Regardless, it's a fun adventure that goes from the American Civil War to the '50s and ends in 1985. The art could've been better. I can understand that they couldn't use Lambert's likeness due to licensing issues (but they did draw him for the covers), but the way Mutti drew him is awful. Not only him, he has a talent to make all characters look the same. It's still better than second movie.
January 21, 2019
Was a fan of the older films but this was just okay...doesn't translate well to comics medium.
July 16, 2018
Something that I’ve started to do a bit more often these days is read comic books using my kindle app on my iPad – the experience has been quite painless and thoroughly enjoyable, especially when it comes down to purchasing and downloading collections. My friends will know I’m a huge fan of the Highlander franchise (and pity them, some of them had to put up with my obsession since high school – if one of you’re reading this now, realise that I’m waving at you right now). Lately I’ve been dipping back into the Highlander fandom, and it’s even more enjoyable now since it’s so much easier for me to lay hands on the assorted films, series and books – unlike the early 1990s when the internet wasn’t within the reach of mere mortals.
Highlander: The American Dream is a comic series that came out last year (2017) written by Brian Ruckley with art by Andrea Mutti. Generally I tend to be wary of tie-ins but this offering was solid, as in I immediately went back to page through particular sections and I felt that as a prequel The American Dream filled in some gaps for the Connor MacLeod we’ve come to know and love from the first film. More importantly, this offering stays true to the spirit of the very first film, so it will most likely keep the purists happy.
I’m happy enough to add the events here to my headcanon, and themes that are elaborated on are Connor’s loneliness and the burden placed on him and a few other Immortals to counteract the evil of other Immortals such as the Kurgan and, of course the antagonist in The American Dream – John Hooke, who has rather a lot in common with a rabid dog.
We also see the uneasy partnership between Connor and another Immortal, the monk Osta Vazilek (shades of Darius echoing there, perhaps?) as they hunt Hooke down through the ages – so expect hopping between the periods of the American Civil War, the 1950s and the mid-1980s. We also get to see the plucky Rachel in action – and she most certainly has gumption. I’ve always loved her as a character – she dedicated herself to Connor and clearly was utterly devoted to him, despite the fact that he held himself aloof from everyone around him.
Overall, the narrative was engaging – this is a stock-standard “hunt the evil Immortals” battle that dovetails well with the first film. The colouring was lovely; Vladimir Popov has done an excellent job. I especially loved the illustrations between the issues by Claudia Gironi, which evoked Connor so well. As for the art, I’m not hundred percent sure I liked the way Mutti drew Connor or the other characters – there was a lot of sameness in their facial features, and Connor just looked bland without the intensity of the stare that Lambert gifted him in the film. But this wasn’t a deal-breaker for me because the overall production quality was high, and it’s clear that a great deal of thought was put into the visual composition.
Highlander: The American Dream is a comic series that came out last year (2017) written by Brian Ruckley with art by Andrea Mutti. Generally I tend to be wary of tie-ins but this offering was solid, as in I immediately went back to page through particular sections and I felt that as a prequel The American Dream filled in some gaps for the Connor MacLeod we’ve come to know and love from the first film. More importantly, this offering stays true to the spirit of the very first film, so it will most likely keep the purists happy.
I’m happy enough to add the events here to my headcanon, and themes that are elaborated on are Connor’s loneliness and the burden placed on him and a few other Immortals to counteract the evil of other Immortals such as the Kurgan and, of course the antagonist in The American Dream – John Hooke, who has rather a lot in common with a rabid dog.
We also see the uneasy partnership between Connor and another Immortal, the monk Osta Vazilek (shades of Darius echoing there, perhaps?) as they hunt Hooke down through the ages – so expect hopping between the periods of the American Civil War, the 1950s and the mid-1980s. We also get to see the plucky Rachel in action – and she most certainly has gumption. I’ve always loved her as a character – she dedicated herself to Connor and clearly was utterly devoted to him, despite the fact that he held himself aloof from everyone around him.
Overall, the narrative was engaging – this is a stock-standard “hunt the evil Immortals” battle that dovetails well with the first film. The colouring was lovely; Vladimir Popov has done an excellent job. I especially loved the illustrations between the issues by Claudia Gironi, which evoked Connor so well. As for the art, I’m not hundred percent sure I liked the way Mutti drew Connor or the other characters – there was a lot of sameness in their facial features, and Connor just looked bland without the intensity of the stare that Lambert gifted him in the film. But this wasn’t a deal-breaker for me because the overall production quality was high, and it’s clear that a great deal of thought was put into the visual composition.
November 17, 2020
A nice piece woven into the immediate hours before the movie events
January 30, 2018
I love Highlander and the fact that mythos can be expanded upon without altering the original stories. A great tale of Connor MacLeod through the years.
June 24, 2017
Great build-up to a weak conclusion.
August 26, 2019
I can't think of a franchise that suffers from worse continuity than HIGHLANDER, so I pity anyone who tries to inject a new story into the mix. To simplify things, writer Brian Ruckley went the route of HALLOWEEN (2018) by jettisoning every bit of established mythology apart from the initial film. Thus, HIGHLANDER: THE AMERICAN DREAM serves as a prequel to the original HIGHLANDER film and ignores absolutely everything else. As far as this book is concerned, Connor won the Prize back in 1985, and that was that.
HIGHLANDER: THE AMERICAN DREAM follows the same tired formula as a typical episode of the Adrian Paul TV series. But I guess we're not supposed to notice that, since in Brian Ruckley's world, the TV series does not exist. The comic takes us back in time to the Civil War, introduces a villain who doesn't matter and a close friend we've never heard of, then returns us to the present day (1985) so they can both get dispatched in typical HIGHLANDER fashion. The only surprise here is that it turns out immortals can sustain permanent injuries to the face. Amazing so few of them have facial scars, considering how often they go for each others' necks. But I digress.
The story related here is pretty lackluster. The TV series already did the Civil War, sadistic Confederate generals, and an immortal who spent his life on holy ground. That we are seeing these things from Connor's perspective rather than Duncan's doesn't make it feel any fresher. It simply reinforces the notion that HIGHLANDER has run out of ideas. Personally, I'd rather watch HIGHLANDER: THE SOURCE than go back to more of the same ole, same ole.
Oh, and on a final note, I'd like to mention that at no point in the comic does Connor Macleod even vaguely resemble Christopher Lambert. I'm sure that's intentional due to licensing concerns, but couldn't they at least have tried to make him cool? Why did they draw him as the world's most boring-looking human? His features are so hard to distinguish, I often didn't realize who it was I was looking at.
HIGHLANDER: THE AMERICAN DREAM follows the same tired formula as a typical episode of the Adrian Paul TV series. But I guess we're not supposed to notice that, since in Brian Ruckley's world, the TV series does not exist. The comic takes us back in time to the Civil War, introduces a villain who doesn't matter and a close friend we've never heard of, then returns us to the present day (1985) so they can both get dispatched in typical HIGHLANDER fashion. The only surprise here is that it turns out immortals can sustain permanent injuries to the face. Amazing so few of them have facial scars, considering how often they go for each others' necks. But I digress.
The story related here is pretty lackluster. The TV series already did the Civil War, sadistic Confederate generals, and an immortal who spent his life on holy ground. That we are seeing these things from Connor's perspective rather than Duncan's doesn't make it feel any fresher. It simply reinforces the notion that HIGHLANDER has run out of ideas. Personally, I'd rather watch HIGHLANDER: THE SOURCE than go back to more of the same ole, same ole.
Oh, and on a final note, I'd like to mention that at no point in the comic does Connor Macleod even vaguely resemble Christopher Lambert. I'm sure that's intentional due to licensing concerns, but couldn't they at least have tried to make him cool? Why did they draw him as the world's most boring-looking human? His features are so hard to distinguish, I often didn't realize who it was I was looking at.
November 6, 2022
Highlander: The American Dream
Франчайзът "Шотландски боец" е моя любима поредица, и съдържа общо 5 игрални филма, един пълнометражен аниме филм, два игрални и един анимационен сериал. Ако се опитате да хванете логиката и хронологията на всичко, пожелавам ви успех! Сами за себе си част от филмите се навързват един с друг, част от историите имат последователност, но да впишете всичко логично е абсурд. Реално погледнато, почти всичко след първия филм противоречи на оригиналния сценарий, в който наистина настъпва часът на Сбирката и остава Само Един, който получава Наградата... Ето защо "Highlander: The American Dream" всъщност се явява една от най-консистентните и верни на оригинала истории. Това е прикуъл на оригиналния филм, в който отново срещаме Конър Маклауд, спасената от него и вярна до гроб Рейчъл, и отвратягата Курган. Намесен е и бегло споменатия във филма безсмъртен Оста Вализек, стар приятел на Конър, както и друг безсмъртен, който е един от онези садистични психари, които трябва да бъдат спрени на всяка цена, защото ако такава личност спечели Наградата, светът ще потъне в мрак. Комиксът няма да ви отнесе главата със сюжет или рисунки, но и в двете отношения нивото е наистина добро и като цяло наистина нямам от какво да се оплача. Останах приятно изненадан, че тези пет броя разказват консистентна история, която чудесно допълва филма, дава мотивация на иначе обезверения самотник Конър да поеме отговорност за крайния изход на събитията, и ни представя интересната перспектива на безсмъртен, който живее като монах и прекарва векове без битки на Свещена земя, като няма никакво намерение да бъде последния оцелял, но това не значи, че е пасивен или че се е предал. Препоръчвам мини-поредицата на всички фенове!
Франчайзът "Шотландски боец" е моя любима поредица, и съдържа общо 5 игрални филма, един пълнометражен аниме филм, два игрални и един анимационен сериал. Ако се опитате да хванете логиката и хронологията на всичко, пожелавам ви успех! Сами за себе си част от филмите се навързват един с друг, част от историите имат последователност, но да впишете всичко логично е абсурд. Реално погледнато, почти всичко след първия филм противоречи на оригиналния сценарий, в който наистина настъпва часът на Сбирката и остава Само Един, който получава Наградата... Ето защо "Highlander: The American Dream" всъщност се явява една от най-консистентните и верни на оригинала истории. Това е прикуъл на оригиналния филм, в който отново срещаме Конър Маклауд, спасената от него и вярна до гроб Рейчъл, и отвратягата Курган. Намесен е и бегло споменатия във филма безсмъртен Оста Вализек, стар приятел на Конър, както и друг безсмъртен, който е един от онези садистични психари, които трябва да бъдат спрени на всяка цена, защото ако такава личност спечели Наградата, светът ще потъне в мрак. Комиксът няма да ви отнесе главата със сюжет или рисунки, но и в двете отношения нивото е наистина добро и като цяло наистина нямам от какво да се оплача. Останах приятно изненадан, че тези пет броя разказват консистентна история, която чудесно допълва филма, дава мотивация на иначе обезверения самотник Конър да поеме отговорност за крайния изход на събитията, и ни представя интересната перспектива на безсмъртен, който живее като монах и прекарва векове без битки на Свещена земя, като няма никакво намерение да бъде последния оцелял, но това не значи, че е пасивен или че се е предал. Препоръчвам мини-поредицата на всички фенове!
March 11, 2018
This was a very good capture of the ethos that made the original highlander the wonderful movie that it was. In this book Brian Ruckley fills in a few of the gaps in Conner MacLeod's story while introducing some other memorable characters. The art by Andrea Mutti fits the story perfectly with a few of the covers capturing Christopher Lambert's essence. Overall, a captivating read and one that leaves me with hopes for more stories by this talented duo.
July 2, 2017
Okay enough. Doesn't really add much context besides Rachel being ingorant of the game.
April 7, 2018
Interesting to see what happened before the final showdown. It jumped around quite a bit timeline-wise but that is to be expected with immortal characters.
December 2, 2020
Liked the story; liked that it was set in the continuity of the original movie; STRONGLY disliked the art.
June 22, 2021
A good story of what happened to Connor MacLeod in the past century.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews