Burning Fields (Label 619)

Burning Fields #1-8

by Michael Moreci

Dana Atkinson, une enquêtrice de l’armée renvoyée pour manquement à l’honneur, est rappelée au Moyen-Orient quand un groupe de techniciens américains spécialisés dans l’exploitation du pétrole disparaît dans des circonstances étranges. Suite à une série d’incidents sur le site de forage, Dana et l’enquêteur iraquien avec lequel elle doit collaborer font une découverte inimaginable : un mal mythique a été libéré, menaçant toute la région et la paix précaire qui y maintient l’équilibre.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Horror, Politics, Fiction

214 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 19, 2016

About the author

Michael Moreci is a bestselling comics author and novelist. His original works include the space adventure novels Black Star Renegades and We Are Mayhem, as well as the comic series Wasted Space, The Plot, Hexagon, Curse, Archangel 8, and more. The Plot appeared on numerous best of 2019 lists, and Wasted Space has been hailed as one of the best comics of the past decade. Moreci's comic trilogy Roche Limit was called one of the best sci-fi comics of all-time by Paste Magazine, and Black Star Renegades was an Audie Award finalist for best sci-fi of 2018.

Moreci has also written for Star Wars, Battlestar Galactica, and the DC universe--including the YA graphic novel The Lost Carnival: A Dick Grayson Story. He's also adapted Eoin Colfer's bestselling Artemis Fowl series into graphic novels.

He lives outside Chicago with his family.

Reviews

[Gianfranco Mancini · Rating 4 out of 5]

A couple of good flawed main characters, a serial killer on the loose in the Middle East, ritual murders, piles of corpses, missing tongues and lovecraftian elder gods in a thrilling page-turning action/mistery/horror comic-book.



An unexpected little gem and I enjoyed every page of it.

[47Time · Rating 3 out of 5]

This comic excels at highlighting the pressure in Iraq after the war ended and the foreign troops were stationed to maintain the peace. Add to that a string of ritualistic murders inspired by a god named Asag and you have a great story. Until the supernatural horror element comes along to ruin everything. If you like zombies, then you're good. Still, what a waste.

Dana Atkinson is sent to Kirkuk, Iraq to investigate a murder. The victim is one of several that have turned up with ritual markings on their skin and badly broken bodies after what looks like prolonged torture. A serial killer is suspected. The investigation leads Dana and Aban Fasad, a local cop with a dark past, into a world of mystery and violence that can spark a conflict between the Iraqi nationalists and the US private military contractor. The beautiful build-up is taken apart at the end.

Decker Marce is the man that ruined Dana's past. He killed a child and Dana killed him. Now he's back as a zombie who wants to resurrect Asag. Dana kills Decker and Aban blows up the oil well that destroys Asag.

[Quentin Wallace · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a murder mystery set in Iraq, but there's also monster's here, folks. Zombies, Lovecraft things, and more. Overall there's some political intrigue involving oil and private military contractors, but the horror element is what makes the book. I will say it did drag in places, and was a little dialogue heavy. This was 8 issues and the story would probably have been better told in 6. Other than that, a pretty cool read.

[Zedsdead · Rating 3 out of 5]

A dishonorably discharged veteran is tapped to investigate a series of gory murders of American defense contractors in Iraq. There appear to be occult aspects to the killings.

It sets a hell of a hook, the first body is inventively gruesome. The dialogue skews smart, and I found the art really appealing. (While I love the black-on-black motif in general, and it looked good here, it also resulted in me holding pages up to a light and looking at them at oblique angles to try to see what was going on. They may have overdone it.)

But the plotting...eh, just uninspired. Kind of a limp, uninteresting finish. Great start, mediocre end.

[Kevin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh. The supernatural stuff is, as usual, not explained enough to make everything make sense. Most supernatural threats need rules or they just end up being monsters, and this one is no different.

[Ashkin Ayub · Rating 4 out of 5]

A story of eldritch horror set in Kirkuk, Iraq during the American occupation. Well-defined, compelling characters define this police procedural turned battle against an ancient god. It was engaging and grotesque.

Burning Fields is horror at its finest. The horrors of man truly know no bounds.

[Bob · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting story involving a corrupt American Oil driller in the Middle East who encounters the beast worshipped by a local cult. The investigator sent to find a missing team learns more than she expected. The art, though very good, was too shadowy and often indistinct for my taste. Recommended.

[Brian O'Connell · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting, mostly successful meld of war thriller and supernatural horror. The first four issues are truly impressive: taut, economic political drama with well-written characters and sharp insight into the tragic situation in the Middle East. The horror elements are managed well, too: a slow, gathering burn like a dark stormcloud, culminating in a truly fabulous splash illustration by Lorimer at the end of issue four that delivers the promise of worse things to come. It’s perhaps unfortunate that the second half of the book doesn’t really make good on that promise, falling into pretty conventional tropery and generally rushed plotting that made me wish the writers had had more time to work this out. (The ending could be very moving, but feels so abrupt and unearned that it falls flat.)

Still, it can be a great, compulsive read, even with these issues. The drama is compelling, the characters are memorable, and the overt politics are refreshing to see in a horror comic. Lorimer’s art can be a bit too dark (lighting-wise), but is generally visually dynamic and interesting—with a lot of help from colorist LaFuente. Recommended if you’re looking for a solid, entertaining experience.

[Darcy · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is not too often I can say reading a graphic novel has frightened me but Burning Fields did exactly that. This is a story that begins as a murder mystery in the besieged middle east and becomes something much more supernaturally intense. There are many layers to this story that plumb the depths of the various characters and that benefit rereading to capture all of the nuance. The art style fits the story admirably, being very dark and again displaying the depths of Colin Lorimer who never fails to surprise.

One of the very nice touches that Michael Moreci and Tim Daniel bring to the volume is the suspense that imbues the pages. It is a slow build that keeps drawing you deeper into the mystery with a good helping of gore along the way. This type of horror is usually not my cup of tea but I had to appreciate the work that went into this book and if you enjoy the genre you will find satisfaction here.

[Francesca Giardiello · Rating 3 out of 5]

Volume interessante che cerca di introdurre il lettore in un circolo viziato dall'adrenalina, eppure questo espediente non è abbastanza ben ideato da nascondere la frettolosità che costella il fumetto in questione.

Molte informazioni aggiuntive allungano il brodo cercando di creare una connessione con la protagonista che invece non avviene perché in realtà non viene detto ciò che realmente servirebbe e il suo carattere non emerge se non alla fine (dove beh.. era anche ora che emergesse qualcosa, no?).

I disegni sono senza gloria, né infamia, seguono bene il ritmo della narrazione e riescono a essere dinamici e forti senza perdersi in un caos indefinito.

In generale è una lettura che poteva dare molto, molto di più.

[Cara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love supernatural graphic novels so that aspect of this book does not disappoint. However, the Iraqi politics and military contractors aspect could’ve been developed differently. I do like that the Iraqi main character was not some terrorist or other stereotype, but the female lead was a bit stereotypical (mysterious past, been wronged, seeking revenge, etc). Despite this, still a good read and I loved the art.

[Chad · Rating 3 out of 5]

A solid story about a disgraced investigator that goes back to Iraq when people go missing and are found in ritualistic murders. I was a bit disappointed in the supernatural angle the story took in the second half because I was already really enjoying it. Even so, it's solid stuff. Colin Lorimer is a solid artistic choice too.

[Axel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Compelling, thrilling, violent. This book was a good surprise to me. I was invested in the mistery from the beginning to the end.

[Sagnik · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great plot!