What do you think?
Rate this book
The Amory Wars: Good Apollo, I'm Burning, Star IV Ultimate Edition
Music superstar Claudio Sanchez of Coheed and Cambria fame returns in the long-awaited continuation of The Amory Wars, an epic science fiction comic adaptation of the band's albums.
The evil Wilhelm Ryan remains in power while those surrounding Claudio Kilgannon are convinced he is The Crowing. Ambellina believes she and The Crowing can save Heaven’s Fence rather than destroying it. But with Ryan and a new, even bigger threat looming—will they succeed?
Meanwhile, in Heaven's Fence, a collection of 78 planets held in place by interconnecting beams of energy known as the Keywork, Coheed & Cambria Kilgannon's son Claudio struggles against the Supreme Archmage Wilhelm Ryan while attempting to assume the mantle of The Crowing, foretold savior of Heaven's Fence.
Coheed and Cambria frontman Claudio Sanchez (Key Of Z) and Chondra Echert (Translucid) join forces with superstar artist Rags Morales (Identity Crisis, Avengers) for the long-awaited third installment of The New York Times bestselling series, The Amory Wars! This Ultimate Edition Hardcover collects all twelve issues of the hit limited series.
The evil Wilhelm Ryan remains in power while those surrounding Claudio Kilgannon are convinced he is The Crowing. Ambellina believes she and The Crowing can save Heaven’s Fence rather than destroying it. But with Ryan and a new, even bigger threat looming—will they succeed?
Meanwhile, in Heaven's Fence, a collection of 78 planets held in place by interconnecting beams of energy known as the Keywork, Coheed & Cambria Kilgannon's son Claudio struggles against the Supreme Archmage Wilhelm Ryan while attempting to assume the mantle of The Crowing, foretold savior of Heaven's Fence.
Coheed and Cambria frontman Claudio Sanchez (Key Of Z) and Chondra Echert (Translucid) join forces with superstar artist Rags Morales (Identity Crisis, Avengers) for the long-awaited third installment of The New York Times bestselling series, The Amory Wars! This Ultimate Edition Hardcover collects all twelve issues of the hit limited series.
448 pages, Hardcover
Published October 8, 2019
6 people are currently reading
208 people want to read
About the author
Claudio Sánchez
127 books398 followersClaudio Paul Sanchez III (born March 12, 1978, in Suffern, New York, United States) is an American writer and musician of Puerto Rican and Italian descent best known for being the lead singer and guitarist for the alternative/progressive rock group Coheed and Cambria. He is the creator of the comic book series The Amory Wars, as well as Key of Z and Kill Audio, both co-written with wife Chondra Echert. Sanchez co-authored the novel Year of the Black Rainbow with Peter David.
From Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claudio...
From Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claudio...
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
December 30, 2022
The series reaches the timeline of my favourite Coheed album of the same name.
The writing and artwork were great and on par with the previous instalment.
I really like the extra layer added in this instalment of ‘The Writer’ (of the Amory Wars series we’ve been reading up to this point) and his demonic bicycle, Ten Speed who is the devil on his shoulder, convincing him to kill characters in the story so he can finish it and find peace.
The realm of the Writer contained the most obvious song lyrics and references that immediately kickstarted songs in my head:
‘Why aren’t you laughing now?’
‘Get in the ground, welcome home’.
‘Hello’ doormat dropping its ‘o’ to become Hell in the front doorway of your home
“Do you remember why she left?”
“I’d do anything for you, this story is for you”
Keeping the (turbine/God’s) blade (sharp)
“The fiction will see the real”
I’ve always enjoyed the Willing Well suite of four songs at the end of the album and it was cool to see how they fit into the story - the purple arch of the Willing Well connected the Writer to the character Chase in his fictional world.
Included at the end of the modern episodes was the original graphic novel released with the album in 2005. It was an indecipherable swirling nightmarescape of disturbing art. I am glad it was included though as images from it were in the CD artwork that I used to pore over to try and work out what the hell was going on (to no avail).
I read this slowly as I wanted to savour it. I’m excited for the release of Good Apollo: Volume Two
The writing and artwork were great and on par with the previous instalment.
I really like the extra layer added in this instalment of ‘The Writer’ (of the Amory Wars series we’ve been reading up to this point) and his demonic bicycle, Ten Speed who is the devil on his shoulder, convincing him to kill characters in the story so he can finish it and find peace.
The realm of the Writer contained the most obvious song lyrics and references that immediately kickstarted songs in my head:
‘Why aren’t you laughing now?’
‘Get in the ground, welcome home’.
‘Hello’ doormat dropping its ‘o’ to become Hell in the front doorway of your home
“Do you remember why she left?”
“I’d do anything for you, this story is for you”
Keeping the (turbine/God’s) blade (sharp)
“The fiction will see the real”
I’ve always enjoyed the Willing Well suite of four songs at the end of the album and it was cool to see how they fit into the story - the purple arch of the Willing Well connected the Writer to the character Chase in his fictional world.
Included at the end of the modern episodes was the original graphic novel released with the album in 2005. It was an indecipherable swirling nightmarescape of disturbing art. I am glad it was included though as images from it were in the CD artwork that I used to pore over to try and work out what the hell was going on (to no avail).
I read this slowly as I wanted to savour it. I’m excited for the release of Good Apollo: Volume Two
December 27, 2019
Good Apollo, that was a heck of a ride throughout.
Glad I finally got in to the band & the books.
Glad I finally got in to the band & the books.
September 20, 2021
That was kind of... underwhelming. I feel the issues were much shorter and so the story didn't have time to build proper momentum. The Ryder storyline feels kinda cringey and unnecessary until the very end, where it gets quite interesting but has no time to shine because it just ends.
NWFT is probably my favorite C&C album, so I really hope the upcoming final volume manages to be satisfying and sensical.
NWFT is probably my favorite C&C album, so I really hope the upcoming final volume manages to be satisfying and sensical.
December 25, 2020
Another fast-paced installment of “The Amory Wars.” An intriguing story with great characters and an imaginative universe. This volume was perhaps a bit too “meta” for my taste with its blurring of the lines between author and creation, yet still a powerful tale.
October 7, 2025
Going meta isn't unheard of -- Stephen King did as much in The Dark Tower series, and Kurt Vonnegut was known to blur the lines of reality and fiction. This third volume of The Armory Wars also decides to go meta in this third and final volume, for as the battle between Claudio Kilgannon (The Crowing) and the rebellion comes to a head with Wilhelm Ryan, a tortured writer makes his presence known, just as he loses his true love in his world, and--tortured by the ten-speed-bike-turned-fire-demon--takes out his pain on all who live in the Keywork.
This was such a departure from the first two volumes that I could hardly believe this was where this story would end up, in a fight between author and his own imagination. For all the hints of this laid prior, it still felt jarring as it put this massive battle on a backburner, the one thing this story seemed to be all about: good vs. evil. Sure, there had been mentions of fate and destiny in the first two books, and the fact that the protagonist was given the same name as the author (Claudio) made it feel like that fourth wall was transparent from the outset. But still, as the story of the battle fades into the background, I as a reader felt like was being told to ignore everything up to this point, that none of that mattered, that all that really mattered was this story of a tortured author.
And sure, I was only partially invested in this battle narrative. As for sci-fi operas, there were a lot of cliched or empty moments up to this point that made The Armory Wars feel like more of an homage than an original concept. Like most readers, I was here because I loved the band's music and wanted to understand what Coheed and Cambria was really about. But not only are those two characters disposed of in the first book and hardly primary characters anymore after their demise, but I felt like Claudio Kilgannon was already the metaphor for Claudio Sanchez. But to find out there's an actual writer forced me to put even that aside as well. In this book, I'm left wondering what really matters.
This author subplot, I read, was actually the result of Claudio Sanchez, the OG, going through a terrible breakup. The turmoil manifested itself within the story as he tried to finish it, a man broken who thought the only way through the pain was to write about a broken man. And rather than insert that pain into Claudio Kilgannon, he creates "the writer," another young adult male with similarly long brown hair, sent to purge his demons. Apparently this jarring turn was intentional, that the narrative dissonance was meant to mirror his own turmoil. If so, well done. He's sacrificed a story of good vs. evil for one that was the product of self-loathing and creative anxiety. He destroys this this world that he felt he was losing control of in an attempt to regain some agency in his own life.
This interpretation is all well and good, but in the end, the product becomes the mess Claudio Sanchez aimed for. This shift wasn't designed to create satisfaction and excitement for readers--it was a therapeutic tool for the real author. Some argue that this storyline resulted in the best album in the Coheed and Cambria catalogue (I'm more of a Silent Earth 3 guy myself), but it also resulted in what I think was the weakest volume in this saga. I would have loved to see this turmoil manifest in Claudio Kilgannon, or maybe see some finality to the story that doesn't end with the turmoil, but rather what the turmoil created--a reborn Claudio. Maybe Ambellina could have been forgiven in a way he could not forgive his real-life love, or this battle could have culminated in the realization that Claudio Kilgannon isn't as all powerful as he was originally thought to be. Instead we end in the mess, and while I'm glad this helped Sanchez the actual writer, it came at the expense of the real readers.
This was such a departure from the first two volumes that I could hardly believe this was where this story would end up, in a fight between author and his own imagination. For all the hints of this laid prior, it still felt jarring as it put this massive battle on a backburner, the one thing this story seemed to be all about: good vs. evil. Sure, there had been mentions of fate and destiny in the first two books, and the fact that the protagonist was given the same name as the author (Claudio) made it feel like that fourth wall was transparent from the outset. But still, as the story of the battle fades into the background, I as a reader felt like was being told to ignore everything up to this point, that none of that mattered, that all that really mattered was this story of a tortured author.
And sure, I was only partially invested in this battle narrative. As for sci-fi operas, there were a lot of cliched or empty moments up to this point that made The Armory Wars feel like more of an homage than an original concept. Like most readers, I was here because I loved the band's music and wanted to understand what Coheed and Cambria was really about. But not only are those two characters disposed of in the first book and hardly primary characters anymore after their demise, but I felt like Claudio Kilgannon was already the metaphor for Claudio Sanchez. But to find out there's an actual writer forced me to put even that aside as well. In this book, I'm left wondering what really matters.
This author subplot, I read, was actually the result of Claudio Sanchez, the OG, going through a terrible breakup. The turmoil manifested itself within the story as he tried to finish it, a man broken who thought the only way through the pain was to write about a broken man. And rather than insert that pain into Claudio Kilgannon, he creates "the writer," another young adult male with similarly long brown hair, sent to purge his demons. Apparently this jarring turn was intentional, that the narrative dissonance was meant to mirror his own turmoil. If so, well done. He's sacrificed a story of good vs. evil for one that was the product of self-loathing and creative anxiety. He destroys this this world that he felt he was losing control of in an attempt to regain some agency in his own life.
This interpretation is all well and good, but in the end, the product becomes the mess Claudio Sanchez aimed for. This shift wasn't designed to create satisfaction and excitement for readers--it was a therapeutic tool for the real author. Some argue that this storyline resulted in the best album in the Coheed and Cambria catalogue (I'm more of a Silent Earth 3 guy myself), but it also resulted in what I think was the weakest volume in this saga. I would have loved to see this turmoil manifest in Claudio Kilgannon, or maybe see some finality to the story that doesn't end with the turmoil, but rather what the turmoil created--a reborn Claudio. Maybe Ambellina could have been forgiven in a way he could not forgive his real-life love, or this battle could have culminated in the realization that Claudio Kilgannon isn't as all powerful as he was originally thought to be. Instead we end in the mess, and while I'm glad this helped Sanchez the actual writer, it came at the expense of the real readers.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 1, 2021
just when i thought that the second installment was the best and it couldn't be topped in regards to storytelling, imagination, and art, Good Apollo comes through and completely pushes the series to its limit! Sanchez utilizes every one of his writing tools to make Good Apollo a standing rival to In Keeping Secrets. super super meta, but in a way where it just sucks you in and makes you rethink the story you've been in love with like did i really know what was happening?? read this one so much faster than i did with In Keeping and Good Apollo matched my energy and brought its own flare to the party. if you haven't read the 1st and 2nd parts of the Amory Wars yet then what are you waiting for because once you get to this part in the narrative you're going to be glad you read it and mad that you didn't start sooner!!
May 20, 2023
This is a masterpiece. Written by Chondra Echert (and not Claudio Sanchez), the third entry in "The Amory Wars," Sanchez's prized science fiction saga, is a fulfilling and resonating journey of self-growth, grief, and acceptance. It will be very difficult for the progressive rocker to top this brilliant piece of work in the upcoming sequel. The stakes are much higher for the characters, the narrative seems to be hurtling (gleefully) toward a consequential conclusion, and two graphic novels' worth of prior content coalesces into a third that, frankly, represents the epitome of the epic that Sanchez began writing so many years ago. The fourth (and perhaps final) book simply cannot come soon enough.
April 8, 2025
We’re definitely going in the right direction. Thankfully Claudio has gotten past including gratuitous edge-lord scenes that don’t actually impact the plot. The meta subplot about the Writer is definitely silly and a little messed up (although I am a fan of the “devil in his shoulder” being a demonic bicycle), but the actual Amory Wars plot has finally settled in and become a fun sci-fi action romp. The art is leagues better than the first two as well.
I also started reading the ongoing No Worlds For Tomorrow run, and it’s even better, so that’s promising.
I also started reading the ongoing No Worlds For Tomorrow run, and it’s even better, so that’s promising.
November 19, 2020
The visuals for this book is just absolutely amazing! This is one of the best books I've ever read in my entire life. It is a mirror to the music it is made from, and as I said for Keeping Secrets, the imagery coupled with Claudio's brilliant lyrics make this story a roller coaster. 100% worth the read!
December 15, 2020
I feel I'd been waiting a long time to finally read this one and it didn't disappoint, in fact, I read it straight through without stopping. This book is *TRIPPY*. Extremely meta, twisted, mind-boggling, and creative. The genius of Sanchez always amazes me, and I can't wait to continue reading this story.
June 23, 2023
The writing improves, but unfortunately that's not enough to elevate this volume above the previous. The Armory Wars wants to be more more epic than it is, taking no time to establish stakes or character development.
If you like the music, which I do quite a lot, stick to that. Whatever these comics are doing they're not living up to the band's skill.
If you like the music, which I do quite a lot, stick to that. Whatever these comics are doing they're not living up to the band's skill.
July 8, 2020
The main story is the best yet of the Amory Wars arcs. The reprint of the 2005 graphic novel version of the story, meanwhile, proves why Claudio needed to tell the story in a more traditional comic way. That one is rough.
April 9, 2020
Stunning
May 24, 2020
Great for fans of Coheed and Cambria, but the story was confusing and seemed a collection of ideas rather than a cohesive narrative.
October 16, 2021
Took some weird turns...I think the 2nd book in the series is probably my favorite.
August 30, 2022
My favorite of the series, at least from what I’ve read thus far. Hopefully Good Apollo II will be published sooner rather than later. 5/5.
July 3, 2024
ryder go to HAYL. that's all
April 17, 2025
Cool art, wildly bizarre story! I keep feeling like there's some lore I'm missing behind it all.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews