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Luther Arkwright #1
The Adventures of Luther Arkwright
Across a multitude of parallel universes, dark forces operate in the shadows, manipulating mankind's histories throughout countless timelines. The agents of these Disruptors all work with a single purpose—the recovery and activation of Foxfire, a long-hidden doomsday device whose unspeakable power is capable of consuming the galaxy in all its incarnations. Standing in the way of the Disruptors is Luther Arkwright, a human anomaly who exists only in a single universe, a man of vast psychic powers and capable of travelling between the parallel realities to counter the Disruptor's malign influence. But the Disruptors are aware of Arkwright and his abilities, and while Arkwright searches the myriad Earths for the location of Foxfire, the agents of darkness race to destroy him... and to ensure their unthinkable ends.
216 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1989
25 people are currently reading
737 people want to read
About the author
Bryan Talbot
285 books186 followersTalbot began his comics work in the underground comix scene of the late 1960s. In 1969 his first work appeared as illustrations in Mallorn, the British Tolkien Society magazine, followed in 1972 by a weekly strip in his college newspaper.
He continued in the scene after leaving college, producing Brainstorm Comix, the first three of which formed The Chester P. Hackenbush Trilogy (a character reworked by Alan Moore as Chester Williams for Swamp Thing).
He started The Adventures of Luther Arkwright in 1978. It was originally published in Near Myths and continued on over the years in other publications. It was eventually collected together into one volume by Dark Horse. Along with When the Wind Blows it is one of the first British graphic novels.
In the early to mid-eighties he provide art for some of 2000 AD's flagship serials, producing 3 series of Nemesis the Warlock, as well as strips for Judge Dredd and Sláine.
The Tale of One Bad Rat deals with recovery from childhood sexual abuse.
Talbot moved to the American market in the 1990s, principally for DC, on titles like Hellblazer, Sandman and Batman. He also produced the art for The Nazz by Tom Veitch and worked with Tom's brother Rick Veitch on Teknophage, one of a number of mini-series he drew for Tekno Comix.
Talbot has illustrated cards for the Magic: The Gathering collectible card game.
He has also illustrated Bill Willingham's Fables, as well as returning to the Luther Arkwright universe with Heart of Empire. He has also worked on The Dead Boy Detectives.
In 2006, he announced the graphic novel Metronome, an existential, textless erotically-charged visual poem,written under the pseudonym Véronique Tanaka. He admitted that he was the author in 2009.
In 2007 he released Alice in Sunderland, which documents the connections between Lewis Carroll, Alice Liddell, and the Sunderland and Wearside area. He also wrote and drew the layouts for Cherubs!, which he describes as "an irreverent fast-paced supernatural comedy-adventure."
His upcoming work includes a sequel to 2009's Grandville, which Talbot says is "a detective steampunk thriller" and Paul Gravett calls it "an inspired reimagining of some of the first French anthropomorphic caricatures". It is planned as the first in a series of four or five graphic novels.
Source: Wikipedia
He continued in the scene after leaving college, producing Brainstorm Comix, the first three of which formed The Chester P. Hackenbush Trilogy (a character reworked by Alan Moore as Chester Williams for Swamp Thing).
He started The Adventures of Luther Arkwright in 1978. It was originally published in Near Myths and continued on over the years in other publications. It was eventually collected together into one volume by Dark Horse. Along with When the Wind Blows it is one of the first British graphic novels.
In the early to mid-eighties he provide art for some of 2000 AD's flagship serials, producing 3 series of Nemesis the Warlock, as well as strips for Judge Dredd and Sláine.
The Tale of One Bad Rat deals with recovery from childhood sexual abuse.
Talbot moved to the American market in the 1990s, principally for DC, on titles like Hellblazer, Sandman and Batman. He also produced the art for The Nazz by Tom Veitch and worked with Tom's brother Rick Veitch on Teknophage, one of a number of mini-series he drew for Tekno Comix.
Talbot has illustrated cards for the Magic: The Gathering collectible card game.
He has also illustrated Bill Willingham's Fables, as well as returning to the Luther Arkwright universe with Heart of Empire. He has also worked on The Dead Boy Detectives.
In 2006, he announced the graphic novel Metronome, an existential, textless erotically-charged visual poem,written under the pseudonym Véronique Tanaka. He admitted that he was the author in 2009.
In 2007 he released Alice in Sunderland, which documents the connections between Lewis Carroll, Alice Liddell, and the Sunderland and Wearside area. He also wrote and drew the layouts for Cherubs!, which he describes as "an irreverent fast-paced supernatural comedy-adventure."
His upcoming work includes a sequel to 2009's Grandville, which Talbot says is "a detective steampunk thriller" and Paul Gravett calls it "an inspired reimagining of some of the first French anthropomorphic caricatures". It is planned as the first in a series of four or five graphic novels.
Source: Wikipedia
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 78 reviews
August 31, 2016
This is what I was in the mood for, except I wanted it to be larger and ideally in color. I don't know if the original series run was in a different format, but I could hardly make out some of details, especially in the ephemera-style writings, and reading the blocks of tiny print gave me a headache. This is a fairly text-heavy graphic novel, too, and the only punctuation the author seems fond of is the colon. The lack of punctuation was for a 70s-style altered state stream of consciousness.
Physical manifestation aside, I liked most things about the story. It was a bit difficult keeping the parallel dimensions straight, but eventually it seemed not to matter. My favorite character was not the protagonist, who was a little too super-powered Chosen One to be interesting, but Rose, the woman who could communicate with her alternate selves on all the parallels. I usually am filled with mockery when authors employ tropes like tantric sex expanding characters' minds into oneness with the universe, so the fact that I still enjoyed this book is a impressive.
Physical manifestation aside, I liked most things about the story. It was a bit difficult keeping the parallel dimensions straight, but eventually it seemed not to matter. My favorite character was not the protagonist, who was a little too super-powered Chosen One to be interesting, but Rose, the woman who could communicate with her alternate selves on all the parallels. I usually am filled with mockery when authors employ tropes like tantric sex expanding characters' minds into oneness with the universe, so the fact that I still enjoyed this book is a impressive.
May 19, 2020
Comic que es un hijo de los 60s y 70s, sexo tantrico y drogas para liberar la conciencia y viajar por mundos paralelos. Luther Arkwright es un agente de zero-zero, la realidad más estable que lucha por evitar que los Disruptores acaben con todas las realidades. El Firefrost, El Opal, es el centro de la búsqueda.
Mientras tanto, Luther actua como un agente rebelde de los realistas en una Inglaterra que desde hace 300 años es una dictadura fascista puritana bajo los descendientes de Cronwell, mientras el Zar y Prusia estan prestos a meterse.
Luther posee poderes especiales siquicos. Asi que esto es una mezcla sicodelica de "V" y "Lucy" (2014).
Comic experimental, narrativa no lineal que excede al dibujo, letras poco claras, mucha historia alternativa, y gran influencia de Moorcock con su Eterno Campeon.
--------------------------------------------
Comic that it's a son of the 60s and 70s, tantric sex and drugs to free consciousness and travel through parallel worlds. Luther Arkwright is a zero-zero agent, the most stable reality fighting to prevent the Disruptors from taking down all realities. The Firefrost, The Opal, is the center of the search.
Meanwhile, Luther acts as a rebellious agent of the royalists in an England that since 300 years ago is a puritanical fascist dictatorship under the descendants of Cronwell, while the Tsar and Prussia are poised to meddle.
Luther has super special psychic powers. So this is a psychedelic mix of 'V' and 'Lucy' (2014).
Experimental comic, non-lineal narrative that goes beyond drawing, unclear lettering, lots of alternative history, and great influence from Moorcock with his Eternal Champion.
Mientras tanto, Luther actua como un agente rebelde de los realistas en una Inglaterra que desde hace 300 años es una dictadura fascista puritana bajo los descendientes de Cronwell, mientras el Zar y Prusia estan prestos a meterse.
Luther posee poderes especiales siquicos. Asi que esto es una mezcla sicodelica de "V" y "Lucy" (2014).
Comic experimental, narrativa no lineal que excede al dibujo, letras poco claras, mucha historia alternativa, y gran influencia de Moorcock con su Eterno Campeon.
--------------------------------------------
Comic that it's a son of the 60s and 70s, tantric sex and drugs to free consciousness and travel through parallel worlds. Luther Arkwright is a zero-zero agent, the most stable reality fighting to prevent the Disruptors from taking down all realities. The Firefrost, The Opal, is the center of the search.
Meanwhile, Luther acts as a rebellious agent of the royalists in an England that since 300 years ago is a puritanical fascist dictatorship under the descendants of Cronwell, while the Tsar and Prussia are poised to meddle.
Luther has super special psychic powers. So this is a psychedelic mix of 'V' and 'Lucy' (2014).
Experimental comic, non-lineal narrative that goes beyond drawing, unclear lettering, lots of alternative history, and great influence from Moorcock with his Eternal Champion.
February 19, 2021
What it is: A universe-spanning action adventure where Arkwright hops from parallel to parallel in order to save the multiverse by inducing revolution and drawing out the dominant alien enemy who is seeking to wipe out all parallels via a power gem.
The Bad: Overly verbose writing. Mostly hollow characterization, especially of the supporting cast. Art that suffers from inconsistency and poor anatomy and perspective. Monologue upon monologue. Lengthy. Although a lot can be forgiven if you take into account that it took him around 7 years to finish the tale and publish the story.
The Good: Black and white art whose attention to detail is often astounding. Visual sequences that capture silent action dramatically. Overlapping storylines / parallels which are early attempts at non-linearity and which predate the storytelling technique of comics like Grant Morrison’s The Invisibles.
Overall: A brave attempt to critique history, government, dictatorships, corruption, religion and power, while mixing in the minutiae of each of these topics into the overall storyline. Sadly, though this makes author / illustrator Bryan Talbot the equivalent of comics’ Umberto Eco (IMHO, the master of minutiae in literature), it doesn’t help smoothen the writing of this epic.
It’s a little like Watchmen in that a main character catalyzes a crisis in order to save the world; a little like the Jet Li flick The One, in which parallel universes are accessible and contain parallel characters; a little like The Matrix in that the protagonist must evolve beyond his apparent humanity and take on the expanded powers of a more highly evolved species (Homo Novus).
Still, the work is clearly groundbreaking in its graphic as well as narrative techniques, and the effort alone that it to took to conceive and execute this graphic novel is worthy of mention. I just don’t know how it will make anyone’s “Top 10 Favorite Graphic Novels of All Time” list.
Originally posted on my blog:
https://lionelsewhere2.wordpress.com/...
The Bad: Overly verbose writing. Mostly hollow characterization, especially of the supporting cast. Art that suffers from inconsistency and poor anatomy and perspective. Monologue upon monologue. Lengthy. Although a lot can be forgiven if you take into account that it took him around 7 years to finish the tale and publish the story.
The Good: Black and white art whose attention to detail is often astounding. Visual sequences that capture silent action dramatically. Overlapping storylines / parallels which are early attempts at non-linearity and which predate the storytelling technique of comics like Grant Morrison’s The Invisibles.
Overall: A brave attempt to critique history, government, dictatorships, corruption, religion and power, while mixing in the minutiae of each of these topics into the overall storyline. Sadly, though this makes author / illustrator Bryan Talbot the equivalent of comics’ Umberto Eco (IMHO, the master of minutiae in literature), it doesn’t help smoothen the writing of this epic.
It’s a little like Watchmen in that a main character catalyzes a crisis in order to save the world; a little like the Jet Li flick The One, in which parallel universes are accessible and contain parallel characters; a little like The Matrix in that the protagonist must evolve beyond his apparent humanity and take on the expanded powers of a more highly evolved species (Homo Novus).
Still, the work is clearly groundbreaking in its graphic as well as narrative techniques, and the effort alone that it to took to conceive and execute this graphic novel is worthy of mention. I just don’t know how it will make anyone’s “Top 10 Favorite Graphic Novels of All Time” list.
Originally posted on my blog:
https://lionelsewhere2.wordpress.com/...
July 7, 2022
#ThrowbackThursday - Back in the '90s, I used to write comic book reviews for the website of a now-defunct comic book retailer called Rockem Sockem Comics. (Collect them all!)
From the February 1999 edition with a theme of "Weird Science Fantasy":
INTRODUCTION
Science fiction and fantasy just aren't the same anymore. As a matter of fact, as the following comics illustrate, science fiction and fantasy have gotten downright weird in these New Age Nineties, blurring into each other's domains until science seems like magic and magic has become a science.
Come join me in the Twilight Zone.
FROM THE BACKLIST
THE ADVENTURES OF LUTHER ARKWRIGHT #1-9 (Valkyrie Press)
"Ahead of its time."
This cliched phrase is the most fitting description of THE ADVENTURES OF LUTHER ARKWRIGHT. Begun in 1976, continued in 1987, and completed in 1989, Bryan Talbot's metaphysical science fiction adventure is an overlooked classic that's as exciting and cutting edge in its storytelling today as it was twenty years ago. As a matter of fact, I'll bet it's another twenty years before this incredible epic is fully appreciated for the landmark that it is.
At its heart, THE ADVENTURES OF LUTHER ARKWRIGHT is a pretty basic tale of good versus evil, order versus chaos. There exists a multiverse -- thousands of alternate realities only slightly different from each other. Only the inhabitants of the dimension designated Zero-Zero are aware of the other realities and work to bring stability to the multiverse. The Disruptors, using agents such as Adolf Hitler, strive to bring war and chaos to each reality to fulfill their own inscrutable plans.
Fortunately, the government of Zero-Zero has three powerful tools. First is W.O.T.A.N., a supercomputer which predicts the future and directs the actions of Zero-Zero's agents. The sexy Rose Wylde is the most important intelligence agent. She's a powerful empath and telepath who can communicate with her doppelgangers -- her alternate selves -- across the dimensional voids. Finally, the most important field agent is Luther Arkwright.
Arkwright is the epitome of the British spy. He's cool, calm and collected. Deadly with a gun, his natural abilities are enhanced by his powerful psychic skills and the unique power to cross the dimensions and operate in any reality threatened by the Disruptors. His cold exterior and brutal efficiency, however, cover the trouble welling deep inside his soul. He's haunted by visions and fragments of his own mysterious past and is destined to play a larger role in the conflict between good and evil than he has ever considered.
With the multiverse tipping toward the Disruptors, the authorities of Zero-Zero send Arkwright to make a stand in one of the most critical dimensions. The bulk of the story takes place in a Britain where Oliver Cromwell's Protestant Reformation was successful in deposing the monarchy and has held England in a religious iron grip for centuries. With Nathaniel Cromwell in control of his ancestor's regime and firmly under the control of the Disruptors, it is up to Arkwright to restore the Crown and freedom to England. Assisting him are two powerful women: Anne, the woman who would be Queen of England, and Octobriana, the voluptuous and volatile Russian Revolutionary.
Writer/artist Bryan Talbot, best known for his recent, critically acclaimed THE TALE OF ONE BAD RAT (Dark Horse Comics), pens a gripping thriller in THE ADVENTURES OF LUTHER ARKWRIGHT using unconventional techniques. His art is one step removed from the '60s underground movement. To pick from his British peers, Talbot's illustration style lies between the heavy, dark inks of David Lloyd (V FOR VENDETTA) and the intricately detailed linework of Brian Bolland (CAMELOT 3000, BATMAN: THE KILLING JOKE). Individual panels can be breathtaking, though Talbot's layouts do get a little busy and crowded at times as he is trying to communicate so much in so little space and time. The carefully woven plot and backstory are revealed in a series of flashbacks and flashforwards which wind through the main storyline.
My appreciation and understanding of THE ADVENTURES OF LUTHER ARKWRIGHT increase with each reading of it, and I'm looking forward to the sequel that will be appearing later this year. If it's near as good as the original, the new Luther Arkwright adventure is sure to be a hit in 2039. I hope I'm around to see its success.
Grade: A-
UPDATE: 2018 review of Arkwright Integral:
I first read this landmark and seminal work of metaphysical and psychedelic science fiction back in the '80s during my college years in single issues from Valkyrie Press and was dumbfounded by its complexity compared to the Superman and Spider-Man comics that were my main fodder at the time. I welcomed the chance to revisit the original miniseries and its sequel in this beautiful (and heavy) hardcover edition. While the first tale is impenetrable at times with its experimental storytelling and surreal aspects, when it does start coming together in the closing chapters it is quite powerful and, of course, the art is magnificent throughout. The sequel features heavier inkwork and more conventional storytelling, but holds up well against its precursor.
Talbot deserves to be recognized with Alan Moore and Frank Miller as a major player in changing the face of comic books during a pivotal time for the industry.
From the February 1999 edition with a theme of "Weird Science Fantasy":
INTRODUCTION
Science fiction and fantasy just aren't the same anymore. As a matter of fact, as the following comics illustrate, science fiction and fantasy have gotten downright weird in these New Age Nineties, blurring into each other's domains until science seems like magic and magic has become a science.
Come join me in the Twilight Zone.
FROM THE BACKLIST
THE ADVENTURES OF LUTHER ARKWRIGHT #1-9 (Valkyrie Press)
"Ahead of its time."
This cliched phrase is the most fitting description of THE ADVENTURES OF LUTHER ARKWRIGHT. Begun in 1976, continued in 1987, and completed in 1989, Bryan Talbot's metaphysical science fiction adventure is an overlooked classic that's as exciting and cutting edge in its storytelling today as it was twenty years ago. As a matter of fact, I'll bet it's another twenty years before this incredible epic is fully appreciated for the landmark that it is.
At its heart, THE ADVENTURES OF LUTHER ARKWRIGHT is a pretty basic tale of good versus evil, order versus chaos. There exists a multiverse -- thousands of alternate realities only slightly different from each other. Only the inhabitants of the dimension designated Zero-Zero are aware of the other realities and work to bring stability to the multiverse. The Disruptors, using agents such as Adolf Hitler, strive to bring war and chaos to each reality to fulfill their own inscrutable plans.
Fortunately, the government of Zero-Zero has three powerful tools. First is W.O.T.A.N., a supercomputer which predicts the future and directs the actions of Zero-Zero's agents. The sexy Rose Wylde is the most important intelligence agent. She's a powerful empath and telepath who can communicate with her doppelgangers -- her alternate selves -- across the dimensional voids. Finally, the most important field agent is Luther Arkwright.
Arkwright is the epitome of the British spy. He's cool, calm and collected. Deadly with a gun, his natural abilities are enhanced by his powerful psychic skills and the unique power to cross the dimensions and operate in any reality threatened by the Disruptors. His cold exterior and brutal efficiency, however, cover the trouble welling deep inside his soul. He's haunted by visions and fragments of his own mysterious past and is destined to play a larger role in the conflict between good and evil than he has ever considered.
With the multiverse tipping toward the Disruptors, the authorities of Zero-Zero send Arkwright to make a stand in one of the most critical dimensions. The bulk of the story takes place in a Britain where Oliver Cromwell's Protestant Reformation was successful in deposing the monarchy and has held England in a religious iron grip for centuries. With Nathaniel Cromwell in control of his ancestor's regime and firmly under the control of the Disruptors, it is up to Arkwright to restore the Crown and freedom to England. Assisting him are two powerful women: Anne, the woman who would be Queen of England, and Octobriana, the voluptuous and volatile Russian Revolutionary.
Writer/artist Bryan Talbot, best known for his recent, critically acclaimed THE TALE OF ONE BAD RAT (Dark Horse Comics), pens a gripping thriller in THE ADVENTURES OF LUTHER ARKWRIGHT using unconventional techniques. His art is one step removed from the '60s underground movement. To pick from his British peers, Talbot's illustration style lies between the heavy, dark inks of David Lloyd (V FOR VENDETTA) and the intricately detailed linework of Brian Bolland (CAMELOT 3000, BATMAN: THE KILLING JOKE). Individual panels can be breathtaking, though Talbot's layouts do get a little busy and crowded at times as he is trying to communicate so much in so little space and time. The carefully woven plot and backstory are revealed in a series of flashbacks and flashforwards which wind through the main storyline.
My appreciation and understanding of THE ADVENTURES OF LUTHER ARKWRIGHT increase with each reading of it, and I'm looking forward to the sequel that will be appearing later this year. If it's near as good as the original, the new Luther Arkwright adventure is sure to be a hit in 2039. I hope I'm around to see its success.
Grade: A-
UPDATE: 2018 review of Arkwright Integral:
I first read this landmark and seminal work of metaphysical and psychedelic science fiction back in the '80s during my college years in single issues from Valkyrie Press and was dumbfounded by its complexity compared to the Superman and Spider-Man comics that were my main fodder at the time. I welcomed the chance to revisit the original miniseries and its sequel in this beautiful (and heavy) hardcover edition. While the first tale is impenetrable at times with its experimental storytelling and surreal aspects, when it does start coming together in the closing chapters it is quite powerful and, of course, the art is magnificent throughout. The sequel features heavier inkwork and more conventional storytelling, but holds up well against its precursor.
Talbot deserves to be recognized with Alan Moore and Frank Miller as a major player in changing the face of comic books during a pivotal time for the industry.
January 17, 2016
While my awareness with British comics is mostly limited to second-hand knowledge of Judge Dredd, I had seen praise for this series and decided to check it out.
The book begins with a foreword by Michael Moorcock, which is extremely appropriate. The story that follows reminded very much of Moorcock's New Wave SF work on the Eternal Champion series and the Jerry Cornelius character in particular. The hero is a (somewhat groovy) super agent who journeys to various parallel Earths in a semi-mystical struggle against the Disruptors, a shadowy high-tech group trying to bring about their own ideal timeline.
Luther Arkwright debuted in the mid-70s, and the comic is definitely a product of its time. In addition to high tech weapons, over the course of his adventures Arkwright makes frequent use of psychic powers, meditation, and consciousness-expanding drugs. He powers-up via Tantric sex (narrated with myth-heavy stream of consciousness narration) goes on walkabout in Tibet and encounters mysterious Buddhist monks. The story never drags, but the psychedelic, Carlos Castaneda-style mysticism made the story feel a bit dated.
It's a very British story as well, dealing heavily with alternate history versions of Oliver Cromwell, the Royalists, and Roundheads. As an American reader I probably would have gotten more out of the story if I had more knowledge of the English Civil War. The twists where the story diverged from the true historical events were mostly lost on me. That's a problem with this reader and not the narrative, but it kept me from enjoying the story as much as I could have.
Minor issues aside, the comic was very interesting throughout. The artwork was excellent and with so many twists and turns it was impossible for me to predict the outcome. If you're a British Moorcock fan with a fondness for psychedelia, this is probably the ideal comic for you.
The book begins with a foreword by Michael Moorcock, which is extremely appropriate. The story that follows reminded very much of Moorcock's New Wave SF work on the Eternal Champion series and the Jerry Cornelius character in particular. The hero is a (somewhat groovy) super agent who journeys to various parallel Earths in a semi-mystical struggle against the Disruptors, a shadowy high-tech group trying to bring about their own ideal timeline.
Luther Arkwright debuted in the mid-70s, and the comic is definitely a product of its time. In addition to high tech weapons, over the course of his adventures Arkwright makes frequent use of psychic powers, meditation, and consciousness-expanding drugs. He powers-up via Tantric sex (narrated with myth-heavy stream of consciousness narration) goes on walkabout in Tibet and encounters mysterious Buddhist monks. The story never drags, but the psychedelic, Carlos Castaneda-style mysticism made the story feel a bit dated.
It's a very British story as well, dealing heavily with alternate history versions of Oliver Cromwell, the Royalists, and Roundheads. As an American reader I probably would have gotten more out of the story if I had more knowledge of the English Civil War. The twists where the story diverged from the true historical events were mostly lost on me. That's a problem with this reader and not the narrative, but it kept me from enjoying the story as much as I could have.
Minor issues aside, the comic was very interesting throughout. The artwork was excellent and with so many twists and turns it was impossible for me to predict the outcome. If you're a British Moorcock fan with a fondness for psychedelia, this is probably the ideal comic for you.
March 21, 2008
This book is like Lou Reed and the Velvet Undergroung. It's the guy behind the guy.
Talbot's book has influenced the face of modern comics so greatly that it seeps into everything. Morrison, Moore, Ellis, Carey, Ennis. . . . They all come from Talbot. And from Arkwright.
It's worth a read, for sure. And it's worth and oversized hardcover treatment as well.
Talbot's book has influenced the face of modern comics so greatly that it seeps into everything. Morrison, Moore, Ellis, Carey, Ennis. . . . They all come from Talbot. And from Arkwright.
It's worth a read, for sure. And it's worth and oversized hardcover treatment as well.
January 12, 2020
Not an easy story to get into, what with the confusing layout and rather a messy dimension-hopping story that gives little to go with from the start - but if you stick with it until you regain your bearings, it may be worthwhile.
March 15, 2025
The Adventures of Luther Arkwright. A very psychedelic comic that's a product of its time, full of drugged-up multiverse-crossing hijinks. It's pretty hard to follow in the early sections but settles down and matures the further you get in.
The story is amazing high-concept of a battle across the multiverse, taking Michael Moorcock's ideas of a multiverse and knocking them up to the next level (much as Moorcock did in his own Second Ether).
The artwork is simultaneously gorgeous and muddy. The black and white pieces and amazingly detailed, but sometimes hard to read as a result.
As much an ode to the 70s as a story, but still worth reading as a classic, and maybe rereading to see if it makes more sense the second time [3+/5].
The story is amazing high-concept of a battle across the multiverse, taking Michael Moorcock's ideas of a multiverse and knocking them up to the next level (much as Moorcock did in his own Second Ether).
The artwork is simultaneously gorgeous and muddy. The black and white pieces and amazingly detailed, but sometimes hard to read as a result.
As much an ode to the 70s as a story, but still worth reading as a classic, and maybe rereading to see if it makes more sense the second time [3+/5].
October 25, 2008
Mind-bending, freak-ass sci-fi mysticism. Grant Morrison wishes he was this good.*
Both this graphical novel (black & white) and the sequel, Heart of Empire: The Legacy of Luther Arkwright (in color) deserve to be in the collection of anyone who likes literary comics. The Adventures of… (first issued in 1990) was just reprinted by Dark Horse, so this is a great chance to snap up both collections.
Bryan Talbot writes (sophisticated storytelling, complex characters) and illustrates (beautifully) this master work. Amazing to see how his art got even better in part two. The storyline is a re-imagined history of England if the empire kept growing, rather than collapsed under its own weight, and became a regime much like Nazi Germany. Oh, and if it was supported by dark forces from across parallel universes, of course. You get the idea…no, not really—-both novels have more twists and turns than Timothy Leary’s intestines. Features shamanism, sex magik, critique of power, politics, journalism and many other tasty treats. Fans of Alan Moore will love this.
*Not quite true. The Invisibles was genius. Let’s say, Morrison lately wishes he was this good. (snark!)
Both this graphical novel (black & white) and the sequel, Heart of Empire: The Legacy of Luther Arkwright (in color) deserve to be in the collection of anyone who likes literary comics. The Adventures of… (first issued in 1990) was just reprinted by Dark Horse, so this is a great chance to snap up both collections.
Bryan Talbot writes (sophisticated storytelling, complex characters) and illustrates (beautifully) this master work. Amazing to see how his art got even better in part two. The storyline is a re-imagined history of England if the empire kept growing, rather than collapsed under its own weight, and became a regime much like Nazi Germany. Oh, and if it was supported by dark forces from across parallel universes, of course. You get the idea…no, not really—-both novels have more twists and turns than Timothy Leary’s intestines. Features shamanism, sex magik, critique of power, politics, journalism and many other tasty treats. Fans of Alan Moore will love this.
*Not quite true. The Invisibles was genius. Let’s say, Morrison lately wishes he was this good. (snark!)
October 31, 2011
There's the inevitable parallel to Moorcock's Jerry Cornelius, who was the first in a chain of a whole new skew of fiction for me, in mindblowing read after mindblowing read. I don't think I would have appreciated this book had I read it five years ago. More familiar with Talbot's more contemporary, historical work, I was astounded at the level of his skill. I'd say this is a perfect visual reference for any reader of Moorcock's Cornelius... you get an idea of how he moves through the multiverse, only I think Una Persson is a singular, original copy while Cornelius is the prolific chain of existence throughout the worlds.
Arkwright stands strong on his two feet though, here, ending with a bang as several forces twine together like a cord of jute. Talbot's grasp of historical futility, tyranny, and unlearned mistakes of empires give this tale more credence.
Arkwright stands strong on his two feet though, here, ending with a bang as several forces twine together like a cord of jute. Talbot's grasp of historical futility, tyranny, and unlearned mistakes of empires give this tale more credence.
January 2, 2009
The sixties new wave lingers strongly over this comics masterpiece. Moorcock’s Nomad of the Time Streams, Cornelius Quartet, Keith Robert’s Pavane, Burrough’s cut-ups, and stream of consciousness combine in a dense, mythic, non-linear narrative with beautiful black and white illustrations. Hugely influential but more than worthwhile on its own. Moorcock always does something interesting with intros and here he provides an essay on post-empire/war Britain.
June 14, 2022
Bryan Talbot's magnum opus that was over a decade in the making is a dense and psychedelic affair but after all the mountains of hype I found it left me rather cold. It definitely reads like something that was cut up and remastered and fiddled with over years and the first third at least is this wild impenetrable fog of captions and timestamps. Bryan's art similarly flits between small press jankyness and lush crosshatchtacular competency. We fly back and forward through time and across dimensions. When our daring dashing romping rutting (and quite dull) protagonist finally settles on a single reality - a hellish puritan dictatorship - things pick up a little and the momentum that builds into the frenetic action packed finale is a remarkable achievement. This particular alternate history and all its dark uncertainties and shadowy parallels with 80s Britain is genuinely compelling, it's a pity we don't spend more of the book in it really.
Talbot is one of my favourite creators, and a few of his later works are some of the greatest comics ever made, but Arkwright's first volume at least is a real curate's egg for me. Full of the strutting masculinity, gross misogyny (there are only a handful of women in this and Arkwright is sleeping with most of them), heavy-handed grimness-for-grimness's sake and hilariously pretentious nods to mysticism and ancient religion. "He is Kali. He is Horus. Jupiter and Rama. The Aztec god of hunger and the wolf that swallowed Rome. The great Indonesian weeping snake. The sky-chicken once mentioned in ancient Mesopotamian scrolls." All of that being said though, you can see the skeleton of what makes Talbot so good. The sense of pace and scene can be amazing, the crumbling royalist quarter of Puritan London. Ancient Tudor buildings rotting into nothing with a dense and beautiful detail. A breath-taking slow-motion assassination scene genuinely feels weightless and extraordinary. I kept thinking of his incredible silent comic "Memento" published in 2000 AD and how much character and scene he portrayed without writing a single word.
The edition I have is the Dark Horse softcover from 1997. There's a rather interesting introduction from Michael Moorcock who puts Arkwright in its political context. I've seen comments about how small the text can be in this version, but my main issue was that that the central spine can swallow the edges of captions on occasion. It's a nice thing to have, regardless of the patchiness of the content and this version was published just prior to its first sequel "Heart of Empire". Coincidentally I'm writing this just as a third story is about to be released after so many decades. Luther manages to leap from one reality to another yet again...
Talbot is one of my favourite creators, and a few of his later works are some of the greatest comics ever made, but Arkwright's first volume at least is a real curate's egg for me. Full of the strutting masculinity, gross misogyny (there are only a handful of women in this and Arkwright is sleeping with most of them), heavy-handed grimness-for-grimness's sake and hilariously pretentious nods to mysticism and ancient religion. "He is Kali. He is Horus. Jupiter and Rama. The Aztec god of hunger and the wolf that swallowed Rome. The great Indonesian weeping snake. The sky-chicken once mentioned in ancient Mesopotamian scrolls." All of that being said though, you can see the skeleton of what makes Talbot so good. The sense of pace and scene can be amazing, the crumbling royalist quarter of Puritan London. Ancient Tudor buildings rotting into nothing with a dense and beautiful detail. A breath-taking slow-motion assassination scene genuinely feels weightless and extraordinary. I kept thinking of his incredible silent comic "Memento" published in 2000 AD and how much character and scene he portrayed without writing a single word.
The edition I have is the Dark Horse softcover from 1997. There's a rather interesting introduction from Michael Moorcock who puts Arkwright in its political context. I've seen comments about how small the text can be in this version, but my main issue was that that the central spine can swallow the edges of captions on occasion. It's a nice thing to have, regardless of the patchiness of the content and this version was published just prior to its first sequel "Heart of Empire". Coincidentally I'm writing this just as a third story is about to be released after so many decades. Luther manages to leap from one reality to another yet again...
January 19, 2020
I had a very difficult time following the story, partially due to the fact that the text was so tiny. I had to wear magnifying glasses to read this book!
Regarding the story being told, perhaps I do not know enough about British history to understand what the author was writing about. The narrative was very hard to follow.
Decent enough art, yet a labored read.
Regarding the story being told, perhaps I do not know enough about British history to understand what the author was writing about. The narrative was very hard to follow.
Decent enough art, yet a labored read.
August 8, 2017
Hay que esforzarse o tomar muchas drogas para entender este cómic. Pero si haces el esfuerzo, encuentras uno de los cómics más originales que habrás leído. Así que merece la pena el esfuerzo.
September 1, 2013
http://nwhyte.livejournal.com/2164391.html[return][return]It's weird to think that this is over thirty years old, though not published in book form until some time later. It's also a bit embarrassing that I hadn't read it before, given its seminal importance to the comics genre in the UK. I liked a lot of things about it very much: the interplay between Royalist rebels and Cromwellian puritans, the latter still ruling Britain in the 1970s; the role of Arkwright, agent of order, but not necessarily of good; the fantastic detail in the art, and the intricacy of the plotting. Arkwright is clearly based on Jerry Cornelius, and Michael moorcock returns the favour with a warm but also very political introduction to this edition. I am, however, a little relieved that the fan consensus is that the sequel, Heart of Empire, is easier to digest, to the point that some recommend starting with it instead. I shall try to get hold of it.
August 25, 2016
Kahtlemata on vaeva nähtud, minu jaoks oli tulemus aga suht ilge ja puine üpriski loetamatu saast. Kunstipool oli muljetavaldav, Talbot on üks kõvemaid hetke koomiksikunstnikke, aga no sisu jah...Postmodernistlikku soga täis leheküljed, kus üritatakse miskide sõnade, lausejuppide ja vabade assotsiatsioonidega edasi anda tunnet, päris kompleksne setting - võibolla isegi sest pudrust ja kapsastest oleks lõpuks aru saanud aga no see puine storytelling kattis kõik oma pahahaisulise vaibaga ja lõpuks sumbus eikuhugi...Ja no ma ei tea, igasugu netikilgete järgi ammutasid siit siis inspiratsiooni (ja ideid) näiteks Grant Morrison oma "The Invisibleste" jaoks - aga vähemalt minu jaoks ei olegi The Invisibles üldse midagi erilist, suht keskmine tasapaks soga. Ja nii edasi ja nii edasi. Üliraskesti loetav, ambitsioonikas aga paraku (minu jaoks) totaalselt põrunud projekt.
Üliraske, ülitüütu ja masendavalt igav, julgeksin lõplikku hinnangut anda.
Üliraske, ülitüütu ja masendavalt igav, julgeksin lõplikku hinnangut anda.
September 11, 2018
Starring David Tennant and a character called Rose it can only be...
"The Adventures of Luther Arkwright" by Big Finish!! :D
I am a huge fan of Bryan Talbot's work but i have never seen or read the original comic that this is
based on. Probably a lack of knowledge of the source material may be a good thing as it means that there is nothing to compare it against and so approach this story on its own merits.
David Tennant is a great lead and Paul Darrow is magnificently OTT as Oliver Cromwell's descendant.
Other Performances are generally strong with the exception of the doubling up European accents letting it down considerably. the story can be a little muddled at time with part one setting up a strands for parts two and three but often feels quite disconnected from the main story.
All in all it is very entertaining and if you can find it in a Big Finish Sale or Humble Bundle is well worth your time.
"The Adventures of Luther Arkwright" by Big Finish!! :D
I am a huge fan of Bryan Talbot's work but i have never seen or read the original comic that this is
based on. Probably a lack of knowledge of the source material may be a good thing as it means that there is nothing to compare it against and so approach this story on its own merits.
David Tennant is a great lead and Paul Darrow is magnificently OTT as Oliver Cromwell's descendant.
Other Performances are generally strong with the exception of the doubling up European accents letting it down considerably. the story can be a little muddled at time with part one setting up a strands for parts two and three but often feels quite disconnected from the main story.
All in all it is very entertaining and if you can find it in a Big Finish Sale or Humble Bundle is well worth your time.
October 29, 2019
This was a slog.
There were some good ideas in there and the art was pretty incredible. And there was experimentation with the comics medium - something which will always get a thumbs up from me and cover for a multitude of sins. But in this case, the sins are too great.
For the most part, I found it a confusing mess. I couldn't care less about any of the characters. The main character Luther is almost a nobody in terms of personality. There were other horrible characters. And the machinations of the politics bored me to tears.
Also there's a quote on the back about how clear and precise the story-telling is. This is a load of rubbish.
Be warned.
There were some good ideas in there and the art was pretty incredible. And there was experimentation with the comics medium - something which will always get a thumbs up from me and cover for a multitude of sins. But in this case, the sins are too great.
For the most part, I found it a confusing mess. I couldn't care less about any of the characters. The main character Luther is almost a nobody in terms of personality. There were other horrible characters. And the machinations of the politics bored me to tears.
Also there's a quote on the back about how clear and precise the story-telling is. This is a load of rubbish.
Be warned.
July 6, 2022
La ópera magna de Bryan Talbot trae consigo una historia interesante contada de manera magistral y con un apartado visual destacado (prefiero la versión en blanco y negro). Su influencia puede sentirse en la mayoría de autores británicos que fueron parte de la llamada invasión británica en el cómic estadounidense.
May 31, 2019
Edición integral de la primera serie dedicada a Luther Arkwright publicada en Estados Unidos.
May 23, 2023
extremely impressive work, the art is insane, but two things stood out to me as I was making sense of the alternative history that was at play and what Arkwright's capacities are.
the first is that this is ground zero for what Garth Ennis and Grant Morrison do, whether they know it or not. there's nothing I've read from Ennis that exceeds what's on offer here, but this goes in for too much sexy nun stuff for it to condescend to Preacher, or Wolverine v. Punisher for that matter. compared to Morrison it's quite limited; even if the Invisibles was just self-indulgent, Animal Man had incredible range and was often very moving, even in issues which were supposedly just formal or conceptual exercises.
the second is that if Alan Moore was writing this it would be much better. Moore wouldn't've reigned in the more tendentious world-building but would have conveyed it in the dialogue of a fully developed character whose voice was distinct from everyone else in the volume. Moore wouldn't have had his main character drape the Butcher's Apron around himself, or make that character such a non-entity. Moore would never put an organisation called the IRA in one of books and have it stand for Irish Royalist Army, Moore wouldn't have handled the English nationalism so cack-handedly.
To develop this point further, quite quickly into this volume I had a sense of how Talbot was going to move things to a conclusion. I knew that the sense of fragmentation would increase, that the boundaries between appearance and reality would be dissolving, that we would increasingly be seeing this world and its events through Arkwright's interior transhisorical monologues and that there would be some coy flexing of the author's knowledge of relatively obscure historical events. In short I knew that we were going to 'go cosmic'. Sure enough this is what happens and it's all very flattened and aloof, like some of the low points of Sandman when we're waiting for the main character to remember they're ominpotent; in similar moments in From Hell we're seeing the flickering out of a human brain, the aura that the deep structures of human history might give off if it they could, there are also panels from that book which are legitimately terrifying.
nothing here approaches Moore's work, which is probably unfair to say because nothing does, but the materials are too similar for me not to draw the comparison
the first is that this is ground zero for what Garth Ennis and Grant Morrison do, whether they know it or not. there's nothing I've read from Ennis that exceeds what's on offer here, but this goes in for too much sexy nun stuff for it to condescend to Preacher, or Wolverine v. Punisher for that matter. compared to Morrison it's quite limited; even if the Invisibles was just self-indulgent, Animal Man had incredible range and was often very moving, even in issues which were supposedly just formal or conceptual exercises.
the second is that if Alan Moore was writing this it would be much better. Moore wouldn't've reigned in the more tendentious world-building but would have conveyed it in the dialogue of a fully developed character whose voice was distinct from everyone else in the volume. Moore wouldn't have had his main character drape the Butcher's Apron around himself, or make that character such a non-entity. Moore would never put an organisation called the IRA in one of books and have it stand for Irish Royalist Army, Moore wouldn't have handled the English nationalism so cack-handedly.
To develop this point further, quite quickly into this volume I had a sense of how Talbot was going to move things to a conclusion. I knew that the sense of fragmentation would increase, that the boundaries between appearance and reality would be dissolving, that we would increasingly be seeing this world and its events through Arkwright's interior transhisorical monologues and that there would be some coy flexing of the author's knowledge of relatively obscure historical events. In short I knew that we were going to 'go cosmic'. Sure enough this is what happens and it's all very flattened and aloof, like some of the low points of Sandman when we're waiting for the main character to remember they're ominpotent; in similar moments in From Hell we're seeing the flickering out of a human brain, the aura that the deep structures of human history might give off if it they could, there are also panels from that book which are legitimately terrifying.
nothing here approaches Moore's work, which is probably unfair to say because nothing does, but the materials are too similar for me not to draw the comparison
July 11, 2017
I'm really not entirely sure what to make of this graphic novel. It was very dense, in multiple senses of the word, and I did get lost more than once. Luther Arkwright can travel without technological aid between the worlds of the multiverse, and he's working with the stable, ordered Earth of zero-zero to try and prevent a weapon that will destroy Earths throughout the multiverse from being found and unleashed.
The first thing that hit me here was Talbot's art style. As someone who's only really familiar with his work through Grandville and its sequels, this is very different indeed! Lots of line work and intricate detail, it's lovely but in a way that requires more effort than the clean lines of Grandville.
The story itself is a twisting, turning tale encompassing parallel universes, variations of Earth where the British Empire never fell or where the English civil war waged for three hundred years. It's on this latter plane that we spend most of our time, as Arkwright manipulates the nations of this world into a position where the enemy will be forced to reveal themselves, rather than to work through shadowy agents. And that's another facet to the book: conspiracy theories to your heart's content, along with secret societies and hidden manipulators of worlds. It's all here.
Oh, and, of course, the religious symbolism is fairly intense, especially later on. The recurring motif of the figure dying with their arms outstretched is a powerful image.
There's a lot to digest here, and I suspect it's a book that would reward rereading.
The first thing that hit me here was Talbot's art style. As someone who's only really familiar with his work through Grandville and its sequels, this is very different indeed! Lots of line work and intricate detail, it's lovely but in a way that requires more effort than the clean lines of Grandville.
The story itself is a twisting, turning tale encompassing parallel universes, variations of Earth where the British Empire never fell or where the English civil war waged for three hundred years. It's on this latter plane that we spend most of our time, as Arkwright manipulates the nations of this world into a position where the enemy will be forced to reveal themselves, rather than to work through shadowy agents. And that's another facet to the book: conspiracy theories to your heart's content, along with secret societies and hidden manipulators of worlds. It's all here.
Oh, and, of course, the religious symbolism is fairly intense, especially later on. The recurring motif of the figure dying with their arms outstretched is a powerful image.
There's a lot to digest here, and I suspect it's a book that would reward rereading.
March 28, 2023
Nostalgia read. I came across this in the late eighties but my copies of the individual books - one of them signed - got left behind about 10 house-moves ago. Reading it again, I think I appreciated it more, because of the craftsmanship of it. It's dense in words and ideas. It's ambitious as fuck, spanning multiple realities. There are many characters who you feel could have their own comic. There's an epic battle in which 5 armies fight for London, and there are a few nice little jokey asides. I may not even have understood them all. I recognised one panel in which a meeting takes place at a pub in Preston and it doesn't seem to have much to do with anything but the plotters até all real people the artist knows. I even recognise one of them. Then there's a random mention of a servant girl called Diana who fancies King Charles the Third and has "ideas above her station". For some reason I missed that at the time but it's obviously supposed to be princess Diana in another reality. She was alive when if first came out of course. And look, now King Charles the Third is a real person. He's not quite the swashbuckling character as the book version though.
It has its weakness. All the mystical hippy bollocks is a bit overdone, and the ending is a bit abrupt, and in a fair world I'd probably make this a four star review but I don't care, I'm fiving it anyway.
It has its weakness. All the mystical hippy bollocks is a bit overdone, and the ending is a bit abrupt, and in a fair world I'd probably make this a four star review but I don't care, I'm fiving it anyway.
December 22, 2023
This graphic novel was released in the late 90s, but it is a collection of individual issues released in the late 80s/early 90s, featuring a character who debuted in the mid 70s. And it is the influences of the early to mid 70s - the cultural revolution going on in Britain since the mid 60s, and the birth of New Age SF - that provide the bedrock for this story.
The story is set in a multiverse of very Moorcockian style, and I got a strong Jerry Cornelius vibe from the main character - Luther Arkwright. The main part of the story takes place in an alternate Earth in which there was no restoration of the monarchy after the death of Oliver Cromwell, and the bleakness of the England of that timeline is a not so thinly disguised allegory for the author's thoughts on Thatcher's Britain. But it's also part of a larger Chaos versus Order conflict which is going on across the multiverse, as is regularly referenced during the story, with headlines of happenings throughout the multiverse.
While this is a political story, it is also a well-written, and beautifully drawn, science fiction story. Bryan Talbot was a strong influence on the next generation of British writers who did a lot of their early work in comics - people like Alan Moore and Neil Gaiman.
Readers not familiar with multiverses may find this story confusing at first, but it is worth persevering.
The story is set in a multiverse of very Moorcockian style, and I got a strong Jerry Cornelius vibe from the main character - Luther Arkwright. The main part of the story takes place in an alternate Earth in which there was no restoration of the monarchy after the death of Oliver Cromwell, and the bleakness of the England of that timeline is a not so thinly disguised allegory for the author's thoughts on Thatcher's Britain. But it's also part of a larger Chaos versus Order conflict which is going on across the multiverse, as is regularly referenced during the story, with headlines of happenings throughout the multiverse.
While this is a political story, it is also a well-written, and beautifully drawn, science fiction story. Bryan Talbot was a strong influence on the next generation of British writers who did a lot of their early work in comics - people like Alan Moore and Neil Gaiman.
Readers not familiar with multiverses may find this story confusing at first, but it is worth persevering.
December 18, 2019
DNF, which is rare for a comic.
I'm a black-and-white art snob, so flipping through this, I thought I would like it. And the inkwork is amazing. But underneath the extensive detail is some bland figure drawing. Not bad, just lacking in gesture.
Luther Arkwright is James Bond of a multidimensional security agency. What he lacks in personality, he makes up for in naked women waiting in every alternate world. There's something happening involving some sort of evil crossdimensional organization which has something to do with loathesome Catholic priest, I couldn't really follow it. All the ladies are worried but Arkwright is a zen Mary Sue who can take on anything.
I don't know enough about European history for these alternates to make sense. Also, I assume the original was in a larger format, because the text in my copy was tiny. I have good eyesight, I shouldn't have to lean in and squint. It gave me a headache. I began skipping passages. Which, shockingly, made the story even more difficult to follow.
I gave up around 60% when Arkwright returned from the dead through the power of awesome.
I'm a black-and-white art snob, so flipping through this, I thought I would like it. And the inkwork is amazing. But underneath the extensive detail is some bland figure drawing. Not bad, just lacking in gesture.
Luther Arkwright is James Bond of a multidimensional security agency. What he lacks in personality, he makes up for in naked women waiting in every alternate world. There's something happening involving some sort of evil crossdimensional organization which has something to do with loathesome Catholic priest, I couldn't really follow it. All the ladies are worried but Arkwright is a zen Mary Sue who can take on anything.
I don't know enough about European history for these alternates to make sense. Also, I assume the original was in a larger format, because the text in my copy was tiny. I have good eyesight, I shouldn't have to lean in and squint. It gave me a headache. I began skipping passages. Which, shockingly, made the story even more difficult to follow.
I gave up around 60% when Arkwright returned from the dead through the power of awesome.
September 9, 2018
Aika-avaruusagentti seikkailee tulevaisuudessa ja vaihtoehtohistorioissa, tehtävänään maailman pelastaminen tai jotain sen tapaista ...
...ei, tämä ei ole Valerian, vaikka hieman tiivistellen muotoiltu synopsis saattaa kuulostaa tutulta. Luther Arkwright on itsensä vakavasti ottavaa synkeää ja kovaksikeitettyä seikkaluscifiä brittilästä. Totta puhuen ei tämä oikeasti ole mikään täydellinen sarjakuvateos, ja liian vakavan kriittisellä silmällä arvioiden Cromwell-dystopia on paikoitellen suorastaan hupsu ... mutta sarjakuvan kasaritunnelmassa on jotain niin tavattoman mahtavaa etten voi välttyä antamasta viittä tähteä.
...ei, tämä ei ole Valerian, vaikka hieman tiivistellen muotoiltu synopsis saattaa kuulostaa tutulta. Luther Arkwright on itsensä vakavasti ottavaa synkeää ja kovaksikeitettyä seikkaluscifiä brittilästä. Totta puhuen ei tämä oikeasti ole mikään täydellinen sarjakuvateos, ja liian vakavan kriittisellä silmällä arvioiden Cromwell-dystopia on paikoitellen suorastaan hupsu ... mutta sarjakuvan kasaritunnelmassa on jotain niin tavattoman mahtavaa etten voi välttyä antamasta viittä tähteä.
May 29, 2023
Struggled a bit with this due to verbose prose, minimally developed characters and overstuffed plot. But at its best, The Adventures of Luther Arkwright is a visually engaging, crafty sci-fi story that captures the imagination well. There's a lot of satire and critique of things like government and religion stuffed in here that was enjoyable at times, but grating at other times. Really I mostly took to enjoying Talbot's gorgeous black & white artwork which employs a highly gritty sense of contrast. It's a beautiful book to look at if nothing else, but the story is pretty decent too. I'm a fan of psychedelia in comics, and this captures that sense almost perfectly.
September 26, 2024
Não é difícil perceber o que escritores como Grant Morrison e Alan Moore aprenderam com este quadrinho elegante e, ao mesmo tempo, mal comportado: é como se toda a experiência da contracultura se condensasse em um monólito visto por entre as miragens de um sonho ou uma viagem de ácido, e os tópicos são tantos (p.ex.: meditação, política da Europa oitocentista, Sam Peckinpah, Destruição Mútua Assegurada, esoterismo egípcio) que a única aproximação verdadeira seria pensar o que aconteceria se a banda do Sargento Pimenta fosse uma criação de Jorge Luis Borges ou, de repente, do traficante mais erudito que você jamais conheceu.
April 6, 2018
While this was a great comic and a great read, it has aged incredibly poorly in style. The overall result of this book is one that is a multidimensional literary achievement that is rooted in British history and various tropes, but has such an old feel that is difficult to overcome.
Get past the style and you have a wonderful read, though. A must for those who like their comics a little more esoteric and strange.
Get past the style and you have a wonderful read, though. A must for those who like their comics a little more esoteric and strange.
November 13, 2019
Reading this graphic novel about the savior of the multiverse was more a flashback to my Heavy Metal days than anything else. Black-and-white illustrations and small, dense type make it visually a long slog, and the sex and violence never felt more than gratuitous, with the success of the god-like hero never in doubt. And Michael Moorcock's 'introduction' was more a self-serving rant than illuminating of the work, to boot. Not recommended
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