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Orbital #8
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It's clear now: the Neuronomes are not attacking the Confederation, but rather are the victims of a mysterious aggressor, and they explode when they die. They did, however, take up positions near large population centres, threatening to take thousands of lives with them when they go in order to pressure Confederate authorities - who had once massacred them - into helping them. Unsurprisingly, Caleb, Mezoke and Angus are chosen to go to the Neuronomes' home planet and neutralise the unknown threat.
56 pages, Paperback
First published September 27, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
June 27, 2020
And so finally on to the prize of the latest (so I hope) of the Orbital series - book 8.
As mentioned before there are stories within stories and although you will see the completion of one of the largest you can see the seeds of the next instalment being set.
I have mentioned many times that talking about an on going series is always tricky as to not let any secrets out and this is probably the hardest although to be honest those who have followed the series know that there are many situations coming to a head that can not be left unresolved. So really this I think is the end of a chapter - and hopefully the start of a new one
Considering how long this series has taken to get to this point - admittedly through various versions and translations I do hope that not only do we get to see the series to completion but that it does not take too long - true all good things come to those who wait - but come on its that good I think I am allowed a little impatience.
As mentioned before there are stories within stories and although you will see the completion of one of the largest you can see the seeds of the next instalment being set.
I have mentioned many times that talking about an on going series is always tricky as to not let any secrets out and this is probably the hardest although to be honest those who have followed the series know that there are many situations coming to a head that can not be left unresolved. So really this I think is the end of a chapter - and hopefully the start of a new one
Considering how long this series has taken to get to this point - admittedly through various versions and translations I do hope that not only do we get to see the series to completion but that it does not take too long - true all good things come to those who wait - but come on its that good I think I am allowed a little impatience.
April 9, 2022
A conclusão perfeita para o arco dos neuronomos, com ação exemplar, fantasia criativa, e um nó temático extremamente coerente para a trama. O que ficou para trás talvez foi mais desenvolvimento pessoal para os personagens, mas tenho certeza que isso será o foco dos próximos volumes. Mal posso esperar.
December 27, 2022
(4,5 of 5 for epic bittersweet finish)
I really liked this finale. And the whole series too. It works best to read one volume followed closely by another, I wish I had time to do that. But sweet, Orbital goes in the firm path of European sci-fi. Simple, rich, epic, thrilling and beautiful.
I really liked this finale. And the whole series too. It works best to read one volume followed closely by another, I wish I had time to do that. But sweet, Orbital goes in the firm path of European sci-fi. Simple, rich, epic, thrilling and beautiful.
April 30, 2024
And that's the end of the 8-book saga of "Orbital."
And I'm afraid the ending was a little weak, and also . . . kinda cliffhanger-y? Or maybe that's how it's supposed to end. Given that a spinoff series has now begun ("Outlaws") featuring Kristina, I'm not sure that Runberg will be returning to the story of Caleb and Mezoke anytime soon. But a little more closure is needed given the fates of Caleb and Mezoke at the end.
First, I really like the worldbuilding of "Orbital," and there's a lot here to explore (hence the spinoff series). Some enterprising TV exec should consider using this series as the basis for a new show. We need some new stuff now that all our favorite IPs have been taken over by hacks using them as platforms to push The Message.
Second, while the mystery of the neuronomes has been a part of this series since the start, it still felt like these last two books shifted everything away from all the fascinating political intrigue to "save the neuronomes from parasites!" (Necessary, of course, when they're behaving like weapons of mass destruction.) In a way, these last two books felt like a side story, and now I want to get back to all the political maneuvering. I also felt like Mezoke never really got resolution to her story.
The art is excellent and worth lingering over -- often necessary to really examine the art to figure out what's happening. (I reread the first six books before finishing up with the final two, and I know there are things I missed the first time through.)
I'm not entirely sure why Angus' appearance changed, or for that matter what a neuronome is: a living ship? Or a bodiless entity that kind of takes over a spaceship? A hermit-crab-like alien that can change ships as a hermit crab changes shells? A Vorlon-like thing that can emerge from its container and then go all 'splodey?
Like I said, there's a lot here to explore and explain and some interesting world-building. And it really would make for an interesting movie or tv series.
And I'm afraid the ending was a little weak, and also . . . kinda cliffhanger-y? Or maybe that's how it's supposed to end. Given that a spinoff series has now begun ("Outlaws") featuring Kristina, I'm not sure that Runberg will be returning to the story of Caleb and Mezoke anytime soon. But a little more closure is needed given the fates of Caleb and Mezoke at the end.
First, I really like the worldbuilding of "Orbital," and there's a lot here to explore (hence the spinoff series). Some enterprising TV exec should consider using this series as the basis for a new show. We need some new stuff now that all our favorite IPs have been taken over by hacks using them as platforms to push The Message.
Second, while the mystery of the neuronomes has been a part of this series since the start, it still felt like these last two books shifted everything away from all the fascinating political intrigue to "save the neuronomes from parasites!" (Necessary, of course, when they're behaving like weapons of mass destruction.) In a way, these last two books felt like a side story, and now I want to get back to all the political maneuvering. I also felt like Mezoke never really got resolution to her story.
The art is excellent and worth lingering over -- often necessary to really examine the art to figure out what's happening. (I reread the first six books before finishing up with the final two, and I know there are things I missed the first time through.)
I'm not entirely sure why Angus' appearance changed, or for that matter what a neuronome is: a living ship? Or a bodiless entity that kind of takes over a spaceship? A hermit-crab-like alien that can change ships as a hermit crab changes shells? A Vorlon-like thing that can emerge from its container and then go all 'splodey?
Like I said, there's a lot here to explore and explain and some interesting world-building. And it really would make for an interesting movie or tv series.
November 6, 2020
We’ve had to wait patiently, but the final edition of Orbital has arrived to tie up the intergalactic tale. From the beginning it’s been an ambitious story that has been keen to set itself apart from other sci-fi fiction. For my money, it has succeeded in this for two main reasons. Firstly it’s not a human-orientated story. Although one of the main characters is indeed human, he’s not operating in a narrative dominated by them, which in turn shifts the dynamic away from giving old homo sapiens more importance than we perhaps deserve. Secondly, it’s the art. Pellé’s illustrations, his alien designs, his depiction of tech, and, perhaps most striking of all, his use of colour, have shaped a distinctive tale that doesn’t feel like it’s part of anyone else’s vision.
But what about this particular book? The Nueronomes are threatening countless worlds and, for some of them, the danger has already been realised. Calib, Mezoke, Angus and Dernid have found the origin planet of the Nueronomes and hope to reveal a way of halting the onslaught. Although the civilisation they seek to unearth is long lost, there are answers here if they can just find them. With Angus’s help they split up, but the threats are many, and are lethal.
It’s not easy to end a tale. Story threads need tying up, a resolution needs delivering, and the reader is inevitably expecting a happy ending. None of those things are guaranteed though, and Pellé and Runberg play those cards to their advantage. They’re not simply going to deliver what you might expect, and that makes their choice of unending a revelation. It might divide readers, but hopefully people will agree that a tidier, neater finale doesn’t always do a story justice, and it certainly doesn’t reflect the lives we lead. It’s a commendable decision, I reckon.
But what about this particular book? The Nueronomes are threatening countless worlds and, for some of them, the danger has already been realised. Calib, Mezoke, Angus and Dernid have found the origin planet of the Nueronomes and hope to reveal a way of halting the onslaught. Although the civilisation they seek to unearth is long lost, there are answers here if they can just find them. With Angus’s help they split up, but the threats are many, and are lethal.
It’s not easy to end a tale. Story threads need tying up, a resolution needs delivering, and the reader is inevitably expecting a happy ending. None of those things are guaranteed though, and Pellé and Runberg play those cards to their advantage. They’re not simply going to deliver what you might expect, and that makes their choice of unending a revelation. It might divide readers, but hopefully people will agree that a tidier, neater finale doesn’t always do a story justice, and it certainly doesn’t reflect the lives we lead. It’s a commendable decision, I reckon.
January 20, 2024
Startling series
I thought the first volume, Scars, started off a bit slow, but the art was good, and the narrative showed good to great potential. It picked up as the volume progressed & it seemed as if each volume got better. I imagine a large portion of that was learning to "live" in the Orbital universe on the reader's part. Bottom line, a terrific series.
Please be forewarned. If you read this series through Comixcology, it is a bit of a mess. Once you come upon the graphic novel series, Amazon seems confused by the series (this is not all that unusual for series from Europe Comics, Cinebook or Humanoids that get translated to English). At the end of volumes starting with 4(?), I'm not altogether sure, Comixcology says,"The next book is..." and cites a number that skips over the actual next volume. Volume 8 was hard to find & Amazon says,"This is Volume 8 out of 7." Following the volume numbers on the books is the way to go. Also, as of late January 2024, Volume 8 is not programmed for Comixcology's "guided view."
HOWEVER, despite any trials and tribulations one may encounter, Orbital is well worth any effort or frustrations inflicted on the hapless reader.
I thought the first volume, Scars, started off a bit slow, but the art was good, and the narrative showed good to great potential. It picked up as the volume progressed & it seemed as if each volume got better. I imagine a large portion of that was learning to "live" in the Orbital universe on the reader's part. Bottom line, a terrific series.
Please be forewarned. If you read this series through Comixcology, it is a bit of a mess. Once you come upon the graphic novel series, Amazon seems confused by the series (this is not all that unusual for series from Europe Comics, Cinebook or Humanoids that get translated to English). At the end of volumes starting with 4(?), I'm not altogether sure, Comixcology says,"The next book is..." and cites a number that skips over the actual next volume. Volume 8 was hard to find & Amazon says,"This is Volume 8 out of 7." Following the volume numbers on the books is the way to go. Also, as of late January 2024, Volume 8 is not programmed for Comixcology's "guided view."
HOWEVER, despite any trials and tribulations one may encounter, Orbital is well worth any effort or frustrations inflicted on the hapless reader.
February 18, 2022
One of the best new sci-fi comics out there!
July 7, 2023
It can't end like this! There are too many unanswered questions! Is the series continuing?
August 25, 2024
Was that the end!!!
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews