The Surrogates: Flesh and Bone

The Surrogates #2

by Robert Venditti, Brett Weldele

In a dark, downtown alley in Central Georgia Metropolis, a juvenile prank goes too far and a homeless man is killed. When the ensuing investigation reveals that the attackers aren't who they appeared to be, justice depends on the testimony of a single missing witness -- a street snitch with a history of providing information to a cop named Harvey Greer. Harvey is placed on special assignment to track down the informant, but others have their own designs, including a wealthy socialite and an ex-con turned religious leader known to his followers as The Prophet. As days pass and anger among the anti-surrogate population grows, the city stands on a razor's edge. Will punishment be exacted in a courtroom or on the streets? Set fifteen years prior to the events of the original Surrogates graphic novel, Flesh & Bone sheds light on the past that binds the cast together. From the streets of Central Georgia Metropolis to the boardroom of Virtual Self, Inc., Flesh & Bone takes us on a journey through a city struggling to come to grips with its present. Not only a suspenseful thriller but also a cautionary tale, this book reminds us that tomorrow will be determined by the choices we make today.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Science Fiction, Fiction, Adult, Comic Book, Graphic Novels Comics

144 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

Robert Venditti is a New York Times bestselling author of more than three hundred comic books and graphic novels. Some of his works include the monthly comic book series Justice League, Superman ’78, Hawkman, and Green Lantern for DC Comics, X-O Manowar, Armor Hunters, and Wrath of the Eternal Warrior for Valiant Entertainment, and the graphic novel Six Days, inspired by the story of his uncle’s participation in D-Day. He has also adapted Rick Riordan’s global bestselling Percy Jackson and the Olympians and The Heroes of Olympus novels, as well as Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky by Kwame Mbalia and Blue Bloods by Melissa de la Cruz. His graphic novel The Surrogates was adapted into a feature film by Touchstone Pictures, and his work on The Flash was the basis for season three of the CW television series.

Venditti lives in Atlanta, where he both writes and serves as a storytelling consultant for some of the most recognizable entertainment brands in the world.

Reviews

[Brooke · Rating 3 out of 5]

Flesh & Bones is a prequel to the original Surrogates. Compared to the first book, F&B focuses less on the themes about society and perfection and instead shifts into action mode. We see the beginnings of the Dread community, what caused police departments to move to all-surrogate forces, the play-by-play of the murder trial mentioned in the first book, the main character's first encounter with his wife's surrogate that proves to be her downfall years later.

It's interesting and well-written, but is it really necessary? It didn't leave me feeling like it added anything to my understanding of the Surrogates world, and I missed the deeper analysis that was present in the first book (although I suppose science fiction often finds social commentary easier when everything suddenly starts going wrong). On its own, however, it's a satisfying, self-contained story, and I wouldn't discourage anyone from reading it if they enjoyed the first book.

[Joshua Palmatier · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read The Surrogates because of the movie with Bruce Willis. The graphic novel and the movie were two completely different stories in the end and I enjoyed both. One of my main complaints about the original graphic novel, though, was that the story didn't feel as deep as it could have been. The idea of the world, of people using surrogates to live their lives, to keep them safe and to give them the freedom to live out some of their fantasies, is just too good and too perfect. It opens up a HUGE amount of possibilities, and I thought that the original book could have used this world to explore so much more.

Which meant, of course, that I needed to read the prequel graphic novel The Surrogates: Flesh and Bone to see if they did indeed play around with some of those possibilities.

Flesh and Bone takes us back to something mentioned in the original graphic novel: the attack on a homeless person by three rich teens illegally using their fathers' surrogates. The homeless man dies and suddenly the case becomes international news, bringing up the serious question of whether children should be able to use surrogates, a theme that was also addressed in the original graphic novel and was the main motivating factor behind Steeplejack (the main "bad guy" in the original). And this type of question is what I was hoping that the authors/artists would explore more about this world, what makes the world they've set up so intriguing.

Here, the graphic novel once again centers around Harvey Greer--now a beat cop--and the investigation surrounding the death of the homeless man. There's also a seedy lawyer for the father of the main kid on trial. (The father's no picnic either.) We see the origins of the Prophet, and the state of the surrogate corporation at this time period. The more interesting aspects of this graphic novel are how the corporation handles the situation, and how the law is going to be affected by not just this one situation, but by surrogates and their general use by the population. Those were the parts that intrigued me the most and held my interest. And the authors do explore these facets of the new world to some degree. The investigation gives the story a strong structure that's easy to follow, but isn't as interesting overall, especially since the first graphic novel was centered around an investigation.

So, in the end, I wasn't as satisfied or as thrilled with this prequel as I was with the original. Even though the authors explored some of what I was looking for, I STILL finished the novel wanting more. I wanted more exploration of this world, and I thought there could have been more depth in the storyline itself, especially regarding Greer and his relationship with his wife and how the introduction of surrogates into the home was affecting relationships. But it was still a good read overall. There were some nice touches to the world, and a few strong snippets of humor throughout. One particular panel had me laughing so hard I had to put the book aside to recover. Strong artwork (although not as polished in my opinion as the original) throughout, and a decent storyline. A good book. If there were more graphic novels set in this world, I'd definitely read them, because there's still a TON of things to explore.

[Nuno R. · Rating 2 out of 5]

And I finish my reading of The Surrogates. It was hard. The story is interesting (this prequel not as much) but I could never relate to the art. Maybe you can blame me for watching the movie first (which fans of the comic mostly hate). The movie, for all its imperfections, created an atmosphere that suited the story. The comic is bleak, has a gray palette that makes everything seem desolate and sketchy. And the drawing is rough and sketchy too. I think it works for many people, that made this a cult comic. Not for me. When we talk about flesh and bone vs tech, all things that have to do with the senses come to mind. This is like anti-Cronnenberg. It's almost non-visual. Like a "mere" storyboard for the text, deprived of any texture, anything vivid and enticing. Maybe I'm a bit synesthetic and this only numbed my senses. The story did not come to life, so to speak (in my mind). And for a story such as The Surrogates, where the human mind's ability to function in other realities or ways is the pivot, that's disappointing.

[Praveen Palakkazhi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a really good graphic novel series which, though famous, probably doesn’t get as much respect as it deserves. A great mix of futuristic Sci-Fi, biting social commentary and some real good art coupled with great writing makes it a must read for comic aficionados (and others).

This is a prequel to the hit original story and while it doesn’t have the novelty factor of the first one, it still tells a good yarn in the same eclectic style of the first one – the grainy art and writings mixed with newspaper/e-reader kind of articles which delve into the subtexts of the setting. If you’re not acquainted with the original setting, personal ‘Surrogates’ have become almost de-facto for everyone – a virtual self, modeled on the ideal way one sees oneself which allow you to go about your life while sitting in the comforts of your home and in your perceived substandard actual body.
This story takes up in 2039 – the year when a spiritual leader modeling himself on the second coming, the Prophet, gathers his followers and anti-Surrogate riots break out. The trigger for this is the murder of a homeless man in the beginning of the story by a group of kids wielding the Surrogates of their parents. In the media and police shitstorm which breaks loose, we come across a younger Harvey Greer (the lead from the original story), awaiting the results of his detective exam. The investigating officer takes a shine to him and makes him a partner in the investigation. The real can of worms open when his informer proves to be an eye witness and then disappears. In the background, the Prophet is making his moves with his recently converted army.

Some of the original stories strands are picked up and expounded on here, including the Prophet’s origins, and we see the villain from the first story too here and understand the mental process which started the chain of events described there. It also shows a pre-loveless marriage of Greer and the beginnings of the Surrogate dependency which drove his wife away from him.

I really liked the social commentary behind it though. The thought that an already tech obsessed world maybe heading the way of total virtual interactions may not be so far-fetched after all. And, more intriguingly, is this something to be accepted with grace as another consequence of the march of inevitable progress?

[Steen Ledet · Rating 3 out of 5]

A prequel to *The Surrogates* we find a young Harvey Greer about to become detective, while trying to solve the murder of a 'boner' (non-surrogate user) by three kids using their parents' surries. Much of the attraction of this comic comes from exploring the past history or origin of Greer and seeing his first reaction to surrogates and the way the world adapted to surrogates in the first place. More parenthetical in exploring the surrogate concept than the original, *Flesh and Bone* still provides some interesting speculative insights.

[David Finger · Rating 3 out of 5]

Didn’t really care for the artwork, but the story itself was entertaining. In a world in the not to distant future where people operate with “surrogates”, the lines between the haves and have nots become more distinct. When a homeless man is murdered by a rich kid using a surrogate the city of Atlanta is pushed to the brink. Soon an anti-surrogate religious leader called “the prophet” takes his message to the streets, causing tensions to boil over. But pinning the crime on the offender proves more difficult than anticipated when a key witness goes into hiding. Overall the story is solid, more of a traditional detective story with an element of sci-fi thrown in. And as a prequel it does hook you and get you interested in seeing how this story develops in volume one. But don’t expect any curveballs in this short graphic novel. The story follows a familiar pattern for detective stories: rookie cop teamed up with a grizzled veteran in a race against time to find a (blank) before the bad guys do.

[Joseph Young · Rating 4 out of 5]

Robot bodies or surrogates have become available for the middle-class. The plot is kicked off by a bunch of rich kids using their surrogates to beat a poor man to death.

I like the way the newspapers and articles tied into the story rather subtly. The author not only expounds on the technology but imagines the social issues that would come with such technology as well as the back and forth between different sides.

I especially like the last twist, showing the religious prophet to be quite a bit more savvy than anyone is giving him credit for.

[Alan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was happy to see that Venditti had written more in this world that I had not read. The not so good is the story's brevity and what feels like unresolved plot threads until a memory refresh showed this a prequel.

The police procedural does a good job of setting up a unique legal questions. Can someone operating a surrogate claim a defense of not recognizing that the person they killed was human and not a surrogate. The killing of a homeless African-American man especially has meaning concerning the events of the past couple of days.

Best to read this first and The Surrogates after.

[Bruce Dixon · Rating 3 out of 5]

This had some highs and some lows, but overall was on the predictable and preachy end of the spectrum.

[Sarah Thornton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hauntingly detailed.

[doubleokay · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Rachael · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this up before realizing it was a prequel, and although it lays the groundwork for more story, it stands alone well. In the year 2039, three teenagers take their parent's robot surrogates - the form and size of normal adults, which are controlled remotely from their safe, warm, middle class homes - for an evening romp and beat a homeless man to death. Cop Harvey Greer stumbles into helping on this case shortly after his sergeant’s exam and taps into his local informant about the murder, who shortly after is found as dead as the first victim. As the world of the year 2039 continues to debate the use of surrogates – as evidenced in sharp issues of the “Dail-e Tablet: America’s Most Downloaded Paper Since 2018” which supplement the comic panels in full-page format – the city of Atlanta reacts to the murder: an anti-surrogate group called “the dreads” (after their hairstyles) riots in the streets, the board of Virtual Self, Inc. must defend their product while halting the release of their awaited line of juvenile models, and the Central Georgia Metropolitan police force must defend the people of the city from the fallout of the murders, battling lawyers and rioters both, using surrogates themselves.

Venditti’s story fully stages the world in which Surrogates exist, offering the digital newspapers of this world, the wealthy, the middle class, the poor, and even a religious group in environments as diverse as the boardroom, the streets, and the bedroom. (His B.A. in English and Political Science no doubt informs his ability to create a fictional yet informed future world in the tradition of Ray Bradbury or Aldous Huxley.) Brett Weldele’s art is stark, gritty, and sympathetic. The collaboration of these artists in this graphic novel gives the sort of feel evoked by Christopher Nolan’s Batman movies, and the fantastic-but-cancelled tv show Almost Human.

The only teens in this graphic novel are the catalysts to the story, so although not a typical YA read, young adult fans and readers who follow the adult crime or dystopian sci-fi genre will enjoy this.

Read-a-likes: I, Robot, by Isaac Asimov, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, by Philip K. Dick

[Jason Pettus · Rating 3 out of 5]

(Reprinted from the Chicago Center for Literature and Photography [cclapcenter.com:]. I am the original author of this essay, as well as the owner of CCLaP; it is not being reprinted illegally.)

Not too long ago I gave a favorable review of the 2006 graphic novel The Surrogates, by Robert Venditti and Brett Weldele, eventually adapted into a high-profile Hollywood actioner starring Bruce Willis; just to remind you, it posits a reality where Second Life has been made physical, and where a growing amount of people now use full-sized mechanical avatars to actually interact in the real world, keeping their biological bodies at home and hooked up to a five-sense virtual-reality interface. Flesh and Bone, then, is a "sequel prequel" to that original, telling in detail the backstory that was already laid out in the first volume of how such a world came to be; but of course there's a big problem with doing fleshed-out versions of previous backstories like this, which is...you know, you've already told the story before, and in this case rather inventively too, through a series of clever metafictional elements at the ends of chapters in the original, things like old newspaper articles, fake company brochures and the like. As a result, then, this second volume doesn't divulge a single bit of information that existing fans didn't already know, and pretty much exists purely as an excuse for Weldele to draw up some more of them pretty pictures of his, and for Top Shelf to keep ringing that cash register right at the time that the movie version of the original was currently out. Although just as nice-looking as the original, it's pretty much pointless from a storytelling aspect, which should be kept in mind before picking it up yourself.

Out of 10: 7.0

[Loyd · Rating 4 out of 5]

Robert Venditti and Brett Weldele's The Surrogates Volume 2: Flesh & Bone is a prequal to the original Surrogates book. It's the time before surrogates are ubiquitous, an in-between time where no one quite knows what effect they'll have on society. A police officer who want to make detective finds himself investigating a group of rich teenage boys who have stolen their father's surrogates and used them to thrill-kill a vagrant.

The Surrogates: Flesh and Bone is a classic sci-fi set-up for stories to come. What kind of life and human relationships will surrogates lead to? Will they promote (or continue) a society of haves and have-nots?

The artwork is excellent, though not quite as vigorous and textured at the first book -- a minor complaint. The dialog and characters are all top-notch.

[Joe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Spectacular prequel to The Surrogates. Most of the original storyline nuances explained and a new society has its genesis in Georgia of all places (surprisingly not New York, DC, California or a foreign nation). The decision to do that alone was innovative and thought provoking; it still has the same brilliant graphics that flow effortlessly with the storyline and the same characters--or rather their 15 year younger selves and it's controversial and sweetly action packed. What more could you want in a serial graphic novel. The best I've read in years. (I was an avid comic collector as a kid. This was my first satisfying jaunt in decades. It was well worth it.) It's good that they have all the pertinent issues bound together too. This would have been agonizing to have to wait on a month-by-month basis to see how the story develops.

Well done. Well done.

[Brandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A prequel to the original Surrogates, Flesh and Bone focuses on a patrolman investigating a murder committed by three teenage boys joyriding in their fathers' surrogates. The case is mentioned a few times in the original, so this is filling in the back story.

Really not a whole lot of explanation of the society that wants these surrogates; they're just a new technology that people are embracing, not radically different from, say, an iphone today--the sort of thing that makes life easier but hasn't yet become ubiquitous.

Teen appeal--eh, sort of? The assailants are teenagers, but they barely get a mention after the first 15 pages or so.

[Mark Desrosiers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Only three decades hence, a large corporation is making mad money off these "surrogates" -- fully-functional robots that can do the nasty, work your shift, act as police, you name it. But of course, these "surries' are fully controlled by obese twitchy humans sitting at home and getting rectal fissures or whatever. This plot starts with a murder, involving a surrie piloted by a kid, and enlarges into a fun (often hilarious) train-wreck featuring a detective n00b and a new Jesus (not a surrie), lots of misdirection and curious motives, plus lawyers actually making things exciting for a change.

[Marsha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Surrogates just begin to make their appearance in this book and a crime that kills a homeless man points out just what happens when human morality doesn't keep up with technology.

This book is a prequel to volume one but came after it, presumably because the creators thought the concept needed a little more backstory. It's an excellent beginning (followup?) because it traces mankind's eager acceptance of this new technology even as it aggressively points out its hidden dangers.

Mankind doesn't evolve too quickly, especially in his rational thinking, and this graphic novel brings home what is the basic flaw behind any technology--the minds of the people using it.

[Gef · Rating 3 out of 5]

It wasn't until I had this book in my hands that I realized it was a prequel, rather than a sequel to the original Surrogates graphic novel. And having read this one, I may have a fuller appreciation for the events and universe depicted in the original, but I didn't come away from this one with any sense that I'd learned anything--shall we say--new. In fact, if not for a key scene at the end of this novel, I'd encourage readers to check this one out first before reading the original, as at least then there'd be a feeling of forward momentum.

[Virginia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the prequel far more than the original. However, perhaps it is because I already had the world-building part of the experience done and all that was needed was to have the interesting back story gaps filled. There really is no way to separate that out. So, I enjoyed this story and seeing how things progressed in order to give us the world in the first Volume. Plus, it was fun to catch the clues to the future. As before, I enjoyed the artwork and the supplemental materials most.

[Phil · Rating 5 out of 5]

In all of the graphic novels that I've read, I'd have a hard time remembering a story that was better written than The Surrogates series. The dialogue is sharp and spot-on. Without much tedious backstory, Robert Venditti does a fantastic job of pulling the reader into this futuristic world, all the while avoid a contrived feel that's ever so evident in a lot of science-fiction.

(Read full-review at http://www.philduncanwrites.com/?p=566)

[Cale · Rating 3 out of 5]

This prequel to The Surrogates explains the events that happened around the Dreads riot of 2039. Focusing on Greer before he's become a detective, it's the story of his first big case, as well as setting into play all the other major characters of the later series. It works really well, actually; adding another layer of detail to The Surrogates itself while also standing well on its own. The art is the same style, managing to be evocative and dreamlike at the same time.

[John Roepke · Rating 5 out of 5]

While not quite as in depth and thoughtful as The Surrogates; the second volume, The Surrogates Volume 2: Flesh & Bones, was certainly still worth reading. It's an excellent look into the back story and events leading up to original and has a lot of good action sequences that are really well drawn. I would say this is well worth adding to any Sci-Fi geek's collection.

[Manny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not as good as the original "Surrogates" but a great opportunity to revisit that world in prequel-form. In many ways, it functions as an extended epilogue that fleshes out the backstory. The two books really form one whole and should probably be read (perhaps even published?) in that way. Still highly recommended.

[Lara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another interesting story, this time involving the investigation of the murder of a homeless man by a group of kids joyriding in their parents' surrogates. I really like Brett Weldele's art, and the little bit of depth added by the accompanying newspaper articles, etc. And I always find comics that don't have any superheroes in them very refreshing--ha!

[Bradley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I recently read "The Homeland Directive" by Robert Venditti. I enjoyed it so much that I needed to seek out more of his work. The Surrogates series is okay. It didn't draw me in as much as "The Homeland Directive" but it was still a good read.

[Aquila · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was just as engaging as the original. There was somewhat more political puppetry this time around, more awesome depth and insight into the characters I loved from the original. Another beautifully moving tale in the same spirit as that which came before it.

[Anne Mey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Un saut dans le passé pour voir les origines. Le tout est justement limité car on sait déjà ce qui va se passer. Graphiquement cela ressemble moins à de la peinture sauvage mais plus à du travail sur ordinateur, on y perd au change.

[Tom · Rating 3 out of 5]

As much as I loved the original, and as much as I enjoyed this follow-up, I'm afraid this book is best filed under "unnecessary prequels." This book adds nothing to my appreciation of the first, superior volume, though it is reasonably entertaining on its own.

[Mark Flowers · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'll only say that I loved this graphic novel. For more of my thoughts, you'll have to wait for my review in School Library Journal.