Compelling scientific and emotional explorations that raise the question: What awaits us when we cross the line?
Pitsirilos’ SF anthology explores pivotal, life-altering moments in short stories that combine prose, comics, photography, and mixed media.
This collection’s central theme is the concept of “event horizons,” or moments of no return—like crossing the boundary of a black hole. The stories involve cosmic decisions and characters confronting uncertain futures. Most of the characters face moral dilemmas as they navigate such issues as intergalactic relationships and immortality, with their stories taking place in such diverse settings as living rooms, space stations, and far-off exoplanets. Pitsirilos has assembled an eclectic roster of creators from many different mediums, resulting in a work that is diverse in both forms and perspectives. One of Pitsirilos’ standout stories, “Orteez Funeral Home,” is set in the titular mortuary. The building has preserved its original purpose while accommodating some modifications, like replacing bricks with steel and installing a viewing pillar that launches coffins into space for a final journey to the sun. A woman named Evangeline has requested that the story’s narrator attend her viewing, creating an emotionally charged atmosphere as she reflects on their connection. Overall, the work collected here is impressive, the visual elements especially so. Various styles of illustration are used; occasionally there’s a feeling of incongruity when some mediums abut each other, such as the real-life photography that sits alongside comic-book illustrations. The stories themselves are varied; some pieces, like “Klon,” explore more futuristic themes, like advancements in cloning technology that have made reincarnation a reality, while others, like “The Fold,” remain in the realm of SF but address more universal themes, such as the roles stories play in remembering loved ones we can no longer be with (“Stories deceive that they hold no weight”). All should prove a delight for SF aficionados.
Compelling scientific and emotional explorations that raise the question: What awaits us when we cross the line?Pub Date: Dec. 15, 2024
ISBN: 9781958077016
Page Count: 244
Publisher: Janus Point Press
Review Posted Online: Oct. 7, 2024
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A clever and timely conversation on reclaiming identity and acknowledging one’s full worth.
Superman confronts racism and learns to accept himself with the help of new friends.
In this graphic-novel adaptation of the 1940s storyline entitled “The Clan of the Fiery Cross” from The Adventures of Superman radio show, readers are reintroduced to the hero who regularly saves the day but is unsure of himself and his origins. The story also focuses on Roberta Lee, a young Chinese girl. She and her family have just moved from Chinatown to Metropolis proper, and mixed feelings abound. Jimmy Olsen, Lois Lane’s colleague from the Daily Planet, takes a larger role here, befriending his new neighbors, the Lees. An altercation following racial slurs directed at Roberta’s brother after he joins the local baseball team escalates into an act of terrorism by the Klan of the Fiery Kross. What starts off as a run-of-the-mill superhero story then becomes a nuanced and personal exploration of the immigrant experience and blatant and internalized racism. Other main characters are White, but Black police inspector William Henderson fights his own battles against prejudice. Clean lines, less-saturated coloring, and character designs reminiscent of vintage comics help set the tone of this period piece while the varied panel cuts and action scenes give it a more modern sensibility. Cantonese dialogue is indicated through red speech bubbles; alien speech is in green.
A clever and timely conversation on reclaiming identity and acknowledging one’s full worth. (author’s note, bibliography) (Graphic fiction. 13-adult)Pub Date: May 12, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-77950-421-0
Page Count: 240
Publisher: DC
Review Posted Online: Feb. 29, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Lush visuals bring this thoughtfully constructed tale to life.
Wondrous visitors encounter a desperate pocket of humanity.
Lori, a white orphaned teen who’s finally been adopted after bouncing around various foster homes, awakens to discover that nearly everyone has disappeared. The rapture? Maybe. She runs into her classmate Annette, who has brown skin and curly black hair, and they partner up to scavenge for food. The pair tries to evade several threats, such as the large Wolves and a gang called The Dogs. Supernatural Giants arrive, seemingly from space, speaking an impenetrable language of “musical chiming and weird bass-rhythms.” Lori and Annette then meet Beatrice, an older white woman who shares important observations about the Giants and Wolves. The tone of the story then subtly shifts from post-apocalyptic desperation to one that’s somewhat playful. After a certain point, a visual element that appears early on takes on clear significance and meaning in the context of the story at large, offering a subversively humorous twist for readers to consider and a creative element that deviates from other alien invasion narratives. Hans’ artwork and paneling fill each scene with wonders. An interaction with a giant sees the red, violet, and pink figure standing against a bright, otherworldly white-and-blue backdrop with dark contours. Elsewhere, Lori and Annette pause at night as they behold ominous shadows, their foggy breath forming clouds, and they hear a “KRRNCH” sound. The quick-moving plot wraps everything up neatly.
Lush visuals bring this thoughtfully constructed tale to life. (character designs) (Graphic science fiction. 14-adult)Pub Date: Nov. 12, 2024
ISBN: 9781534387072
Page Count: 104
Publisher: Image Comics
Review Posted Online: Aug. 17, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2024
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