Authority, The: Human on the Inside (Authority (Graphic Novels)) [Paperback]

John Ridley (Author)

Book Description

Series: Authority (Graphic Novels) | Publication Date: August 1, 2005

From acclaimed novelist and screenwriter John Ridley (Three Kings, Everybody Smokes in Hell) and hot new artist Ben Oliver (Puncture) comes the WildStorm event of the year! The Authority, Earths last defense, have performed godlike acts in defense of the planet, whether defeating ancient gods or fending off interdimensional invasion forces. But these brave acts havent always endeared them to many in power... particularly in the United States. The President, tired of being embarrassed by what he views as a bunch of costumed freaks, sets a plan in motion that could very well destroy the Authority from the insidea plan so cunning itll shake the Authority to their very core. With an unexpected threat from the future on Earths doorstep, it could very well mean global extinction!

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In the not so distant future, seven superheroes have eradicated war and injustice from the world—by kicking the ass of anyone who stands in their way. They are the Authority, a group dedicated to saving the world from itself. In this installment, the American president, who resents the Authority for reducing him to a figurehead with no real power, sets a traitor in their midst to turn the team members against each other. Meanwhile, the team has problems of its own: Jack Hawksmoor, the team leader, is crippled; another member loses his battle with addiction; and a third may be dead. But while these heroes fight the demons inside themselves, an opportunist is taking advantage of their distraction to bring about the end of Time. This installment spends no time acclimating the new reader to the universe; those who aren't followers of the series will be at a complete loss. The Authority has all the hallmarks of a modern edgy comic, but lacks any real substance under its flashy exterior. Oliver's art has a simple grace that manages to be graphic without being gruesome. The plot relies on the reader to not examine it too closely, and the characters do not stand out from their superhero comic predecessors. (Aug.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Product Details

• Paperback: 96 pages
• Publisher: Wildstorm (August 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1401200699
• ISBN-13: 978-1401200695
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 0.3 x 10.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,474,465 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Buy it for the pretty., August 29, 2005

By 

Place Holder - See all my reviews

This review is from: Authority, The: Human on the Inside (Hardcover)

The art is gorgeous, the prose is generally lovely, and the plot is nonsensical. I bought it -- I'd say you should, too.

THE ART

Some of the most beautiful comic book art I've seen outside of an Alex Ross painting. The pictures are detailed, but soothing rather than realistic: almost nothing is sharp-edged, the pencils are sketchy, the inking is delicate, and the coloring uses a soft touch and a rich palette. The colorist actually paid attention to what the characters look like in other books and colored them consistently. (I'm terribly annoyed when sloppy coloring leads to characters seemingly going through colored contacts and dye like it's going out of style.) If I had a complaint, it would be that some of the characters look a bit more pretty than they should (Jack and The Midnighter aren't normally what I'd consider beautiful men) but I didn't find it jarring.

THE PROSE

The author is a professional novelist, and his prose has an artistic rhythm. It's nice, though what I'd call fluffy, given that it's covering up a lack of depth in the plot. The dialogue is mostly good, though a few characters seem off: Apollo in particular is less jocular and foul-mouthed than normal, edging a bit too far into the poetic. The characterisations are strong, once you accept the initial premise; I hadn't previously thought of the side of the Engineer we see in this book, but it doesn't seem wrong now that I've seen it.

THE PLOT

Don't worry about it. Seriously. It has something to do with the universe dumping existential angst all over our heroes. And time travel. Somehow. Also the Midnighter's powers suddenly function in a way contrary not only to every other time we've seen him use them ever, but also to common sense, and Jack does some stuff then tells us about it.

Don't sweat it. Just enjoy the pretty.


In conclusion: Dudes. Jackie Chan. That's all I'm sayin'.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful (if unexceptional) rehash of the typical Authority plot, November 25, 2008

By 

J. Shurin "carnivore" (London) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Authority, The: Human on the Inside (Hardcover)

This is a prime example of a title slowly descending into senility and decreptitude.

In this ponderous storyline, the superhero team has to fend off an 'extinction-level' event while dealing with their personal/emotional/romantic entanglements. Essentially, it identical to every other post-Warren-Ellis Authority storyline.

Ridley is a talented screenwriter, and this reads too much like a neatly-contained, solved-in-90-minutes blockbuster, and not enough like a continuation of one of the (formerly) best titles on the market.

The art - Ben Oliver is terrific - has earned this book a place on my bookshelf, but otherwise, this would go straight back to the shop.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Rescued from Self-parody, October 5, 2004

By 

D Watkins (Palmdale, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Authority, The: Human on the Inside (Hardcover)

As much as I love the Authority, they were on the verge of becoming self-parody: odd balls that excelled in being odd and who cracked more off-color jokes than did good deads. There's a certain teen-fun with that, but the Authority was never a teen comic. Thankfully, with HOTI they've returned to their Ellis/Stormwatch origins. This is a pretty adult offering, adult in that it's more about human nature and loss than about ripping people's heads off. Although, people's heads get ripped off. The prose is fantastic - this writer apparently does novels as well, and a bunch of movies that weren't very typical either - that threads in past Authority archs without having the reader be dependant on them to understand what's happening. The art is really solid comic-art, and I'd love to see more of B. Oliver. I think this one's going to be a toss for some readers. If they're looking for more of the same, they'll be disappointed. But I guess they can just go buy some back issues. Frankly, I'm glad to finally see something new.