Customer Reviews

Crimson: Heaven & Earth - Tome 2

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is truly a (good) continuation of the first Crimson TPB ("Loyalty & Loss"). If you haven't read that get it first, or don't bother at all. Things won't make sense. This book (which collects #7-12 and the "Dynamic Forces Premiere" issue) starts off with sort of an interlude issue. In it Alex meets the 'Heavenly Host', also known as the group of archangels who do the Lords' bidding. They've come down to judge wether Alex should be allowed to live on (being a vampire and all) or that he has to be terminated. Help comes from a rather unexpected/surprising side. This is really the most fun issue of the trade where the cliches about angels' manners are shattered and some sick humor is going on. After that the main story goes on it's way again and I really would like to lable this book 'the clearification-TPB' because after we first met a lot of the main-players in the first TPB, here is much explanation about the legacy's, past deeds and motives of each of them (like Lisseth, Ekimus, Scarlet X, streetcop George etc.). That AND we are told the origin of the 'Clan of the Red Hood'. All this explaning luckily happens during the story (so it's not a collection of facts like in the beginning of th first issues) in which a lot of different parties of interest are after Alex for different reasons. Some good, some bad. It all leads to some pretty heavy confrontations and some beings show to have a great power potential (like Ekimus).

Like I said in the beginning, you should realize when you buy this book that it's really a must to first read the volume 1 book to make any sense of it. It's one big "going deeper into already introduced characters" and it won't make sense if you just dive in it without knowing what's gone before. To first buy the other volume won't be a waste of money though because it's at least as good as this one. For the people who HAVE already read the first volume, you should know that the story is a lot more serious and violent (as in "big-gun-violent" not so much gory) than in the first trade and now the focus is really more on the plot than on punchlines, which it has but a few. It doesn't take anything away from the fun though and if you liked the first TPB this one won't let you down.

In this continuation of the Crimson series,Alex the hero of this series comes to grips with this new reality he stumbled upon (well the reality stumbled upon him!)He is a vampire companied with a masked lunatic and a fallen angel. He wants to see his family but he can't. In this continuation you see Alex fight demons, fight his inner demons, find answers, bite people, fight vampires and kiss the girl. I enjoyed this book. This book is jam packed with sharp pictures, lavish colors, and witty dialogue this is a must read and i ordered this book!

A friend borrowed this Volume from me and never made an attempt to give it back even when I asked her. So I went ahead to get a "used" copy to keep in my collection. The seller kept this trade paper back in good condition. Glad to have my 4 complete books now.

Humberto Ramos's dark fantasy series Crimson kicks into high gear in Heaven and Earth, the second (of four) volumes. In the first book, troubled teenager Alex Elder is turned into a vampire, and not just any vampire. Could he be the prophesied Chosen One that will end the vampires' cycle of destruction?

Heaven and Earth starts with the famous Christmas issue, which to this day remains one of my all-time favorite single-issue comics. In this issue Alex is put on trial by the Archangels of Heaven, and none other than Lucifer himself arrives to cast the deciding vote. This unforgettable issue is proof positive that Crimson was so much better than people realized. The rest of the book is non-stop action starting with Alex's kidnapping at the hands of the Templars, who embark on a crusade to purge New York City of all Darklings, no matter how many innocent bystanders are caught in the crossfire. Saint George, Ekimus, and Scarlet X all play key roles in this story, and by the end of the book Alex encounters his real enemy - the vampire queen Lisseth.

Ramos and Augustyn really shine here. The storytelling is action-packed, but very well thought out. There's obviously a greater plan for the series, and every event builds momentum for a major conflict that we still can't glimpse.

The artwork was amazing as usual. Ramos has a very unique style that draws from Arthur Adams's detailed X-Men work as well as Japanese anime, and it continues to evolve with each volume in this series. His characters look a lot more cartoony and stylized, but at the same time his action sequences and overall storytelling is more cinematic. The scenes where Archangel Michael and Lucifer draw down on each other and Saint George's battle with the Dragon are flat-out astonishing. The coloring is another huge plus. I don't think I've seen another series this vividly colored.

Crimson is pure gold for dark fantasy fans. Anyone who enjoys Harry Potter, the Dresden Files, Buffy, and/or Anita Blake should definitely check out Crimson.

Alex Elder is still a young vampire that is not too keen on being a vampire, he has enough problems with all the teenager things, hormones, etc., without having to have vampire super powers, a want to be girlfriend that is a literal killer, angels, monsters and all sorts of other problems to deal with.

You find out the backstory of the Red Hood bunch here.

I got my great grandma to read this AND Enjoy it! 80 years old and willingly reading a comic (a gory one at that)! What else to say besides that this just dives deeper into the Crimson plot and reveals secrets about Alex's "Chosen One" buisnes, and my favorite part of the book: Explanations on The Order of the Red Hood!

I've read all Crimson TPB's. Brian Augustyn's script is getting better as the story unfolds, and guys who do computer coloring are really great. As for the pencils, Humberto Ramos draws very well (his style resembles that of Greg Capullo), but I find his habit of rendering over-elongated figures with small face, big hands and enormous feet quite irritating. I respect his style, every comic artist distorts or emphasizes some features on his figures, but this is tad too much...If it wasn't for this, I would give this comic four stars.

Having picked this book up by sheer accident, I've become intrigued and involved in the storylines and rich background of this series. No only is the art top notch and the story compelling, Alex Elder is a lovable, friendly Vampire with some fun and sometimes scary friends, as well as diabolical enemies. I've not enjoyed a graphic novel as good as this one before. I highly recommend this book to anyone who has a taste for a downtrodden hero.