Customer Reviews

Distant Soil, Vol. 1 The Gathering (v. 1)

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I haven't read this book in years. In fact, the last time I read it was sometime in the 1980's, back when it was at another publisher (and I only bought it because my name was similar to that of the artist!) This is a very different version than the edition I read. It has been rewritten and redrawn entirely, with superior results. Not only does the story move more coherently than before, but the drawing is a great improvement. The story is about a half-human young girl who is an Avatar. She can control the life force of all the psionic people on her planet. But this makes her a danger to the homeworld of her father because an Avatar is a kind of weapon being used by an alien government to rule it's corner of the universe and there can be only one at a time. And they already have one. So, the girl has to go. Lots of convoluted stuff is going on and it is kind of amazing how Colleen Doran manages to take all of these unlikely people and events and put them into this strange stew and come out with something that is moving, funny and entertaining. I can't imagine anyone else being able to pull this story off and make it work. I think she just loves her work so much that you can feel it coming through the paper. You can tell this is a book by someone who loves her characters and the world they live in which is rare in a world where people just seem to want to make a buck. This is not a camera ready book, being made to put out a movie or cartoon. If you want an experience that lets you step into another reality, then this is it. You walk into this world with its strange rules and it works. The characters are so real and likeable that you are compelled to keep reading. Manga and shonen ai fans will like this, too, especially the romantic moments. I really liked this book.

A Distant Soil contains everything from Arthurian Legends to alien imortals in the style of a classic Roger Zelazny novel. It's artwork and atmosphere also reminds me of such great Japanese Shojo comics (esp. Clamp's works). Her artwork and story meld together into a strong epic piece, similar to Smith's Bone or M. Oakley's Thieves and Kings (the other two comics I'm currently following). If this book is unavailable online, you probably can hunt it down at your local comic store.

This is a book I got for my birthday (3-17) that I had read in another edition from another publisher when I was 14. I was a little bit worried to read it again because when you have good memories of something from a long time ago, sometimes it is hard to go back to them again. One of the reviews here sounded like the book was going to be really yaoi with lots of sex and things I wasn't sure I wanted to see and that it was hard to understand the new version. I didn't have any trouble understanding the new version, and if there is a lot of sex in this one, I missed it. There's no naked people sex in this book. Maybe in later volumes? It looks like a little bit of skin in the next book (I got that too), but nothing much. Maybe I am a little disappointed now! Especially since the guys are so cute! That is one thing that is different. I think the artist draws a lot better than they used to. Rieken-Seren is so beautiful. His face is like a dream. He is like a prettier version of David Bowie, if you can do that! Anyway, I really liked this newer version a lot. I had no trouble following it. So, I don't know why anyone said they did. It takes careful reading, but I like that. It doesn't seem to me that this is a book you can just flip through. You have to pay attention. If you do not pay attention, you will miss a lot. It is as if almost every little line has double meaning. It's a great puzzle and that interests me. It has a dreamy quality too, but it is good fantasy (more fantasy than science fiction, I think). The Avatar is Seren who is so gorgeous he should just have his own book by himself. Anyway, he is like a god to his people because he can draw on their collective life force and use it as his own power. But since there can be only one (sounds kind of like Highlander but it isn't), the evil Hierarchy of his world comes to Earth to find Liana, a little girl who is also an Avatar. (She's not that little but she is young). The Hierarchy must kill her or the Avatar can't use his power. Seren is working against the Hierarchy but they don't know. He is leader of the rebellion. When his people come to Earth to kill Liana he gets some humans to help him to kill the Hierarchy. There is a lot more to it than that and I am already reading volume II, but don't want to flip forward. It is a little strange about the fantasy in here. How did Sir Galahad get into this story? I really want to see how that works out. Oh yeah, he is cute too. This book sort of feels like manga, but it isn't. It is harder to read than manga, but I like that because I get more story. Some manga seems to take 15 minutes to read a whole book. I really read and studied this book a lot and got a lot out of that. This art is pretty like manga, but more realistic. That is OK to me. This book is not yaoi like that other review makes it seem. If you are looking for serious yaoi, you will be disappointed probably. But it is shonen ai a bit. Seren and D'mer are lovers, but you don't really see much. Anyway, this is my first review and I hope you like it.

The plot of A Distant Soil involves aliens who look just like people and whose society is based entirely on psychic energy by which they communicate. We follow the story of Liana, a girl who has been raised in a mental institution where her psychic powers are studied. She and her brother, her only family in the world, escape. They are separated and Liana is approached by aliens who explain that she has very powerful psychic powers and they need her help. Their society is ruled by a single person (alien?) with very powerful skills at organizing psychic energy. This person, the Avatar, serves as a religious leader and also

There is a certain amount of disconcerting randomness here. Author Colleen Doran began publishing this series (its been redrawn for this release) when she was in her teens. This may explain why this book is the way it is. It is lots like a teen girl's daydream: beautiful drawings with lots of flowy lines, Galahad comes from the land of Avalon through a time warp and accompanies our heros into space among other plot oddities.

So the plot is kind of stupid. At the same time it is extremely complex and twisting. Characters have complex motives and act accordingly. We see lots of politics. And it all makes sense. Within this random random world there aren't inconsistencies. There are things to figure out and a plot to follow.

The drawings here are very nice. They are done in a very defined line drawing style. Every page is well done and also pretty: art nouveau flowers and rainbows pretty. Battles fought with psychic energy work well with this style of representation. The layouts are packed (in a good way) and there is lots happening on every page.

I liked this but I don't know if it is worth reading in general. It is an intelligent and involving comic... ... on the other hand: Galahad in space is never a good sign.

I have known the work of Colleen Doran since her high school days, and I can tell you there is nothing capricious about what the reader will see and read in A Distant Soil. Colleen's characters are verbally realistic and engaging, with their appearance masterfully captured and conveyed by the hand and eye of their creator...and Colleen's story flows well. I didn't want to put A Distant Soil down, but when I had to, as with other engaging books, I looked forward to returning to that world. You will have to remember and think a bit, and even occasionally look back to review who means what to the plot, like in a Sherlock Holmes mystery, etc., but that is very interesting. A Distant Soil and ALL of Colleen's creations are the work of a genius whose talent is shared with the rest of us mortals because of her work ethic, and her unrelenting attention to detail. As a musician who is never satisfied with what others consider 'good enough', I was struck early on in Colleen's career by what I saw as real talent, conveyed through the unique quality of Colleen's ability to put on paper what is in her mind, and then to improve on that. It has been for the years to show me, and others, that all of Colleen's work is the rare combination of collector quality and enjoyable, engaging reading. You will want to preserve your copy of this work!

OK, so Distant Soil has one of the basic principles of sci-fi: People from another planet take over the earth, someone has to stop them. One of the great things about this graphic novel, however is the unique blend of physic powers, realism and the traditional space odyssey along with a colorful cast. The plot in the 1st book isn't really 5 stars, but of course the characters are just being introduced as their circumstances, but DS1 serves as a necessary component in the long run. If you buy this for anything buy it for the artwork. Though in black and white, Colleen Doran is one of the best illustrators I have ever laid eyes upon, her artwork so intricately detailed you feel these people are real. (Watch out it was published in the 80s: mullets and short shorts for men.) Even the dreamy sequences that take up a full page are remiiscent of Japanese manga. But don't listen to my stupid rambling, buy it for yourself and decide!

As an avid manga fan, I picked this series up reluctantly. The art, while *good*, did not qualify as beautiful to me; the 80s clothes looked ugly, the characters introduced too quickly... However, after reading it... I love the dialogue, I love the characters, I enjoy the set-up and plot very much. Colleen combines a bit of everything, and it comes out on top... the dialogue is great, I laughed outloud at points, which anyone who is honest will have to admit does not happen often. If you like fantasy, epic scope, psychics, Arthurian legend, smart-mouthed punks, adorable gay couples, bizarre clothing, aliens, death, love, and heavy doses of humor, give this series a try!

I picked up this book because of all the talk it was getting at comicon.com. In this case, it's more than talk. This book is so good, so well done, so well written, I can't believe I have never heard about it before. I didn't know there were comics like this! A fifteen year old girl named Liana finds out that she is an Avatar which is a kind of psychic conduit for her people. All of their power can flow through her. There is already an Avatar on her homeworld and his power is hampered by Liana's existence. The corrupt government of that world needs the Avatar as a weapon, so they travel to Earth to find Liana and kill her so their Avatar will be able to use all his powers.

This book has a large cast and I was surprised that I was able to follow it this well. Every character actually looks different and moves different and talks different, like people you would know. I have trouble figuring out diffenre character in other comics, like Elfquest, where all the characters look alike.

I especially like the King Arthur scenes which are a real mystery at this point in the series and I am looking forward to seeing where it goes from here.

Absolutely wonderful!

Colleen Doran draws like no other artist in the comic book industry. Her skill and sumptuous sensibility results in a story which is, graphically, fascinating. A feast for the eyes. The story is equally engaging, blending science fiction and fantasy. An alien empire of willowy telepaths from Ovanon, sends a war ship to earth to eliminate Liana Scott, a girl whose father was a fugitive from Ovanon. Liana was born with the ability to tap into "the Collective", marking her as Ovanon's spiritual leader. She can direct the power of Ovanon's people, a power which other's have used to destroy worlds. With a hearty mix of aliens and street tough Jersey-ites, Liana tries to escape her pursuers and help to overthrow the sadistic rulers of Ovanon.

Colleen Doran, A Distant Soil, vol. I (1998, Image Entertainment)

I should preface this by saying that Colleen Doran's A Distant Soil is the first graphic novel I've read since The Watchmen, some thirteen years ago, and so I may be missing some of the subtleties involved. If so, mea culpa.

I've just finished the first volumes of the A Distant Soil trilogy (at least, it's a trilogy as of this writing), and I've been trying to decide whether I want to continue on with the other two books in the series. Still haven't decided one way or the other. Doran seems to be trying (as Neil Gaiman says in his introduction to the book) to cram just a little too much into the space provided.

The story centers on a brother and sister who have grown up in a mental institution-cum-research facility. Both have psychic powers, but are unaware of the extent of those powers, as are their keepers. The two of them, after a crisis situation, escape and are separated. They find themselves aiding two different (and possibly conflicting; it's impossible to tell) branches of an alien resistance force, along with an odd assortment of characters both alien and human, including Galahad (yes, THAT Galahad).

There is, without doubt, a lot going on here. And once you've got a handle on things, you can probably keep track of it all, but it takes much longer to get a handle on things than it should. Again, Gaiman's introduction rings true here; Doran's work got better as she got older. If you're willing to get through the earlier parts in order to get to the later stuff, you'll find much to enjoy here.

The problem, though, is that some of the failings persist until the end of the novel. Cuts in location and time aren't indicated in any way, and the segues remain jarring throughout. The atmosphere is minimal; a good thing in some cases when telling a story, but generally not so good when one is working in the graphic realm. (One of the things that made The Watchmen so excellent was Moore's constant use of atmospheric detail, which is lacking here.)

Hard to really say. I liked it, but I still haven't figured out whether I'm going on to volume II. ** ½