Finder : Sin-Eater, vol. 2 [Paperback]

Carla Speed McNeil (Author)

Book Description

Series: Finder | Publication Date: November 21, 2000

Jaeger Ayers is a Finder, a super-scout born -or maybe made- for a survivor`s life. He`s an explorer whose past is a mystery to him, a loner who finds himself returning to Emma and her children, the only people in his life who feel like family. In this second part of Sin-Eater, he must ask himself how far he will go to protect them from his best friend: Brigham, Emma`s husband.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Rare is the comic that completely captures your imagination that you feel immersed in it, like you are a citizen of its world, walking through its streets like a native. Rarer still is the comic that also peoples such a world with exciting, well-rounded, three-dimensional characters who could be the living, breathing folk you encounter in real life.

It's rare, but not-thank God-extinct. Carla McNeil's Finder is proof positive that such comics exist and it will hopefully thrive for a long time. -- Barry Lyga - Diamond Comic Distributors - Under the Reading Lamp --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

From the Publisher

Born and raised in southern Louisiana, Carla Speed McNeil now devotes most of her time to writing and drawing. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 184 pages
• Publisher: Lightspeed Pr (November 21, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0967369118
• ISBN-13: 978-0967369112
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 6.7 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,479,992 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Impressive, April 18, 2000

By 

Bill Fold - See all my reviews

This review is from: Finder: Sin-Eater, vol. 1 (Finder) (Paperback)

Wow. I've finally found something as gripping as _The Sandman_.

I guess the easiest way to describe this series is by analogy; _Finder_ is something like a melding of the best facets of Moebius' _The Airtight Garage_ and Moore's _Strangers in Paradise_. It's about a wanderer named Jaeger who gets embroiled in the domestic problems of a family recovering after escaping from a psychologically abusive father. Along the way, we're introduced to a host of supporting characters and stories, setting up future storylines in the series.

Those pithy sentences can't do justice to the scope and depth of this work, which is of a caliber seen rarely in more "legitimate" mediums. The characters are fully realized, and -- despite the science-fiction setting -- are the focus and driving force of the narrative. Carla's approach to dialogue is just so... real. The words flow naturally, never sounding stilted or forced.

The setting, a huge domed megapolis, is almost a character in itself, and is an example of literary world-building on par with Tolkein (the book includes copious footnotes explaining various cultural practices). One gets the feeling that even though one may not fully understand exactly how this society works, the author has already planned it all out in advance, and it's only a matter of time before it "clicks". It's almost like doing anthropological fieldwork, observing how a foreign culture operates, and teasing out meaning from the clues provided.

Did I mention that I liked this book?

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Strange characters in a strange land, April 22, 2000

By 

Morgan (New Orleans, LA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Finder: Sin-Eater, vol. 1 (Finder) (Paperback)

He sleeps in strange places: in a heap of zoo animals; in a bowl held by a statue of a forgotten god; or underwater, for relaxation. He gets into bar brawls, fights wild animals, and swims in polluted water to keep himself feeling healthy. He is so realistically depicted -- muscles, unruly mane, body hair, scrapes and bruises -- you can almost smell the blood, sweat and cigarettes. This is Jaeger, and he is a world unto himself -- as is every character in this book. We meet a few of them in this first volume, and catch a glimpse of their interior worlds. The characters are multi-layered, as is the city, which we learn about through the guided tour, glimpsed in the background as Jaeger travels, before he climbs the rooftops and treats us to views that the inhabitants never see.

I was lucky enough to get the "ashcan" (black and white xerox) editions of the first three issues, as well as the preview edition, which contains short but favorable quotes from some well-known names in comics: Dav Sim, Charles Vess, Teri S. Wood, Donna Barr. If you missed the ashcans and the silver-age sized issues, here's your chance to get 7 in one paperback volume, plus background notes and a portrait gallery. My only complaint about the trade paperback is that I want a cover gallery at the back of the book -- preferably in color!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars absorbing and wonderful, May 27, 2001

By 

Diana Nier (Ithaca, NY, United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Finder: Sin-Eater, vol. 1 (Finder) (Paperback)

This book is weird. Really, seriously weird. It's probably the most overtly weird book I've read this year -- outside of some novels for my German literature classes -- which is a sad comment on the current state of sf, fantasy, and comics. What is speculative literature for, after all, if not to show us things we'd never imagine for ourselves, and draw us into different worlds?

This volume contains the first seven issues of "Finder," a black and white comic book written and drawn by Carla Speed McNeil. After seven issues, I'm still not quite clear about the overall story, but honestly, I don't care. I'd be happy to read about the daily lives of people in this world for years, because they are just that: people. As much as there is a main story, it seems to be this: Jaeger, the titular character, is involved with Emma, a woman who, with her three children, abandoned her abusive and controlling husband. Jaeger is also involved with the husband, Brigham, and he's not quite sure how to deal with the situation, or even what the situation really is.

The story can sometimes be hard to follow, not because McNeil's art or layouts are unclear, but because she introduces bits and pieces of characters' lives without explaining how the people got into those situations, or whether the incidents are connected to the "main" story. This adds a level of realism to the characters and the world, but it can be disconcerting. Fortunately, footnotes at the back of the book explain some of those incidents, and some confusing bits of dialogue. The dialogue, incidentally, is only confusing because it's realistic; people don't speak in expository paragraphs, so McNeil's characters don't either, which means characters don't explain their more obscure statements or references.

I have already read "Finder: Sin-Eater" several times, and each time I have loved it more. If I weren't broke, I'd buy the second volume immediately. Read this. Trust me. It's wonderful.