Customer Reviews

Five Fists Of Science

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

The slug line is both simple and complex. Simple because it's a pretty straightforward story, complex because you can't be a dimwit or you'll have no idea what it's on about. You see, at the turn of the century, noted author Mark Twain and noted nutjob genius science Nikola Tesla both want to end war forever, and Tesla has an idea for how to do it. He's built himself a little gizmo that works like what we might call "virtual reality" or "motion capture." A man puts on a suit and when he moves while wearing it, a giant metal automaton performs the corresponding movement. Bingo! No men of flesh and blood need ever fight again. Twain figures if they can get each country to buy one, then everyone will have equal power, and they'll start leaving each other the hell alone.

Bad news for them is J.P. Morgan, Thomas Edison, Marconi (he plays the mamba), and Andrew Carnegie are in a Lovecraftian cabal who are building a tower to give evil a central action point for taking over the planet. Peace is bad for business.

If it all sounds a little crazy, well, that's because it's written by Matt Fraction, and despite his moniker, he doesn't do anything by halves, quarter, or thirds. Fraction is a go-for-it kind of guy. The thing is, when that kind of attitude finds the right outlet, it makes for a whole lotta fun for the audience. THE FIVE FISTS OF SCIENCE is a whole lotta fun.

I wasn't sure about Steven Sanders' art from the preview pages I had seen, but seeing it printed in gorgeous color on glossy paper, all doubts were removed. My favorite thing about his work is the sense of color. Particularly in the big battles, when the big guys are tossing electricity around like silly string, I was really digging it. His pencil style--and sometimes his facial expressions--actually reminds me a bit of Bill Plympton, a comparison that makes more sense when you consider how much comedy is on the page. Fraction puts a lot of business in his panels, and he doesn't take time to pause for the middle moments. He needs an artist that is willing to jump first and look to see if the bungee chord is attached later. Sanders fits the bill. Check, for instance, each time Tesla's assistant Tim (the fifth fist in the Five; one hand is prosthetic) gets socially cockblocked by his boss. Tim is stopped before he starts all in the space of one panel, and it always comes off.

THE FIVE FISTS OF SCIENCE isn't a perfect graphic novel. Like so many stories of this kind, I felt like maybe the writer was enjoying the set-up a little too much and didn't save as much room as he should've to finish it off. Also, sometimes Sanders' digital effects are unnecessarily fluffy (ex: Twain moving through a blurred crowd). Yet, these are minor quibbles in the face of solid entertainment. As the summer begins and the big cinematic blockbusters are already starting to disappoint us, THE FIVE FISTS OF SCIENCE kept me intrigued from page the first to page the last. It's the comic everyone tried to convince me LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN was but that I never found that book to be: good ol' pulpy adventure with familiar faces living out the roles we always imagined they could.

"Five Fists of Science" is another fine example of "steam punk" graphic novels or comics in which history is not only revised but turned on its head and spun around a few times. It is also another example of the fine and very tight writing of Matt Fraction, a name that will no doubt be associated with innovative story telling in comics for many years to come.

The story line is hard to pin down because it goes into some unexpected places and uses a very large map. And to say it's all over the map is not a criticism, but an observation as the story takes us to New York, Europe, Nepal and the mysterious land of...New Jersey. Most of the characters are well known from history; visionary OCD scientist, Nikola Tesla and perhaps America's finest humorist and author, Mark Twain team up to create a 19th Century Cold War using what might be described as Victorian-age, Reaganesque Star Wars technology. In a sense, it's all a sham (much like the Reagan's Missile Shield) or as Twain puts it, "showmanship!"

This improbable scenario is bested when the likes of Tommy Edison, J.P. Morgan, Andrew Carnegie, and for comic effect, Guglielmo Marconi, (who is suffering either from an eating disorder or a food hoarding compulsion) are portrayed as shape-shifting, evil wizards conjuring Cthulhu and his babies. Oh yeah, let's not forget to mention the Tesla coil pistols, the Abominable Snowman, giant remote control robots, a syringe shooting gattling gun and an early version of a hologram projector. There is a lot going on and while the basic story can be enjoyed in one sitting, it takes a few readings to get it all in. Fortunately, Fraction found the right artist to visualize this detail in Steven Sanders.

Sanders is asked to quick edit and often jump cut the action so that all of the story can be told in an appropriate number of frames, but never so few as to inhibit understanding what is going on. The extra treat that Sanders provides are elements that one can discover upon a second and third viewing; a particular look or nuanced glance one character gives another, interesting debris in Tesla's lab, the nightscape view of New York being approached from the ocean - nice touches all. Sanders has his very own style and one that is compelling without being objectionably heavy-handed. I like looking at his drawings, simple as that. The writing and art work together to make the entire experience entertaining and just a fun read.

Comparisons to Alan Moore's "League of Extraordinary Gentlemen" will no doubt occur but are short sighted. While both deal with historical characters (some real, some fictional) to indicate that they are too similar would be like saying Superman and Spiderman comics are alike because they both deal with super heroes. Each work must be viewed separately and judged/read/enjoyed on its own merits.

In respect to this work, I hope that Sanders and Fraction find other projects in which they can collaborate because graphic novel and comic readers will be in for another treat if they do.

I also hope we get to see Tesla and Twain in action again someday. They too, make a good team.

Maybe it's just because I'm a big Tesla fangirl, but I loved this book. It's well-written, exciting and clever. Sanders' art and Fraction's writing complement each other very well. I only wish it were longer, or there were some indication it's being turned into a series. Five Fists was a pure delight to read.

I started in on this comic with high expectations. Tesla has always been a hero of mine, especially as the details of how he was cheated out of credit for his greatest inventions start to become known to popular culture. I'm sad to say that the comic fell fairly short of what I was hoping it would be.

The idea of Tesla and Twain teaming up to bring peace to the world sounded awesome, and while Tesla and Twain are both written pitch-perfectly - and some of the supporting characters feel pretty solid too - the story as a whole feels nearly incoherent. I get the overall arc of it, but it just feels like it was a story that wanted to be much larger than a single trade paperback comic volume; in the end, there's a lot that's sort of crammed into the story edgewise without a lot of explanation, and the end of the comic just left me feeling unsatisfied.

Mark Twain is financially embarrassed and living in Europe. He returns to the states to meet up with Nicola Tesla whose fortunes are currently doing well. Twain has an idea to use one of Tesla's inventions to bring peace to the world. Opposing Tesla are Edison and Marconi. They are backed by J.P. Morgan. But Twain believes that with the right amount of showmanship Tesla's invention can be sold to the great powers and once done no one will dare to make war again.

But things do not go as planned. Morgan and his team have other ideas. They are involved in some very dark practices and want to put a stop to Tesla and Twain. The world leaders are also not convinced the device is worth the cost being asked. The device winds up in the wrong hands and the fate of the world is at stake as Morgan's plans reach fruition. Only Twain, Tesla and a minor Royal will be able to save the world. To do so they will have to reveal the true nature of Tesla's device.

Yes, this story deals with real historical figures and they are portrayed in ways other than history remembers them. Before the story starts there is a list of players and it explains what changes have been made to the characters. So with the story covered it proceeds in the fine tradition of the Golden Age. We have Golden Age heroes, penny dreadful villains, and plenty of action to keep the reader going. The art is quite well done and the story hints at a much larger alternate history. I doubt we will see a sequel but there is plenty of room for backstory. If you like grand adventure then this is one to look for. Check it out.

It's a thoroughly enjoyable read that plays up some of Tesla's biggest quirks (being OCD and a ladies man) and a fun take on his rival/nemesis Edison.

I was pretty excited about this comic when I saw Tesla and Twain on the cover. The comic is supposed to be funny by having Twain make wisecracks and have Tesla use his scientific prowess to make cool robots, or make cool weapons to stop criminals.

The comic is funny at times, specially with Tesla's quirks. However, the story is not very interesting and overall I was underwhelmed with this tale.

I did like the art and there are many cool panels in this book. It is just not a book I would recommend.

There's a lot to like in this graphic yarn of Sam Clemens and his buddy, Nikola Tesla, teaming up against the black magician J. P. Morgan and his scurrilous cohorts, Thomas Edison and Guglielmo Marconi, in an attempt to bring about an end to war -- or at least a start towards disarmament -- via "peace by compulsion." To do this, they have to market Tesla's new weapon, an enormous automaton, to the Great Powers by creating terrifying but fake creatures for it to vanquish. Which is where Twain's natural showmanship comes in. Meanwhile, Morgan is building a great temple in Manhattan, the purpose of which is never quite clear -- but it has to be finished quickly, and that requires blood sacrifices. Edison and Marconi are very much the villains here -- which is okay by me since I never liked either of them much, myself. Tesla is a bundle of eccentricities to match his genius, and Twain is an egotistical blowhard who is nonetheless quite likeable. Good story, good artwork, and an all-round good read.

I had the opportunity to read this through a friend, and was primarily
curious because of similarity to a book my company released in late 2005
and I love this genre.
Though I am a BIG fan of historical era adventure
(my company publishes the stuff), I find too much of it lacking
in the graphic novel arena.
Five Fists fortunately wasn't as lacking as most, but failed to grab me completely.
That may be because I don't come from a background of loving comics.
The artwork is worth the effort, definitely, and the presentation does the
genre justice even if it reminds readers of Alan Moore or others. I'm OK
with that; nothing wrong with emulation and Five Fists does a solid job
of capturing the genre's strong points.
If you'd like a better treatment of the Tesla and Twain relationship,
check out WONDER OF THE WORLDS (0-9727472-8-1) by Sesh Heri.

I recommend FIVE FISTS OF SCIENCE to anyone who likes this genre.

So, first do not be fooled. This graphic novel, is not about 5 famous scientists. It is about the amazing Nikola Tesla, and his good friend Sam Clemens, otherwise know as Mark Twain and there battle to make a buck with the most devastating and amazing invention in Tesla's arsenal. A great Saturday afternoon read! A+