Customer Reviews

The Group: Aldebaran Vol. 2

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

 

 

IMPORTANT: I'M NOT REVIEWING THE GRAPHIC NOVEL BUT TO THIS PRINTED EDITION FROM CINEBOOK, LTD.

I must say the "The Worlds of Aldebaran" is one of the greatest, if not the greatest sci-fi graphic novel ever made, but CINEBOOK, LTD edition is not at the quality level of this graphic novel. I'm very careful with my stuff and I usually read my graphic novels open in no more than 90 degrees in order to protect them as much a I can, but no matter how neurotically careful I was with this volume, some pages just simply came right off and the entire back cover came off as well.

I'm very sorry I ordered the entire series from the fist volume to Betelgeuse... despite the fact that Leo's Aldebaran is a masterpiece I think is sad to spend your money on something with such a low quality.

Another outstanding graphic novel from CINEBOOK. So much of their publishing output is absolutely first rate, stories and art. This is another fine example of what they are publishing. SciFi, mystery, love story all combined. It doesn't get any better.

"The Catastrophe: Aldebaran Vol. 1"
Written & Illustrated by Leo
(Dargaud Press/Cinebook, 1994/2009)
-----------------------------------------------
This volume is the start of an excellent sci-fi epic by Brazilian-born cartoonist Luiz Eduardo de Oliveira (aka "LEO"). First published in France in 1994, "Aldebaran" tells the story of a distant human colony, long cut off from Earth as the result of a space program disaster. Over a century, the residents of Aldebaran 4 have spread across their new planet, and yet they know little about the weird sea creatures that live in the depths of the expansive oceans. The story's narrator, Mark Sorenson, is a restless seventeen-year old from a remote fishing village on one of Aldebaran's larger islands. He is unaware of the dark political dealings in the big cities, where a theocracy has taken over the government. Of more immediate concern to Mark and his friends is the appearance of an immense, mysterious sea creature which threatens the entire village, and propels him on a peril-fraught journey.

The Aldebaran series (which is continued in Leo's "Betelgeuse" and "Antares" books) bears the hallmarks of the classic European graphic novels -- finely crafted, draftsmanlike artwork, dense dialogue, and a steady, deliberate pace. There is also a freer attitude towards sex and greater emphasis on character development. Leo also brings a distinctly Brazilian feel to much of this story -- his space colony is multiracial and socially fluid, and in one scene, a musician plays the centuries-old music of Antonio Carlos Jobim. Most of all, though, is the conceptualization and realization of this fantastic future world. As I came to the end of the first volume, I was hungry for more. (Joe Sixpack, ReadThatAgain book reviews)

On an oceanic planet with sparse islands, strange phenomena occur in his immense ocean. Two scientists gather a little group of people to discover the secrets of the Mantrisse, an enigmatic being thought responsible of those phenomena. This group is opposed by the dictatorial government who wants the secret of the mantrisse to accrue its power. But the Mantrisse has its own plans.
A magnificent exercise in exobiology, in the interactin between human and nature, this series is a gem in the rare field of my favourite kind science fiction comics (the kind without super-heroes and super wars).
By the way the author is maybe influenced by the novel Solaris by Stanislav Lem, with its intelligent ocean and its strange formations, somewhat similar to the strange forms created by the no less enigmatic mantrisse.
A fascinating graphic novel,highly recommended!

This would rate among the finest of sci-fi works in all genres and I'm surprised I don't hear of this series that often. I stayed up till 3 in the morning to finish the entire set because I just couldn't let go, although I had deadlines to meet and meetings to attend the next day at work. If you want a fully immersive experience, I suggest you read the Aldebaran and Betelgeuse series in one go (at the time of writing, Antares is not available in English yet).

The story begins in the year 2184 on the planet Aldebaran 4, which has an eco-system similar to that on earth. As a result, it has been colonised by humans but for some unknown reason all communication with earth has been lost for about a 100 years and no one knows if contact with earth can ever be re-established. For the time being, the inhabitants are left to fend for themselves under an authoritarian government.

Apart from the dystopic world and alien creatures that are standard fare in sci-fi but presented brilliantly, there is also a subtle undertone of sexual tension, especially surrounding one of the main characters Kim, who starts off as a spunky 13-year-old girl but matures later on in the series. A note on the copyright page says that the English version of this series has modified a few illustrations not to offend sensitive readers of the English-speaking world, perhaps in contrast to what is more acceptable among the more laid back French. I can only imagine which illustrations it refers to, and I leave it to you to find out.

Finally, a previous reviewer has noted that the binding of these books are of a rather poor quality and I agree. The pages have already started to come apart at second reading. But my review is based on the content, and I full-heartedly give it 5 stars!

loved the artwork, the creatures, the settings. sometimes he dialog becomes a little lengthy and is not clearly printed. But i would recommend this anyone.