Halo: Uprising [Hardcover]

Brian Michael Bendis (Author), Alex Maleev (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 16, 2009

This story starts at the conclusion of the blockbuster video game, Halo 2. This must-read novel reveals how the Master Chief, while onboard a hostile ship headed towards Earth, battles against Covenant forces! Interwined with Master Chief's interstellar one man war is the saga of a great American city's rebellion and downfall, two disparate lives' collision and shared fate, and the Covenant's hunt for an ancient relic of untold power and value. With hope dwindling and the fate of humanity hanging by a thread, is there any chance for a future? Written by one of the hottest authors around responsible for Secret Invasion, Secret Wars and Powers this collects Halo: Uprising #1-4, and Marvel Spotlight: Halo.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Based on the famous video-game series Halo and created by the Eisner-winning team of writer Brian Michael Bendis (Powers) and artist Alex Maleev (Daredevil), this book shows the Covenant invasion of Earth from the perspective of civilians on the ground. Ruwan, a hotel concierge in the beautiful resort city of Cleveland, Ohio—my, how the future changes things—flees the conquering aliens and teams up with Myras Tyla, a musician determined not to be a sitting duck. Instead of simply killing everyone, the Covenant aliens are ransacking the city for the mysterious Key of Osanalan, which they heard about from their captive, Colonel Akerson. Of course, it doesn't exist, but only his brother, Ruwan, knows that. What follows is a genuinely heroic and touching tale. What it isn't is a story about Master Chief John 117, the protagonist of the Halo series and the star of the book's cover. The unbeatable armored super-soldier does appear, but his beautifully drawn and choreographed space-battles have very little to do with the plot. Still, much like its hit predecessor, Halo Graphic Novel, this should appeal to Halo lovers everywhere. Maleev's planetscapes are memorably luminous, and Bendis's dialogue is wry and effective. (June)
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Review

Halo is again and again described as a multimedia experience. If you don't know what that means, then you probably don't care, and there s no problem in that. It won t hamper your enjoyment of Halo: Uprising, assuming this violent sci-fi/alien-invasion series is your cup of tea in the first place.

Suffice to say, Halo is a first-person shooter video game. A longer description would be more appropriate for the phenomenon, but again: If you were really interested in it, you'd probably already know about it. Halo: Uprising serves as a bridge between Halo 2 and Halo 3. As such, there's definitely a feeling of joining a movie in medias res here, and there's little in the way to bring you completely up to speed. Not that you really need it. The story is simple enough to follow along and enjoy: Aliens are attacking Earth, and humans are the good guys.

That's about all you need to understand, although perhaps knowing more would help you glom on to the series opening. In it, a human astronaut has been captured in Mars orbit (this is an unspecified future date) and, before the aliens are about to kill him, he reveals one thing they must find if their invasion is to succeed: a key hidden in Cincinnati.

Meanwhile, back in Cincinnati, that astronaut's brother, unaware of anything that has transpired, is working as a hotel concierge. One of the guests in his hotel is a celebrity singer, a bold, brash woman who saves his life when the aliens attack. As the city is strafed with alien fire, the pair make their way to presumed safety, eventually realizing that they hold the key the aliens are searching for.

Brian Michael Bendis has shown over and over again that he is a terrific writer. But here, paired once again with the simply wonderful artist Alex Maleev (the two previously worked together on a classic Daredevil run), he wisely turns over several pages entirely to Maleev. Maleev takes the ball and runs with it. His artwork is stunning, capturing the cold void of space, the elegance of alien machinery, and the bleakness of futuristic American cities blitzed by warfare. He gives all of them a special flourish.

On its own, Halo: Uprising is an intriguing yet ultimately unfinished read. It's a bridge, after all, and the ending comes just as the reader is finally getting to see the main characters fleshed out and forming real attachments to them. The next installment in the story will be eagerly anticipated. - John Hogan --Graphic Novel Reporter

Product Details

• Hardcover: 168 pages
• Publisher: Marvel Books (June 16, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0785128387
• ISBN-13: 978-0785128380
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 0.6 x 10.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #169,201 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Brian Michael Bendis is an award winning comics creator and one of the most successful writers working in mainstream comics. For the last eleven years, Brian's books have consistently sat on the top of the nationwide comic and graphic novel sales charts.
Brian is currently helming a renaissance for Marvel's popular AVENGERS franchise by writing every issue of the NEW AVENGERS plus debuting the hit books MIGHTY AVENGERS and DARK AVENGERS along with the wildly successful 'event' projects HOUSE OF M, SECRET WAR, SECRET INVASION, and SIEGE.
This summer will see the blockbuster new line-ups for AVENGERS and NEW AVENGERS.
Other recent projects include the groundbreaking SPIDER-WOMAN MOTION COMIC, that debuted number one on iTunes TV sales chart and the New York Times best selling HALO graphic novel.
Brian is one of the premiere architects of Marvel comic's Ultimate line of comics. A line of comics specifically created for the new generation of comics reader. He has written every issue of ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN since it's best selling launch in 1999, and has also written ULTIMATE FANTASTIC FOUR, X-MEN, MARVEL TEAM UP, ORIGIN, SIX and the ENEMY trilogy.
He is creator of the JINX line of crime comics published by image comics. This line has spawned the graphic novels GOLDFISH, FIRE, JINX, TORSO (w/ Marc Andreyko) and TOTAL SELL OUT.
Brian's other projects include the Eisner award winning "POWERS" (w/Mike Oeming) from Marvel's creator owned imprint ICON, and the Hollywood tell all "FORTUNE AND GLORY'. Entertainment Weekly gave both projects an "A." SONY and FX networks are currently developing POWERS for series with Brian as exec producer.
Brian is currently adapting his spy graphic novel FIRE for Universal Pictures as a starring vehicle for Zac Efron.
Brian is a member of Marvel studios creative committee, which consults on their numerous ongoing film projects. He has consulted on IRON-MAN and IRON MAN 2 and is currently consulting on THE FIRST AVENGERS: CAPTAIN AMERICA, THOR and THE AVENGERS
Brian has won five prestigious EISNER awards, including 'Best Writer of the year' two years in a row. He has also won over two dozen Wizard comic awards. Brian is the recipient of the Cleveland Press 'Excellence in Journalism' Award and was named "Best Writer of the Year." by Wizard Magazine and Comic Buyer's Guide for three consecutive years.
He lives in Portland, Oregon with his wife Alisa, his gorgeous daughters Olivia and Sabrina and his dogs Lucky, Max and Buster.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Maybe it won't meet your expectations, but it'll still be a good read., June 14, 2009

By 

Nathaniel Hillyer (Huronia) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Halo: Uprising (Hardcover)

I enjoy Halo. I love graphic novels. Now, the two have been mashed together with a couple of legends in charge. Should be the perfect combo, no? That's what I thought when I pre-ordered it. Turns out it didn't meet my expectations, but it didn't completely destroy them either.

Chronology:
One thing that was good is that it created a connection between the story arcs in between Halo 2 and Halo 3. There was a bit of a gap in between those two games that left many of us wondering how we got to that opening cutscene in Halo 3. Then the gameplay started and I'm sure many of you, like myself, brushed that to the side and started to whip some covenant behind. To be honest, even after Halo 3 was finished, the story void between the two games didn't even enter my head. After all, if you are playing Halo for the story, your priorities are different from the typical gamer. All that said, when I heard about this novel being released my curiosity was piqued.

Writing:
I'm a little iffy on the writing. It started out fairly lacking and through the first half of the comic I felt that the writer (Bendis) rushed things to get this little project out of the way. It doesn't feel like a labor of love in the least. A few clichéd moments, a couple of them nearly sent a literal groan out of me. All in all, it feels rushed and less than what I've come to expect from Bendis. As we enter the middle of the story things pick up a bit. A few clichéd moments are still sprayed in, but not nearly as bad as the beginning. Bendis really lets his talent shine as we near the end. His foreshadowing techniques are impeccable, leaving you smiling and nodding once they are elucidated. This is subjective, but I think he did a great job with the ending. The story was shorter than expected, but satisfying, nonetheless.

Artistry:
This was done well. Not going to say it would be in the upper echelon of the graphic novel art, but definitely above average. The drawings have that dark gritty graphic novel feel that fans of the scene have grown to know and love. A few scenes seem rushed here also, and it makes me wonder how much time they were given to complete this project originally. That said, it is only a few scenes; the vast majority of the art is outstanding. I wouldn't say Maleev has outdone himself, but he did a quality job.

All in all, I wasn't blown away, but I wasn't disappointed. This is a step forward for video game stories in different mediums, and after the latest Uwe Boll flick, I think you will agree that it is a breath of fresh air.

6 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Great art, no soul, December 16, 2009

By 

Michigoon "tech geek" (Mid-MI) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Halo: Uprising (Hardcover)

First off, the debacle. Readers need to understand that the whole of this work was supposed to be released in the time leading up to the release of Halo 3 for the Xbox 360. Only the first volume made it out on time, and the rest were delayed for (literally) years. What should have been a nice little tie-in between games quickly became a running joke at the comic industry's expense, and unfortunately it's not the only tie-in property Marvel has done this to. This review would get a star or two off for this alone, but that proves unnecessary.

The product. What you get is one binding for four comic books, clearly just trying to jump on the bandwagon calling itself a "graphic novel" when it's only a short compilation. Don't get caught expecting anything more.

The art is mostly great, as artist Maleev does everything from blood-drenched battle scenes to sprawling vistas in a great mix of detail and "feel". The art isn't overly precise, nor is it rushed, and from a technical view it's above-average fare for the most part, with some extra oomph from a few money shots here and there. Everything is recognizably Halo for longtime fans, while being very accessible and cool to any eye. It's not the page-filling masterworks of Todd McFarlane, but it's not bad.

The story is the real weak point. As many reviews note, Master Chief is barely in this comic. He really just bookends the works, appearing in brief vignettes where he does little more than dish out and take a couple panels' worth of damage each time. To talk about the story, we basically skip Chief entirely. The meat of the text focuses on two teens who wind up in a very tired and cliched "star-crossed lovers" plot. There's a lot of hype about a "key" thrown out through the works, the resolution of which is completely underwhelming. Most readers are literally groaning and rolling their eyes at various points as the characters' lame lovestory lurches along, though this is mostly early on and things get a little more even (as in, the writing gets closer to the much better art) towards the end of the run.

In the end, the Master Chief bits that aren't really there are used as a crutch to keep readers tuning in as two teens stumble around a city. It might actually be a spoiler to say that these teens don't do anything worthwhile, because that's basically the ending of the book- that they never did or had anything of interest this entire time. Viewing postmortem this is actually a fantastic piece of black comedy, making readers fret for months and months just to find out they'd been waiting for nothing. Literally.

The most redeeming factor present it Maleev's artwork, but that can't make up for the rest.

2 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Halo Graphic novel, March 17, 2010

By 

J. Cole - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Halo: Uprising (Hardcover)

Its a graphic novel, not near as good as the other halo books, but the illustrations were entertaining for a while.. Not what I was looking for.