Customer Reviews

Heavens War

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

 

 

To appreciate Heaven's War, I had to give it a few rereads. First off, though CS Lewis and Tolkien are important characters, the story's central figure is the lesser known inkling, Charles Williams. I can't speak authoritatively, having never read Williams, but it apparently is written in his style and follows the themes of his books. I suspect some fans of Lewis and Tolkien will be slightly disappointed, but for what the author is attempting to accomplish here, I have to admit it works.

In short, Aleister Crowley is seeking secrets of the Rennes-le-Chateau and is pursuing an aging Arthur Waite for answers. Waite fears for his life and the secrets he believes he has nearly uncovered, and calls on Charles Williams for help. By association, this involves Lewis and Tolkien as well. Essentially, Crowley wants to find the gate to heaven and affect the battle between good and evil at the heavenly realm, with heavy repercussions for those on earth.

If you're immediately familiar with Crowley, Waite, Gnosticism and the Holy Blood, Holy Grail theories and such, you've got a great head start on understanding the plot. The focus on these pseudo historical and anti-Christian theories is concerning, though after reading the annotations in the back of the book, I'm confident that he views the claims made by such theories as essentially false. They advance the plot, but we're not supposed to assume that when Waite discusses Gnostic cosmology that he's describing the truth (in fact, without spoiling too much, a guide in heaven notes that the Gnostic Cathers find heaven disappointingly "sensuous"). The details of all this is mostly over my own head, I'm afraid. More familiar to me was the imagery Harris uses in his descriptions of heaven, though I didn't catch all this until reading the annotations.

The flow can be confusing if you're the sort to impatiently skip long pieces of dialog. This is not an easy reading book, if you haven't figured it out yet. The central conflicts are ideological, not physical (no, Tolkien doesn't pick up a sword and attack Crowley while he casts some black magic spell, get that expectation out of your head), the philosophical assertations of Lewis, Crowley, etc. drive the it, and in fact Lewis' idea of evil (as recalled by Williams) vs. Crowley's rather "post-modern" view is the driving point of the final climactic "battle."

The drawing is probably the weakest point of the novel, unfortunately. Of course this isn't an action based comic, so the story itself is a limiting influence, but the black and white with no shading just isn't that interesting to look at.

In summary, I liked it but I had to work at it to do so, which is something most people don't come to a graphic novel expecting to do. Having no prior knowledge of figures like Waite and Williams and only a "pop culture" knowledge of Crowley hurt me more than a little bit here. Still, a solid 4/5 star rating. I'm now interested in reading some of Charles Williams' work.

The premise of the book is that 4 authors are drawn into a spiritual war, 3 on the side of Heaven (C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkein and Charles Williams) and one on the side of Evil (famed Satanist Alistair Crowley).

Based on my experience, a familiarity with the work of Charles Williams is recommended. Also recommended: Read the annotations at the end of the book as you read the text. I found it to be a big help and, in the end, much more interesting reading than the text.

I found the premise of the story to be odd and often unclear (what role did Crowley have throughout the book? What was he getting out of the situation?) The Lewis and Tolkein characters were wholly unnecessary - they did little except give the lesser-known Charles Williams a bit of gravitas-by-association.

It would also be helpful if the reader already had a familiarity with the beliefs of gnosticism, Alistair Crowley and the Holy Grail stuff that Dan Brown uses throughout the "DaVinci Code".

I give the text a grade of D. I give the annotations a grade of A-. That averages to a grade of C+.

Reviewer Mike Perschon has given a good overview of the story and great guidance on its best audience. To it, I should like to add the recommendation that those readers who pick it up settle down with Heaven's War somewhere quiet, with time to devote to it. Those who are seeking quick entertainment will do neither it nor themselves justice. Some may find this story a slow starter, but there are rich depths that will reward the persistent, and those who go back for a second read will find elements have taken on new levels. If readers aren't familiar with the persons and philosophies involved, they can keep one finger in the notes at the end of the book, which should clear up much of the mystery. Even if the reader is familiar, its worth investigating the notes after reading the novel. They offer depths of their own.

My only real criticism of this work is its format. I think the author would have better served the material to present it in novel form, which would have allowed a little more exposition and a little less redundant imagery. While Gaydos seems to be a fine illustrator, the story appeals less to the senses than to the mind and the soul.

First off, let me state the few things I found wrong with this graphic novel:

1. The artwork is mediocre, and really not so hot. I'd like to see it redrawn. It's better art than I can do, but the story deserves better.

2. You really need to have read Descent into Hell by Charles Williams before reading this novel.

Other than that, it was excellent. This is a graphic novel not just to look at, but to really think about. The climax and conclusion are eucatastrophic (to use Tolkien's wonderful phrase).

I very much enjoyed this book. I noticed that a couple of reviewers felt they enjoyed it more after they read the annotated remarks at the end. I committed a no-no and read them first, being very familiar with Lewis and Tolkein. I found it very easy reading, a good read in all, and then read again through the remarks at the end. I admit I am not familiar with Charles Williams and I will make it a point to check on his work.

I was ecstatic when I first caught wind of Heaven's War, a graphic novel depicting the fictional adventures of the Inklings, J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, and Charles Williams in a fight against the plots of the infamous Aleister Crowley. It's one of the few times I pre-ordered a book, based on some preview pages I was able to check out over at artist Michael Gaydos' site.
I'm a fan of all three of these writers, with a special place in my heart for Williams' as he is the least known of the three. The best way to describe Williams' writing is as the precursor to urban fantasy, or perhaps horror, although his writing rarely crosses over into graphic violence or shock value. Appropriately then, it is Williams who is the true protagonist of "Heaven's War." The book opens with a quote from T.S. Eliot, who once stated that if he ever had to spend a night in a haunted house, he would have asked Williams to stay with him. Writer Michah Harris obviously thought the same thing, and creates a Charles Williams who, rather than merely writing about people who have a foot in both the real world and the spirit world, actually does.
The premise is nothing new, but the use of historical characters brings a nice twist and a very different flavor, due largely to the book's surreal approach. The book's villain is Aleister Crowley, a man who identified himself with the Great Beast 666 from the Book of Revelation and was a self-proclaimed drug and sex addict. The Inklings discover that Crowley has somehow found the gateway to Heaven itself and means to enter there. Their quest, while grounded in actual events from their lives, takes them on a fantastical journey.
In what is probably a first for graphic novels, Heaven's War contains a series of annotations to the storyline in the back of the book. These annotations will serve as guideposts for those unfamiliar with the trivial facts about the Inklings, Crowley and other characters. Micah Harris is obviously a very intelligent and well-read writer, which serves Heaven's War very well. For fans of these writers, something more spectacular and senstational would have been crass. Harris' writing, while at times esoteric, honors the memory of these amazing creative powers. The annotations actually give one the sense at times that this story could actually have taken place.
Heaven's War is definitely worth a read, for a certain type of fantasy fan. If you're one of the millions caught up in Tolkien fever and are thinking this sort of graphic novel will include moments of John Ronald Ruel wielding a two handed mock-up of Narsil, stay away from this book. If you're a childhood fan of Lewis' Narnia chronicles and love a whimsical fantasy involving talking animals, stay far, far away from this book. If, however you have had the distinct pleasure of reading one of Charles Williams' fictional pieces and enjoyed it immensely, then you need to pick up Heaven's War.

I was ecstatic when I first caught wind of Heaven's War, a graphic novel depicting the fictional adventures of the Inklings, J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, and Charles Williams in a fight against the plots of the infamous Aleister Crowley. It's one of the few times I pre-ordered a book, based on some preview pages I was able to check out over at artist Michael Gaydos' site.
I'm a fan of all three of these writers, with a special place in my heart for Williams' as he is the least known of the three. The best way to describe Williams' writing is as the precursor to urban fantasy, or perhaps horror, although his writing rarely crosses over into graphic violence or shock value. Appropriately then, it is Williams who is the true protagonist of "Heaven's War." The book opens with a quote from T.S. Eliot, who once stated that if he ever had to spend a night in a haunted house, he would have asked Williams to stay with him. Writer Michah Harris obviously thought the same thing, and creates a Charles Williams who, rather than merely writing about people who have a foot in both the real world and the spirit world, actually does.
The premise is nothing new, but the use of historical characters brings a nice twist and a very different flavor, due largely to the book's surreal approach. The book's villain is Aleister Crowley, a man who identified himself with the Great Beast 666 from the Book of Revelation and was a self-proclaimed drug and sex addict. The Inklings discover that Crowley has somehow found the gateway to Heaven itself and means to enter there. Their quest, while grounded in actual events from their lives, takes them on a fantastical journey.
In what is probably a first for graphic novels, Heaven's War contains a series of annotations to the storyline in the back of the book. These annotations will serve as guideposts for those unfamiliar with the trivial facts about the Inklings, Crowley and other characters. Micah Harris is obviously a very intelligent and well-read writer, which serves Heaven's War very well. For fans of these writers, something more spectacular and senstational would have been crass. Harris' writing, while at times esoteric, honors the memory of these amazing creative powers. The annotations actually give one the sense at times that this story could actually have taken place.
Heaven's War is definitely worth a read, for a certain type of fantasy fan. If you're one of the millions caught up in Tolkien fever and are thinking this sort of graphic novel will include moments of John Ronald Ruel wielding a two handed mock-up of Narsil, stay away from this book. If you're a childhood fan of Lewis' Narnia chronicles and love a whimsical fantasy involving talking animals, stay far, far away from this book. If, however you have had the distinct pleasure of reading one of Charles Williams' fictional pieces and enjoyed it immensely, then you need to pick up Heaven's War.

I was looking forward to an active, meaningful discourse on the war between Heaven and Hell for control of existence. I mean, that is what it's all about, isn't it? Instead, I found myself reading a rather stilted, artistically static, lackadasical story which didn't do much to enlighten, or entertain. The annotataions at the end of the book are interesting; but, since they didn't do anything for the story as I read it, weren't that meaningful to me. To be honest, I wasn't impressed. I guess I'm a Tolkien fan and want orcs, goblins, and demons spewing blood. This book just didn't do it for me.