Meridian v. 4: Coming Home [Paperback]

Barbara Kesel (Author), Steve McNiven (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 4, 2002 | Series: Meridian (Cross Generation Comics Full Size) (Book 4)

MERIDIAN is the story of Sephie, a sheltered young girl whose life resembles nothing so much as a fairy tale. The beloved only child of the Minister of Meridian, she grows up with an entire floating city as her playground. Then her father dies, and she inherits a sigil imbued with the power to create. So does her wicked Uncle Ilahn, except that his powers are bent on destruction and domination. Suddenly Sephie finds herself at the center of a power struggle, and quickly she learns that there is more than love in the world. Meridian V. 4: Coming Home is a floating sky island of shipbuilders ravaged by the occupying forces from Cadador, the island of merchants and contract holders. The Minister of Meridian, Sephie, has survived a trial by fire. Returning home, Sephie will use the strange healing powers she’s been given to banish the Cadadorians from her island. Unfortunately, her Uncle Ilahn was also given a sigil and its wonderful ability to manipulate energies – but his power destroys. Merdian is a coming-of-age story that appeals to the audience of "Harry Potter" fans with its magical battles and fantastic setting all narrated by Sephie. Featuring first Associate Artist program graduate Steve McNiven’s latest work, this book spotlights the work of an artist destined to be one of comics’ greatest.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Adult/High School-In this continuation of Taking the Skies (CrossGeneration, 2002), Sephie, a girl gifted with extraordinary powers, fights Rho Rhustane, a godlike being who has just introduced a cannon to Demetria. Meanwhile, the course of true love runs roughly as her friend Feabie continues her campaign to win the heart of Sephie's childhood friend Jad. A wicked uncle and his manipulative mistress team up to cause trouble for Sephie, her crew, and the people of Meridian, and she deals with rage and the urge to kill. Eventually, she must face the fear that her powers provoke in other people. Sephie's responsibilities continue to grow, and she is moving away from being part of Meridian to claiming a position in Demetria. The vivid art is one of the strong points of the book. Sephie continues to be a strong, appealing heroine in this engaging, affecting drama.
Susan Salpini, Fairfax County Public Schools, VA
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From the Publisher

A former drama major, Barbara Kesel has been in the comic book industry since 1981, when she wrote a Batgirl backup story for Detective Comics while sitting in a tech booth monitoring a college play. Since then she has written for every major comic company as well as served as an editor at DC Comics and worked on almost every DC title, including Watchmen, and developed the DC/TSR line. She then moved on to Dark Horse Comics where she served as editor, then managing editor, and finally as liaison to the Legends line. Somewhere in all this she found time to play with her dogs, do charity work, head fund-raisers, and co-publish her local community newspaper. Now she's just responsible for training new writers and maintaining continuity as well as writing the stories that appear in the titles Meridian, The First, and Crossgen Chronicles.

Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Cross Generation Comics (December 4, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1931484384
• ISBN-13: 978-1931484381
• Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 7.1 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,315,812 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Sephie and her uncle's family reunion... there aren't any hugs, May 16, 2010

By 

H. Bala "Me Too Can Read" (Just moved to posh Marina Del Rey, CA - where if you drop a quarter, why, you just keep on walking) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Meridian v. 4: Coming Home (Paperback)

I've caught up with most of the defunct CrossGen titles by now, and I'll say to the world that Sephie of Meridian is the most appealing character in the CrossGen universe. MERIDIAN Vol. 4: COMING HOME collects issues #21-26 and this one, so far, is the last trade to reprint this series. CrossGen went bankrupt in 2004 so it hasn't really been that long. I've still hopes that the rest of the issues will be collected in trade (the series ran for 44 issues). Heck, I'm still hoping someone with pull will pick up Sephie's story. Same for the rest of the CrossGen comics, or most of them, anyway.

Long ago, on the planet Demetria, a terrible cataclysm on the world's surface catapulted gigantic rocks into the sky where they hung around, kept buoyant by ores with lighter-than-air properties. These rocks then were fashioned into floating island city-states with trade between them becoming the primary source of commerce.

The prosperous floating city of Meridian is inhabited by renowned shipbuilders and highly coveted by Ilahn, the dour Minister of the floating city of Cadador. When Ilahn poisons Turos, the Minister of Meridian - who happens to be his brother - he sets in motion an epic adventure full of blood and thunder and war in which he's cast as the villain. MERIDIAN is set in the shared CrossGen Universe - also known as the Sigilverse - and so the mysterious sigils - brands which bestow amazing powers to their bearers - soon make their presence known. Ilahn is the benefactor of one sigil which marks his throat and grants him the power of decay and destruction. Ilahn becomes the new Minister of Meridian and begins to crush the city under his boot heel.

But a sigil has also passed on to young Sephie, daughter of the murdered Turos, and Sephie now has the power of renewal, of healing and immeasurable energy. Sephie, gentle and inexperienced, now bears the burden of freeing her people and reclaiming Meridian. She flees Ilahn's clutches and undertakes an arduous journey. She begins to foment insurrection. She has tons to learn.

The fourth volume and writer Barbara Kesel and fabulous artist Steve McNiven have brought us to this point now, when after many adventures Sephie, ready or not, at last returns to Meridian and must face her uncle Ilahn in battle. Sephie has made alliances but still finds herself overwhelmed by a new and terrifying war machine called a cannon. Too, Ilahn is aided by one of the ever meddling godlike Firsts. One edge for Sephie is the knowledge and tactics she'd picked up from the otherworlder Samandahl Rey. Will it be enough?

I can see why MERIDIAN was regarded with such favor. Great writing, great art, awesome teenaged heroine. Thru all she's endured, Sephie retains an innocence about her, and this innocence is her most endearing quality. Kesel juggles a vast and likable cast, but it's really all about Sephie (okay, okay, Ilahn himself is a dark and fascinating character). We see Sephie forced to grow up quick. We see her good heart and watch as she rails against committing acts of violence, however necessary. And we see her learn the true burden of leadership, that responsibility must inevitably trump personal desires and personal choice. There's romance for Sephie with her dashing best friend, but she nips that in the bud because of the distraction it provides. And then Sephie finds herself confronted with a horrible choice: save the life of a loved one or save as many people as she can. Tears and heartbreak and betrayal and the mantle of command, they murder Sephie's youth. I wish I knew how everything turned out.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars can't wait for the fifth book!, June 8, 2003

By 

jules (Indiana, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Meridian v. 4: Coming Home (Paperback)

With the great art, young woman focus, and advanture storyline, I have just now gotten into comic books! I can't put down each book that comes out until I finish it. I definitely recommend this series to any teen-age girl. Doing what must be done, Sephie is moral and brave. Like I said, I can't wait for the fifth book!