The Originals [Hardcover]

Dave Gibbons (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 3, 2004

Dave Gibbons is one of the most recognised and highly regarded of comics creators. Best known for his artwork on the legendary Watchmen, he has now drawn on his love of Mod culture to create an all-new, semi-autobiographical graphic novel. The story chronicles the struggles of two friends, Lel and Bok, in a strangely-familiar future, Dealing in classic teenage themes such as alienation, gangs, girls, drugs and violence, the centre of the struggle is the urgent need of the boys to join the coolest of the cool: the ice-cold gang called The Originals. Slapping the Mod movement into the face of the Austin Powers generation, this graphic novel certainly lives up to its name and is destined to become a classic!

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. Gibbons's masterful skills as writer and artist energize this coming-of-age story set in a slightly skewed world full of familiar frustrations and temptations. Young teen Lel doesn't see anything desirable in what mainstream society offers; he just wants flashier clothes, his own Hover to ride and membership in an elite gang. So he and his buddy Bok join the Originals, a gang with whom they engage in small-scale violence against rival gangs and bask in the acceptance of their peers. Alas, this doesn't last. Lel and Bok begin drifting apart once Lel starts spending time with a girl named Viv and selling drugs for a high-ranking Original. But when another needy gang wannabe carries the violence too far, Lel is faced with making adult decisions. Lel isn't a vicious sociopath, doomed to make selfish choices; he is, however, immature and still wrapped up in his fantasies. Although the story sounds familiar, it feels fresh. Gibbons, who's probably best known as the Watchmen artist, presents an outstanding example of art and layout with this work. The double-page spreads that put readers in the middle of a teen party or a gang rumble are particular standouts. Gibbons deftly captures Lel's world, as Lel experiences the excitement of the unknown and the emptiness that comes with violence.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

The 1960s British Mod movement provides the inspiration for Gibbons' graphic novel. There's a twist, though, for The Originals portrays an alternative future in which gangs ride floating "hovers" instead of scooters and gather in seaside towns protected by giant weatherproof domes, while still wearing sharp Italian threads, taking uppers, and hanging out in dance halls. The story centers on Lel and his pal, Bok, and their initiation into the Originals, the coolest gang in town, which ushers them into a world of glamour, gals, and violent street clashes. The portrayal of youth culture is largely familiar, but Gibbons' subtle, futuristic touches lend freshness, and the Mod milieu, informed by Gibbons' own adolescence, seems authentic and exciting. Sharp black-and-white artwork, as stylish as the Mods themselves, imparts a 1960s feel while veering from documentary realism to op-art effects, and Gibbons' skill in his first major scripting effort drives the narrative briskly. The illustrator for some of comics' best writers--he drew Alan Moore's epoch-making Watchmen (1987)--has learned well from such collaborators. Gordon Flagg
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 160 pages
• Publisher: Vertigo (November 3, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1401203558
• ISBN-13: 978-1401203559
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,334,939 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Dave Gibbons passionately roams in three different global playgrounds: The first park is THE AWAKEN GROUP (THEAWAKENGROUP.COM), a consulting firm specializing in creativity, culture and innovation; the second park is a movement of churches not bound by geography that he calls "home" (NEWSONG.NET), throughout Southeast Asia, China, India, Korea, Mexico City, London, and North America. And lastly there is a crazy bunch of people in an organization called XEALOT that focuses on transforming marginalized communities through strategic leadership development and ideation ventures. Dave has written a book on culture and leadership based on an eastern parable called The Monkey and the Fish.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Art 5 stars. Story 1 star, August 22, 2005

By 

P. J. Casey (New York, NY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Originals (Hardcover)

This is a decent book, but only because of the striking B&W art work and great layout. For some reason it is set in the future (complete with hoverbikes, apparently the only advance the future has brought us), but the setting makes no difference to what is a predictible story with a simplistic moral ending. As a coming of age story, you see the outcome of the story from the beginning, and Gibbon doesn't offer any twists or turns to liven up the story line. If it were not for the "hook" of mods in the future, there would be no reason to pick this up.

That said, the art is amazing, and the layout makes an other wise dull story worth reading. Skip the hardcover and pick it up in paperback if you like his earlier work or are interested in mod culture.

8 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Never had a buzz like it., February 9, 2005

By 

Pygmalion (New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Originals (Hardcover)

Dave Gibbons, esteemed illustrator of Alan Moore's landmark graphic novel Watchmen, has once again set a comic book precedent. Revealing for the first time his skill as a writer, which easily matches his artistic prowess, The Originals has dazzled Dave's fans, his colleagues in the comic industry and just about anyone else in the world who reads it.

The Originals is a story of rebellious youth, which has been addressed repeatedly in great literary works (A Clockwork Orange and West Side Story come to mind), but never before in a comic book, and, in my opinion, has been long overdue for one. In the near future, the streets are ruled by hoverbike-riding teenage gangs, constantly feuding and fighting with each other. The most respected gang of all, however, is the Originals, and Lel and Bok, two best friends looking for excitement and power, will do anything to join their ranks.

They accomplish this relatively easily, and are immediately swept into a world of drugs, dancing and violence. They both find the acceptance they desire, the power they sought, and, possibly, the loves of their life. Their paradise is quickly spoiled, however, when the gang war escalates, and people begin to die. Lel and Bok are forced to reconsider this fast-paced lifestyle, or accept it with its full consequences.

The Originals, unlike most other graphic novels, not only has a clear, meaningful underlying theme, but manages to get that theme across while keeping the story simple and concise. It simply abounds in simplicity: all the names are catchy one-syllable slang terms (the police force is dubbed "the Law", hoverbikes are "hovers" and long names like Leslie, Vivian and Bokassa are simply "Lel", "Viv" and "Bok", respectively), there's no unnecessary exposition, and every single event in the story, no matter how brief, contributes to the overall plot.

In conclusion, The Originals is simply that: original. Original in its combination of topic and medium, its writing style and the teen slang language in which the characters speak (based mostly around swear words, including some that no comic company has ever dared to print). To add on to M. Osman's comments, not only did I immediately see this book's potential as a movie, but, more importantly, it can be easily made into an entertaining movie without changing or abridging the plot in any way, like most comic-based movies turn out. This book is destined to become a classic, reserve your copy today!

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Do yourself a favor and-, August 20, 2005

By 

A wiser than usual reader (In the racks) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Originals (Hardcover)

give Gibbons a chance as a writer! With past works like World's Finest and the first Batman Vs. Predator series Gibbons has proved he CAN write as well as he draws.

The Originals is one of the best drawn and written graphic novels I've read in a long time.

The graphic novel industry needs more Dave Gibbons and personal works like, The Originals. Pick it up. You won't be disappointed!