Red Star, Vol. 1 - The Battle of Kar Dathras Gate [Paperback]

Various (Author), Christian Gossett (Author)

Book Description

Series: Red Star | Publication Date: November 1, 2001

Over the course of several generations, the once mighty empire known as the United Republics of The Red Star slaughtered millions of it's own people by the order of a single man. The man was their leader, Imbohl, a mighty sorcerer whose insanity turned his people's Utopian dreams into a nightmarish scheme driven by the desire to create his own immortality. Haunted by the ghosts of their nation's tragic past, the Heroes of the Red Star discover the true nature of their nation's struggle, abandon their duties as soldiers of the Red Fleet, and embark upon a quest to liberate their people from Imbohl's dark legacy. The Battle of Kar Dathra's Gate is a fictionalization of the 1979 Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. This unapologetic romantic saga utilizing the same 3-D modeling technology as today's best selling video games and animated features while heralding the dawn of a new era in visual storytelling.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Christian Gossett is the artist that first designed the double-edged Lightsabre for George Lucas' character, Darth Maul, in Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace.

Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Archangel Studios (November 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1582401977
• ISBN-13: 978-1582401973
• Product Dimensions: 12 x 9 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #670,593 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

33 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Author Speaks, August 18, 2004

By 

Sgt. Striker - See all my reviews

This review is from: Red Star, Vol. 1 - The Battle of Kar Dathras Gate (Paperback)

I'd like to reply to the reviewer who claims that our book is not of value because it contains four issues of content.

What he does not say is that this is a Special Edition, meaning that the pages are in large format, much larger than your typical comic book size. This shows off our unique computer enhanced art in a way that no other edition does.

Nor does he mention that there are thirty pages of extra content in the back of the book! And I'm not talking simple pinups. I'm talking about a technical breakdown of our innovative, award-winning art process, behind the scenes sketches of the original line art and blueprints of the vehicles that were built in 3D for use in the story, in-depth interviews with every creator on the team, a Glossary of Terms so that readers can truly familiarize themselves with the characters, environments and history of this brand new story-universe we've created, and a bibliography of our sources, so that anyone else interested in Soviet History can follow beyond our work and into the actual material that inspired it.

I've been creating comics for 16 years, and there are very, very few graphic novels that offer such an extensive examination of their process. We were inspired by Japanese Anime analysis books, which offer their fans the same 'look behind the curtain' opportunity. This is not hype, these are tools for young creators to learn how the work is done. It is not only entertainment, but also introductory education into today's state of the art graphic novel techniques.

Anyone who actually knows what it is to publish something would take one look at The Red Star: Battle of Kar Dathra's Gate, or it's sequel The Red Star: Nokgorka (which also has the extra content in the back of the book) and immediately see the value. Especially at Amazon's discount price.

Thirty extra pages of graphic design costs a great amount of money, as does the resizing of 120 pages of art and lettering files into a larger format than that which was originally published in comic book size. Obviously the phylopyre or whatever his name is has no such experience.

In closing, I'd like to say please decide for yourself, don't take my word for it. There are professional reviews of our work all over the net for you to make an informed decision.

Thank You,
Christian Gossett
Creator
The Red Star

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant art and a great story make this a must read, May 20, 2001

By 

Dave Thomer (Philadelphia, PA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Red Star, Vol. 1 - The Battle of Kar Dathras Gate (Paperback)

THE RED STAR is one of the most ambitious comics published today. The story is an allegorical retelling of the fall of the Soviet Union, set in a science fiction/fantasy setting. This is a story of a noble people betrayed by a leadership that is unworthy of them, a story of love and hope and war and sadness; a story with grace and style, and subtle moments interspersed with scenes of savage devastation.

RED STAR would be notable for its story alone, but it blends traditional pencil illustration with the latest in 3D computer imagery to lend a whole new scope and grandeur to the project -- the huge skyfurnaces that dominate the skies convey raw power in every panel, for example. The book is as beautiful to look at as it is to read.

This trade paperback collects the first four issues of THE RED STAR, the story of the Battle of Kar Dathra's Gate. It is an oversized book, which makes the art look even better than originally published. There is also considerable supplementary material, including links to online resources, sketchbooks and production info, and interviews with the creators. (Full disclosure: I conducted one of those interviews -- but I was a fan of this book long before then.) This is one of those books that show what a special art form comics are -- you won't want to miss it.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars MAGNIFICENT, May 28, 2001

By 

"shaft69" (Earth) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Red Star, Vol. 1 - The Battle of Kar Dathras Gate (Paperback)

The best book of it's kind. This puts most " Art Of " books to shame, including Star Wars. Anyone with even a remote interest in sci-fi, fantasy or historical drama will get a lot pleasure from this. 3D rendered skyships and architecture blend with hand-drawn characters and outstanding computer color (by the one and only Snakebite) into a stunning, cinematic presentation. Beyond the beautiful artwork, the story is appealing, literate, and exciting. Printed on oversize glossy sheets with tons of behind-the-scenes art, THIS BOOK IS HUGE. This is the kind of story that would translate perfectly into an animated feature or mini-series; just add animators. It's a safe bet that this book will make a big splash in Europe and Japan, as well as the already established manga markets. America is ravishingly hungry for more from Team Red Star, as nobody else in the world of print is doing work quite like this. Image MUST print more of these if they know what's good for 'em!