Customer Reviews

Rising Stars Volume 3: Fire And Ash (Rising Stars (Image Comics)) (v. 3)

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Although it does tie up all loose ends from the two previous collections, I felt this, the 3rd and final supplement, moved through the characters later years too fast, rushing towards an end we all assumed would occur one way or another. No spoilers here, but I felt more could have been done, even if it took another 20 comics.

This wraps up the Rising Stars story part 17-24 which was delayed for quite a bit of time because of a dispute with the publisher. The 3rd trade wraps up all the loose ends and a nice fashion. The writing is top notch. I like Brent Andersons pencils, but I prefer someone else to ink him. When he does his own, it often looks muddy to me. You can pick up the Visitations trade which collects all the hard to find short tales published. You can also go for the mega hard cover collector's edition which has everyone in one book.

My friend Richard calls "Rising Stars" the "Greatest Superhero Story Ever". Richard has vastly less experience reading comics than I do, so I find it hard to completely concur. I can remember some storylines from back in the day that were pretty amazing. But this series is definitely up there, and it blew me away.

Part three is a solid ending that treats the story well, but to me it never quite lives up to the level of the first two collections. Of course, that's really more of a statement about how AWESOME the first two parts are. This part is still VERY good, just not quite up to par with them.

Check this one out if you love superheroes.

I went to the comic store and was presented with a choice: I could buy the complete hardback of this series for 100 bucks, or buy this volume 3 for around 20. I went the cheap way. Maybe my expectations were built up too high from everything I've heard about this series, but, not having read volumes 1 and 2, this one seems kind of weak. ***spoiler*** Blackmail the government into behaving by threatening to tell the public the truth about the Kennedy assassination? Wouldn't anyone involved in that be dead by now? The Highlander-esque ending kind of guarantees that the story will be a bit melancholy and depressing. Good art and well written, but doesn't work alone, and I'm not really inspired to buy the previous volumes.

Awesome! I had the first volume (issues 1-8) for about three years before I finally decided to figure out what happened next. I ordered this over the holidays (I know!) and I expected to get it sometime around Jan. 15th or so. I actually got it the third and the condition was unbelievable! The condition i choose was good-acceptable. The one i got was like BRAND SPANKING NEW. Not even any creases, these guys underestimate themselves. + Delivery was quick (got it through the USPS aka snail mail) which surprised me.

I now know my go to guys for books at Amazon. You guys rock.

J. Michael Stracynski has written a story with his Rising Stars series which elevates "super-hero" fiction, with spandex and capes to the elevated level of literary perfection. His stories express humanity's highs and lows in perfect sync with the world we live in that when one finishes the series you can actually feel hope for the human race if we could all only read the same story and apply it to our daily lives.

"Rising Stars, Volume 3: Fire And Ash" brings the saga of the super-powered characters known as the Specials to a satisfying, epic, and moving close. Heavily informed by the New Testament, the recurring theme of redemption of others through self sacrifice adds additional depth and richness to these collected closing chapters, especially the last chapter or two. I paricularly liked the ending, which presents (broad, non-detailed spoiler to follow) an organic, sad, but in many ways uplifting "the cycle begins anew" vibe. And throughout, Brent Anderson's detailed, dramatic art wonderfully delivers to our welcoming eyes Mr. Straczynski's obviously well-thought-out story. Additional "Rising Stars" volumes collect a few side stories about the Specials, but this volume represents the true big close of the series. I think I'll let this one resonate in my head for a while before checking out those other stories.

This is Rising Stars Vol.3 Chapters 17-24
The 3rd part of a 3 part series.

You made your choices... This is the ending result... All the powers in the Universe and in the end, only human after all.
You wish you did better, you wish you had known but... being human means coming to the world without an owners manual.

I highly recommed the series.

J. Michael Straczynski has provided a stunning conclusion to one of the best series in recent comic history. Without giving away anything, all of the loose ends from the beginning of the series are tied up nicely. Brent Anderson also does a great job with the artwork. Rising Stars: Fire and Ash is definitely worth buying (along with volumes 1 and 2 and the collection of shorts).

All,

I guess I'm really reviewing the hard-bound edition. My friend let me borrow it and unlike most people, I did not enjoy it in the least. I will not say that it was bad; I will only say that it touched several buttons that irritate me about storytelling in general.

I hate stories that right up front give me a reason to not care about the fates of any of the characters. For you who have read it, you know what I mean. It doesnt matter what any of them do, or say, by revealing *that* kind of ending, any desire I have to see how it happens or get attached to any characters just vanishes. The only good thing about it is that at least you find out early that you shouldnt care. I'd hate for it to be an actual surprise. The book just tells you right out.

Another thing I dislike is when you have something that is supposedly epic and original uses something else that was right out of something else that was supposed to be also epic and ground breaking. Specifically I'm thinking of Kingdom Come here. I mean please, set a different trap, its been done.

Next, I like comics because the characters are special, and because I think super powers and their ramifications are just fun. In this book, my buttons were pushed because its really the reverse. The vibe in this book is that 'There has to be some special purpose' ... because powers are special. In fact we are all special. By doing bad things to something that special, we all realize we are all special. (Which means nobody is special.) If we all just understood each other, we'd all get along. YAY! ..... What a load of junk. JMS may be an atheist, but he makes up for it in double the syrup. I was really rolling my eyes.

Also, I dont like how "all the powers are all you'd need to start a world" ... and yet they are never used like that, even in their initial/final forms. Its like "Pay it Forward" with no actual payment, and no Forward either really. The only thing worse than a sappy story is a pointless sappy story; and even worse when you undermine what should be the most important thing: the characters.

So, I give this work 3 stars, because the art is good, and because you can tell the writer is talented. However, I think this medium allows JMS to indulge in his most negative traits. Just as technology eventually allowed Lucas to undermine himself, the comic book medium really gave JMS the room to hang himself.