Scion v. 3: Divided Loyalties [Paperback]

Ron Marz (Author), Ron Merz (Author), Jim Cheung (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 4, 2002 | Series: Scion (Full Size) (Book 3)

SCION is the story of Ethan, youngest prince of an ancient empire locked in an uneasy truce with its eastern rivals. In an age in which ritual combat has taken the place of real war, Ethan prepares to mark his passage into manhood by participating in his first tournament. Then an incident occurs which changes his life forever – and leads to the first open warfare in generations. Young, headstrong, and somewhat naïve, Ethan embarks on a quest to avenge his brother’s death that takes him deep into the heart of the Eastern lands. Scion takes place on a world with one foot in the past and one foot in the future, a planet where a medieval facade masks advanced science. Two kingdoms hold sway here, kingdoms that have been plunged back into warfare after centuries of tenuous peace. And caught between them is a young prince with a gift that could save his world or doom it. The war continues to rage in the latest Scion trade paperback. Ethan sees first-hand the sufferings of the genetically engineered Lesser Races and is forced to choose between his loyalty to his family and his loyalty to a greater good. His decision is not only unexpected, it may well determine the course of history for his entire world.
Fans of everything from Star Wars to the classic Prince Valiant Sunday strips will love Scion.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

If readers can manage to wrestle their disbelief into submission, they'll find this series enjoyable. The story's basic premise is monumentally silly, presenting a society where futuristic science lurks underneath a medieval surface; as the publisher says, it's a hybrid of Star Wars and Prince Valiant (which worked for the 1930s' Flash Gordon comics).The CrossGen Sigils, glowing chest brands that convey enormous, almost uncontrollable powers, have been portioned out to two young princes. Blonde Ethan of the West, a dutiful, loving son and intelligent, empathetic ruler-in-training, gets to use his Sigil's powers for good. Representing evil is swarthy, scarred Bron of the East, who's just killed his father so he can become king. Ethan has become tangled in the plots of Ashleigh, Bron's fiery renegade sister, to help the kingdom's oppressed, who happen to be superscientifically engineered mutants. Some are cute, like Ethan's Yoda-like friend, Skink; some are intimidating, like the towering bounty hunter, Exeter; and all are considered convenient but disposable products rather than people. Naturally, Ethan has always treated the Lesser Races decently, but now he's a full-fledged rebel forced to do unpleasant things that test his innocent ideals. Despite lots of sword-swinging action, the story moves slowly enough to accommodate Ethan's growing realization of his commitment to the cause. The book's moody, anime-influenced artwork makes the story's world vividly real. Proving that comics stand outside the rules of mathematics, Scion is more than the sum of its parts.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From the Publisher

Ron Marz has been writing comics since 1990, giving up a journalism career when he found that it was more fun to make up the stories. In those years, he has written extensively for publishers including DC, Marvel, Dark Horse, Image, and Acclaim. You've read his work in the pages of Superboy, Silver Surfer, Star Wars Tales, StormWatch, X-O Manowar, DC vs. Marvel, the Amalgam title Dr. Strangefate, and most notably Green Lantern. He brought his skills and voracious fans with him to CrossGen, where he writes the titles Scion, Sojourn, The Path, and Crossgen Chronicles. Ron received a Harvey Awards nomination as Best Writer in 2002 for his work on Scion, which was also nominated for Best Continuing Series.

Product Details

• Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: Cross Generation Comics (September 4, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1931484260
• ISBN-13: 978-1931484268
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 6.6 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.4 ounces
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #826,796 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)