Southland Tales Book 1: Two Roads Diverge (Bk. 1) [Paperback]

Richard Kelly (Author), Brett Weldele (Author)

Book Description

Series: Southland Tales | Publication Date: July 11, 2006

June 30 2008. One of the world's most famous actors has disappeared. Boxer Santaros awakens deep in the Nevada desert... alone, stricken with amnesia. He is rescued by a drifter named Fortunio Balducci, only to discover that the world around him has suddenly changed. America now stands on the brink of social, economic and environmental disaster... approaching the three-year anniversary of dual nuclear attacks on Texas soil. As Boxer struggles to regain his memory, his paths cross with a mysterious adult film star named Krysta now at the Nevada/California state line. Krysta reveals her psychic abilities to Boxer in the form of a prophetic screenplay that foreshadows the apocalypse...

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Kelly's film Donnie Darko was full of mysterious happenings that tied into the emotional tale of an oddball high school boy. This graphic novel, the first of three that lead up to the upcoming film of the same name, continues Kelly's tradition of intriguing concepts but on a much grander scale. This volume alone introduces a Guns 'n' Roses-like singing porn star, a roller coaster that can travel through time, an amnesiac movie star and what must be one of the stupidest screenplays ever written. Through strong character work and swift storytelling, this book channels a certain modern zeitgeist of terrorism fears, the loss of privacy and the cutthroat world of celebrity. The book takes place in 2008, following twin atomic attacks on Texas that have made the United States a version of Orwell's envisioned future, although Orwell didn't think to include online gambling and strip clubs into his story of fascism. Weldele's art is loose and sketchy, but also expressive when dealing with these wildly different characters. His coloring creates a great sense of atmosphere that is lonely and oppressive, perfect for the story's subject matter, which is basically an intriguing setup for what will hopefully pay off in the film. (May)
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Product Details

• Paperback: 96 pages
• Publisher: Graphitti Designs (July 11, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 093621175X
• ISBN-13: 978-0936211756
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 5.8 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #381,932 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Countdown Begins..., July 11, 2006

By 

Michael Fondi (Norristown, PA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Southland Tales Book 1: Two Roads Diverge (Bk. 1) (Paperback)

After much delay in the release of these graphic novels, Southland Tales: Two Roads Diverge has finally hit the stands; although it may be tough right now to find a copy at your local bookstore or comic shop. And that is truly a shame because this book is good; VERY GOOD. It is the first among a series of three books to be released telling the back story of the forthcoming Richard Kelly production Southland Tales.

This first novel focuses on Boxer Santaros, a Hollywood movie star who wakes up in the middle of a desert with amnesia. As Boxer tries to put his life back together the audience is introduced to several eccentric and quite interesting characters. The most prominent being an adult film star named Krysta Now. It seems the world Boxer knew has changed drastically since he last remembered it. A pair of nuclear attacks on Texas soil have set the stage for an ultra conservative police state America. We are led to believe that Boxer holds the key to the salvation of the earth before it's immenent destruction.

If you are a fan of Richard Kelly's Donnie Darko, get this book. If you are interested in fresh ideas with well written characters and poignant art work, get this book. If you are looking for something different from everything else out there being sold on the media market, GET THIS BOOK. You won't be disappointed. The only shortcoming of Two Roads Diverge is its length. I would have liked to have seen a bit more, but the story does leave you hanging and eagerly awaiting the release of the next two novels.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Saga Begins, June 28, 2006

By 

Amy Norman (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Southland Tales Book 1: Two Roads Diverge (Bk. 1) (Paperback)

Southland Tales: Two Roads Diverge, went on sale today in stores. It is the first of six chapters of Southland Tales. Chapters I-III are graphic novels. Chapters IV-VI are the film Southland Tales, which is expected to be in theaters this fall.

The title "Two Roads Diverge" is taken from the Robert Frost poem "The Road Not Taken," and the poem is used as a framing device in the narration throughout. We meet Boxer Santaros, a movie action star with amnesia, Fortunio Balducci, a gambler who rescues Boxer in the Nevada desert, and Krysta Now, an adult film star and entrepreneur who promises to to get them across the militarized California state line. The story by Richard Kelly (writer/director of Donnie Darko) is inventive, profanely funny, and mysterious. The art by Brett Weldele is kinetic, frequently abstract, matching the surreal tone of the story perfectly. The art moves back and forth between the characters' perpectives and those of the sinister forces surveiling them, for an appropriately paranoia-inducing effect. This complex, fascinating, multi-part story is off to a great start.

The book includes a bonus section of photographs from the movie and the movie shoot.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Check this Out! Will be essential for helping understand the movie., July 8, 2006

By 

JP - See all my reviews

This review is from: Southland Tales Book 1: Two Roads Diverge (Bk. 1) (Paperback)

This graphic novel is a great read and will work perfectly in setting us up for the final three chapters, which will be told in the motion picture. If you were having any doubts as to whether or not to buy this book, definitely check it out. The art is great, and familiarizing ones self with the characters in these graphic novels should prove to be a great help in better grasping certain aspects of the movie. Can't wait for the next two novels to be released!