Stuart Moore's Para [Paperback]

Created and written by Stuart Moore (Author), Pencils- Pablo Villalobos (Illustrator), Claude St. Aubin (Illustrator), Frederico Zumel (Illustrator), Inks- Mostafa Moussa (Illustrator), James Taylor (Illustrator), Colors- Mike Garcia (Illustrator), Letters- Richard Starkings (Illustrator), Painted Cover- Stephan Martiniere (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 31, 2006

Deep beneath the heart of Texas it lies: the Supercollider, the world's largest, most powerful particle accelerator. But a horrific disaster in the mid-80s left it highly radioactive, killing everyone including the project's head scientist, Dr. William Erie. Now, twenty years later, Sara Erie--the doctor's daughter--is determined to find out the real story. But when Sara and an investigative team descend into the Supercollider, they find no bodies--just abandoned radiation badges, shadowy, inhuman figures that move very fast, keeping out of sight in the darkened tunnels, frogs frozen in an amber-like substance. And one word, scrawled repeatedly on the wall in blood: PARA. What does it mean? The answer may be the key to the Universe's origins--or to its end.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Careful attention to mood makes this psychic-SF thriller a standout. Moore and his crew of artists have watched enough episodes of The X-Files to realize that menaces are more frightening when they're only glimpsed in oppressive shadows. The creators also recognize when it's time to turn on the lights and start actually solving problems. Back in the 1980s, a giant underground supercollider apparently went wild and released radiation that killed everyone present. It's been sealed ever since. Now, the lead experimenter's daughter, who's grown up shunning science, accompanies an exploratory team reentering the gloomy site, where they find no bodies, no radiation, just the word "PARA" scrawled on the walls in blood. Threatening, wraithlike creatures, government treachery and portents of the end of the world soon ensue. The supercollider's deserted tunnels are spooky in themselves, and Para's art team uses their darkness effectively as background for the explorers' inchoate personal conflicts. Moore's explanations for what's going on sound scientifically plausible enough to give the story a solid feeling—even after more fantastic events. Finally, the character development is unusually convincing as the heroine transcends her past and moves forward, a cliché that actually works. (Feb.)
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From Booklist

Moore's previous graphic novel, American Meat (2005), garnered raves for its harrowing yet imaginative vision of future corporate-controlled animal exploitation. His latest blends hard sf speculation and X-Files-style paranormal investigation in the story of a disaster-plagued supercollider. Twenty years after losing her father in a radioactive supercollider accident, Sara Erie connives her way onto a research team that descends into the supercollider's bowels to find out what went wrong. Inside the labyrinthine tunnels, the team quickly discovers that the official accident story was a cover for something more unsettling. The mysterious word para is scrawled on the walls in blood, and bizarre crystallized frogs litter the floors. Even more disturbing is the presence of violent, ethereal beings sifting through a doorway leading to a parallel universe. One of them eerily resembles Sara's father. Veteran screenwriter Moore has assembled a crew of talented artists to embellish his tales with gorgeous full-color panels and give his readers a thrilling cinematic experience. Graphic storytelling at its best. Carl Hays
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Paperback: 175 pages
• Publisher: Penny-Farthing Press (January 31, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0971901244
• ISBN-13: 978-0971901247
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 6.3 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,066,562 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Almost awesome, December 17, 2007

By 

Onion (Maryland, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Stuart Moore's Para (Paperback)

It's not what I expected...

However, Para is still a great read. Artwork is very well done. The inside of the supercollider has the proper dark, abandoned, cramped feel that it should. The characters are also well done.

The story was, mostly, pretty good. It pulled me in and held on until the very end. However, I felt that when things were explained, it took away from the overall feel...

The ending seemed a little underwhelming, though. And some of the conversation between the characters was a little stiff. But overall, it was a great read, and I'd recommend it to anyone looking for a well-done, engrossing comic.