The Surrogates Volume 2: Flesh & Bone [Paperback]

Robert Venditti (Author), Brett Weldele (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 2009 | Series: Surrogates

In a dark, downtown alley in Central Georgia Metropolis, a juvenile prank goes too far and a homeless man is killed. When the ensuing investigation reveals that the attackers aren't who they appeared to be, justice depends on the testimony of a single missing witness - a street snitch with a history of providing information to a cop named Harvey Greer. Harvey is placed on special assignment to track down the informant, but others have their own designs, including a wealthy socialite and an ex-con turned religious leader known to his followers as The Prophet. As days pass and anger among the anti-surrogate population grows, the city stands on a razor's edge. Will punishment be exacted in a courtroom or on the streets? Set fifteen years prior to the events of the original Surrogates graphic novel, Flesh & Bone sheds light on the past that binds the cast together. From the streets of Central Georgia Metropolis to the boardroom of Virtual Self, Inc., Flesh & Bone takes us on a journey through a city struggling to come to grips with its present. Not only a suspenseful thriller but also a cautionary tale, this book reminds us that tomorrow will be determined by the choices we make today.

Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Top Shelf Productions; 2 edition (September 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1603090185
• ISBN-13: 978-1603090186
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 6.5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #846,516 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Surrogates 2, October 26, 2009

By 

David Allen Zeigler - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Surrogates Volume 2: Flesh & Bone (Paperback)

Integrates nicely with the original Surrogates.

Pros:

~ in addition to the main storyline, all subordinate story lines also fit seamlessly (e.g. when Margaret gets her first surrogate)

~ the artwork helps the reader to immerse into the environment of the story

~ solid story telling

Cons:

~ some of the dialogue is hackneyed; reminiscent of an 80's cop drama

~ I expected The Prophet's revolt to be more dynamic.

Overall, an enjoyable read. The supporting literature enhanced the story.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Just as Great as the First!!, October 25, 2009

By 

Gigantor - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Surrogates Volume 2: Flesh & Bone (Paperback)

Flesh and Bone takes the ideas of the first graphic novel and expands on them. The writing is excellent and the artwork, although sloppy, is some of the best I've seen. It creates so much atmosphere and lets the story become the driving force. Although Flesh and Bone is prequel to the first, I highly recommend reading them in the order that they were released, instead of the time line of the story. I felt Flesh and Bone gave too many hints to the first. Read "Surrogates" first and then pick this one up to learn more about Harvey and The Prophet!!

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A good read, but not as good as the original, January 2, 2010

By 

Joshua Palmatier "Joshua B. Palmatier" (Binghamton, NY USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Surrogates Volume 2: Flesh & Bone (Paperback)

I read The Surrogates because of the movie with Bruce Willis. The graphic novel and the movie were two completely different stories in the end and I enjoyed both. One of my main complaints about the original graphic novel, though, was that the story didn't feel as deep as it could have been. The idea of the world, of people using surrogates to live their lives, to keep them safe and to give them the freedom to live out some of their fantasies, is just too good and too perfect. It opens up a HUGE amount of possibilities, and I thought that the original book could have used this world to explore so much more.

Which meant, of course, that I needed to read the prequel graphic novel The Surrogates: Flesh and Bone to see if they did indeed play around with some of those possibilities.

Flesh and Bone takes us back to something mentioned in the original graphic novel: the attack on a homeless person by three rich teens illegally using their fathers' surrogates. The homeless man dies and suddenly the case becomes international news, bringing up the serious question of whether children should be able to use surrogates, a theme that was also addressed in the original graphic novel and was the main motivating factor behind Steeplejack (the main "bad guy" in the original). And this type of question is what I was hoping that the authors/artists would explore more about this world, what makes the world they've set up so intriguing.

Here, the graphic novel once again centers around Harvey Greer--now a beat cop--and the investigation surrounding the death of the homeless man. There's also a seedy lawyer for the father of the main kid on trial. (The father's no picnic either.) We see the origins of the Prophet, and the state of the surrogate corporation at this time period. The more interesting aspects of this graphic novel are how the corporation handles the situation, and how the law is going to be affected by not just this one situation, but by surrogates and their general use by the population. Those were the parts that intrigued me the most and held my interest. And the authors do explore these facets of the new world to some degree. The investigation gives the story a strong structure that's easy to follow, but isn't as interesting overall, especially since the first graphic novel was centered around an investigation.

So, in the end, I wasn't as satisfied or as thrilled with this prequel as I was with the original. Even though the authors explored some of what I was looking for, I STILL finished the novel wanting more. I wanted more exploration of this world, and I thought there could have been more depth in the storyline itself, especially regarding Greer and his relationship with his wife and how the introduction of surrogates into the home was affecting relationships. But it was still a good read overall. There were some nice touches to the world, and a few strong snippets of humor throughout. One particular panel had me laughing so hard I had to put the book aside to recover. Strong artwork (although not as polished in my opinion as the original) throughout, and a decent storyline. A good book. If there were more graphic novels set in this world, I'd definitely read them, because there's still a TON of things to explore.