Graphic Novel Review: Falling Skies by Paul Tobin

Falling Skies by Paul Tobin

Genre(s): Graphic Novel
Publisher: Dark Horse (July 5, 2011)
Illustrator: Juan Ferreyra
Buy it now: on Amazon.com (Available for pre-order)

Description: In the heart of Boston, following the devastating events of an alien invasion, history professor Tom Mason and his sons Hal, Matt, and Ben are just trying to survive. After an extreme firefight with the aliens, Ben gets kidnapped. Determined to get his son back, Tom joins forces with the 2nd Mass, a militia group that is taking the fight against the aliens. But with the group’s munitions supplies running low, Tom must locate an old friend to equip him and his team in order to ensure the survival of the human race!

 
I have to start this review by saying that I am not a big comics guy. Recently I had the opportunity to read Falling Skies and I have to say that I was impressed. Dark Horse has taken on the task of adapting TV series and movies into comic form, and this is no easy task.

This is a story of people trying to survive after an alien invasion. It’s a mixture of V, District 9, Battlefield LA, and one of my personal favorites, They Live. The focus of this story is on history professor Tom Mason and his children near the remains of Boston. The novel starts out with Tom and his kids scavenging for food, and we’re quickly informed that his wife is dead and that the aliens are called Skitters and they have mindless minions called Mechs. We are shown the aliens parading a group of children down the street with some type of what looks to be an external spinal cord attached to their backs. This strange observance hints that the aliens might have more complex plans than just killing all humans. Mason and his kids are ambushed and in the middle of the ambush one of his children, Ben, is separated and presumed to have been abducted. This is the stage setter for the human insurgency that is Falling Skies.

I have read other titles from Dark Horse and this one has that unmistakable gritty DH feel to it. Most of this graphic novel takes place inside the city and at night. The drawings by Juan Ferreyra convey not only the urban feel of the story but accurately depict the real life actors that play the characters in the television series. I enjoyed that the writers used “journal” entries on the sides of panels written in Tom Masons’ handwriting on notebook paper to convey thoughts. It gave you the impression that you were reading his diary. I thought this was a solid clear way to convey some of his thoughts without resorting to “thought bubbles”. The city scenes were full of detail without feeling cluttered. I appreciate the fact that the team that worked on this one used restraint in how much they trashed the city. I know there was destruction, but this novel portrays that destruction in a way that sets up Boston as an additional character.

Mason as a history professor was a good call and there are minor attempts in the graphic novel to show how that would be an asset to his post Skitter invasion survival. I love how he and his sons make recruiting posters that encourage people interested in the resistance to meet at “Paul’s house in the Old North”. I do wish the novel had shown Mason using some more of his historical knowledge to solve some of the problems he encounters thru to course of the story.
I was in the military and I have a good understanding of weapons. The artist depiction of these weapons was great – AKs looked like AKs and M-16s looked like M-16s. My biggest complaint was the use of the AT-4 rocket launcher. At one point, an AT-4 is used to shoot down a Skitter airship and a few pages later that AT-4 is reloaded and used to take out a group of Mechs. First of all, hitting a stationary target with an AT-4 takes quite a bit of practice. Sure this is a comic, I get that, but Hollywood and the rest of the publishing world have to learn that like the M-72 LAW, the AT-4 is a disposable one use weapon. You can’t reload it! Comic or not this was a rookie mistake!

This is a solid graphic novel, the art is not overdone and the murky details make this one stand out. I enjoyed the storyline and am interested to see what happens in the comics and on TV. I applaud the marketing strategy that TNT, Dreamworks Television and Dark Horse Comics are employing. Read the web comic, buy the graphic novel. Both are worth your time.

About Cape Rust

Cape Rust is an international man of thespionage. Born and raised in San Antonio Texas, he joined the U.S. Army where he served 12 years six as a Military Policeman and six as an all source Military Intelligence Analyst. Being a fat, bald version of James Bond, his geek interests are wide (like his belly) and varied. His collection of gadgets (electronic and travel related) are only rivaled by the amount of pockets found on most items of clothing he wears.

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