Books like The Halo Graphic Novel

Halo used to be my mistress. I loved her. I adored her. Then, I realized my wife was going to kill me if I spent more time with Halo than I did with her. Now, I only play every so often...just when I need to be reminded that I can still kick some Covenant ass. The other day my wife surprised me with HALO GRAPHIC NOVEL. (She knows she's the only woman for me.) Immediately I opened it up to look at the artwork. It was varied and raw and new and I couldn’t wait to begin reading it. Then I read the introduction. I wasn't going to get a new storyline from the Halo universe; I was going to get new stories that were only briefly mentioned or left to the gamer's imagination. This excited me more. I have numerous questions that none of the books or games have ever truly satisfied.I will briefly give my thoughts on each story:THE LAST VOYAGE OF THE INFINTE SUCCOURThis story is all about the Flood. Once seen as mindless space-aliens, the Flood are actually a very impressive species that can take over live or dead cells and make them into one of their army. They have a set agenda—kill all. Their goal is domination. The artists of this story, Lee Hammock and Simon Bisley, do a great job of rendering the reader to feel the claustrophobia of what it must feel like to be fighting within a ship within the confines of dark, cold space. The scenes are a frenzy of action, which shows the dark images and perils of war. Courage and honor are two of the main themes in this section. (FOUR STARS.)ARMOR TESTINGMy first impression upon seeing this section was: It looks like Archie and Jughead have been refitted. This is not a negative critique of Jay Faerber, Ed Lee, or Andrew Robinson. I liked the playful drawing style; it fit the story well. The story centers on Maria—a retired Spartan who only wants to raise a family—while she tests the new armor before it is sent to Master Chief on to Cairo Station. She is matched up against 20 Marines. I liked that the Halo universe addressed the issue of females and what they could do in combat. (FOUR STARS.)BREAKING QUARATINEThis is an interesting story because it centers on Sergeant Johnson, one of the most loveable characters in the Halo universe, and his escape from the Flood. It had previously been left to the gamer to imagine how Johnson escaped. Tsutomu Nihei provides the answer to this question through a short twelve page section void of any written speech. Even thoughts are left out. I find this section remarkable because as the reader looks and studies each scene the unfolding drama is crystal clear while the images themselves are a bit grainy, giving a dream-like quality to the story. (FIVE STARS.)SECOND SUNRISE OVER NEW MOMBASAIf you’ve ever played Halo 2, then you know what a desolate, war-stricken town New Mombasa is. Brett Lewis and Jean Giraud give a neat insight to what the city was like before the invasion. Although, I have to admit I found the artwork to be too gummy—too fake. The story is told by a reporter whose task it has been to “downplay” the preceding attacks before the invasion, give it an “adventurous” appeal. There are many direct corollaries one can infer about the news media and America’s current wars. (I’ll leave that for the reader to decide.) But, like most controversies, the truth needs to be told. As it happens, the truth of the invasion may be the only thing that gets out of the city intact. This story is a bleak testament of when the military blunders and then tries to rectify their wrongs. (THREE STARS.)Yes, there are elements of each story that if you’ve read the other books and played the games you’ll appreciate more. But I think this can also be enjoyed by the uninitiated. It’s a quick read that I plan on revisiting numerous times…as long as my wife let’s me bring it to bed. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED