Distant Soil Volume 1: The Gathering

This is a book I got for my birthday (3-17) that I had read in another edition from another publisher when I was 14. I was a little bit worried to read it again because when you have good memories of something from a long time ago, sometimes it is hard to go back to them again. One of the reviews here sounded like the book was going to be really yaoi with lots of sex and things I wasn't sure I wanted to see and that it was hard to understand the new version. I didn't have any trouble understanding the new version, and if there is a lot of sex in this one, I missed it. There's no naked people sex in this book. Maybe in later volumes? It looks like a little bit of skin in the next book (I got that too), but nothing much. Maybe I am a little disappointed now! Especially since the guys are so cute! That is one thing that is different. I think the artist draws a lot better than they used to. Rieken-Seren is so beautiful. His face is like a dream. He is like a prettier version of David Bowie, if you can do that! Anyway, I really liked this newer version a lot. I had no trouble following it. So, I don't know why anyone said they did. It takes careful reading, but I like that. It doesn't seem to me that this is a book you can just flip through. You have to pay attention. If you do not pay attention, you will miss a lot. It is as if almost every little line has double meaning. It's a great puzzle and that interests me. It has a dreamy quality too, but it is good fantasy (more fantasy than science fiction, I think). The Avatar is Seren who is so gorgeous he should just have his own book by himself. Anyway, he is like a god to his people because he can draw on their collective life force and use it as his own power. But since there can be only one (sounds kind of like Highlander but it isn't), the evil Hierarchy of his world comes to Earth to find Liana, a little girl who is also an Avatar. (She's not that little but she is young). The Hierarchy must kill her or the Avatar can't use his power. Seren is working against the Hierarchy but they don't know. He is leader of the rebellion. When his people come to Earth to kill Liana he gets some humans to help him to kill the Hierarchy. There is a lot more to it than that and I am already reading volume II, but don't want to flip forward. It is a little strange about the fantasy in here. How did Sir Galahad get into this story? I really want to see how that works out. Oh yeah, he is cute too. This book sort of feels like manga, but it isn't. It is harder to read than manga, but I like that because I get more story. Some manga seems to take 15 minutes to read a whole book. I really read and studied this book a lot and got a lot out of that. This art is pretty like manga, but more realistic. That is OK to me. This book is not yaoi like that other review makes it seem. If you are looking for serious yaoi, you will be disappointed probably. But it is shonen ai a bit. Seren and D'mer are lovers, but you don't really

I haven't read this book in years. In fact, the last time I read it was sometime in the 1980's, back when it was at another publisher (and I only bought it because my name was similar to that of the artist!) This is a very different version than the edition I read. It has been rewritten and redrawn entirely, with superior results. Not only does the story move more coherently than before, but the drawing is a great improvement. The story is about a half-human young girl who is an Avatar. She can control the life force of all the psionic people on her planet. But this makes her a danger to the homeworld of her father because an Avatar is a kind of weapon being used by an alien government to rule it's corner of the universe and there can be only one at a time. And they already have one. So, the girl has to go. Lots of convoluted stuff is going on and it is kind of amazing how Colleen Doran manages to take all of these unlikely people and events and put them into this strange stew and come out with something that is moving, funny and entertaining. I can't imagine anyone else being able to pull this story off and make it work. I think she just loves her work so much that you can feel it coming through the paper. You can tell this is a book by someone who loves her characters and the world they live in which is rare in a world where people just seem to want to make a buck. This is not a camera ready book, being made to put out a movie or cartoon. If you want an experience that lets you step into another reality, then this is it. You walk into this world with its strange rules and it works. The characters are so real and likeable that you are compelled to keep reading. Manga and shonen ai fans will like this, too, especially the romantic moments. I really liked this book.

I picked up this book because of all the talk it was getting at comicon.com. In this case, it's more than talk. This book is so good, so well done, so well written, I can't believe I have never heard about it before. I didn't know there were comics like this! A fifteen year old girl named Liana finds out that she is an Avatar which is a kind of psychic conduit for her people. All of their power can flow through her. There is already an Avatar on her homeworld and his power is hampered by Liana's existence. The corrupt government of that world needs the Avatar as a weapon, so they travel to Earth to find Liana and kill her so their Avatar will be able to use all his powers.This book has a large cast and I was surprised that I was able to follow it this well. Every character actually looks different and moves different and talks different, like people you would know. I have trouble figuring out diffenre character in other comics, like Elfquest, where all the characters look alike.I especially like the King Arthur scenes which are a real mystery at this point in the series and I am looking forward to seeing where it goes from here.Absolutely wonderful!

A Distant Soil contains everything from Arthurian Legends to alien imortals in the style of a classic Roger Zelazny novel. It's artwork and atmosphere also reminds me of such great Japanese Shojo comics (esp. Clamp's works). Her artwork and story meld together into a strong epic piece, similar to Smith's Bone or M. Oakley's Thieves and Kings (the other two comics I'm currently following). If this book is unavailable online, you probably can hunt it down at your local comic store.

Colleen Doran draws like no other artist in the comic book industry. Her skill and sumptuous sensibility results in a story which is, graphically, fascinating. A feast for the eyes. The story is equally engaging, blending science fiction and fantasy. An alien empire of willowy telepaths from Ovanon, sends a war ship to earth to eliminate Liana Scott, a girl whose father was a fugitive from Ovanon. Liana was born with the ability to tap into "the Collective", marking her as Ovanon's spiritual leader. She can direct the power of Ovanon's people, a power which other's have used to destroy worlds. With a hearty mix of aliens and street tough Jersey-ites, Liana tries to escape her pursuers and help to overthrow the sadistic rulers of Ovanon.