Ocean

This is one of the best graphic novels I've read in some time. It's pure science fiction, set on a UN research station orbiting the Jovian moon of Europa. Under the carbon dioxide ice, there's a free-water ocean, and in the deeps of that ocean the researchers discover a vast number of sarcophagi containing alien bodies that have been in suspended animation for a billion years. But there are also robotic weapons down there, extremely dangerous ones, and they've been armed -- maybe accidentally, maybe not -- by the only other space station in the vicinity -- one owned by a highly independent multinational corporation that develops new weapons. Hence the arrival of Special Weapons Inspector Nathan Kane to see what can be done before someone blows up a planet. The writing is very high quality with considerable wittily cinematic dialogue, and the artwork is also of very high quality. This could easily be converted into a film (maybe by Peter Hyams, writer-director of OUTLAND).

Ocean finds Warren Ellis' penchant for mad ideas and love of space colliding once again. In the future, UN weapons inspector Nathan Kane is dispatched to a space station that has made a shocking discovery. Beneath the ocean of the moon Europa are thousands of caskets containing the sleeping bodies of a violent alien race with weapons powerful enough to destroy the planet, but this isn't the worst of the matter. Powerful software corporation DOORS (in a delicious turn on Microsoft's Windows) has their own intentions for the weapons, and their insane and amoral supervisor is leading the charge. As with his other original stories, Ocean is ripe with ideas and themes that fans who have read Ellis' work would come to expect, with smart and snappy dialogue and action scenes that are nicely choreographed, thanks to the superb art of Chris Sprouse. While it never reaches the level of Ellis' other space operas, Orbiter in particular, Ocean is still one of the best and original sci-fi comics you'll find around today, and it only further cements Ellis' place as a master of the genre in the comics medium.

The art by Chris Sprouse and Karl Story is spectacular. Sprouse has crafted a style that is simple and elegant. All his line-work and compositions are so perfectly designed that you'll find yourself looking at them with awe. The story by Warren Ellis is a page-turner and definitely a satisfying read. Interestingly, at times, I found the character of United Nations Weapons Inspector Nathan Kane and his interactions with the characters in the story more interesting than the story itself. Bring him back Warren. He deserves another series.

Strange things have been found under the ice on Europa. A United Nations weapons inspector has been sent to evaluate the situation. Nathan Kane is the inspector and he manages to come off quite a bit like Jackson King from the Stormwatch books. But while this is a Wildstorm book, it does not fit in with the Wildstorm universe made popular by so many titles. Here Kane has found himself in a frightening position. There are weapons under the ice. Very deadly weapons. Ones capable of totally destroying planets. But things are worse than that. There are no real secrets and Kane is not the only one there. A software powerhouse wants to take over the power and technology that is just waiting to be taken. But what if the original owners have different ideas and don't care a whit for humanity? The story is fast paced and full of action. Kane is an interesting character but I wish he wasn't so much like King (even changing his name would have improved that situation). The action, tension and peril build very quickly but the comic format does not allow for a complex solution. Instead a simple tried and true solution that is almost cliched is pulled out and the story finishes. I would have liked a bit more work on the resolution but it is not a bad one, just a little quick. Warren Ellis fans will definitely want to check this one out.

This is a fast-moving, compelling graphic novel, collecting a 6-part series in which a 22nd Century UN weapons inspector is sent to one of Jupiter's moons to investigate what turns out to be a rather ominous finding. Along the way, he butts up against an evil corporation which also has its eyes on the deadly technology... There are obvious echoes of the "Aliens" film series, but these similarities won't make this book any less enjoyable. A good, brisk script, backed up by top-notch artwork. Recommended!