Scarlet Traces: The Great Game

As noted by the other reviewer(s), this graphic novel should appeal to all fans of `retro' SF and steampunk, such as devotees of the `Extraordinary Gentlemen' series of comics. And if you're not a steampunk fan but can appreciate good storytelling and handsome artwork, well, then you too should pick up a copy (along with `Scarlet Traces', if you haven't done so already). [However, in a post-literate, XBox- and Playstation- dominated landscape, I suspect that some of the little nudges and sly pop culture references that appear in `Game' may draw blank looks from readers under 40.] As a sequel to `Scarlet Traces', `Game' deals with the British-led war against the Martians on the latter's home turf. After ace news reporter Charlotte Hemmings (who seems to be based on the pioneering reporter Marguerite Higgins) looks a bit too closely at the political machinations behind the conduct of the war, she finds her life in danger. Aged adventurer Robert Autumn, from `Scarlet Traces', intervenes to save her, and arranges for Charlotte to journey to the battlefield. Once on Mars she discovers that there are bigger stories at play than just the combat with the Martians. The Victorian-meets-alien aesthetic that defined the artwork of `Scarlet Traces' is thoroughly updated in `Game', which isn't shy about paying homage to the great `Dan Dare' British SF comics of the 50s and 60s. Anyone who prefers their rocket ships to be needle-nosed, with great sweeping fins and colorful livery, will find satisfaction in `Game'. Both land and space battles are rendered with verve and color by D'Israeli, whose style calls to mind the cleanly delineated draftsmanship of European artists (such as Herge') of the mid-20th century. This may be a reflection of the book's initial incarnation as a web comic; however, it's gratifying to see yet another SF title that doesn't rely on the figurative art style so in vogue in so many horror or fantasy titles on the shelves.

The most charming element of the Great Game, and its predecessor Scarlet Traces is the notion that following the H.G. Wells epic War of the Worlds, the British Empire reverse engineers captured Martian technology and become THE world power. Edginton does a wonderful job of believably inserting advanced alien technology into British culture and society, and the artwork of D'Isreal on both volumes is nothing short of stunning. While the first volume is a guided tour of this alternate Britain, the Great Game picks up years later and follows photojournalist Charlotte Hemmings as she journeys to the Martian front, where English soldiers are the invaders. Again, as in the first book, not all is as it seems, and the march of progress steps to the cadence of conspiracy and deceit. Despite the return of aged adventurer Robert Autumn from the first volume, this book doesn't have the same appeal. The story moves a bit too fast to maintain any real suspense, which drains the life out of the big reveal at the end of the book. A number of story elements have also recently appeared in other contemporary graphic novels; this book could just as easily have been a sequel to Alan Moore's League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Volume Two, or Ministry of Space, by Warren Ellis. It is still leaps and bounds ahead of most graphic novels on the shelf, and gets four stars. The art is beautiful and will appeal to Dan Dare fans. Though the pacing is rushed, the Great Game is fun science fiction and worth reading (at least once), Also, the thin hardback binding is alluring, and fits wonderfully next to Scarlet Traces and the War of the Worlds graphic novel adaptation by the same team.