Distant Soil, Vol. 1

Rating:
Summary: Twisting complex plot and beautiful graphics
Review: The plot of A Distant Soil involves aliens who look just like people and whose society is based entirely on psychic energy by which they communicate. We follow the story of Liana, a girl who has been raised in a mental institution where her psychic powers are studied. She and her brother, her only family in the world, escape. They are separated and Liana is approached by aliens who explain that she has very powerful psychic powers and they need her help. Their society is ruled by a single person (alien?) with very powerful skills at organizing psychic energy. This person, the Avatar, serves as a religious leader and also

There is a certain amount of disconcerting randomness here. Author Colleen Doran began publishing this series (its been redrawn for this release) when she was in her teens. This may explain why this book is the way it is. It is lots like a teen girl's daydream: beautiful drawings with lots of flowy lines, Galahad comes from the land of Avalon through a time warp and accompanies our heros into space among other plot oddities.

So the plot is kind of stupid. At the same time it is extremely complex and twisting. Characters have complex motives and act accordingly. We see lots of politics. And it all makes sense. Within this random random world there aren't inconsistencies. There are things to figure out and a plot to follow.

The drawings here are very nice. They are done in a very defined line drawing style. Every page is well done and also pretty: art nouveau flowers and rainbows pretty. Battles fought with psychic energy work well with this style of representation. The layouts are packed (in a good way) and there is lots happening on every page.

I liked this but I don't know if it is worth reading in general. It is an intelligent and involving comic... ... on the other hand: Galahad in space is never a good sign.

Rating:
Summary: The classic SF/Fantasy graphic novel!
Review: This book has been around ahwile as the artist/author began work on it while still a high school girl. This only makes the depth of characterization in the story and drawing skill displayed here even more remarkable! "A Distant Soil" tells the tale of a fifteen year old girl, Liana, (strongly resembling the author herself) who inherits an amazing power, the power of the Avatar, able to draw on the collective psionic force of all the people of her father's (Aeren's) homeworld. Having fled to Earth as an exile many years before and leaving two half human children hidden there, children who are exploited for their psychic abilities, it turns out that he was a rebel who was helping the current Avatar overthrow the ... government of his world. Now that Liana has grown to be an Avatar herself, she is a danger to her own people and is under an assasination order. How Doran manages to fit Arthurian legend and everything else but the kitchen sink into this tale (now in three volumes--and I am waiting with bated breath for the fourth) is a long story you had better read yourself...just make sure you do read it. I can't recommend it enough! Later volumes get even better!