The Comic Book Bin
More Comics (733) Articles

 
Comics : Comic Reviews : More Comics
Last Updated: Feb 7, 2010 - 8:33:04 AM




Raythe Reign
Transhuman #1
By Zak Edwards
Mar 28, 2008 - 15:27:16 PM

Email this Article
 Printer Friendly Page
 Mobile Friendly Page

Add to Del.icio.us     Add To Reddit
Add To Digg     Add To Stumbleupon
Add To Technorati Favorites     Add To Ask


Transhuman #1
Image Comics
Written by Jonathan Hickman
Art by JM Ringuet

Transhuman is an amazing concept, it takes the modern biological questions like genetics and cyber-enhancement and applies it to our consumer culture.  What would happen if scientists were able to modify human beings using either genetic manipulation or cybernetics?  How would those discoveries be utilized?  Writer Jonathan Hickman theorizes that these discoveries would lead to one of the greatest marketing wars in human history as each side of the human enhancement industry tries to get their hands on a very eager consumer base.  This comic book explores the origins and events leading up to the advertising wars in the engaging Transhuman.  The comic has some minor obscenities, making it possibly inappropriate for younger readers.

Transhuman1_c1.jpg
The first issue of Transhuman follows a television documentary style, comprised of a series of interviews with all sorts of key players in the genetic and cybernetic industry, from geneticists to CEO’s of powerful pharmaceutical companies and many people in between.  Hickman also draws personal drama into the documentary through interviews with these characters after the fact.  Scientists who once worked together are now bitter enemies, an ex-husband and wife discuss their working relationship while a distance is felt in their personal information.  Hickman has obviously placed importance on keeping the comic in the same style as documentary with great effectiveness.  The comic is almost entirely a series of talking heads but his ideas and scenarios make for a very engaging comic book.  I just feel that this series can not be fully discovered in a mere four issues, this feels like a series that would benefit from an extended run like Y: The Last Man or Transmetropolitan.  Perhaps this is a comic book that would also be more effective in a different medium, like a straight prose novel.  But if Hickman has proven anything in this single issue, it is that he knows what he’s doing, what he wants to communicate, and how he will relate that to his audience.  It is a very exciting series to be a part of and I highly recommend it.

JM Ringuet has very little to work with in this comic book as the majority of the comic involves aging scientists and entrepreneurs discussing the subject matter in their offices.  Not too much excitement in the conventional sense.  In the little places where Ringuet can flex a little, the results are mediocre.  Nothing about his art is amazing, sometimes it feels too unrealistic given the material.  But once again, he does not have much to work with.  I am looking forward to where this series goes in the little time it has.

8.5/10    A very interesting idea that has got me very excited.

If you would like to e-mail me your own thoughts and opinions, I can be reached at zak@comicbookbin.com with your mature comments and criticism.



Related Articles:
Image Comics On-Sale 02/03/2010
Image Comics On-Sale 01/27/2010
Image United #2
Image Comics On-Sale 01/20/2010
Image United #1
Image Comics On-Sale 01/13/2010
Image Comics On-Sale 01/06/2010
More Images from Upcoming Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths DVD
Image Comics On-Sale 12/23/2009
Image Comics On-Sale 12/16/2009



Comment Script Join the discussion:

Add a Comment

Comments


© Copyright 2002-2010, Coolstreak Cartoons Inc. - All rights Reserved. All other texts, images, characters and trademarks are copyright their respective owners. Use of material in this document(including reproduction, modification, distribution, electronic transmission or republication) without prior written permission is strictly prohibited.

Top of Page

Legends: The Enchanted #0
Grimm and gritty.
Aladdin: Legacy of the Lost #1
Don't talk to stranger sorcerers.
The Talisman: The Road of Trials #3
Into the woods!
Image United #2
I apologize to people who want to read more constructive criticism rather and than a long list of witty comments about what is wrong with this comic book
The Tick Specials: The Complete Works
This omnibus of Tick holiday specials is a has some high highs and mediocre lows.
Ex Occultus: Badge of Langavat
19th Century occult investigators battle a clan of werewolves based on a real life folktale in this great debut one shot.
Walt Disney Comics and Stories #702
Super Daisy and Duck Avenger battle villains Spectrus and Zafire while Uncle Scrooge and the Beagle Boys try to escape from a villains’ compound
The Incredibles # 4
Dash is punished because instead of saving his sister and worrying about the safety of his family
Strange Space Stories #1
Old fashioned science-fiction from Main Enterprises
Transformers #3
The Autobots are in disarray as the humans have found a way to control their motor skills
Invincible #69
Will Invincible pick the wrong fight and risk the freedom of planet Earth?
Image United #1
The heroes of the Image Universe are confronted with several major threats which forces them to band together and stop an evil too great for any of them to stop
Bone: Rose
The prequel to the famous Jeff Smith's Bone series.
Reed Gunther in Trains, Reigns, and Pains!
“Holy steak and beans!” There’s more to Sterling than meets the eye! Including…a last name?!
The Order of Dagonet #2
The Knights of The Order begin their trek to London, and one particularly flamboyant Knight joins the ranks.