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Of Embassies and Origins - Justice League International Part 2 (Eaglemoss Collection v77)

  Review: Since we are doing a series of reviews focusing on Booster Gold over his nearly 40-year history, we include this one as a collection of some of his earliest appearances, dating to late 1987. That places the original publish date of these tales while his original solo series was still going strong.  This book is a beautiful, glossy hard-cover with smooth and heavy-stock paper inside, although the sometimes-low print reproduction quality leads to blurred and hard to read word balloons on occasion. It is also a rare book here in North America, as Eaglemoss Collections targeted UK fans with this series. At this point in the history of the 1987-rebooted Justice League, they have gained official United Nations recognition and sanction. To ensure their reach truly is global, they rebrand as Justice League International (as does the title of the series!) and they open new headquarters buildings around the world: New York, Paris and Moscow are included here. As this is a product of 19
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Stop the Ceremony! Scion volume 6 - Royal Wedding

 

Cover of Scion volume 6 graphic novel


Review:

The Heron Dynasty, led by royal family King Dane and Prince Ethan, are in a tense and potentially temporary peace with their rival the Raven Dynasty led by King Bron. In these pages, Bron seeks to bring a more lasting peace, merging the two Dynasties by marrying Heron Princess Ylena.

When Ethan hears of it, he rushes home from his travels and his work helping the genetically engineers lower races. He barges into the ceremony - but too late! Yet his reactions and suspicions barely scratch the surface of understanding Bron's devious plot, which all culminates in a rescue mission for his sister and a quest to find their missing and possibly magically controlled father.

The Scion series blends elements of medieval fantasy, sword-and-sorcery, science fiction and romance into an intriguing setting. It's a part of the larger CrossGen Sigil Universe (now owned by Disney and rumored to be resurfacing under Marvel Comics in the future).

Author Ron Marz, most known for his long and legendary run on Green Lantern, knows the Sigil Universe well, having written for 6 different titles over a a five-year period. He has given them incredibly high stakes - life and death, freedom, duty and destiny, kingdoms, dynasty and power. Yet what he has not given them, at least in this volume, is cause to be happy. No one is having any fun here, with the possible exception of Bron. This scarred and cruel villain also shows a human streak, as he carefully, occasionally even tenderly, walks his new bride through the new social expectations.

Artists Jim Cheung and Jim Fern have a way with faces. The features may feel out of proportion, with tiny eyes and mouths set in long, smooth cheeks and foreheads, yet so much is communicated in those faces. A sneer here, a creased brow there, convey so much weight and emotion. The rest of their art is fluid, with strong and striking half and two-third page spreads decorated by thumbnail panels that help to emphasize the main moment portrayed on the page. A clever technique that is used multiple times in these pages.

With strong if somber characters, gorgeous scenery in the visuals, and emotion-laden faces, this book is a treat, even as it marked the end of Marz's three-plus year run on the Scion series.


Description:

"Royal Wedding" is the sixth volume in the original sci-fi gothic romance series Scion. Contained here are hard-to-find, out-of-print issues 34-39, never before published in collected form. Fans of Scion familiar with its history will recall that its original publisher suffered unfortunate financial difficulty that led to its downfall before the series could be completed and Volume 6 published. Now Checker Book Publishing has made this release a reality.

Nightmares plague Heron and Raven equally as sigil-bearer Prince Ethan's story is continued in Volume 6 by award-winning writer Ron Marz. While his estranged father plans for the peace, the sigil-marked hero, Prince Ethan, tries to establish a free island nation for the genetically engineered lower races. Ethan returns to the West Dynasty with news of an invasion, too late to prevent his sister Ylena's marriage to his enemy King Bron of the Raven Dynasty. With a foreign invasion imminent, Ethan and Kai move deep into Raven territory to reclaim their sister and find the ensorcelled King Dane.

Expressive faces and regal Arthurian atmosphere are the work of Jim Cheung and guest pencillers, as is fluid movement, highly expressive postures and expressions and beautiful surroundings. Eisner Award nominated colorist Jason Keith and others capture changing daylight and dim shadow, the heat of conflict and coolness of tranquility; the saturated colors of determination and the muted shades of resignation. Castles, ancient forests, elements of the supernatural, omens, blood feuds and chivalry combine with futuristic technology to make this part of the Sigil-verse completely unique.

Collects: issues #34-39

Authors:  Ron Marz
Artists:  Jim Cheung, Jim Fern
Published By:  Checker Book Publishing Group
Published When:  2007
Parental Rating: Teen
ISBN:  9781933160603




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