Descender, Vol. 1: Tin Stars Paperback – Illustrated, September 9, 2015

Gift for my brother. He liked it.

Jeff Lemire continues writing some of the greatest stories in comic history. Buy it already as you will not regret it!

This harmonious relationship of Laramie’s prose and Nugyen’s illustrations makes for a fascinating read. There unique exploration of how man is both threatened by and simultaneously fascinated by technological advancement is a unique exploration into AI. The emotional connection between AI and their human protectors is similar to the way a child experiences a connection to their favorite stuffed toy and no less powerful. The story successfully explores human interactions and connections between our own creation and simultaneously provides insights to some of our greatest anxieties and fears.

I was totally engulfed by the world and story from the very beginning. I am thrilled by the ending of volume one and can't wait to read more!

Jeff Lemire and Dustin Ngyuen have created a truly unique science fiction realm with its own intriguing history and mysteries, while simultaneously hearkening back to great science fiction realms such as Battlestar: Galactica and Star Wars. It is wonderfully imaginative, suspenseful, engaging, and adorable all at the same time.Lemire's script shows meticulous planning and plotting with a steady pace that leaves the reader wanting more after they close the back cover, and his characterizations are dynamic and relate-able, regardless of whether they are human, alien, or robot. Tim-21, the protagonist, is the perfect choice for the reader to follow on their journey, as he is in the dark just as much as the rest of us are, learning more and more about this world with the turn of every page. I would be remiss if I didn't make note of Driller, a lovable oaf of a hard labor robot, and my personal favorite character. While he never has much to say, it is always something entertaining or poignant.The art...good Lord, the art is phenomenal. Ngyuen's unique style creates a somewhat cartoon-ish realm that somehow feels just as real as the one we all inhabit, all with water-color painted interiors that share a level of quality with Alex Ross' work on Kingdom Come. It is absolutely gorgeous to look at for hours on end, with little nuggets of detail thrown in to ensure that you will find something new with each re-read more often than not.This is a book that I would highly recommend to anyone who is a fan of the comics medium in general, or is a sci-fi fan, or both. I could easily see this story being adapted by a major studio for the big screen and it would feel right at home.

While I'm generally not a huge comic book person, this series has been a wonderful exception for me.Beautifully written and drawn -- the hand-drawn water coloring is some of the most gorgeous comic book art I've ever seen. You could totally leave this on a coffee table and people could just flip the pages and fall in love, without even reading it panel by panel.Sci Fi works really, really well in graphic form, and yet we have so few really good sci fi graphic novels and comics... I'm so glad this series was started.I've been downloading the issues on Comixology, but the art is so georgeous in a way that comes out best in print -- so I wanted to get the first volume when it came out. I was worried I wouldn't want to go back and read it, and that this would be a glorified prop in my book case, but I'm happy to report that getting to pick this story up in hand and see the water colors in person has made me fall in love with the issues in Volume 1 all over again.While I've been downloading the series from Comixology, I have seen enough of the issues in person to know that the first volume's collection is every bit as gorgeous and well done as the individual issues so far..For a $10 price, the cover is fairly durable, so it should hold up well as long as you don't mistreat it.

So far I haven't really engaged with this and doubt I will pick up the next volume. Descender doesn't feel entirely unique or new to me. Rather it borrows heavily from familiar SciFi tropes to create a story that feels old before it's even started. The artwork is unique, but often it's a little too abstract and ultimately confusing. I often find myself wondering what exactly I'm looking at in some panels which tends to take me out of the story. I don't read many comics. Basically just Invincible, Walking Dead and Outcast. But I occasionally try out new titles in hopes of finding a new obsession. I don't think Descender is what I'm looking for.

What do you get with Jeff Lemire's writing and Dustin Nguyen's art? A complex beautiful world that kept me engaged and reading straight through from the moment I opened it up.The story starts 10 years in the past when the planets are attacked by giant robots. When I type "giant" I mean the size of planets! The we turn to today where we meet TIM-21, a child companion robot who awakens to find discover that while he's slept, his world has changed. He is "rescued" by two agents -- Telsa, the daughter of a powerful general, and Tullis, her right hand -- along with the scientist who created TIM-21. Things do not go as planned. The story is told through current happenings, flashbacks, and visions but they are easy to tell apart. The creatures are complex and very interesting.The artwork is amazing. It is painted and looks like it could be hanging in an art museum. I appreciated the change in color schemes to help signal the visions and the current days. The colors give a real sense of differences between the few planets we visit. The lack of harsh definite lines made the pages seem like they were floating in space.I loved it and what the next volume.