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38 reviews for:
The Stand: Soul Survivors
Mike Perkins, Laura Martin, Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, Stephen King
4.35 AVERAGE
38 reviews for:
The Stand: Soul Survivors
Mike Perkins, Laura Martin, Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, Stephen King
4.35 AVERAGE
(This review was originally published by GraphicNovelReporter.com on July 20, 2012)
Adaptations are a tricky business. Stray too far from the source material or inject different plot or character developments and you're ostracized for not being beholden to the material. Follow it too closely and you're criticized for being derivative. Finding a happy medium isn't always easy, particularly when you care so much for the original. I've always been a huge Stephen King fan, and I rank The Stand as one of his absolute best. As such, I was a bit wary of The Stand: Soul Survivors when it landed on my doorstep for review.
Unlike The Dark Tower series Marvel Comics started up a few years back, where the back-story of gunslinger Roland Deschain was unraveled, The Stand represents a straight adaptation of a seminal work in King's pantheon. The world of The Dark Tower had a history that was only briefly mentioned through inferences, but rarely elaboration, which allowed comic writer Peter David to weave a tapestry set well before finding Roland in the desert, chasing after The Man in Black in the first of seven novels. The Stand, however, was a massive self-contained work. There is little room for back-story and interpretation—what you read was what you got. After the success of The Dark Tower comics, both critically and from fans of King's original works, Marvel looked toward another King classic to adapt and turned to the post-apocalyptic world of The Stand.
Soul Survivors is the third and middle volume of Marvel Comics' adaptation of King's enormous novel, and it very much feels like a midway point. A superflu virus has wiped out much of America, and the survivors are learning how to carry on. They're starting to find one another as they trek across the desolate landscapes and regroup. Each of them is haunted by dreams of opposing figures: The Dark Man, who represents the oldest evil on Earth and is leaving a trail of crucified victims along the dead interstates on his way to Las Vegas, and Mother Abigail, a frail geriatric doing God's work by attempting to draw the survivors to her home in Nebraska.
Nick Andros, a deaf mute who can only communicate through his writings, finds the mentally challenged Tom Cullen as he struggles to make it to Abigail. Elsewhere, Stu Redman and his small band of survivors find the ruins of a plague center and learn of the horrors and dangers in this brave new world as they struggle with human slavers and surgery in a world where medicine is scarce. Abigail herself searches for hope in God's will while waiting for the survivors to reach her.
Being the middle volume of the series, Soul Survivors is not the ideal place for new readers to begin the story. As the midway centerpiece to the story, there is a bit of a lull as characters figure out their new place in the world, as they gather themselves and others to prepare for the coming of the Dark Man. For fans of the original novel, curious to see what's happening with this adaptation, it may be easy enough to pick up with this chapter, and there is a fairly helpful synopsis of the events thus far at the start of the volume. As with any adaptation though, there are tricks and shortcuts made from the original. Taking what amounted to several hundred pages in the original novel and translating it into a smaller chunk for the artistic medium requires a certain shorthand. There are flourishes here and there, and some deviations from the original source in order to add a bit of drama through the visuals.
However, if you are a reader who was excited by the opening volleys of The Stand and has followed the story through those two volumes, Captain Trips and American Nightmares, there is certainly no reason not to continue. This volume opens the door for the upcoming chapters, setting the stage for the challenges of surviving in a post-apocalyptic America and the looming battle with the Dark Man and his evil forces. Although I already know where the story is going, I am still curious to see how the comic-book version gets there.
Adaptations are a tricky business. Stray too far from the source material or inject different plot or character developments and you're ostracized for not being beholden to the material. Follow it too closely and you're criticized for being derivative. Finding a happy medium isn't always easy, particularly when you care so much for the original. I've always been a huge Stephen King fan, and I rank The Stand as one of his absolute best. As such, I was a bit wary of The Stand: Soul Survivors when it landed on my doorstep for review.
Unlike The Dark Tower series Marvel Comics started up a few years back, where the back-story of gunslinger Roland Deschain was unraveled, The Stand represents a straight adaptation of a seminal work in King's pantheon. The world of The Dark Tower had a history that was only briefly mentioned through inferences, but rarely elaboration, which allowed comic writer Peter David to weave a tapestry set well before finding Roland in the desert, chasing after The Man in Black in the first of seven novels. The Stand, however, was a massive self-contained work. There is little room for back-story and interpretation—what you read was what you got. After the success of The Dark Tower comics, both critically and from fans of King's original works, Marvel looked toward another King classic to adapt and turned to the post-apocalyptic world of The Stand.
Soul Survivors is the third and middle volume of Marvel Comics' adaptation of King's enormous novel, and it very much feels like a midway point. A superflu virus has wiped out much of America, and the survivors are learning how to carry on. They're starting to find one another as they trek across the desolate landscapes and regroup. Each of them is haunted by dreams of opposing figures: The Dark Man, who represents the oldest evil on Earth and is leaving a trail of crucified victims along the dead interstates on his way to Las Vegas, and Mother Abigail, a frail geriatric doing God's work by attempting to draw the survivors to her home in Nebraska.
Nick Andros, a deaf mute who can only communicate through his writings, finds the mentally challenged Tom Cullen as he struggles to make it to Abigail. Elsewhere, Stu Redman and his small band of survivors find the ruins of a plague center and learn of the horrors and dangers in this brave new world as they struggle with human slavers and surgery in a world where medicine is scarce. Abigail herself searches for hope in God's will while waiting for the survivors to reach her.
Being the middle volume of the series, Soul Survivors is not the ideal place for new readers to begin the story. As the midway centerpiece to the story, there is a bit of a lull as characters figure out their new place in the world, as they gather themselves and others to prepare for the coming of the Dark Man. For fans of the original novel, curious to see what's happening with this adaptation, it may be easy enough to pick up with this chapter, and there is a fairly helpful synopsis of the events thus far at the start of the volume. As with any adaptation though, there are tricks and shortcuts made from the original. Taking what amounted to several hundred pages in the original novel and translating it into a smaller chunk for the artistic medium requires a certain shorthand. There are flourishes here and there, and some deviations from the original source in order to add a bit of drama through the visuals.
However, if you are a reader who was excited by the opening volleys of The Stand and has followed the story through those two volumes, Captain Trips and American Nightmares, there is certainly no reason not to continue. This volume opens the door for the upcoming chapters, setting the stage for the challenges of surviving in a post-apocalyptic America and the looming battle with the Dark Man and his evil forces. Although I already know where the story is going, I am still curious to see how the comic-book version gets there.
Le virus a fait son oeuvre macabre et presque le totalité de la population a été éradiquée. Certains survivants commencent à se regrouper et commencent à quitter les grands centres urbains. Stuart Redman réussi à quitter le centre où il était incarcéré. Il y a aussi des gens mal intentionnés qui commencent à accomplir l'oeuvre du mal incarné en Randall Flagg. Rien ne sera facile pour les survivants.
Jusqu'à présent, je dois dire que l'oeuvre de Stephen King a été merveilleusement adapté en bande dessinée. Les dessins sont toujours aussi beau et représentent bien l'horreur qu'a causé le virus. C'est vraiment bien fait.
Jusqu'à présent, je dois dire que l'oeuvre de Stephen King a été merveilleusement adapté en bande dessinée. Les dessins sont toujours aussi beau et représentent bien l'horreur qu'a causé le virus. C'est vraiment bien fait.
I am really enjoying this graphic adaptation of the series. I think they got Nadine's back story wrong though, I should check. Read it while sitting at the library during my lunch break :)
dark
slow-paced
This would have been a 5-star if it weren't for Joe looking like he is a grown man instead of an 11-year-old boy. Also again Harold Lauder looks like a grown man instead of a teenager. Otherwise, the artwork is great. I love what they are doing for the story so far.
I liked the third part of the ongoing adaptation of the Stand but the first issue rubbed me up the wrong way. I think it was some of the facial expressions between Nick and Tom right at the start that seemed off. At times the narrative style comes across as clunky and doesn't seem to fit the comics medium that well though I think it's a side product of the immense cun down they've had to do to the source material.
Laura Martin gets special commendation though for her outstanding colour work. Some of the splash pages are fantastic and the overall feel of the look is wonderful. I'm still keen to keep reading.
Laura Martin gets special commendation though for her outstanding colour work. Some of the splash pages are fantastic and the overall feel of the look is wonderful. I'm still keen to keep reading.
Need More
I couldn't stop reading. "One more chapter" turned into the whole book. I'm loving every second of the ride (minus the comic reading format this one changed to, as opposed to the way all the other comics I've read on kindle were set up - a way I much preferred and was easier to read than this). Great book. I want so much to stay up and read more, but I'd be up all night. It's really that good.
I couldn't stop reading. "One more chapter" turned into the whole book. I'm loving every second of the ride (minus the comic reading format this one changed to, as opposed to the way all the other comics I've read on kindle were set up - a way I much preferred and was easier to read than this). Great book. I want so much to stay up and read more, but I'd be up all night. It's really that good.
Hoo boy, it's starting to get weird and sexist. Not the adapters' fault, though they didn't help things with they way they framed/drew the whole Julie Lawry section, which I have always hated, and which is not improved by physically improbable short shorts and the type of skinny female comics body that looks stupid in a superhero comic and even dumber in something trying to be gritty.
Anyway, that atmo is still enjoyably visceral. And Frannie is less annoying in this adaptation because you don't constantly have to read that in her diary she spells "says" as "sez." Small mercies!
Anyway, that atmo is still enjoyably visceral. And Frannie is less annoying in this adaptation because you don't constantly have to read that in her diary she spells "says" as "sez." Small mercies!