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ppetropoulakis's review
5.0
First volume of Jean Giraud's, Moebius collected works. Starting with Upon a Star and visiting the world of Edena it is one of the most influential works in the later half of the 20th century.
jeffhall's review
5.0
Just about everything I've ever seen from Jean Giraud's pen is great, but with the featured story in this volume ("Upon a Star") he began to embrace a simpler visual style. This particular edition from Epic (owned by Marvel Comics) features commentary from the artist, and his explication of the change in style is illuminating:
"I was trying to fight one of my problems, which was to compensate for any imprecisions in my linework, or for any limpness in style, by a sheer accumulation of details."
And the results are truly impressive: "Upon a Star" is visually spectacular, evoking bold visions from simple graphical elements. While the spiritually-focused story is left unresolved in this volume, the wonderful beauty of the panels is enough to carry the reader along, and leave them eagerly anticipating the further development of the Aedena Cycle.
"I was trying to fight one of my problems, which was to compensate for any imprecisions in my linework, or for any limpness in style, by a sheer accumulation of details."
And the results are truly impressive: "Upon a Star" is visually spectacular, evoking bold visions from simple graphical elements. While the spiritually-focused story is left unresolved in this volume, the wonderful beauty of the panels is enough to carry the reader along, and leave them eagerly anticipating the further development of the Aedena Cycle.
jemppu's review
5.0
Moebius, the alpha and omega of modern visual SF&F telling. The 'brand guide' to countless well known productions: Alien, Star Wars, Dune, Blade Runner, The Abyss, Tron... even Sandman. And the inspiration and/or collaborator to many, who themselves would become to be considered greats on the field: Lucas, Ralph McQuarrie, Ridley, Besson, Jodorowsky, Miyazaki, Gaiman... and numerous others, no doubt including those working behind the scenes to bring works of fantastical fiction alive in pretty much any production today.
My own connection to Moebius' masterful art goes back to childhood, but in light of that, the true appreciation for it bloomed relatively late.
I believe my very first introduction to the imagination of Jean Giraud - if not their work per se - would have been the movie Heavy Metal: adult animated film, heavily based on imagery and creatures originally featured in Moebius' work. Cheesy as the film may have been even to a six year old(*, it did fascinate with it's brutality, sex and the storyline connecting together worlds across millennia.
*) We were brought up rather 'free range', my sister and I; there were no such things like 'adult' shows, which I must've learned was not the case with all households at the age of eight or so, when bringing this very movie to a friend's for viewing, only to have the matriarch of the house walk in on us upon the climax of the film, where Taarna, the all but nude female warrior is being mutilated by and mutilates the grotesque saw-handed monster-man antagonist in a bloody battle. Scoldings were had, and this was the incident I would later remember as my first real-life experience with this sort of prudish mindfulness regarding age-appropriateness.
The comics themselves I came by only later, at the age of ten or thereabouts, when while us kids were emptying the library shelves of our own Franco-Belgians - Asterix, Lucky Luke, Spirou, Tintin, Valerian (plus Pinis' ElfQuest) - our dad would take home few of their own (this also lead to my introduction to [a:Milo Manara|31795|Milo Manara|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1361382857p2/31795.jpg] *tips hat*).
I don't remember having thought much of this 'Moebius' at the time, other than feeling perhaps mild fascination about them being the source of the particular movie that had got me into trouble years ago, and recognizing my artist dad's appreciation of them (and seeing some surrealistic influences too, perhaps, though Dali as their main idol it'd been hard to tell exactly). Ironically still, among my own library picks were Giraud's Lt Blueberry, whose art I would drool over intensely, even though the only story I ever truly got captivated by was that of [b:Angel Face|5742363|Angel Face|Jean-Michel Charlier|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1502583935l/5742363._SX50_.jpg|2499780].
Only in my twenties, when I would finally fully realize and admit to my connoisseurism for forms of comic art 'officially', did my appreciation for Moebius too rise to the expected/deserved levels. I would remember these comics from childhood, fawn over the artistry through online communities, and indeed observe the influences in films I consumed, but didn't happen by the books themselves again.
Until now. Here again, in my thirties, returning to the origin of my comics appreciation: the library graphic novels section. Re-united with these comics and loving the stories as well as the art more than ever before. Fascinated to rediscover them: to read Giraud's anecdotes on the stories, learn of their inspirations and their own influences, now that I have some grasp of and experience with them myself.
I must thank my late old man for the early connection point they inadvertently created which resulted to this personal history now existing (and whom ever taped that Heavy Metal film... if a separate entity).
My own connection to Moebius' masterful art goes back to childhood, but in light of that, the true appreciation for it bloomed relatively late.
I believe my very first introduction to the imagination of Jean Giraud - if not their work per se - would have been the movie Heavy Metal: adult animated film, heavily based on imagery and creatures originally featured in Moebius' work. Cheesy as the film may have been even to a six year old(*, it did fascinate with it's brutality, sex and the storyline connecting together worlds across millennia.
*) We were brought up rather 'free range', my sister and I; there were no such things like 'adult' shows, which I must've learned was not the case with all households at the age of eight or so, when bringing this very movie to a friend's for viewing, only to have the matriarch of the house walk in on us upon the climax of the film, where Taarna, the all but nude female warrior is being mutilated by and mutilates the grotesque saw-handed monster-man antagonist in a bloody battle. Scoldings were had, and this was the incident I would later remember as my first real-life experience with this sort of prudish mindfulness regarding age-appropriateness.
The comics themselves I came by only later, at the age of ten or thereabouts, when while us kids were emptying the library shelves of our own Franco-Belgians - Asterix, Lucky Luke, Spirou, Tintin, Valerian (plus Pinis' ElfQuest) - our dad would take home few of their own (this also lead to my introduction to [a:Milo Manara|31795|Milo Manara|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1361382857p2/31795.jpg] *tips hat*).
I don't remember having thought much of this 'Moebius' at the time, other than feeling perhaps mild fascination about them being the source of the particular movie that had got me into trouble years ago, and recognizing my artist dad's appreciation of them (and seeing some surrealistic influences too, perhaps, though Dali as their main idol it'd been hard to tell exactly). Ironically still, among my own library picks were Giraud's Lt Blueberry, whose art I would drool over intensely, even though the only story I ever truly got captivated by was that of [b:Angel Face|5742363|Angel Face|Jean-Michel Charlier|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1502583935l/5742363._SX50_.jpg|2499780].
Only in my twenties, when I would finally fully realize and admit to my connoisseurism for forms of comic art 'officially', did my appreciation for Moebius too rise to the expected/deserved levels. I would remember these comics from childhood, fawn over the artistry through online communities, and indeed observe the influences in films I consumed, but didn't happen by the books themselves again.
Until now. Here again, in my thirties, returning to the origin of my comics appreciation: the library graphic novels section. Re-united with these comics and loving the stories as well as the art more than ever before. Fascinated to rediscover them: to read Giraud's anecdotes on the stories, learn of their inspirations and their own influences, now that I have some grasp of and experience with them myself.
I must thank my late old man for the early connection point they inadvertently created which resulted to this personal history now existing (and whom ever taped that Heavy Metal film... if a separate entity).
jgkeely's review
3.0
This book collects early examples of Moebius' science fiction work, and is typical for showing his exploration of different artistic styles. Several of the works were commissioned by big business interests who wanted to inspire their employees and readers.
The commercial aspects of these stories are a bit silly, as is Moebius' attempt to inject his humanitarian spiritual philosophies. Each story has a foreword and afterword, and in these Moebius talks briefly about his experiences with various spiritual movements and gurus.
The story published in a French finance magazine is particularly saccharine, with long expository passages about mankind's propensity for war, destructive nature, failure to live 'in balance', and the failure of its religions to move towards 'cosmic unity'. Like many romanticized sci fi allegories before and since, Moebius' aliens are stand-ins for angels, and all the philosophies of peace, love, and progress they espouse are about as profound as you'd expect.
There are some interesting moments in the comics, which seem original and thought-provoking, but Moebius often ends up trying to explain them to us, immediately transforming them from mysterious to didactic allegory.
Still there is some originality, depth of character, sense of humor, and lovely art which lift the works up.
The commercial aspects of these stories are a bit silly, as is Moebius' attempt to inject his humanitarian spiritual philosophies. Each story has a foreword and afterword, and in these Moebius talks briefly about his experiences with various spiritual movements and gurus.
The story published in a French finance magazine is particularly saccharine, with long expository passages about mankind's propensity for war, destructive nature, failure to live 'in balance', and the failure of its religions to move towards 'cosmic unity'. Like many romanticized sci fi allegories before and since, Moebius' aliens are stand-ins for angels, and all the philosophies of peace, love, and progress they espouse are about as profound as you'd expect.
There are some interesting moments in the comics, which seem original and thought-provoking, but Moebius often ends up trying to explain them to us, immediately transforming them from mysterious to didactic allegory.
Still there is some originality, depth of character, sense of humor, and lovely art which lift the works up.
hypops's review
4.0
[Comics Canon Review]
The stories collected here have unusual origins, though perhaps that’s to be expected for such an unusual cartoonist. The eponymous story, “Upon a Star,” is the clear standout in this collection. The others are very good, but not at all of the same caliber. Even if not representing his best work, this collection nevertheless shows Moebius at his most accessible.
The stories collected here have unusual origins, though perhaps that’s to be expected for such an unusual cartoonist. The eponymous story, “Upon a Star,” is the clear standout in this collection. The others are very good, but not at all of the same caliber. Even if not representing his best work, this collection nevertheless shows Moebius at his most accessible.
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