Chimera #2 (of 4)
Review by Dindrane
Story:
Art:

Written by Brandon Peterson and Ron Marz
Illustrated by Brandon Peterson
Lettered by Dave Lanphear

Published by CrossGeneration Entertainment
Price: $2.95

My Verdict: Wait for the graphic novel compilation.

In this issue of Chimera Sara and Rover have found themselves underground and soon enter a forgotten Progenitor complex. Meanwhile, an Imperial Navy fleet is headed for Serevan and commence their attack. Will Sara find her way out of the underground complex in time to help, and will her help actually turn the tide of the battle in any case?

The plot for this mini-series overall has been intriguing, given the mysteries surrounding the Progenitors and Sara’s connections to them. It is the nature of the mini-series to attempt to tell a coherent story within the bounds of a few issues, and when you also have the burden of world creation and the introduction of totally new characters, then trying to tell a good story in a mere four issues can be tough; that’s why most of the short run titles you’ll see out there deal with established characters and worlds. I would have liked to have seen a few more issues devoted to this series to flesh it out some more and increase the general tension and investment on the part of the reader. It’s hard to care that much about a character you’ve only met a few pages ago, especially when she’s not in every frame.

The art for this issue is strongest in the space battle sequences. The shots of the wormhole, for example, are just lovely. What does baffle me a bit, though, is that inside the issue, Sara, Rover, and the rest look good—detailed, consistent with previous issues, etc—and yet on the cover of this issue, Sara looks, well, a bit like a truck-stop floozy who has had one too many cigarettes. The mecha on the cover even look a bit flat and uninteresting. Given Brandon Peterson’s genuine artistic skill, I can’t imagine why the cover of the issue, of all frames, looks so washed-out, non-pretty, and uninteresting.

One good thing about these issues is that the creators attempt to redress the problems with a limited run series by adding in “information sheets” about the various people and things in the Chimera universe, such as technical specs on the Chimeran heavy cruiser. These pages are all very interesting and nicely done, but I can’t help wishing these pages had been used to develop the story itself further to increase reader investment and character development.

In short, if you want a good science fiction tale with good (internal) art, then check this one out. It’s different from most of the other fantasy or superhero-oriented books out there, and that in itself is refreshing. Perhaps if this series does well, we’ll get a longer, more detailed and therefore more engaging look at the Chimera universe and Sara.