Eden (ENDO Hiroki)
Author |
ENDO Hiroki |
Artist |
ENDO Hiroki |
Primary Genre |
|
Sub Genres |
Sci-fi, Action |
Volumes |
18 |
Licensed |
Yes |
| Publication History | |
Japanese Publisher |
|
Serialized in |
|
Serialization Start |
0000 |
Serialization End |
0000 |
US Publisher |
Dark Horse |
| Series Summary |
Serialized in Afternoon.
Eden takes place after a significant portion of the world's population has fallen to a virus that causes the victims' skin to turn hard, immobilizing and killing them by reducing them to empty shells. The survivors, be they patchwork cyborgs who have replaced their affected anatomy or children who are somehow immune, persevere by skirting, or courting, the resultant social and political anarchy. Volume 1 Review: Billions are dead, cities reduced to rubble, and civilization as we know it has ceased to exist. Humanity has fallen prey to a new and deadly super-virus, one that slowly injures, then kills, with grim and ruthless efficiency. Survivors live by replacing their body parts with mechanical counterparts, becoming cyborgs, pale ghosts of the people they once were. Overlooking this all is Propater, a paramilitary organization set on ruling the shattered remains of the Earth. This is the world that Hiroki Endo brings to life, with both words and artwork. Stuck in this world are a variety of characters, all with complex motivations that drive their actions. They are neither good nor bad, for the most part, but are a mix of selfishness, good intentions, and high-minded responsibility. Characters, like most things in Eden, are more than simply black and white. Instead, they and the world around them are painted in shades of grey. The first half of the book tells the tale of Enoah and Hannah, two teenagers who are the last survivors of a remote research facility that was established to research and fight the virus. Both, for a reason yet unknown, are completely immune to the effects of the virus. They live out their daily lives with the last remaining scientist, who is slowly succumbing to the virus, and Cherub, a sentient AI who used to be the brains inside of a military robot, but no longer has a body. Meanwhile, gradual flashbacks reveal the hidden history of the lab while telling the tale of Enoah's father. The second half of the book takes place 35 years or so after the spread of the virus and centers on Enoah's son, Elijah. Elijah's a young boy who's on a mysterious personal quest, the goal of which remains unknown at this point. The quest sends him traveling through this vast and hostile futuristic landscape, examining the ruins of life caused by the virus. He travels alone, living off the land, with only the rebuilt Cherub to keep him company. His trip, however, takes a sudden change when he meets up with other survivors. Eden has a vast and rather epic to feel to it, caused in large part by Hiroki Endo's artwork. His characters have a simple, if distinctive, look and feel to them. The world they move around in, however, is rich with detail. There are rooms filled with broken computers, cables, wires, and other bits of tangible background items. Likewise, the ruined cities are filled with crumbling buildings, rotting trees, thick vines, frozen bodies, and wildlife run amuck. With this focus on the backgrounds, and usage of the artwork to help carry the story, Eden carries reminders of some of manga's other big cyberpunk series such as Nihei's "Blame!" or Otomo's "Akira". Dark Horse has done well in its production and release of Eden. It's printed in the now standard manga size, though it does carry a slightly higher MSRP of 12.95. The printing is crisp and the sound effects are noted to the side instead of being edited out and replaced by their English counterparts. There are numerous military and scientific terms and acronyms used, especially in the flashback sequences, and they are all explained in the margins. Speaking of the flashbacks, all the flashbacks are printed on black pages, an interesting choice made by either Dark Horse or Kodansha, the original publisher, which serves to increase the sense of time displacement. The book comes shrink wrapped and marked 18+, most likely for several violent and bloody scenes. Where is Elijah headed and what does he plan to do when he gets there? What became of Enoah and Hannah, after they left the sheltered world of the lab? Who exactly is Propater, and what are they really after? For now we must wait for more volumes in order to learn more.
Reviewed by: Firedog Information last updated on Nov 23, 2009 |
