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Manifest Eternity #1 Book Released: 7 June 2006 Review posted: 16 June 2006 Writer: Scott Lobdell Artist: Dustin Nguyen Publisher: DC/Wildstorm  3.00 out of 5 Stars Reviewed by Robert Murray

After Wildstorm’s less-than-stellar Robotech: Prelude to the Shadow Chronicles, I thought the imprint might wait a while before introducing another space war epic; yet here comes Scott Lobdell and Dustin Nguyen with Manifest Eternity #1, an issue that was less than thrilling, barring the shocking ending. We have our introductions to the stereotypical main characters and the possibility of a juicy racism subplot created by prior interspecies warfare, yet many of the possibilities are burned up in the end along with many of the characters we have just come to know. Granted, we found out very little besides the basics, but it still shocked me a little to see the most fleshed out character in #1, namely Bozydej, seemingly removed from the series in the final frame. I’m sure Lobdell has a plan, but whatever that plan may be, I expected more out of the first issue of Manifest Eternity.

Lobdell crafts a story involving an unprovoked attack by a group of mysterious dwarf-like creatures who are able to turn their victims into stone. Add to this a dragon about to throw down in the middle of space and I found myself asking, “What the heck is going on?” There looks to be a deliberate mixture of genres in the works here, as Lord of the Rings collides with Star Trek, which is a compelling direction for the title. Combined with the dolphin-like Trillians and the pent-up human hostility toward these former enemies, there looks to be an interesting future for the title.

However, judging from my interpretations of the first issue, Manifest Eternity looks to be another cut-and-dry attempt at portraying the horrors of war within the

If I could give only one reason to purchase Manifest Eternity #1, it would be to experience Nguyen’s fine art display.

cold blackness of space. I’m sure that Tark is our new Luke Skywalker, looking for reasons and revenge for the death of his friend Bozydej. Lobdell conveniently portrays Tark as a younger man than Bozydej, although they are contemporaries due to their use of bio-implants. The writing on the wall couldn’t be any clearer; my only hope is that Lobdell refrains from the same sort of predictability that haunted his run on Alpha Flight, which never seemed to surprise me at all. If #2 concerns the action exploits of Tark and his blazing guns, I’m out of this series for good!

As for Nguyen’s artwork, I think that the style he displays in Manifest Destiny #1 is a clear indication of his confidence working in the sequential artform. Nguyen experiments with the colors and background images in nearly every panel of this issue, creating a unique imagining of the setting with some dream-like aesthetics thrown in for good measure. The action is very entertaining as well, with the typical Wildstorm blurring to give the scenes a sense of motion that is absent from many modern comics, even though it aggravates me occasionally. This is virtuoso work by Nguyen, substantially more original and enthralling than his previous work on Batman and Authority: Revolution. If I could give only one reason to purchase this comicbook, it would be to experience Nguyen’s fine art display.

However, I don’t normally describe myself as a curmudgeon, so there are definitely more reasons than one for picking up this first issue. The potential for an exciting series is definitely

The teaming of top talents Scott Lobdell and Dustin Nguyen yields a generally unimpressive first issue.

apparent here, and the political themes boiling under the surface could make for some great dramatic moments. Plus, there is no denying that intrigue lurks on the horizon, as most of the narration in #1 comes from characters we presumably haven’t yet met, but when you put the many pieces of this first issue together in your head you realize that it’s messy and slightly confusing. What the heck is going on with the two page spread featuring a wise man spouting Apocalyptic doom and gloom? The construction of Manifest Eternity #1 doesn’t instill me with faith concerning #2, but I will definitely give it a go, and you should too if you’re jonesing for a well-drawn space war!

 

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