Text 6985, 138 rader
Skriven 2006-08-27 12:14:00 av Robert E Starr JR (7482.babylon5)
Ärende: In Valen's Name, Part One
=================================
* * * This message was from jphalt@aol.com to rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5.m * * *
         * * * and has been forwarded to you by Lord Time * * *         
            -----------------------------------------------             

@MSGID: <1156574800.484125.291500@i42g2000cwa.googlegroups.com>
Back to the comics series for the first in a special 3-issue arc,
joining the past and the future of "Babylon 5."


THE PLOT

With the Shadow War at its end, the command staff is starting to relax
a bit. Susan is lounging around C & C, casually telling stories about
the end of the Shadow War and about the strangest thing that she ever
witnessed: Ambassador Sinclair's trip back in time on the "lost
dutchman" known as Babylon 4.

As Susan reflects herself, her words ultimately tempt fate just a
little too far. At that very moment, a distress call is intercepted.
Its source? Babylon 4. The most expensive of the Babylon stations has
appeared again - this time an old, battered relic of the previous war
against the Shadows, one thousand years earlier.

Sheridan, Susan, Delenn, and Garibaldi embark on an expedition to
Babylon 4, to investigate what happened to it in the past, and to see
if they can salvage it as a monument for the Minbari. They discover
several strange things. There is a group of unknown aliens on the
station, ready to ambush anyone who enters. There is a message in
Babylon 4's C & C, testimony from members of the Warrior Caste and
the Religious Caste, recalling and recording the arrival of Valen and
his strange companion, Zathras.

Most troubling of all, they discover that Babylon 4 is on an
irreversible decline into the orbit of Epsilon 3. The station is doomed
in 24 hours... and unless they can find a way off the station, so are
they!


THE GOOD

It is very nice to return to the "Babylon 5" comics series. The comics
published during the series' second seasons complemented the arc in
ways much more satisfying than many of the Dell novels did. With the
active involvement of J. Michael Straczynski, the comics' stories
felt very much like a part of the show's fabric. They slotted into
their spots in continuity seamlessly, expanding on areas of the arc
that the show itself didn't have time or resources for. We were able
to see Sinclair's arrival on Minbar; we were able to witness
Garibaldi's first meeting with Sinclair; and we even had Talia's
fate foreshadowed in a late issue of the series. The series' universe
became a larger and richer place through the stories told in the
comics.

"In Valen's Name" carries on in this tradition. Unlike the novels
that I've been reviewing thus far in Season Four, this comics issue
feels absolutely "right" at this point in the arc. The Vorlon/Shadow
War took up the greater part of Seasons Two and Three, before coming to
a climax in early Season Four. Also, one of the series' earliest,
truly intriguing mysteries was that of Babylon 4. The question of
Babylon 4's fate, and its ties to Sinclair, were answered in the
Season Three 2-parter, "War Without End."  The station was taken into
the past to use as a base to fight the Shadows one thousand years ago.
In taking it back, Sinclair became Valen and insured the Shadows'
defeat - which in turn made them much more vulnerable in the series'
present.

This made Babylon 4, Sinclair's fate, and the rise of Valen all an
instrumental part of the series' Shadow arc. Given that fact, the
exit of Babylon 4 and Sinclair at the relative midpoint of the arc was
always just a touch unsatisfying. Thanks to this comic, we return to
wrap up the story of both Babylon 4 and Sinclair/Valen at exactly the
right point. Having seen the end of the final Shadow War, we now
reflect on the end of the war that preceded it - the war that had such
a great effect on Sheridan's eventual success. Structurally, the
presence of this comics trilogy makes the transition between the Shadow
arc and the last phase of the series much smoother than it had been
without it.

With this installment, at least, written by J. Michael Stracyznski,
it's little surprise that the characters mostly feel right, as well.
Upon learning of Babylon 4's return, Sheridan - the man who loves
both history and new discoveries - cannot resist the lure of
discovering what happened to it. "We have an obligation to history," he
says, even as he acknowledges Garibaldi's words of caution.

Susan's pessimism is also nicely captured. Susan's voice is the one
that frames the story; she's the character narrating these events,
recalling them from some future point. Her dry observations are highly
amusing. "That's the problem any time I ever allow myself to think,
'Well, it could be worse,'" she notes. "Nine times out of ten, it
gets worse. Fast." As with Sheridan, her reactions feel perfectly in
character, as well as being entertaining in themselves.


THE BAD

If the strengths of the old comics series are brought forward in this
3-issue special, then so is the range's greatest weakness: the
artwork. The good news is that the artwork for this installment is not
nearly as weak as that of the first six issues of the old comics
series. The characters actually do generally resemble their television
counterparts, with both Garibaldi and Sheridan particularly well
captured.

Unfortunately, the characters tend to be posed very unnaturally.
There's an action shot that literally shows Sheridan and Garibaldi
tilted at an angle with fists pumping, as if they are running in place.
It's hard to describe the exact way in which this frame doesn't
work, but the frame itself captures my complaint perfectly. The
characters look like they're posing, as if for a camera. Also,
there's a slight "halo effect" around the characters in this frame
and in many others, as if the characters had been pasted into the
background.

It's not the woefully inept artwork of "Laser! Mirror! Starweb!"
(which may be the very worst art in a professionally produced comic
that I have ever seen). But the artwork is decidedly flat. Certainly,
no frames draw the eye in the way much of the actual series does.
Indeed, with more freedom to tell a broader and more epic story, it is
disappointing that visually the scale of this comic feels much smaller
than that of the show itself.


Of course, this is only the first part of a 3-part story, so very
little is truly developed in this issue. The characters are
successfully put in jeopardy for the cliffhanger ending, and the needed
exposition for both past & present day stories is put forth. It's an
intriguing beginning, on a story basis, but - like any first
installment in a comic arc - reviewing it individually is much like
reviewing the first 20 minutes of a televised episode. Overall, the
story has my attention at this point. However, my final judgment will
depend on what comes next.


My Final Rating: 7/10.
                                              
--- SBBSecho 2.11-Win32
 * Origin: Time Warp of the Future BBS - Home of League 10 (1:14/400)