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Undiscovered Country #1-6
Undiscovered Country, Vol. 1: Destiny
The smash hit series written by New York Times bestselling writers SCOTT SNYDER (WYTCHES, AD: AFTER DEATH) and CHARLES SOULE (CURSE WORDS, Oracle Year) with art by GIUSEPPE CAMUNCOLI (The Amazing Spider-Man, Darth Vader, Hellblazer), DANIELE ORLANDINI (Darth Vader) and Eisner Award-winning colorist MATT WILSON (THE WICKED + THE DIVINE, PAPER GIRLS) gets its first collection!
In UNDISCOVERED COUNTRY, readers will journey into an unknown region that was once the United States of America-a mysterious land that has been literally walled off from the rest of the world for well over a century. Two small expeditions enter the former US simultaneously-one from the east, one from the west-and journey inward, each seeking their own form of truth as they struggle to survive in this strange and deadly lost country!
Collects UNDISCOVERED COUNTRY #1-6
In UNDISCOVERED COUNTRY, readers will journey into an unknown region that was once the United States of America-a mysterious land that has been literally walled off from the rest of the world for well over a century. Two small expeditions enter the former US simultaneously-one from the east, one from the west-and journey inward, each seeking their own form of truth as they struggle to survive in this strange and deadly lost country!
Collects UNDISCOVERED COUNTRY #1-6
144 pages, Paperback
First published June 23, 2020
About the author
Scott Snyder
1,853 books4,602 followersScott Snyder is the Eisner and Harvey Award winning writer on DC Comics Batman, Swamp Thing, and his original series for Vertigo, American Vampire. He is also the author of the short story collection, Voodoo Heart, published by the Dial Press in 2006. The paperback version was published in the summer of 2007.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 246 reviews
July 16, 2022
After finishing this first volume, I have to say that I'm more confused now than I was when I first started reading. I have zero idea what's going on in this thing.
I mean, that's not necessarily a bad thing. But from the writing, I can't tell if this is something that will suddenly become clear in the next few volumes or if this is going to be one of those books that remains trippy and weird till the bitter end.
There's a huge pandemic happening and time is running out to find a cure. America has been closed off for 30 years. Like, with a zappy dome thing that keeps people and technology out, so no one has any idea what's been going on in there for decades.
When a message is received saying that they have the cure for the virus and will allow a team of people inside the borders, the other (now merged) countries agree and send in a group of oddballs to check it out.
Ok, there are a lot of things plot-wise that are just fucknuts. The weird plague, time distortion, secret prophecies, and Mad Max-level shenanigans happening inside of the US when the folks get inside.
I don't know where the story is heading exactly, but I'm willing to follow it for a while and see if it turns into anything.
I mean, that's not necessarily a bad thing. But from the writing, I can't tell if this is something that will suddenly become clear in the next few volumes or if this is going to be one of those books that remains trippy and weird till the bitter end.
There's a huge pandemic happening and time is running out to find a cure. America has been closed off for 30 years. Like, with a zappy dome thing that keeps people and technology out, so no one has any idea what's been going on in there for decades.
When a message is received saying that they have the cure for the virus and will allow a team of people inside the borders, the other (now merged) countries agree and send in a group of oddballs to check it out.
Ok, there are a lot of things plot-wise that are just fucknuts. The weird plague, time distortion, secret prophecies, and Mad Max-level shenanigans happening inside of the US when the folks get inside.
I don't know where the story is heading exactly, but I'm willing to follow it for a while and see if it turns into anything.
July 16, 2020
In the not-too-distant future…
For 30 years the USA has been closed off from the rest of the world - they put up the walls and stayed behind them. Now, a pandemic called the sky virus is ravaging the rest of the world and for the first time in decades America is reaching out. A figure who looks uncannily like the Uncle Sam of army recruitment posters claims to have the cure to the virus and invites a select group inside American borders to retrieve it. But what’s happened to the states in those lost years - and what awaits the group behind the wall…?
The concept intrigued me and this title has some big names attached but neither Scott Snyder or Charles Soule have written anything worth reading in quite some time and unfortunately that remains the case - Undiscovered Country is another crappy comic from both. You thought Snyder’s Justice League was unreadable rubbish? Phewf - wait’ll you see this mess!
The book is aiming for a cross between Mad Max and The Walking Dead but it’s nowhere near as good as either. The Mad Max comparison is immediately obvious - some of the scenes, particularly in the desert, look ripped straight from Fury Road and one of the characters even looks like Immortan Joe. It’s so uncreative when you lean this heavily on derivation. But the barmy elements in Mad Max kinda makes sense within that world - nothing in Undiscovered Country made sense.
Why are there giant land fish being ridden like horses? Why are there flying snails? Why are there Cadillacs being powered by giant eyeballs? How does that buffalo talk? Why are there people climbing a giant wall in their underpants? Is that a giant starfish? Why are there so many giant things here - is that a giant shrimp!? I’m getting hungry… And I expect this will be explained in later books (that I won’t be reading) but why is there a mummy and an astronaut with glowing antlers with a lobster claw and cat paw for hands talking only in American slogans?
So much of this drivel feels like Snyder/Soule justifying its inclusion with a “Durr, we fink it’s kewl!” because no other explanation presents itself. Sure it is fellas. If you’re a drooling idiot maybe.
The Walking Dead comparison is probably because of the large cast and dystopian background but, as inconsistent in quality as Kirkman/Adlard’s series was, it was head and shoulders above this one. A lot of this dreary, dreary book is spent tediously telling the dull backstories of the extensive boring cast and how they got recruited for this trip into America - almost none of which are relevant!
One’s a doctor, one’s a disgraced academic, another’s a journalist with a pet drone; there’s more (lordy, there are TOO MANY characters!) but I didn’t care about any of them or what anyone was doing. The story is so incoherent, I had no idea what was going on - there’s a magic golden train peg and extensive babble about “walking the spiral” and something about time travel. It’s such gibberish!
I feel like Snyder/Soule are attempting to do some kind of social commentary (Trump’s wall, patriotism taken to the extreme, ooo a pandemic, that’s relevant!) but it’s so poor because none of this is remotely plausible. It’s not even entertaining or clever commentary, it’s a fever dream of nonsense!
Credit where it’s due though - I was really impressed with Giuseppe Camuncoli’s art, as I usually am. The dude, and his art team of Daniele Orlandini and Leonardo Marcello Grassi, are called on to draw some pretty outlandish things (to put it mildly!) and they pull it off admirably and with aplomb - kudos, guys. The range they have is remarkable and, as much as I disliked reading it, I always loved looking at the comic - it’s a shame this art is in service to such a bad story.
I struggled through this one, hoping blindly that there would be some payoff at the end, but it was disappointingly terrible all the way through. I wouldn’t recommend Undiscovered Country, Volume 1: Destiny to anyone - it’s really not worth it.
For 30 years the USA has been closed off from the rest of the world - they put up the walls and stayed behind them. Now, a pandemic called the sky virus is ravaging the rest of the world and for the first time in decades America is reaching out. A figure who looks uncannily like the Uncle Sam of army recruitment posters claims to have the cure to the virus and invites a select group inside American borders to retrieve it. But what’s happened to the states in those lost years - and what awaits the group behind the wall…?
The concept intrigued me and this title has some big names attached but neither Scott Snyder or Charles Soule have written anything worth reading in quite some time and unfortunately that remains the case - Undiscovered Country is another crappy comic from both. You thought Snyder’s Justice League was unreadable rubbish? Phewf - wait’ll you see this mess!
The book is aiming for a cross between Mad Max and The Walking Dead but it’s nowhere near as good as either. The Mad Max comparison is immediately obvious - some of the scenes, particularly in the desert, look ripped straight from Fury Road and one of the characters even looks like Immortan Joe. It’s so uncreative when you lean this heavily on derivation. But the barmy elements in Mad Max kinda makes sense within that world - nothing in Undiscovered Country made sense.
Why are there giant land fish being ridden like horses? Why are there flying snails? Why are there Cadillacs being powered by giant eyeballs? How does that buffalo talk? Why are there people climbing a giant wall in their underpants? Is that a giant starfish? Why are there so many giant things here - is that a giant shrimp!? I’m getting hungry… And I expect this will be explained in later books (that I won’t be reading) but why is there a mummy and an astronaut with glowing antlers with a lobster claw and cat paw for hands talking only in American slogans?
So much of this drivel feels like Snyder/Soule justifying its inclusion with a “Durr, we fink it’s kewl!” because no other explanation presents itself. Sure it is fellas. If you’re a drooling idiot maybe.
The Walking Dead comparison is probably because of the large cast and dystopian background but, as inconsistent in quality as Kirkman/Adlard’s series was, it was head and shoulders above this one. A lot of this dreary, dreary book is spent tediously telling the dull backstories of the extensive boring cast and how they got recruited for this trip into America - almost none of which are relevant!
One’s a doctor, one’s a disgraced academic, another’s a journalist with a pet drone; there’s more (lordy, there are TOO MANY characters!) but I didn’t care about any of them or what anyone was doing. The story is so incoherent, I had no idea what was going on - there’s a magic golden train peg and extensive babble about “walking the spiral” and something about time travel. It’s such gibberish!
I feel like Snyder/Soule are attempting to do some kind of social commentary (Trump’s wall, patriotism taken to the extreme, ooo a pandemic, that’s relevant!) but it’s so poor because none of this is remotely plausible. It’s not even entertaining or clever commentary, it’s a fever dream of nonsense!
Credit where it’s due though - I was really impressed with Giuseppe Camuncoli’s art, as I usually am. The dude, and his art team of Daniele Orlandini and Leonardo Marcello Grassi, are called on to draw some pretty outlandish things (to put it mildly!) and they pull it off admirably and with aplomb - kudos, guys. The range they have is remarkable and, as much as I disliked reading it, I always loved looking at the comic - it’s a shame this art is in service to such a bad story.
I struggled through this one, hoping blindly that there would be some payoff at the end, but it was disappointingly terrible all the way through. I wouldn’t recommend Undiscovered Country, Volume 1: Destiny to anyone - it’s really not worth it.
July 15, 2020
There's a deadly virus. There's an America that has removed itself from the world stage (walls! walls! you've heard 'walls' on the news!). There are genetically altered sea creatures. There are time dilations. There are Mad Max-like types roaming the land. There's a ragtag group of characters who go to closed off America, a group you'll hardly be able to tell apart. There is a videogame like structure, where people have to 'walk the Spiral' towards the centre of the US of A (read: lots of volumes of TPB to come!). There are baddies without faces, who again, are hard to tell apart.
This book feels less like a comprehensible narrative, and more like an illustrated brainstorm session. EVERY idea Soule or Snyder ever had is thrown in. Does it make sense? Not really. Are there good, or at least fun characters? Not really. Is there a good story? Not really. Is it teeter-tottering on the edge of being complete nonsense? Yes! It is!
And to top it off, the whole thing is coated in a thin film of 'rah rah, the American Dream'. Exceptionalism is a cancer on humanity, it's one of the main reasons we are in the shitty place we are.
(Received a review copy through Edelweiss)
This book feels less like a comprehensible narrative, and more like an illustrated brainstorm session. EVERY idea Soule or Snyder ever had is thrown in. Does it make sense? Not really. Are there good, or at least fun characters? Not really. Is there a good story? Not really. Is it teeter-tottering on the edge of being complete nonsense? Yes! It is!
And to top it off, the whole thing is coated in a thin film of 'rah rah, the American Dream'. Exceptionalism is a cancer on humanity, it's one of the main reasons we are in the shitty place we are.
(Received a review copy through Edelweiss)
July 22, 2021
There's a deadly virus. There's an America that has removed itself from the world stage (walls! walls! you've heard 'walls' on the news!). There are genetically altered sea creatures. There are time dilations. There are Mad Max-like types roaming the land. There's a ragtag group of characters who go to closed off America, a group you'll hardly be able to tell apart. There is a videogame like structure, where people have to 'walk the Spiral' towards the centre of the US of A (read: lots of volumes of TPB to come!). There are baddies without faces, who again, are hard to tell apart.
This book feels less like a comprehensible narrative, and more like an illustrated brainstorm session. EVERY idea Soule or Snyder ever had is thrown in. Does it make sense? Not really. Are there good, or at least fun characters? Not really. Is there a good story? Not really. Is it teeter-tottering on the edge of being complete nonsense? Yes! It is!
And to top it off, the whole thing is coated in a thin film of 'rah rah, the American Dream'. Exceptionalism is a cancer on humanity, it's one of the main reasons we are in the shitty place we are.
(Received a review copy through Edelweiss)
This book feels less like a comprehensible narrative, and more like an illustrated brainstorm session. EVERY idea Soule or Snyder ever had is thrown in. Does it make sense? Not really. Are there good, or at least fun characters? Not really. Is there a good story? Not really. Is it teeter-tottering on the edge of being complete nonsense? Yes! It is!
And to top it off, the whole thing is coated in a thin film of 'rah rah, the American Dream'. Exceptionalism is a cancer on humanity, it's one of the main reasons we are in the shitty place we are.
(Received a review copy through Edelweiss)
September 22, 2020
This story couldn't feel more American than this. It didn't rub off me as bad as it was promising it would but this severely suffers from radical ideas set in American history and politics.
The artwork is fantastic, incredibly colourful and detailed, but the lack of world-building, especially to help the reader understand how the world even came to be like it is here makes it tougher to understand if this is a realistic (???) future or an alternative historical fantasy fiction...
Good thing these two writers are good at their craft... Otherwise, I'd have moved on to other stories.
Yours truly,
Lashaan | Blogger and Book Reviewer
Official blog: https://bookidote.com/
The artwork is fantastic, incredibly colourful and detailed, but the lack of world-building, especially to help the reader understand how the world even came to be like it is here makes it tougher to understand if this is a realistic (???) future or an alternative historical fantasy fiction...
Good thing these two writers are good at their craft... Otherwise, I'd have moved on to other stories.
Yours truly,
Lashaan | Blogger and Book Reviewer
Official blog: https://bookidote.com/
July 4, 2020
Powerhouses Scott Snyder and Charles Soule team up with artist extraordinaire Giuseppe Camuncoli for a tale of America, in all its guts and glory.
Undiscovered Country worldbuilds like crazy right from the get-go, creating a storyscape filled with potential. One part Mad Max, one part Borderlands, one part insanity, and that's just the parts we get to see in these first six issues. The cast is fairly large, but by the time you get to the end of volume 1 you'll definitely feel as though you know the broad strokes of who they are, even if the intricacies aren't yet apparent.
Camo's art is as unique as ever - you can tell his style from a mile away, with his distinctive faces and heavy lines. He gives the world of Undiscovered Country a gritty feel without making it impossible to comprehend; it's rough around the edges, but this is a character story at its core, and that's clear from both his clean figures and his crazy designwork.
You couldn't really go wrong with this creative team. Two amazing writers, one amazing artist, and a story that'll leave you wanting more. Yet another gem in Image's line-up, and another feather in the cap for all involved.
Undiscovered Country worldbuilds like crazy right from the get-go, creating a storyscape filled with potential. One part Mad Max, one part Borderlands, one part insanity, and that's just the parts we get to see in these first six issues. The cast is fairly large, but by the time you get to the end of volume 1 you'll definitely feel as though you know the broad strokes of who they are, even if the intricacies aren't yet apparent.
Camo's art is as unique as ever - you can tell his style from a mile away, with his distinctive faces and heavy lines. He gives the world of Undiscovered Country a gritty feel without making it impossible to comprehend; it's rough around the edges, but this is a character story at its core, and that's clear from both his clean figures and his crazy designwork.
You couldn't really go wrong with this creative team. Two amazing writers, one amazing artist, and a story that'll leave you wanting more. Yet another gem in Image's line-up, and another feather in the cap for all involved.
August 19, 2020
Sometimes high concept, bold ideas are best left on the shelf.
I will read the second volume out of respect for the creators, but I hope the story improves now that a lot of the Mad Max-ian table setting has been done.
Review submitted from the desolate wastes of Neo-Canada. No moose were harmed in the writing of this review
I will read the second volume out of respect for the creators, but I hope the story improves now that a lot of the Mad Max-ian table setting has been done.
Review submitted from the desolate wastes of Neo-Canada. No moose were harmed in the writing of this review
August 8, 2020
When I first heard that Scott Snyder and Charles Soule were teaming up to co-write a new creator-owned series for Image Comics, I was psyched – I’m a huge fan of pretty much everything Snyder has done, and Soule is among the more consistently reliable writers working today (his run on Marvel’s “Darth Vader” is among the very best “Star Wars” output of the last few years). The fact that the premise also happened to be crazy tantalizing – after the United States shuts itself off from the rest of the world, a band of scientists, journalists, and reporters are forced to journey across its border years later and find a cure for a virus that is sweeping the globe – only amped up my excitement that much more.
And best part? That excitement wasn’t in vain. Although I can’t say that “Undiscovered Country” is among either Snyder or Soule’s best work, it IS an unequivocal triumph – equal parts thrilling, thought-provoking, and moving, with stellar art by Giuseppe Camuncoli and propulsion of story that’s so compelling, it’s actually downright inspiring. It’s the kind of kick-off arc to a series that makes you wonder why more series can’t manage to grab you as quickly as this one does – the world and the characters are so fully realized, and the storytelling is so confident, you can’t help but be drawn into it. It’s a total blast to read, and the fact that the second arc kicks off next month is just the cream on top of an already delicious pie.
So yeah: “Undiscovered Country.” Read it. It’s pretty fantastic.
And best part? That excitement wasn’t in vain. Although I can’t say that “Undiscovered Country” is among either Snyder or Soule’s best work, it IS an unequivocal triumph – equal parts thrilling, thought-provoking, and moving, with stellar art by Giuseppe Camuncoli and propulsion of story that’s so compelling, it’s actually downright inspiring. It’s the kind of kick-off arc to a series that makes you wonder why more series can’t manage to grab you as quickly as this one does – the world and the characters are so fully realized, and the storytelling is so confident, you can’t help but be drawn into it. It’s a total blast to read, and the fact that the second arc kicks off next month is just the cream on top of an already delicious pie.
So yeah: “Undiscovered Country.” Read it. It’s pretty fantastic.
August 11, 2020
I really love the concept of this book. Thirty years ago the USA suddenly closed off all communication with the rest of the world, now amid a global pandemic (hmm) they have invited a group of representatives back inside their borders in the hopes of helping to cure the world.
Unfortunately for me the book doesn't live up to the concept. I wanted something more realistic (at least as realistic as the premise would allow), but this is more fantastical, bordering on a weird mashup of apocalyptic fantasy and science fiction at times.
So I really need to emphasise the book isn't bad. There's still an interesting concept at its core, and it has some cool characters. It's just not what I was hoping for.
Also, I'm not sure if the "America, fuck yeah!" vibe throughout the book is sincere or ironic.
Unfortunately for me the book doesn't live up to the concept. I wanted something more realistic (at least as realistic as the premise would allow), but this is more fantastical, bordering on a weird mashup of apocalyptic fantasy and science fiction at times.
So I really need to emphasise the book isn't bad. There's still an interesting concept at its core, and it has some cool characters. It's just not what I was hoping for.
Also, I'm not sure if the "America, fuck yeah!" vibe throughout the book is sincere or ironic.
July 17, 2020
The year is 2029, and the United States have sealed itself off from the rest of the world, which feels right on cue due to the current administration. As the world is plagued by the Sky Virus and wars have occurred, there are two new empires: Alliance Euro-Afrique and the Pan-Asian Prosperity Zone. Upon receiving a video message that serves as an invite to the isolated America, a team is sent to seek a cure for the global pandemic and breaches the U.S. borders, only to find themselves in a struggle to survive this strange and deadly lost continent.
Please click here for my full review.
Please click here for my full review.
August 25, 2023
Writers Scott Snyder and Charles Soule collaborate on a wild world-building adventure and unintentionally make it timely and relevant to some of the things happening in our own crazy world.
They are only getting started, as this is just the first story arc and there are so many more divided areas of an isolationist United States to explore. I really love what they have done here, and wonder how long they can keep it going before it gets stale, if ever. As long as artist Guiseppe Camuncoli is involved to give life to their creations it's going to remain interesting to me. The illustrations are stunning, with appropriate panel placement and sizing.
A future United States goes full-on isolationist, and erects a giant wall along all of it's borders as well as a barrier defense to entry. The story takes place 30 years later, as two factions vie for dominance on the rest of the planet. An uneasy partnership forms between the Alliance Euro-Afrique and the Pan-Asia Prosperity Zone when the "Sky" virus/pandemic becomes a larger threat to life. (UNDISCOVERED COUNTRY in it's initial single issue monthly series was released in 2020 just as the pandemic/shutdown was beginning).
An invite goes out to a select group of individual to visit the United States to receive a cure for the virus. The team's airship is shot down just as it enters the Western United States, and some of the members become separated - - involved in a struggle for a key to enter another walled off section of the U.S. between a hippie version of Uncle Sam and a warlord named Destiny. Betrayal. Hidden agendas. Conflicting objectives. Crazy steam-punk like repurposing of old machines and tech. Monsters. It's all here.
The cast of characters is equally engaging and intriguing. I could go on and praise this more, but think I'll save some accolades for the next volume.
They are only getting started, as this is just the first story arc and there are so many more divided areas of an isolationist United States to explore. I really love what they have done here, and wonder how long they can keep it going before it gets stale, if ever. As long as artist Guiseppe Camuncoli is involved to give life to their creations it's going to remain interesting to me. The illustrations are stunning, with appropriate panel placement and sizing.
A future United States goes full-on isolationist, and erects a giant wall along all of it's borders as well as a barrier defense to entry. The story takes place 30 years later, as two factions vie for dominance on the rest of the planet. An uneasy partnership forms between the Alliance Euro-Afrique and the Pan-Asia Prosperity Zone when the "Sky" virus/pandemic becomes a larger threat to life. (UNDISCOVERED COUNTRY in it's initial single issue monthly series was released in 2020 just as the pandemic/shutdown was beginning).
An invite goes out to a select group of individual to visit the United States to receive a cure for the virus. The team's airship is shot down just as it enters the Western United States, and some of the members become separated - - involved in a struggle for a key to enter another walled off section of the U.S. between a hippie version of Uncle Sam and a warlord named Destiny. Betrayal. Hidden agendas. Conflicting objectives. Crazy steam-punk like repurposing of old machines and tech. Monsters. It's all here.
The cast of characters is equally engaging and intriguing. I could go on and praise this more, but think I'll save some accolades for the next volume.
June 23, 2021
In the distant future, the U.S. will finally build the Wall, and it will be far more efficient than Trump ever imagined. It won’t just keep Mexicans out. It will keep the entire world from crossing the border. Of course, the downside is that it will also keep Americans trapped within.
This is the unsettling, strange, and subtly satirical dystopic vision of the graphic novel series Undiscovered Country, written by Scott Snyder and Charles Soule, two of the most popular writers currently working in the comic book field today.
Future history will call it the Sealing: One day, the U.S. shut its borders down completely—-no one in or out—-and for the subsequent 30 years, the rest of the world simply went about its business, never knowing what was happening on the other side of the Wall. For a good chunk of the world, this was a good thing, as the U.S. was, historically, incredibly nosy, arrogant, and dangerous.
Then, one day, a message from within the interior of the former U.S. is sent to the world. It’s an invitation, but it’s an invitation for only seven specific people. The seven have no idea why they were chosen or what to expect.
Volume 1, “Destiny”, begins as our protagonists are on approach to the western coast of the former U.S. All they know is that they have been promised a meeting and a potential cure for a deadly virus that is reaching pandemic stages throughout the rest of the world. Within minutes of entering U.S. airspace, they are shot down by a missile.
They survive, only to find a world that bears little to no resemblance to their individual memories and knowledge of the U.S. Weirdly unnatural creatures—-most likely genetically modified—-roam the land. The population has become hyper-tribal, and most don’t even look human anymore. They look like a cross between the Sand People from “Star Wars” and members of the punk band “Gwar”. Pockets of humanity survive in underground areas, led by a scientist named Sam (who bears a not-so-subtle resemblance to the symbolic Uncle Sam). These humans call themselves “The Silent Minority”.
The humor is dark, but it’s there. Snyder/Soule are clearly having fun excoriating the imperialistic yet isolationistic superiority complex of Ugly Americans. Hell, some of the humor is so on-point, it’s no longer really that funny in a post-Trump/post-January 6, 2021 Capitol Insurrection world.
I mean, do you laugh or cringe when one of the psychotic American villains spouts jingoistic bullshit like “Don’t Tread on Me” or Charleton Heston’s pro-gun mantra “From my cold, dead hands” right before he kills someone? Because I’m pretty sure some Trump-humping gun nut assholes were saying the same shit on January 6 when they were beating a Capitol police officer over the head with a flagpole waving a Confederate flag.
This is the unsettling, strange, and subtly satirical dystopic vision of the graphic novel series Undiscovered Country, written by Scott Snyder and Charles Soule, two of the most popular writers currently working in the comic book field today.
Future history will call it the Sealing: One day, the U.S. shut its borders down completely—-no one in or out—-and for the subsequent 30 years, the rest of the world simply went about its business, never knowing what was happening on the other side of the Wall. For a good chunk of the world, this was a good thing, as the U.S. was, historically, incredibly nosy, arrogant, and dangerous.
Then, one day, a message from within the interior of the former U.S. is sent to the world. It’s an invitation, but it’s an invitation for only seven specific people. The seven have no idea why they were chosen or what to expect.
Volume 1, “Destiny”, begins as our protagonists are on approach to the western coast of the former U.S. All they know is that they have been promised a meeting and a potential cure for a deadly virus that is reaching pandemic stages throughout the rest of the world. Within minutes of entering U.S. airspace, they are shot down by a missile.
They survive, only to find a world that bears little to no resemblance to their individual memories and knowledge of the U.S. Weirdly unnatural creatures—-most likely genetically modified—-roam the land. The population has become hyper-tribal, and most don’t even look human anymore. They look like a cross between the Sand People from “Star Wars” and members of the punk band “Gwar”. Pockets of humanity survive in underground areas, led by a scientist named Sam (who bears a not-so-subtle resemblance to the symbolic Uncle Sam). These humans call themselves “The Silent Minority”.
The humor is dark, but it’s there. Snyder/Soule are clearly having fun excoriating the imperialistic yet isolationistic superiority complex of Ugly Americans. Hell, some of the humor is so on-point, it’s no longer really that funny in a post-Trump/post-January 6, 2021 Capitol Insurrection world.
I mean, do you laugh or cringe when one of the psychotic American villains spouts jingoistic bullshit like “Don’t Tread on Me” or Charleton Heston’s pro-gun mantra “From my cold, dead hands” right before he kills someone? Because I’m pretty sure some Trump-humping gun nut assholes were saying the same shit on January 6 when they were beating a Capitol police officer over the head with a flagpole waving a Confederate flag.
July 3, 2020
(Cue Trailer Voice-Over Guy…)
In a world… Without any contact with the USA… Well, with Alaska but that doesn't count… And who the heck bothers about Hawaii, seriously?… A bunch of assorted people are tasked with following up a secret message… and entering the vanished realm of the States… to find a cure for the coronasniffles, er Sky Plague, I meant Sky Plague… There, they'll find no end of WTFery, and lots of piffle with a MacGuffin that would allow a bad guy to go bad places and do bad things… Before finding the MacGuffin, and the disease, and so on, are not really the real reason for them being there… Or are they?
Hmm, yes, well – back to me. The problem with that trailer spiel is that this is not a book. It's an elevator pitch masquerading as a book. It's completely managed the implausible, as well, by being wilfully incoherent and utterly boring at the same time. You can't be bothered to care about any of the characters, because the script can't be bothered either, as bit by bit the text reveals it wants to be about America instead. Cue pointed dialogue from the American Culture expert, who knows the layouts of shopping malls and despatch centres, but not real culture, and the journalist deciding she had to be there because America is the land of free speech and a completely free press. Bilge, of course, and bilge I just couldn't tell if you were supposed to take seriously or not. Either way, this book should have stayed Undiscovered.
In a world… Without any contact with the USA… Well, with Alaska but that doesn't count… And who the heck bothers about Hawaii, seriously?… A bunch of assorted people are tasked with following up a secret message… and entering the vanished realm of the States… to find a cure for the coronasniffles, er Sky Plague, I meant Sky Plague… There, they'll find no end of WTFery, and lots of piffle with a MacGuffin that would allow a bad guy to go bad places and do bad things… Before finding the MacGuffin, and the disease, and so on, are not really the real reason for them being there… Or are they?
Hmm, yes, well – back to me. The problem with that trailer spiel is that this is not a book. It's an elevator pitch masquerading as a book. It's completely managed the implausible, as well, by being wilfully incoherent and utterly boring at the same time. You can't be bothered to care about any of the characters, because the script can't be bothered either, as bit by bit the text reveals it wants to be about America instead. Cue pointed dialogue from the American Culture expert, who knows the layouts of shopping malls and despatch centres, but not real culture, and the journalist deciding she had to be there because America is the land of free speech and a completely free press. Bilge, of course, and bilge I just couldn't tell if you were supposed to take seriously or not. Either way, this book should have stayed Undiscovered.
Read
July 3, 20202059, 30 years after the US succeeded in building a wall to excel the most rabid Trump wank fantasies, and completely shut itself off from the rest of the world. Now, a small delegation from the outside makes the first journey there since the Sealing. What they find...well, it seems a shame to give anything away, but it's even stranger than they expect, and even stranger than a projection forward from now would naturally suggest, which is saying something. It works very well, and sometime a little too blatantly, as a standard post-apocalyptic science-fantasy quest, but what really makes it is the way that the whole thing is seeded with little gems of recognisable Americana, twisted into bizarre new forms. Like, I'm not saying you need to have read Abraham van Engen's history of how the 'city on a hill' sermon has been used, reinterpreted and often ignored over the centuries to appreciate all the action and weirdness here, but the little references throughout Undiscovered Country to how the USA periodically reinvents itself, how this shouldn't come as a surprise? There's a genuine, solid grounding to that. It's a very smart story about history and nationhood which can also pass as a big dumb action story with fairly obvious satirical references. I like that.
Though as regards the satire, in some ways it's an incredibly timely release, in others a weird funhouse mirror of now. The world being beset by a pandemic? Check, though in Undiscovered Country it's a proper one, the fatality rate north of 80% (!) instead of under 1%. Believing the US would be the best place to look for a cure because they have the institutional preparedness, though? Yeah, that bit aged poorly. And in the rest of the world, there's the slightly cheating and surely less plausible than ever idea of enormous supranational entities – a Europe not only still together but united with Africa, and an Asia together likewise. Which feel like they could only be American takes on a half-grasped elsewhere, rather than plausible near-future politics. So like a lot of American attempts at accounting for the nation's flaws, it does end up coming across quite self-centred and clueless about the rest of the world anyway. Still, Soule and Snyder can both write some excellent stuff on a good day, and however they divided the work here, it was a good day. Camuncoli I still primarily think of as a Hellblazer artist, because I'm old, but after a fair bit of superhero work, here he shows he can really ace big, weird SF too. If I say it's like East Of West retooled as a blockbuster, that sounds like a diss; likewise if I say I got occasional echoes of The Crystal Maze. But for now, at least, it works. Not least because now is the perfect time for exchanges like:
"You think we're ever going to see them again, Chang?"
"Oh, absolutely not. We're all going to die here, Janet. Nothing could be more obvious."
(Edelweiss ARC)
Though as regards the satire, in some ways it's an incredibly timely release, in others a weird funhouse mirror of now. The world being beset by a pandemic? Check, though in Undiscovered Country it's a proper one, the fatality rate north of 80% (!) instead of under 1%. Believing the US would be the best place to look for a cure because they have the institutional preparedness, though? Yeah, that bit aged poorly. And in the rest of the world, there's the slightly cheating and surely less plausible than ever idea of enormous supranational entities – a Europe not only still together but united with Africa, and an Asia together likewise. Which feel like they could only be American takes on a half-grasped elsewhere, rather than plausible near-future politics. So like a lot of American attempts at accounting for the nation's flaws, it does end up coming across quite self-centred and clueless about the rest of the world anyway. Still, Soule and Snyder can both write some excellent stuff on a good day, and however they divided the work here, it was a good day. Camuncoli I still primarily think of as a Hellblazer artist, because I'm old, but after a fair bit of superhero work, here he shows he can really ace big, weird SF too. If I say it's like East Of West retooled as a blockbuster, that sounds like a diss; likewise if I say I got occasional echoes of The Crystal Maze. But for now, at least, it works. Not least because now is the perfect time for exchanges like:
"You think we're ever going to see them again, Chang?"
"Oh, absolutely not. We're all going to die here, Janet. Nothing could be more obvious."
(Edelweiss ARC)
October 20, 2020
Everyone on this creative team is excellent, I've loved a lot of their work, and the premise for this comic is exactly the kind of crazy science-fiction-fantasy I love, but Undiscovered Country is...just alright? For all the heady themes Soules and Snyder talk about in their post-issue "letters," this series––so far, anyway––is nothing more and nothing less than a couple of writers and artists putting their galaxy-brain thinking caps on and creating something batshit crazy simply because they can.
And I liked that! Cammuncoli, Orlandini, and Grassi's artwork is exceptional, and they pack so much into every page and panel with such clarity that their work alone is practically worth keeping the series on my pull list. Characters look great, the action is fast and sharp (although some panels, as in, a handful across six issues, feel a bit stilted) and the coloring from Matt Wilson is sublime. They bring the world Soule and Snyder have dreamed up to vivid and memorable life, and the series seems primed to give them a lot of fun stuff to work with moving forward.
Despite the generally shallow writing, which prioritizes spectacle over just about anything else, the comic is fun. It didn't impress me, per say, but I enjoyed reading it. The characters are broad strokes, and even after the end of this first arc only a handful feel like they're even close to being compelling. But the comfortably broad strokes work in this respect, as Soule and Snyder can let their wild plot take the reins. That plot is dense, too, for better and for worse. The exposition is exhausting and dizzying, but intriguing enough that I'm interested (and maybe excited) to see where it could go. Whenever a plot point didn't excite me, or was a bit too silly for my taste, there was another one right around the corner that offered something totally different.
I'm gonna stick with this series for at least another volume and see where it is at that point. I'm not hooked, and I'm not even that excited by it quite yet. But there's potential for something really fun and memorable here, and the artwork is so great that I'm willing to stick around for another six issues to see what other imaginative, nightmarish, and zany nonsense the creative team have in store.
And I liked that! Cammuncoli, Orlandini, and Grassi's artwork is exceptional, and they pack so much into every page and panel with such clarity that their work alone is practically worth keeping the series on my pull list. Characters look great, the action is fast and sharp (although some panels, as in, a handful across six issues, feel a bit stilted) and the coloring from Matt Wilson is sublime. They bring the world Soule and Snyder have dreamed up to vivid and memorable life, and the series seems primed to give them a lot of fun stuff to work with moving forward.
Despite the generally shallow writing, which prioritizes spectacle over just about anything else, the comic is fun. It didn't impress me, per say, but I enjoyed reading it. The characters are broad strokes, and even after the end of this first arc only a handful feel like they're even close to being compelling. But the comfortably broad strokes work in this respect, as Soule and Snyder can let their wild plot take the reins. That plot is dense, too, for better and for worse. The exposition is exhausting and dizzying, but intriguing enough that I'm interested (and maybe excited) to see where it could go. Whenever a plot point didn't excite me, or was a bit too silly for my taste, there was another one right around the corner that offered something totally different.
I'm gonna stick with this series for at least another volume and see where it is at that point. I'm not hooked, and I'm not even that excited by it quite yet. But there's potential for something really fun and memorable here, and the artwork is so great that I'm willing to stick around for another six issues to see what other imaginative, nightmarish, and zany nonsense the creative team have in store.
February 22, 2021
It's like the authors read The Stand, watched Mad Max and Lost, and thought, "we can do better." Undiscovered Country is super-duper nuts - but in a good way. For me, at least. I can see this being a love/hate read for sure.
30 years ago, America shut itself off from the world in an event called The Sealing. Now, a band of diplomats, journalists, scientists, and soldiers have been invited into the good ol' US of A to see what's up. Nothing good! They're immediately shot down and terrorized by a horned mummy-man with shark-powered vehicles and a Walmart city on wheels. It's Mad Max, it's Mortal Engines, it's nothing you've read before and everything you've read before at the same time.
Soule and Snyder do an unexpectedly good job at explaining what's going on amidst all this mad creativity. The plot is clear: get the key, open the door to the next zone, complete the spiral. Then "all will be revealed" - and probably the apocalypse will be averted. Each person in the group has a specific skill that's used at least once, so the characters end up being memorable in a video game NPC sort of way. Same with that plot: it's clearly a sequence of video game levels until the final boss, Aurora.
Camuncoli's art and willingness to lean in to the nuttiness is a real boon to the book. I had a good time with Undiscovered Country - I was fully invested in the world-building and took the time to process all the little hints and clues the authors laid out. I have no idea what exactly is coming, but I at least don't feel like I'm totally in the dark. That said, I can see how a reader would see eyeballs with teeth pulling a pink Cadillac across the desert floor and just say, "no thanks." Undiscovered Country is a weird one.
30 years ago, America shut itself off from the world in an event called The Sealing. Now, a band of diplomats, journalists, scientists, and soldiers have been invited into the good ol' US of A to see what's up. Nothing good! They're immediately shot down and terrorized by a horned mummy-man with shark-powered vehicles and a Walmart city on wheels. It's Mad Max, it's Mortal Engines, it's nothing you've read before and everything you've read before at the same time.
Soule and Snyder do an unexpectedly good job at explaining what's going on amidst all this mad creativity. The plot is clear: get the key, open the door to the next zone, complete the spiral. Then "all will be revealed" - and probably the apocalypse will be averted. Each person in the group has a specific skill that's used at least once, so the characters end up being memorable in a video game NPC sort of way. Same with that plot: it's clearly a sequence of video game levels until the final boss, Aurora.
Camuncoli's art and willingness to lean in to the nuttiness is a real boon to the book. I had a good time with Undiscovered Country - I was fully invested in the world-building and took the time to process all the little hints and clues the authors laid out. I have no idea what exactly is coming, but I at least don't feel like I'm totally in the dark. That said, I can see how a reader would see eyeballs with teeth pulling a pink Cadillac across the desert floor and just say, "no thanks." Undiscovered Country is a weird one.
June 25, 2020
Tomuto som sa vyhýbala ako kotlebovci vakcínam a nakoniec mi príde, že je to jedna z najlepších vecí, ktoré som za posledné mesiace čítala. Snydera mám odjakživa veľmi rada, Soule sa mi až tak k srdiečku nedostal. Zošit po zošite sa mi to prišlo lepšie a lepšie, celé to malo taký Mad Max nádych, tie monštrá a svet boli zaujímavé, páčilo sa mi že každá postava dostala trochu priestoru a vysvetlenie, prečo tam vlastne sú.. Jediný, kto mi neskutočne liezol na nervy bol tajnostkársky brat, ktorý namiesto aby sestre vyklopil informáciu, ktorá bola v podstate banalita, tak furt len točil "musíš mi veriť, nerozumieš, blah blah sračky". Príjemne ma prekvapilo, že to nie je ukončené a celý tento akčný, skvele nakreslený trip bude pokračovať. A ďalším plusom, čo mi vždy dávalo chuť čítať ďalej boli materiály na konci (časová os,..).
June 16, 2020
Tak tohle mě bavilo.
Aspoň trochu se snažit, tak tam najdu špatná místa a věci k strhání, ale to pořád nemění nic na tom, že tohle je přesně ten druh příběhů, co mě baví.
Docela halucinogenní post-apo akční zběsilost, co se zatím teprve rozjíždí a kde se toho děje docela zbytečně moc v prvním díle a zbytečně to krade prostor tomu, aby nám ukázali víc z toho světa. I tak to má zajímavé nápady a i když to (stejně jako skoro všechno v posledních letech) otvírá strašně moc otázek a máloco odpovídá, tak se už teď těším na další díl jak prase na drbání za ouškem.
Pokud mě nějak moc nepřekvapí poslední nominovaný, tak mám jasno komu držím palce s Eisnerem za nejlepší novou sérii, byť jenom proto, že je to moje guilty pleasure.
Aspoň trochu se snažit, tak tam najdu špatná místa a věci k strhání, ale to pořád nemění nic na tom, že tohle je přesně ten druh příběhů, co mě baví.
Docela halucinogenní post-apo akční zběsilost, co se zatím teprve rozjíždí a kde se toho děje docela zbytečně moc v prvním díle a zbytečně to krade prostor tomu, aby nám ukázali víc z toho světa. I tak to má zajímavé nápady a i když to (stejně jako skoro všechno v posledních letech) otvírá strašně moc otázek a máloco odpovídá, tak se už teď těším na další díl jak prase na drbání za ouškem.
Pokud mě nějak moc nepřekvapí poslední nominovaný, tak mám jasno komu držím palce s Eisnerem za nejlepší novou sérii, byť jenom proto, že je to moje guilty pleasure.
August 25, 2020
4.5 stars. See single issues for more.
July 27, 2021
Когда в 2019 году Скотт Снайдер и Чарли Соул решили на пару выпустить онгоинг для Image, это казалось развлечением на один сезон. Успешные хитмейкеры явно придумали какой-то high concept и хотели этим концептом с нами поделиться. Не ради наживы, а исключительно развлечения для. Но на обложке первого же выпуска внезапно обнаружился блёрб от Киркмана со словами: вот вам, детки, новый Walking Dead. Cтруктура истории также c первых страниц намекала: купите права и сделайте из меня побыстрее телесериал.
Как выяснилось, права приобрели за семизначную сумму еще до выхода первого выпуска. Новые подрядчики Paramount - New Republic Pictures - не только выкупили права на будущую экранизацию, но также наняли Снайдера с Соулом в качестве сценаристов и сопродюсеров. Школа Киркмана не прошла героям даром. Спустя два года у Снайдера свой импринт на Image - Best Jacket, а также масштабный контракт с Dark Horse на восемь будущих тайтлов (обложки и синопсисы уже в Сети). Соул, разумеется, тоже не бедствует. Very serious business.
Но вернёмся к «новым Walking Dead». Название Undiscovered Country - прямая отсылка к знаменитому монологу Гамлета и фразе про «безвестный край, откуда нет возврата».
Когда бы неизвестность после смерти,
Боязнь страны, откуда ни один
Не возвращался, не склоняла воли
Мириться лучше со знакомым злом,
Чем бегством к незнакомому стремиться!
Итак, в 2020 году США вступили в торговую войну с Китаем, Китайцы бодро пошли с козырей. Продали свою долю американского госдолга, что убило доллар, после чего американская экономика предсказуемо посыпалась. Через несколько лет бесконечного кризиса Штаты свернули свою оккупационную политику, вернули всех солдат домой, а потом, летом 2029 года… внезапно накрыли собственную страну тотальным информационным и стратегическим колпаком. Никто больше не мог попасть в Штаты, также никто не мог из них сбежать. Что там теперь происходит - никому неведомо, но все предполагают только самое худшее. От жёстких социальных экспериментов до подозрительных игр с коллайдерами и сингулярностью.
Прошло 30 лет. Весь остальной мир распался к этому моменту на два больших полярных лагеря - Евро-Африканский Альянс и Паназиатскую Зону Процветания, которые быстро погрязли в вялотекущей войне за ресурсы. Но однажды над миром повисла новая угроза - смертельный вирус под названием Sky («Sky is falling! Sky is falling!»), который по прогнозам ученых должен выкосить человечество примерно через полгода. В этот сложный момент внешний мир неожиданно получает видеопослание из Штатов (первое за 30 лет). В этом обращении человек по имени Сэм Элгин предлагает группе избранных посетить закрытую страну и получить безвозмездно лекарство от ская.
Группа из семи человек пересекают барьер и оказываются на территории США. Дипломаты Альянса и Зоны - Джанет Уортингтон и Чан Эньлоу, вирусолог Шарлотта Грейвс, её брат-террорист, конспиролог Эйс Кеньятта, журналистка Валентина Сандовал и спецназовец Павел Буковски. Первое, что видят посланцы - это выжженную пустыню, банды рейдеров, сухопутных акул, а также странного человека, называющего себя не иначе как Дядя Сэм.
Первый том из шести выпусков - пилотный. Каждая глава - история одного из участников посольства. Честно говоря, подобная структура, наверное, единственное, что удерживает внимание читателя, потому что рассказчик из Снайдера - очень посредственный. Вспомните, например, его недавнюю лимитку про Бэтмена-Который-Смеётся. Здесь примерно те же самые болячки. Много повествовательного хаоса, бестолкового экшена и странных персонажей с пафосными именами типа Destiny Man. Рисунок итальянца Джузеппе Камунколи, несмотря на все его заслуги перед Человеком-Пауком, тоже не всегда в радость.
Короче говоря, первый том не особо впечатляет, но любопытство вызывает. Продолжим.
Как выяснилось, права приобрели за семизначную сумму еще до выхода первого выпуска. Новые подрядчики Paramount - New Republic Pictures - не только выкупили права на будущую экранизацию, но также наняли Снайдера с Соулом в качестве сценаристов и сопродюсеров. Школа Киркмана не прошла героям даром. Спустя два года у Снайдера свой импринт на Image - Best Jacket, а также масштабный контракт с Dark Horse на восемь будущих тайтлов (обложки и синопсисы уже в Сети). Соул, разумеется, тоже не бедствует. Very serious business.
Но вернёмся к «новым Walking Dead». Название Undiscovered Country - прямая отсылка к знаменитому монологу Гамлета и фразе про «безвестный край, откуда нет возврата».
Когда бы неизвестность после смерти,
Боязнь страны, откуда ни один
Не возвращался, не склоняла воли
Мириться лучше со знакомым злом,
Чем бегством к незнакомому стремиться!
Итак, в 2020 году США вступили в торговую войну с Китаем, Китайцы бодро пошли с козырей. Продали свою долю американского госдолга, что убило доллар, после чего американская экономика предсказуемо посыпалась. Через несколько лет бесконечного кризиса Штаты свернули свою оккупационную политику, вернули всех солдат домой, а потом, летом 2029 года… внезапно накрыли собственную страну тотальным информационным и стратегическим колпаком. Никто больше не мог попасть в Штаты, также никто не мог из них сбежать. Что там теперь происходит - никому неведомо, но все предполагают только самое худшее. От жёстких социальных экспериментов до подозрительных игр с коллайдерами и сингулярностью.
Прошло 30 лет. Весь остальной мир распался к этому моменту на два больших полярных лагеря - Евро-Африканский Альянс и Паназиатскую Зону Процветания, которые быстро погрязли в вялотекущей войне за ресурсы. Но однажды над миром повисла новая угроза - смертельный вирус под названием Sky («Sky is falling! Sky is falling!»), который по прогнозам ученых должен выкосить человечество примерно через полгода. В этот сложный момент внешний мир неожиданно получает видеопослание из Штатов (первое за 30 лет). В этом обращении человек по имени Сэм Элгин предлагает группе избранных посетить закрытую страну и получить безвозмездно лекарство от ская.
Группа из семи человек пересекают барьер и оказываются на территории США. Дипломаты Альянса и Зоны - Джанет Уортингтон и Чан Эньлоу, вирусолог Шарлотта Грейвс, её брат-террорист, конспиролог Эйс Кеньятта, журналистка Валентина Сандовал и спецназовец Павел Буковски. Первое, что видят посланцы - это выжженную пустыню, банды рейдеров, сухопутных акул, а также странного человека, называющего себя не иначе как Дядя Сэм.
Первый том из шести выпусков - пилотный. Каждая глава - история одного из участников посольства. Честно говоря, подобная структура, наверное, единственное, что удерживает внимание читателя, потому что рассказчик из Снайдера - очень посредственный. Вспомните, например, его недавнюю лимитку про Бэтмена-Который-Смеётся. Здесь примерно те же самые болячки. Много повествовательного хаоса, бестолкового экшена и странных персонажей с пафосными именами типа Destiny Man. Рисунок итальянца Джузеппе Камунколи, несмотря на все его заслуги перед Человеком-Пауком, тоже не всегда в радость.
Короче говоря, первый том не особо впечатляет, но любопытство вызывает. Продолжим.
July 23, 2020
This is social commentary done right in a comic book series. Unlike many mainstream comics which have to offer often dangerously simple solutions, it takes greater exploration of these ideas to truly prosper. So two superstar writers, Scott Snyder and Charles Soule take up a task after some casual conversations on how their kids consume media especially in regards to news and its political leaning. The USA holds a great importance that many people take for granted these days. With so many people divided over it today, now's the best time to comment.
That's where the characters come in. Each of them are flawed individuals with different beliefs and loyalties. Half of them have been ostracized by their homes for going against the status quo; but these people are not role models at all. Despite their heroic and anti-heroic attitudes, they're products of a world without hope. Many of them have given into their obsessions that cause great harm to themselves and others. As such the reason they've been sent into a walled USA is because they're disposable. Even then they're sympathetic enough to follow. All of it revolves around finding the hard truths everyone else has willingly ignored.
What makes the truths hard however is how hard they are to swallow. With how easy people can look at current events from their own safe spaces, it's easy to push out the ugliness. But when the world is tearing itself apart over various factors it's impossible for anyone to look away. It's pretty prophetic considering this actually predates the Covid-19 outbreak.
Everything about this series is suspenseful; the double spread pages filled with chaotic paneling can really bring the uneasy tensions. In fact the artwork feels similar to Snyder's regular collaborator Greg Capullo. I wonder where everybody meets these Italian artists; because Snyder's student James Tynion IV does something similar with Something Is Killing The Children.
That's where the characters come in. Each of them are flawed individuals with different beliefs and loyalties. Half of them have been ostracized by their homes for going against the status quo; but these people are not role models at all. Despite their heroic and anti-heroic attitudes, they're products of a world without hope. Many of them have given into their obsessions that cause great harm to themselves and others. As such the reason they've been sent into a walled USA is because they're disposable. Even then they're sympathetic enough to follow. All of it revolves around finding the hard truths everyone else has willingly ignored.
What makes the truths hard however is how hard they are to swallow. With how easy people can look at current events from their own safe spaces, it's easy to push out the ugliness. But when the world is tearing itself apart over various factors it's impossible for anyone to look away. It's pretty prophetic considering this actually predates the Covid-19 outbreak.
Everything about this series is suspenseful; the double spread pages filled with chaotic paneling can really bring the uneasy tensions. In fact the artwork feels similar to Snyder's regular collaborator Greg Capullo. I wonder where everybody meets these Italian artists; because Snyder's student James Tynion IV does something similar with Something Is Killing The Children.
October 23, 2020
That was fun! So the world is dying from a mysterious illness, The USA disappeared from the global stage, and a rag tag team is going to discover what happened? Yeah that sounds right up my alley.
Synder and Soule team up and it works most of the time, some wonky lore or conversations but it was fine for me. The art is really fantastic, great small details and super colorful.
The cast of character is pretty good, some better than others ( I think Ace is my fav). The story itself is what is keeping me hooked, I appreciate all the ground work they laid to create this mystery with the illness and the USA, I liked the lore they build up. Lots of suspense towards the end, it builds nicely.
Honestly I really enjoyed this, I am patiently waiting for vol.2
Synder and Soule team up and it works most of the time, some wonky lore or conversations but it was fine for me. The art is really fantastic, great small details and super colorful.
The cast of character is pretty good, some better than others ( I think Ace is my fav). The story itself is what is keeping me hooked, I appreciate all the ground work they laid to create this mystery with the illness and the USA, I liked the lore they build up. Lots of suspense towards the end, it builds nicely.
Honestly I really enjoyed this, I am patiently waiting for vol.2
June 16, 2020
Vy z vás co mě znáte jistě víte, že fakt nemám rád psaní Snydera a Soula takže je jasný, že jsem k tomuhle přistupoval s mírnou skepsí. A fakt jsem se zase spálil, respektive nejedná se o špatný příběh jen je to další superhero záležitost alá big two. Story je strašně předvídatelná, chaotická a ničemu nedá moc prostor takže třeba postavy všechny vysloveně nemám rád protože jsou podaný příšerně. Co vyloženě můžu pochválit je kresba, ta skutečně funguje dobře.
Osobně nevidím moc důvod proč si tohle vysloužilo nominaci na Eisnera, je to jen další zběsilý post appo který má sice pár dobrých momentů ale nic víc.
Osobně nevidím moc důvod proč si tohle vysloužilo nominaci na Eisnera, je to jen další zběsilý post appo který má sice pár dobrých momentů ale nic víc.
October 29, 2021
A generic dystopian wasteland but this one references America sometimes. It doesn't have anything to say, it doesn't say anything at all, and the biggest mystery is why is this book selling so well when it's actually garbage?
May 18, 2020
Not gonna keep on with this series. It's an ok story but I'm being picky cause I've got a big to be read pile.
March 27, 2021
There's a lot of untold and unexplained backstory, but the foundation is set to build a good, long story. Lets hope they do so.
July 3, 2021
Despite the breathless hype around this, Undiscovered Country starts with a premise that makes little sense and goes sideways from there.
August 29, 2023
"This place is insanity. Utter insanity." In the world of Undiscovered Country, the U.S. seals itself off from the rest of the world for 30 years. The protagonists are a group that is invited in with the offer for a cure to a disease that is beginning to overwhelm the rest of the world's population. What they find has to be seen to be believed. A good start to an ambitious adventure series. I look forward to reading more.
August 26, 2020
3.5 stars. The US has been sealed off from the outside world for 30 years, until a mismatched expeditionary group answers a mysterious summons. A lot of this volume was dedicated to introducing the characters and world building, and I think if it can keep momentum it could be a rewarding series.
June 10, 2023
El concepto es lo que prima aquí, porque la historia no tiene demasiado sentido una vez pasa el primer capítulo. La curiosidad te puede y lees hasta el final, gracias al buen trabajo artístico (Camuncoli/Orlando/Grassi), pero es que el guion no acompaña. Aún así, "all this nonsense" como dice uno de los personajes te atrapa aunque solo sea por la locura que plantea. Seguiré con el segundo, claro.
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