Free Comic Book Day 2015 Reviews 9: Tales Of Honor

By pghhead -

Editor’s Note:  Why are we still reviewing Free Comic Book Day titles when that event is now two months in the past?  1) Because these books have a shelf life far beyond the event.  2) Collectors seek them out, and want complete sets of certain titles.  3) It’s an inexpensive way to check out some titles you might not want to risk spending your comics dollars on 4) The 2015 books have been exceptional, a banner year.  Just look at all the titles we gave high rankings too.  5) We are completists, and the job isn’t done yet!

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TALES OF HONOR VOLUME TWO, ISSUE ZERO  (Image /Top Cow May 2015)  Matt Hawkins, writer.  Linda Sejic, artist.  Troy Peteri, letterer.  Set in the Honorverse created by David Weber. www.tales-of-honor.com

COVER APPEAL: Simplistic yet appealing. A woman (the main character, Honor Harrington)  in a space-faring military outfit holds a big-ass gun with a spaceship exploding in the background.  Makes you curious to look inside. 2.5 Points.

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STORY: Based on the military science-fiction tales of David Weber featuring his signature female spaceship commander Captain Honor Harrington, this short tale set in the same universe in a great introduction to the genre. Space pirates. Slavers. Maneuvers and strategy.  I’ve read a few of Weber’s novels and this comics adaptation seems to make the heavy emphasis on military tactics a lot more interesting to me when there are illustrations rather than long, detailed explanations.  This lets you get into the story quicker without being bogged down with all the finer points. I actually like the comics adaptation better than the books.  3 Points.

ART: A very clean and stylish look.  It suits the subject matter.  The choice of panel sizes and positioning is particularly effective at moving the story along.  2.5 Points.

YOUTH APPEAL: Not sure at all that this will pull in young adults. Unless the visuals make a Star Wars like (not) connection and they get curious. 1.5 Points.

NEW READER APPEAL: It’s not hard at all to jump into this story and follow along without need of any background material. 3 points.

PROMOTIONAL CONSIDERATIONS: All story and some cool graphics containing background info and maps.  The only promotion is for the other books in the series.  Nothing at all about what else Top Cow has to offer.  A missed opportunity here.  1 point.

BONUS POINTS: WOULD I PERSONALLY RECOMMEND THIS BOOK? Yes, with limitations.  OI would certainly suggest this to anyone I know who has an interest in space opera / military science fiction. It’s a great example of the genre and an easy introduction to novices. 2.5 Points.

FINAL RANKING FOR TALES OF HONOR:   16 HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

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