Evolution: #02

This graphic series is good so far. The story demands attention from the reader, since it basically weaves three storylines together around a central plot. I suspect that the creative team will eventually weave this all into a grotesquely intricate tapestry of science fiction horror. I’m looking forward to how the tale will progress.

Because of the structure of this tale, it is difficult to critique it, since the story still feels fragmented (in a good way), and feels like the characters are still being developed and the background story established. But there is an interesting passage regarding evolution that is worth sharing.

Evolution never stopped. There are still changes happening all around us. Bedbugs disappeared for almost 50 years, then came back with a vengeance, aided by a new exoskeleton and a faster metabolism. Moscow dogs that learn to ride the subway, knowing which stop to get off at. Cardiologists whose exposure to x-rays increased the hydrogen peroxide levels in their blood, leading to more glutathione, which helps protect them from radiation. Fundamental changes on a cellular level. The ones we know about. There are new species we’re still discovering. People living in remote, extreme areas, who never see a doctor, never mingle with civilization. Evolution used to be slow, methodical. A defensive measure to adapt life to new conditions. Now it’s fast, brutal and playing offense.

What I find interesting about this passage is that it is very plausible, especially when you consider how rapidly things change in our highly technical world. Everything moves faster and faster, so it stands to reason that evolution would also have to speed up to keep pace with global changes. Consider how fast viruses and bacteria mutate now, exhausting our antibacterial resources. It certainly is worth exploring through sci-fi literature.

Thanks for stopping by, and keep reading interesting stuff.

Hellboy and the B.P.R.D. 1953: Beyond the Fences

For me, one of the problems with reading serialized arcs is that I don’t remember the nuances of previous installments. So for this arc, I decided to wait, collect the three issues, and then read them in one sitting. That worked really well for me.

In this tale, Hellboy and two other B.P.R.D. agents go to a small town in California to investigate the disappearance of several children and the mutilation of an adult. The encounter the monster responsible, which is actually a dog that mutated after eating some mysterious material that was the byproduct of a nuclear test. There is also Cold War conspiracy and intrigue woven in to the tale, which works nicely.

What I found most interesting about this series was the use of the fence as a symbol. The fence serves as a metaphor for what divides the two realms of reality, existence, consciousness, and so forth. On one side of the fence is the archetypical 1950’s community, but on the other side, chaos and the psychological uncertainty in the post World War II nuclear age. Also, there is the division between ordinary reality and alternate dimensions. The fence symbolically separates what we perceive in our normal state of consciousness and what lies beyond the veil in the subconscious regions of our psyches, Moving beyond the fence and exploring these areas of the subconscious can be terrifying and dangerous.

The writers and artists who collaborate on this do an amazing job of drawing on occult philosophies, symbolism, and thought. But it’s not just heady mysticism—the story is very good and engaging. It is well-written with excellent dialog, and the artwork is top-notch. I highly recommend reading these three issues if you have time. I suspect you will enjoy them as much as I did.

Cheers, and keep reading cool stuff.

Magneto: Issue #7 – Personal Development and Adaptation

In this issue, Magneto is in Hong Kong investigating the disappearance of mutants there. He uncovers a ring of people who kidnap mutants and force them to participate in gladiatorial fights to the death while humans cheer and place bets. He also discovers that these individuals are using advanced anti-mutant technology and harvesting mutant cells to inject into humans who seek to enhance their abilities. It is a fairly dark and violent issue.

There is a section of this comic that I found particularly interesting. As Magneto is in the pit getting ready to fight, he is contemplating the nature of adaptation and how it affects an individual’s personal development.

It is a common misconception among humans… and even among many mutants… that we are defined by our powers. Mutation, though, is adaptation. I was born with the power to shape metal. But I was forged into the man I am today. It is my conviction… not my abilities… that makes me who I am.

I have always felt that a person’s determination and perseverance is what actually allows one to achieve success. I have seen plenty of people who are talented fail because they lack the drive or the confidence needed to reach their goals. That said, one cannot deny the impact that innate abilities and environmental conditions have on a person’s development. As I see the effects of climate change manifesting in the world and I envision how humanity must ultimately evolve in order to adapt, I wonder what it is that will enable some people to survive while others perish. I don’t have the answer to this, but there is one thing of which I feel fairly certain, that the abilities which will allow our species to survive the impending global changes will not the same as the ones that have allowed us to dominate the evolutionary scale for so long. I suspect that we will soon witness, first hand, Darwin’s theory played out.

The X-Files Season 10 Comic: Issue #7

Love this issue!! It is the second part of a sub-tale which has the return of the infamous “flukeman.” (Click here for my review of the first installment.)

What the writers do in this issue, which I thought was brilliant, is tie the mutation story in with the events at Chernobyl. Essentially, one of the military first responders to the accident is sent down to clear sewage pipes at the accident site and  trapped down there, hence being exposed to the radioactive fluke worms which results in his mutation. Mulder and Scully are both exposed, but the extent of their infection is not made clear at the end of the issue. In fact, it is left open to the possibility that there may be more to this story. That’s all I’ll share–I don’t want to spoil it for you.

This is everything that I love about the X-Files: science fiction, conspiracy theory, mystery, mutation, infection, all tied together with a slight touch of horror. Really, I could not find any flaw in this issue. The only complaint I have is that I have to wait a month for the next issue. 😉