The Halo Graphic Novel | 
| Authors: Lee Hammock, Jay Faerber, Tsutomu Nihei, Brett Lewis, Simon Bisley, Ed Lee, Moebius
Publisher: Marvel Comics
List Price: $24.99
Buy New: $8.29
You Save: $16.70 (67%)
New (41) Used (20) from $2.03
Rating:  59 reviews
Sales Rank: 17325
Media: Hardcover
Pages: 128
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.2
Dimensions (in): 10.4 x 7 x 0.7
ISBN: 0785123725
Dewey Decimal Number: 741.5973
EAN: 9780785123729
ASIN: 0785123725
Publication Date: August 9, 2006
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: Good Condition, delivery time 10 to 12 Working days, via Priority airmail from UK
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Product Description
Marvel and Bungie team up to create The Halo Graphic Novel HC based on the best-selling video game. The graphic novel brings the Halo universe to life for the first time in the sequential art medium in a 128-page, full color, high quality, jacketed, hardcover graphic novel. Stories include: "Last Voyage of the Infinite Succor" by Simon Bisley and Lee Hammock. When communications from a Covenant agricultural support ship are mysteriously terminated, an Elite Commander and his squad of Special Forces are sent to investigate. In "Armor Testing" by Ed Lee and Jay Faerber, the only way to test Spartan armor, is to send a Spartan. The question is what's really being tested? In Tsutomo Nihei's "Breaking Quarantine," the untold tale of Sergeant Johnson's escape from the clutches of the Flood menace is revealed! Finally, Moebius and Brett Lewis' "Second Sunrise Over New Mombasa" tells of the subtler, more dangerous fights taking place on the streets of New Mombasa and in the hearts and minds of men. Cover by Phil Hale. Gallery art created a number of elite artists including Rick Berry, Geof Darrow, Scott Fischer, Sterling Hundley, Craig Mullins, George Pratt, Juan Ramirez, George Staples, Justin Sweet, John Van Fleet and Kent Williams.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 54 more reviews...
 Too Short!!! July 31, 2006
Chip L (Little Rock, AR)
35 out of 56 found this review helpful
Fans of Halo are pretty starved for Halo right now. It's been almost two years since Halo 2 was released and it's at least a year until Halo 3 comes out.
This graphic take place between the events in Halo 1 and 2. A short description of the stories is listed in the product description, so I won't repeat myself. I'll just tell you what the product description does not: this graphic novel is only 115 pages long. The four stories only take up 100 pages. The remaining 15 is an "art gallery" which looks good, but adds nothing to the overall story.
If you really like comic books and you really like Halo, then you will probably like this graphic novel. But if you're looking for insight into the secrets of Halo; you will not find it here.
A flood of mediocrity September 29, 2007
ShriDurga (Japan)
25 out of 26 found this review helpful
This comic book anthology is not a good value. For $50.00 full retail you can get a game that will take you many hours to finish. For $7.99 you can get a Halo prose novel that may take you anywhere from several hours to a couple of days to read. For $24.99 you get this anthology of four stories that should take you, unless you're still in first grade, about an hour to finish.
In addition there is a collection of drawings and paintings (mostly of the Master Chief) from some very talented artists, a 24-page gallery that is longer than all but one of the stories. You also get a total of 14 pages of introductions - of the stories, the artists, the comic book project, the significance of Halo in pop culture, blah, blah, blah. This is the same number of pages as the book's second longest story! That's a total of 48 pages that could have been given to another story, or could have been left out to produce a more reasonably priced book.
The stories themselves are mostly run-and-shoot, adding very little to the Halo universe. The one exception happens to be the best piece in the book, a story that at its Orwellian worst is reminiscent of war reporting from Iraq. Brett Lewis and Moebius are the only two creators here who exploit the medium and follow in SF's grand tradition of using an imagined future to shine a light on the present.
Look for this used, or better yet borrow it from a friend or library. For those that might interested, reviews of each story follow.
THE LAST VOYAGE OF THE INFINITE SUCCOR
Writer Lee Hammock
Artist Simon Bisley
Here we find out how SpecOps Commander Rtos Vodumee, seen in Halo 2 along side the Arbiter, lost a bit of his mouth and how he knows so much about the Flood. While the story is minimal it's loaded down with far too much text. The Commander, for example, is given lengthy orders, which he then repeats verbatim to his subordinates in the next scene. Once would have been enough. Perhaps it was intended as a reflection of the culture, or perhaps it's just sloppy writing, but much of the dialog is stiff and stilted: "And one cannot train in the ways of spilling blood without partaking in the act. It is good to see that the softness of others in the Covenant has not weakened your discipline." The story, such as it is, has Rtos Vodumee leading a landing party to retrieve a high ranking Legate from a valuable and now Flood-infected ship. Along the way many Covenant troops, both clean and infected, are blasted, blown up, and cut down. If you like action, this piece is nearly all so, 45 pages of vivid, kinetic painting that will have you hurriedly flipping pages. Bislesy's minimal style fits the pace of the story, not bothering to slow down the reader with lots of detail.
ARMOR TESTING
Writer: Jay Foerber
Artists: Ed Lee, Andrew Robinson
A 10-page story depicting a trial run of assault armor, the kind of suit worn by the Master Chief. The person inside jumps from space, makes a controlled landing in a simulated hostile zone, and then takes out all his opponents. There's a little twist at the end, but there isn't much remarkable about "Armor Testing" except the artwork, an animation style presentation enhanced through computer filtering by Ed Lee based on Andrew Robinson's fully colored and inked pages.
BREAKING QUARANTINE
Writer/Artist: Tsutomu Nihei
You may remember from the fist game that the Master Chief is quickly isolated from the rest of his squad when they first encounter the Flood. If you ever wondered how the cigar-chomping Sergeant Johnson escaped, you need wonder no more. Nor will you be kept in suspense for long. It shouldn't take you more than a minute to flip through this 11-page shoot-out. Japanese artist Tsutomo Nihei presents a painted project that is stylistically unlike most manga and features no script but the Japanese onomatopoeia - the "don don don" of a hand gun, the "kachin" of a switch being flipped, the "ga gi gi gi gi" of an automatic rifle.
SECOND SUNRISE OVER NEW MOMBASA
Writer: Brett Lewis
Artist: Moebius
The best 14-pages in this anthology relates the story of a journalist covering the Covenant invasion of Earth at New Mombasa. In Halo 2 we see only the smoking remains, but through this story we get a glimpse not only of the civilian life in the Halo universe but how the military controls the press and the public's perception of the war. As you might expect, the art from Moebius is exceptional and compliments a very fine script from Brett Lewis. Where the other stories are largely sizzle, this one brings on the beef.
GALLERY
24 pages of splash art, most of it featuring the Master Chief. Some great pieces here, but hardly worth the cost to include them.
INTRODUCTIONS
14 pages of self-congratulatory logorrhoea.
 VERY disappointing August 10, 2006
Michael Thomas (Seattle, WA United States)
15 out of 24 found this review helpful
First, let me say that I am a huge Halo fan. I've played the game and bought the merchandise religiously. So when the Halo graphic novel was released, I purchased it and read it right away. I was deeply disappointed with what I saw. All the stories are way too short and lack any story telling depth. There is absolutely nothing new revealed to the reader.
The first story involves a team of Elites and Grunts boarding an infested Covenant ship to clear and reclaim it. The group is led by the Elite Commander that was seen wearing white armor in Halo 2. We're told that the story explains how he can "smell the flood" and how he got his mandable injury. Neither of these are explained or seen. The entire story is just a trip from A to B with visuals that are hard to tell what's going on. It's all fighting and no substance. The worst part is the ending, which really doesn't exist. You expect to turn the page for more but are left with an unfinished story. Very disappointing.
The armor testing story is just what it sounds like. Another too short process about how the new armor for Halo 2 was tested. This isn't a story so much as it is an excuse to quickly and inadequately explain the introduction of the new MJOLNIR armor. The artwork is clearer and crisper, that's the one good thing. In the end, the armor doesn't go through enough training and what the Spartan says in the end totally clashes with everything we've learned about Spartan soldiers.
The story with Johnson and how he escapes the flood was the most disappointing "story" in the entire book. Visually, it is the best. In this "story," not a single word or explanation is given. It just shows Johnson getting from A to B and the flood that he destroys in the process. Weren't we led to believe that Johnson escaped because of a genetic defect from the Halo games? Yeah, well that's not covered.
Finally, the last story covers what is supposed to be a politically and dramatic story of the inhabitants of New Mombasa when it is first attacked by the Covenant. It's just a bunch of political commentary on war and media relations that makes you ask, "what does this have to do with anything?" The ending tries to be poignant, but after being bored with the story for so long you really don't care.
100 pages of "story" and the remaining pages filled with artwork and meaningless self praise. Being a huge Halo fan, this book was a huge disappointment. It seems like the emphasis was on making the whole thing a visual experience and cranking it out fast rather than taking the time to write good stories and dialogue and making a book of substance. This book should have been at least twice as long as it actually is. I now find myself questioning Bungie and their motives towards their franchise. So if you want a bunch of pretty pictures to look at, buy this book. If you were hoping for in depth, revealing story lines, don't waste your money like I did.
 Underwhelming. October 23, 2006
Helicon Twist (Earth)
11 out of 17 found this review helpful
In this book, you get a Bungie prologue, 4 stories, and an Appendix of "also ran" artwork.
The Appendix was the best part. Amazing artwork to be seen there. Makes me wonder why those submissions didn't make it fully into this graphic novel...
The first story, "The Last Voyage of the Infinite Succor," had the best plot of the four. Most of the story is told visually, but the overly dark and overdone artwork makes it impossible to tell what's happening half of the time.
"Armor Testing," the second story, was too short and too simple. Decent artwork, however.
The third story, "Breaking Quarantine," is the only real gem of the four. Amazing artwork and a good story, though the ending is a bit lacking.
"Second Sunrise Over New Mombasa," the last story, suffered from goofy artwork and a convoluted plot.
In all, I'm sorry to say this was a let-down. Good thing it wasn't very expensive to purchase.
 Bungie Proves Itself Once More August 4, 2006
Isaac Reynold (NH, USA)
9 out of 10 found this review helpful
As the book is a collection of stories, rather than a single graphic novel, a brief review of each is warranted:
The Last Voyage of the Infinite Succor
This first story, the longest of the group and centerpiece of the book, recounts a mission of a Covenant Spec Ops squad, lead by the Sangheili commander "Half-Jaw" that the player fights alongside in Halo 2. As the Master Chief flees from the newly-released Flood menace on the first Halo, a hijacked Covenant dropship crashes its way into an agricultural ship and proceeds to infect the crew. The Spec Ops squad is dispatched to find out what happened, retake or destroy the ship, and rescue the Prophet who is trapped onboard.
I'm not a big connoisseur of comics, but I do read through them from time to time, and I think I can tell when the artist is into his work. He was here. The art may not be the most realistic, sacrificing clean lines for the gritty and even hideous imagery that derelict corridors and Flood monstrosities entail, but it is very engaging nonetheless. Though Bisley takes some artistic license with Covenant aesthetic and look of the Flood, their essence is preserved. Especially well done are the Sangheili warriors, both while in repose and engaged in blistering death duels with the marauding parasites. And the extensive usage of dual energy swords is a very cool touch, and never overdone.
My only issues with the story was the dialogue early on, which seemed rather clunky, but that cleared up quickly, and the plot was quite easy to follow. The bits of background on the Covenant included and the expansion of the Flood were welcome additions as well.
Armor Testing
This short depicts, as the name suggests, a field test of the new Mjolnir Mark VI armor Master Chief receives at the beginning of Halo 2, conducted at the Songnam research facility also mentioned in the game. The art used for this story couldn't be more different from that of Infinite Succor, clean, clear lines and vibrant colors, but it suits the more familiar human setting. I really liked the art in this one as well, and the action was depicted well. Indeed, my only problem with Testing is the odd depiction of the Spartan at the center of the tale, and I'm not talking about gender. Nevertheless, it's an enjoyable read.
Breaking Quarantine
Essentially a retecon for a controversial part of the novel First Strike, this piece recounts the unkillable Sgt. Johnson's escape from near-certain doom after Captain Keyes accidentally releases the Flood from stasis. Its short and completely free of dialogue, but both of those factors only heighten the desperate and confused mood the story is trying to convey. A mid-ground between the previous two styles, with a good deal of Japanese influence (the artist is a manga author, after all), I think that this piece had the overall best art of the collection.
Second Sunrise Over New Mombasa
The last and most original short in the book, Second Sunrise shows the Covenant invasion of Earth from the point of view of a photographer working in ONI's (UNSC Intelligence) propaganda department. The piece follows him as he attempts to balance artistic credibility and the demands of the military (his job is essentially filtering and editing remote news footage of the war to make it seem as though thing aren't going as badly for humanity as they really are), and then his desperate flight through embattled streets as the Covenant descend upon the city. It also contains a brief lead-in, if a rather obvious one, for Halo 3.
As much as I liked the story of this one, I couldn't really get into the art. Although it shifts from place to place, the overall style is very modern, urban-abstract, a artisitic method I've never been very fond of. Nevertheless, it never gets to over-the-top, although it comes close in places. Another small issue I had was with the portrayal of Covenant weaponry and of the soldiers themselves; it didn't really distract, but I think the artist drew a little too much from older Scifi imagery (although the homage to a Martian tripod was neat).
The collection is completed by a gallery of twenty or so stand-alone pieces of art, each from a different artist, among them Craig Mullins. It was an unexpected touch, and really helped fill out the book. Among my favorites was one by Bungie artist Lorraine McLees (who also wrote the foreword), of the Chief surrounded by a truly formidable arsenal of human weaponry.
Overall, the graphic novel is a must buy for any Halo fan, or anyone with a appreciation for high-quality comic artwork. I have high hopes for the future of the franchise (and Bungie proves that it's the best company ever. Again.)
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