RUNE #1
milk...@maple.circa.ufl.edu
artist. If you doubt his talent, check out Conan #24 and "Red Nails"...
Anyhow, I'm admitting bias towards his work. Having read Rune #1, I can
honestly say that if you're not a diehard BWS fan, there's only a marginal
chance that you'd enjoy it.
Plot summary:
S P O I L E R W A R N I N G
(in order not to spoil your reading pleasure, stop here)
****************************************************************************
Here's what happens: Rune attacks guy (probably late teens, looks like
Barry's Gilad). Guy zaps Rune -- mysterious fake police kidnap him, his
mom, and his girlfriend. Rune is picked up by mysterious organization
headed by some guy who looks like a cyborg. Another kid is picked up
by these people from this mysterious organization. Rune isn't dead and
looks ready to break free... to be continued.
Anyhow, my big problem with the story is that it's pretty damn dull!
Thanks for the inessential mystery, Barry and Chris (Ulm). Sorry but the
mysterious organization plot is old and cliched -- doesn't work unless you
do it real well. It worked fine in Weapon X, but it's just stupid and point-
less here. And the art was even kinda lackluster. Better than 90% of
what's out there, but still... if Barry's being paid $1000 per page,
it should be absolutely beautiful. The cover is great and there are some
really nice pages, but in general it looks a bit lazy (nowhere as lazy
as his Valiant work tho).
This is a pretty negative review from someone who's a diehard Barry Smith
fan (namely me)! I wonder what the general comic reading public think?
--m.
Jay Elmore
<milk...@maple.circa.ufl.edu> wrote:
>Anybody who knows me also knows that Barry Smith is my favorite comic book
>artist. If you doubt his talent, check out Conan #24 and "Red Nails"...
>Anyhow, I'm admitting bias towards his work. Having read Rune #1, I can
>honestly say that if you're not a diehard BWS fan, there's only a marginal
>chance that you'd enjoy it.
>Plot summary:
>Anyhow, my big problem with the story is that it's pretty damn dull!
>Thanks for the inessential mystery, Barry and Chris (Ulm). Sorry but the
>mysterious organization plot is old and cliched -- doesn't work unless you
>do it real well.
Well, I believe the "mysterious organization" is supposed to be Aladdin,
the agency responsible for tracking ultrahumans.
Jay (=
--
John W. "Jay" Elmore Jr. (= Email: joh...@calvin.linfield.edu
Eris, Bolo God of Discord or jel...@nyx.cs.du.edu
"You really love animals, dont you?" "When it's cold enough."
--ACE VENTURA: PET DETECTIVE
milk...@maple.circa.ufl.edu
> <milk...@maple.circa.ufl.edu> wrote:
>>Anyhow, my big problem with the story is that it's pretty damn dull!
>>Thanks for the inessential mystery, Barry and Chris (Ulm). Sorry but the
>>mysterious organization plot is old and cliched -- doesn't work unless you
>>do it real well.
>
>Well, I believe the "mysterious organization" is supposed to be Aladdin,
>the agency responsible for tracking ultrahumans.
Doesn't say any such thing in Rune #1. I'm no Ultraverse Zombie, so I've
never heard of Aladdin -- and there are probably people picking up Rune
(e.g. Smith fans like me) who've never read an Ultraverse comic before.
So... you're saying that Rune is actually thinner on plot that I had previously
believed? =)
-m.
Jay Elmore
<milk...@maple.circa.ufl.edu> wrote:
>jel...@nyx.cs.du.edu (Jay Elmore) writes:
>> <milk...@maple.circa.ufl.edu> wrote:
>>>Anyhow, my big problem with the story is that it's pretty damn dull!
>>>Thanks for the inessential mystery, Barry and Chris (Ulm). Sorry but the
>>>mysterious organization plot is old and cliched -- doesn't work unless you
>>>do it real well.
>>Well, I believe the "mysterious organization" is supposed to be
Aladdin,
>>the agency responsible for tracking ultrahumans.
>Doesn't say any such thing in Rune #1. I'm no Ultraverse Zombie, so I've
>never heard of Aladdin -- and there are probably people picking up Rune
>(e.g. Smith fans like me) who've never read an Ultraverse comic before.
What, you didn't read the RUNE teasers about two months ago? You're not
going to be able to get RUNE #0? Oh, the tragedy...
If you had read the RUNE previews (labelled A-K, three pages each,
basically giving the origin of Rune and Why He Is What He Is) you would
have seen references to Aladdin.
>So... you're saying that Rune is actually thinner on plot that I had
>previously believed? =)
Well, as I noted, I think they were counting that people would have read
the RUNE teasers... If you didn't then you might be missing more of the
story than those of us who did...
Jay Elmore
read the RUNE previews that ran in the back of certain Ultraverse titles,
I have decided to summarize each segment. (Don't applaud to
loudly...they're only about 3 pages each, so it's no big deal.)
By the way, if you're interested in getting the issues they run in, they
are SLUDGE #1, PRIME #5, NIGHT MAN #1, HARDCASE #5, FREEX #4, PROTOTYPE #3,
STRANGERS #5, EXILES #3, FIREARM #2, MANTRA #4 and SOLUTION #2. They all
have a picture of Rune where the "U" (or, in the curents issues, the "M")
usually is. Also, parts B-J of the set form a 3x3 poster of Rune by BWS.
Kinda nifty.
Also, each of these issues had a photocopyable (is that a word?),
serialized coupon that, if you get one from each installment of RUNE, you
could send in with $5.00 to get a RUNE #0 and a SOLUTION #0.
Unfortunately, the deadline was Feb. 10, so you're SOL if you're trying
to get them now...
A: THE PROPHECY
In the present day (?), Rune does a casting with his magic stones. They
point out that there is a way for him to "banish the malady that devours
[him] from within."
B: THE BLOOD OF TRIBES
This takes place in Africa in 303 A.D. Rune is worshipped as a god
("Grandfather Spider") by a tribe of natives, whom Rune accepts
sacrifices from.
C: THE SORCEROR
In March of 1895, Nikola Tesla (the man who did most of the pioneering
work in electromagnetism) is visited by a stranger who inquires about his
work. Before the stranger (Rune) disappears, Tesla gets a glimpse through
his illusion. Rune leaves behind a crystal with the rune for fire
inscribed upon it.
D: THE POWER OF GODS
November of 1952: Rune is present at the detonation of the first
thermonuclear bomb. Unprepared for it, Rune is severly wounded by the blast.
E: THE CURSED
June 24, 1993: Rune is present when the Jump-Start Effect hits a cable
car in San Francisco (which gives birth to The Strangers and, later,
The Night Man). Edwin Doyle, who was on the car, comes across a man who
helps him get back to his home. Doyle begins to swell with power, his
body mutating into a large, muscled form. The man (Rune) helps Doyle to
his apartment.
F: THE NECTAR OF LIFE
June 24, 1993: Rune helps Doyle to his apartment and kills him. As Rune
feeds off of Doyle's body, his body begins to swell with power, but the
effect does not last.
G: THE HUNGER
June 25, 1993: As Rune feeds off of a derelict, his weakened body cannot
even derive nourishment from his intoxicated body. Rune flies into a
lightning bolt to cleanse himself, but the cancer is still growing inside
of him.
H: ALADDIN'S LAMP
June 27, 1993: Aladdin begins a file based on a chance sighting of Rune
at an abandoned Aladdin facility. Rune goes into a trance; when he comes
out of it, he finds evidence of Aladdin's existance and flies towards
Scottsdale, Arizona.
I: THE HUNTED
Two agents of Aladdin, charged with protecting "the experiment," are
found dead. Agent Stone, apparently a psychic, determines that whatever
killed them is looking for "the boy". Rune descends upon Stone and kills him.
J: THE FURY - Part one
The agent that Stone was with, upon loss of contact with Stone, begins
sweeping the area in a high-tech van. Rune attacks, and the agent opens
fire. Meanwhile, a young man named Erik is talking to his girlfriend on
the phone when his father enters the room.
K: THE FURY - Part two
As Erik and his father are talking about Erik's unusual (and unspecified)
condition, Rune forces the van off of the road, where it explodes. Erik's
father leaves and Erik goes to sleep, where he dreams of Rune coming to
get him. As he dreams, Rune watches from a nearby tree. This supposedly
leads into the first page of RUNE #1.
milk...@oak.circa.ufl.edu
> <milk...@maple.circa.ufl.edu> wrote:
>> I'm no Ultraverse Zombie, so I've
>>never heard of Aladdin -- and there are probably people picking up Rune
>>(e.g. Smith fans like me) who've never read an Ultraverse comic before.
>
>basically giving the origin of Rune and Why He Is What He Is) you would
>have seen references to Aladdin.
The only other Ultraverse books I picked up were Prime and Firearm, so I only
saw two of those installments. Three pages a book isn't enough to make
me go out and buy a book I don't usually buy. That woulda been 9 times
$2.50, or $22.50 for only another crummy 24 pages... Even *I* am not such
a diehard Smith fan to waste my money like that! =)
Besides, as a #1 issue, it's story should be able to stand on it's own, or
at least develop a basis for ongoing story. And I thought Rune #1 failed
miserably at it.
--m.
matt hardy
Jay Elmore <jel...@nyx.cs.du.edu> wrote:
>Well, as I noted, I think they were counting that people would have read
>the RUNE teasers... If you didn't then you might be missing more of the
>story than those of us who did...
While I admire your dedication in collecting all of those 3 page
installments, I have to say that marketing scheme turned off this
reader in at least two ways: not only am I frustrated with Malibu
for not making a story I'm interested in available at a reasonable
price (which is certainly their perogative), but if Rune #1 requires
knowledge of the previous installments to enjoy, then their
marketing scheme is going to be very counterproductive -- my
non-enjoyment of Rune #1 isn't going to encourage me to pick
up the series on a continuing basis.
matt