Description
It’s Here!
Hardcover Format
Approximately 160 pages Full color Size: Approximately 8” x 10.5″ Publisher: Floating Island Productions Language: English Reading Age: 12 and older
The contents consists of the MOBIUS: 25 YEARS LATER stories originally published in Archie’s SONIC THE HEDGEHOG series issues 131 thru 144, with one exception. The last page of the story THE DIE IS CAST that appeared in SONIC issue 144 has been replaced with all-new material that continues into the all-new story THE STORM, which features Geoffrey St John and Constable Remington. This story in turn leads into the all-new opening chapter of THE LARA-SU CHRONICLES: SHATTERED TOMORROWS. In addition, there will be character Data Files of some of the major players in the stories.
Personalization, “To ( name requested) -“, is $5.00 more.
NOTES:
THE LARA-SU CHRONICLES: BEGINNINGS is now available.. If you’re the type of collector who demands a first printing, the time is now. Get yours today.
Ryan (verified owner) –
I’m really pleased with how the book came out. It feels well made and the colors really pop in person. The reprinted stories look better than I remember them, and it’s great having them all in one place. Glad to see the story continue, and I’m definitely looking forward to more!
Ken’s fast shipping and customer service are top-notch as well. A great buying experience all around!
Cluster –
The Lara-Su Chronicles: Beginnings is an absolute must-have for any fan of Ken Penders’ work. Even just the full reprint of the Mobius 25 Years Later storyline would make it more than worth the asking price, but the remainder of the book should not be missed either!
Both The Storm and the opening chapter of Shattered Tomorrows show that Ken is just as much a master of his craft as he was 20 years ago.
Shattered Tomorrows in particular is a stand-out as it finally gives a clear look at what’s next to come for Lara-Su, and I couldn’t be more excited to see what comes next!
Frankly, if you’re ever in a position to be considering buying this book you should just go ahead and do it!
FeliciaRondo –
I absolutely loved this book. I had already read through the first 14 chapters of Mobius: 25 Years Later, but experiencing it again in this format made it feel brand new. If you have any concerns about the quality of this graphic novel, don’t – it’s a sturdy thing, with pages that pop with color and art that draws you into the alien world of the Echyd’nya. The quality of the paper and printing does justice to the stories that were printed years ago and gives a great first impression of the new material.
I came to this book as someone who’s been a Sonic fan for most of my life, and I’ll admit the new art style took some getting used to when I first encountered images of it online… but I think much of the difficulty I had in adjusting to it was because I saw so much criticism of it on the internet. When I stopped looking at what others were saying and started really looking at the art for myself, without letting the opinions of others influence my thinking, I actually took a liking to it.
Upon seeing it printed in this book and in the context of the story it’s all in service of telling, I’m more comfortable than ever in recommending this to others as the presentation does a phenomenal job of reconciling the old with the new.
We would’ve been a lot worse off had we gotten more of the same, anyway, as limiting the story to what’s already been done defeats the purpose of the whole thing. Once you start concerning yourself with trying to please everyone, trying to be nostalgic and inoffensive, that’s when you fail – and I’m happy to report that’s not what’s happened here. 🙂
As for the story this book is telling, I’ll leave precise details for people to find out from their own copies. The stakes are high, the worldbuilding is intriguing, but none of that would matter if it didn’t resonate emotionally. On that note, I did find my eyes welling up with tears multiple times during my time reading the book. Like if what was happening to the characters had happened to me.
The cast of The Lara-Su Chronicles feels real, like they existed long before the first script they were written into and continued to have rich interior lives even beyond what we see in the graphic novel, so when things happen to them I care a lot. Fictional characters can feel almost like friends, so that they’re now entering a new chapter of their lives is as nerve-wracking as it is exciting. No matter what happens, I’m looking forward to seeing how the story unfolds.
I don’t really have much in the way of criticism for the book, but I would be remiss not to mention some of the criticism I’ve seen elsewhere and what my take on it was. There’s been some discussion on the internet about the depiction of breastfeeding in the story, but I find the people treating it as a scandal to be very childish. It’s a natural part of life, and I would only have a problem if it was treated as something indecent and in need of censoring.
The other line of critique I’ve seen most often levied at The Lara-Su Chronicles in the wake of The Lara-Su Chronicles: Beginnings’ release is that Ken Penders is acknowledging transgender people in the worldbuilding of the Echyd’nya. The criticism is not about the execution of this concept, but at the very idea of telling a story with trans people in it at all.
I am very sensitive to this criticism as a trans woman myself, but I’ve seen the same lines trotted out against the idea of depicting members of any marginalized group. Whenever a story features a character that feels ‘outside the norm’ to a given reader, the only explanation to a closed-minded reader is that it was “forced.” I don’t think it’s out of line to criticize a story, any story, but sentiments like that indicate a fundamental misunderstanding not just of storytelling but of people.
The Lara-Su Chronicles has people in it, even if they’re also aliens. Just as Star Trek showed we humans have more in common with Vulcans than even they may be willing to admit, it continues the science-fiction tradition of showing that—no matter how far we go in the future, even when we leave our home planet—a heart is a heart. If a heart can want transition, it doesn’t matter if it’s inside a human or an Echyd’nya.
I’m glad I ordered my copy when I did, and that I got to experience the continuation of this story at long last with the love of my life reading along with me. It delivered in every way I could’ve hoped for, and I now find myself eagerly awaiting the release of the Lara-Su app where I’ll be following The Lara-Su Chronicles: Shattered Tomorrows with each new chapter release.
Collin Reed (verified owner) –
I just finished my first read through of Beginnings, and it was excellent. The print quality is some of the best I’ve seen in a comic. The original Sonic art has never looked better, and Ken’s new, evolving art shines as well. The story is a lot to digest, but I look forward to spending more time with it, piecing it all together. I respect and enjoy Ken’s bold decisions on the direction of the story, and I look forward to what’s to come!
Bones (verified owner) –
Everything in my order got here quickly and in perfect condition! I really appreciate how much care went in to making sure it would all arrive undamaged.
The hardback books pages are sturdy and glossy with nice crisp image quality, same goes for the art print. I requested a signature, which was included on a Lara-Su postcard rather than directly on a page within the book, which is what I was expecting.
(The card is a thoughtful gesture for folks who would prefer an unmarked book. I don’t mind it, but I will say: if you’re going to order a copy and you want your book signed you should specify that when you order.)
I like the postcard and I’ll hang it up with my print. Maybe if I ever have the chance to meet Ken in person I’ll bring my copy of Lara-Su: Beginnings with! I truly wish Ken Penders the best in all his present and future projects.