Eng | RS & Hotfile | CBR | Archaia Entertainment | Oct 21 2009 | 52 Pages | 32.1 MB

was supposed to be a twelve issue, bi-monthly comic book limited series techno-thriller-sci-fi epic to be published by then Archaia Studios Press, written by Josh Finney with art by Josh Finney and Kat Rocha. Issue #1 was released last June 5, 2008 to raves from fans and critics alike. Unfortunately due to unforeseen restructuring by Archaia we have never seen issue 2 and beyond. Now, thanks to Archaia being back on track, we are finally getting , though with some changes to the series: instead of being a 12 issue series it’s now going to start with 2 double issues so we’ll see issues 1-2 for this month and (hopefully) issues 3-4 in the next one. The heart of is contrasts and dynamic opposites, deep philosophy and gripping action side by side. This thematic tension drives every page from a simple game of poker becoming a vehicle for exposition and a metaphor for global geopolitics circa 2031, to the harrowing dogfight at the end of the book. The Art itself is fantastic, pushing the envelope for comic books; it is ultra-realistic, nice and clean, the faces of the characters so well-defined and represented you'd almost think they are real people rendered into art by software. This helps set the book up so well it gives you the futuristic feel to go along with the setting. Well worth the download. This is one series I'd immediately buy. The premise: In the year 2031 a civil war in China has spiraled into global conflict. After the assassination of Chairman P'eng (China's supreme military leader), General Kao Shen of the PLA decides it's time for China to return to its former imperial glory and declares himself Emperor of China. The United States is pulled into the conflict when Kao Shen launches a sneak attack against Japan in an effort to goad the nation into war. The story follows US Airforce pilot, Alec Killian, and the other members of the 704th Phoenix Tactical Fighter Squadron stationed on the front lines of the conflict at Mamoru Air Base, a converted civilian airport located on Hainan Island. The pilots of Phoenix Squadron the fly F-35X Hellcat II, a fictional variant of the Joint Strike Fighter with forward-swept wings.

is an amazing book, hands down. The contradictions make the work all the more exciting--it’s a future alternate-history story. A dense, literate work layered with metaphor and symbolism that is instantly accessible. It’s a thrilling war comic with an artistic soul. It’s cyberpunk action with a humanistic streak. It’s a Bruckheimer-esque thrill ride with an IQ above 130. It’s a high-octane pulse-pounding meditation on the nature of the universe. And finally it’s the best comic you haven’t read...yet! -- Michael Colbert, comicsbulletin.com To be alive is to be at odds with the world. Man against nature. Man against man. The instinct to survive is what has made us who we are. In the year 2031 mankind's survival instinct is put to the test when a civil war in China spirals into global conflict. Nations are destroyed. Millions are killed. And for many, like US Air Force pilot Alec Killian, survival will mean shedding some of his humanity in exchange for biotech and machine. Is this the ultimate corruption of nature? Or the birth pains of a new chapter in mankind's evolution? From the team who brought you the acclaimed cyberpunk series Utopiates comes a sci-fi war epic for the post-millennial age. -- solicitation, archaiasp.com