Aldebaran Vol.2: The Group

If, like me, you once thought that the graphic novel was the unassailable domain of the better known transatlantic giants like Marvel, DC & Dark Horse, then these gems from European publishers Cinebook will be a welcome diversion. Beautifully drawn and thoughtfully crafted, Brazilian artist/writer Leo's Aldebaran and Betelgeuse series, chronicalling mankind's early attempts at colonising two distant planets, sparkle with originality. The main characters, Kim, Driss and Alexa, despite being bestowed with the gift of longevity along the way, remain otherwise quite ordinary people with whom the reader can quickly identify. The series is set at a time when these colonies, long isolated from their earthly masters & despite their best intentions, have become totalitarian states, whose leaders have allowed their personal paranoia and zest for power to stifle democracy. Our heroes are naturally opposed to such negative ideologies and set out to instigate change as best they can, aided by resident alien intelligences with whom they and their small band of followers have forged a unique relationship. Leo, who fled his native Brazil in the 1970's to escape the military dictatorship which was then in power, has clearly drawn much from his own experiences here. Even the locations and the human characters have a very Latin American feel to them. What I liked particularly was that in both cases these long isolated societies had used local materials to construct sailing vessels and build dwellings, whilst there were relatively few powered vehicles in use amongst the general population. Certainly not the gleaming space-age towers so beloved of many SF writers. A well constructed series with plausible characters & plenty of human interest

The book binding is of poor quality. After a few days, the pages start to come out loose. I found it a problem with all the paperbacks in this series.