Heaven’s War

    (Image, 2004)
™ and © 2004 Micah Harris and Michael Gaydos

This is one of those stories that not only blend reality and fiction, but are so well researched that one can’t discern the former from the latter. Not that one feels the need to do so; Harris didn’t have to use real-life authors Charles Williams, C.S. Lewis, and J.R.R. Tolkien in this fictional account of their journey to Heaven’s door. But Williams’ membership in the Masonic order and novel about a war between Heaven and Hell is a natural and brilliantly utilized springboard for this story, and his friendship with Lewis and Tolkien also serves as a more tangential but important catalyst.

Well-researched, yes, but is it entertainment? Maybe, if you’re a religious scholar. Harris’ story is so meticulously chronicled with its lengthy discussions and annotations about ancient orders and the like that it reads more like a doctoral thesis than a graphic novel. His passion for the subjects at hand is obvious but he fails to make anything out of it that the casual reader would want to read. Instead, such a reader will feel as if he’s cramming for that final exam that never comes.

Artwise, readers will recognize Gaydos’ style from his work on Marvel’s Alias and will find comfort in his soothing illustrations; Gaydos is a master of starkly detailed black-and-white facial expressions and character distinctions and, like a strategically placed illustration in a dryly written encyclopedia entry, his art is welcome. Overall, though, this book is more akin to a brilliantly constructed income tax manual; only the most devoted tax accountant could truly enjoy it.

— Jim Johnson
Jump to issue:
  NotesWriterArtist