Comic book: Amory Wars: IKSSE3 #1

Coheed and Cambria has had an eventful last few months: the CD, DVD, and novel package of YEAR OF THE BLACK RAINBOW was released in April, the band just finished a national tour, and now the first of----I believe----twelve books in the third installment of the AMORY WARS comic book series is in stores, titled: IN KEEPING SECRETS OF THE SILENT EARTH: 3.

This volume picks up ten years after Claudio's exile in SECOND STAGE TURBINE BLADE, and the character carries a much heavier demeanor this time around. In fact, the situation is entirely depressing: he has no family, is unable to speak to his (ex-)girlfriend, and his own dog doesn't recognize him. Not to mention that the forces of good and evil are searching the Fence (the planets) high and low to find him. It's rough being Claudio.

On another note, the series has seen a makeover. Peter David (the co-author of BLACK RAINBOW and industry veteran) teams up with Claudio Sanchez, while Chris Burnham handles the interior artwork. Because of these changes, this volume is hard to compare to TURBINE BLADE. The cartoon feel of the earlier books has been revamped into a darker, more horrific style. In my opinion, either style fits the science fiction elements of Claudio's vision. I actually don't like one more than the other, really.

However, what is better is the story itself. It's easy to follow, the questions I had are meant to be intentional rather than holes, and the characters feel more believable. I truly liked this comic book. Furthermore, I think that the presence of an entertainment juggernaut like Coheed and Cambria in the comic book industry could do wonders for a slipping medium. Claudio has the opportunity to convert a lot of people into comic readers, and that's awesome.

This is not where a reader should start, though. This book would be hard for me to follow had I not the background knowledge of previous issues. Many sites emphasize that this is the best place to start reading AMORY WARS, but I disagree. There's a lot you need to know, I think, to fully appreciate the awesomeness of KEEPING SECRETS. That being said, you can spend $20 on Amazon.com and get both part one and two of TURBINE BLADE. And that's all you need----and they're great comics. The reviews I've read seem abrasive of the volumes, but I truly enjoyed them. More people are trying too hard to be critics instead of enjoying a work of high quality, fun storytelling.

Hey, at the end of the day, it's beats the s#$& out of Twilight.

In conclusion:

AMORY WARS: IKSSE3

4.5 out of 5