The Originals: The Essential Edition - Hardcover

Gibbons, Dave

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1506705626 ISBN 13: 9781506705620

Publisher: Berger Books, 2018

Synopsis

Deluxe oversized edition of the Eisner-award winning mod sci-fi coming of age graphic novel from Dave Gibbons, co-creator of Watchmen. Includes 32 pages of never-before-seen development art, process pieces, and behind the scenes extras--all annotated by Gibbons.

In a retro-futuristic city of industrial gray where hover scooters, music and drugs rule the street, THE ORIGINALS are the toughest, most stylish gang around. For two childhood friends, nothing is more important than being one of them. But being part of the crowd will bring its own deadly consequences.

"The Originals is Dave Gibbons doing what he was born to do: telling a story that's all his own, and telling it with grace, verve and drama. The result is, well...original! Topnotch comics."--Frank Miller

"Sharp as the lapels on his mohair, revved up on Lambrettas and doobs, THE ORIGINALS is Dave Gibbons at the very top of his considerable game, dripping style and soul like dance floor sweat, delivering a narrative that's young, good-looking and up for a ruck. Buy this immediately, and smell the oil, the blood, the seaside... I don't care where you've been; you ain't been nowhere 'til you've been in." - Alan Moore

"What a fantastic looking book...Dave's vast storytelling experience and effortless ease with the medium shine from every page of THE ORIGINALS."--Garth Ennis

About this title

About the Author

Dave Gibbons has drawn and written for most comics publishers on both sides of the Atlantic. His work has encompassed DR WHO, SUPERMAN, BATMAN, GREEN LANTERN, CAPTAIN AMERICA, DR STRANGE, THE HULK, PREDATOR, and ALIENS.

WATCHMEN, his collaboration with writer Alan Moore, is the best-selling graphic novel ever published and became a major motion picture.

His autobiographical graphic novel THE ORIGINALS won an Eisner Award in 2005. His recent work has included KINGSMAN: THE SECRET SERVICE, with Mark Millar, now also a major motion picture. He co-created GIVE ME LIBERTY and MARTHA WASHINGTON GOES TO WAR with writer Frank Miller.

He was appointed "Comics Laureate" of the UK in 2014, with the brief to develop the use of comics in education. The University of Dundee awarded him an Honorary Doctorate in Comic Arts in 2015.

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. Gibbons's masterful skills as writer and artist energize this coming-of-age story set in a slightly skewed world full of familiar frustrations and temptations. Young teen Lel doesn't see anything desirable in what mainstream society offers; he just wants flashier clothes, his own Hover to ride and membership in an elite gang. So he and his buddy Bok join the Originals, a gang with whom they engage in small-scale violence against rival gangs and bask in the acceptance of their peers. Alas, this doesn't last. Lel and Bok begin drifting apart once Lel starts spending time with a girl named Viv and selling drugs for a high-ranking Original. But when another needy gang wannabe carries the violence too far, Lel is faced with making adult decisions. Lel isn't a vicious sociopath, doomed to make selfish choices; he is, however, immature and still wrapped up in his fantasies. Although the story sounds familiar, it feels fresh. Gibbons, who's probably best known as the Watchmen artist, presents an outstanding example of art and layout with this work. The double-page spreads that put readers in the middle of a teen party or a gang rumble are particular standouts. Gibbons deftly captures Lel's world, as Lel experiences the excitement of the unknown and the emptiness that comes with violence.
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About this edition

• Publisher: Berger Books
• Publication date: 2018
• ISBN 10: 1506705626
• ISBN 13: 9781506705620
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 192
• Illustrator: Gibbons Dave