Vimanarama

The thrilling conclusion of Grant Morrison's and Philip Bond's modern-day, apocalyptic 'Arabian Nights' unfolds! Ali has fallen, and Prince Rama is incapacitated, as ancient, world-destroying creatures ready the Continent of America for its doom. Can Sofia emerge as the hero, or will endless night descend? Bear witness to the collision of ancient empires, journey beyond the veil of death, and observe the world's end in Vimanarama!

Grade 8 Up Ali is an unlikely hero in an even more unlikely situation. His nervousness about meeting Sofia, his arranged bride-to-be, is put on the back burner when a buried city is discovered beneath his family's shop in Bradford, England. That it contains an ancient evil that was imprisoned there 6000 years ago doesn't help matters any. Soon Ali and Sofia find themselves witnesses to and unwilling participants in an epic battle between the forces of good and evil. Factor in the fact that the ancient and good Prince Ben Rama is in love with Sofia because he believes her to be descended from his lover, and both the plot and Ali's heart take yet another twist. This book is fast paced and sprinkled throughout with humor. Except, of course, for those times that the story takes a darker and more surreal turn, as when Ali hangs himself and is soon united with his father and brother, who are having near-death experiences at exactly the same time. There are periods of action that move so quickly that they will leave readers' heads spinning, followed by periods of thought-provoking stillness. This is a strange, amazing, and unique story that looks deceptively light and fluffy on the outside. Younger teens will love the speed and silliness, while older readers will see what lies beneath. Andrea Lipinski, New York Public Library
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Morrison is well known for the bizarre ideas that thrive in his comics like Doom Patrol, The Invisibles and Seaguy. What is often forgotten is that he balances those off-the-wall ideas with a wonderful humanistic touch that gives readers a reason to care about his stories. Here, Morrison and Bond tell a story that features ancient giants rampaging through London and New York and the superhero team, the Ultra-Hadeen, who set out to stop them. It also tells the tale of Ali, a Pakistani teen who frets over his arranged marriage until he meets his bride-to-be, Sofia, and find out she's all right. Too bad that by that point Prince Ben Rama of the Ultra-Hadeen has also fallen for her. The love triangle and Ali's nerve-wracked reaction to it is the central story. It's told with real compassion for all the characters and also with a lot of humor. Morrison gives his characters plenty of great quips in the middle of apparent destruction, making all the big concepts of the book flow easily. Bond's art gives the fantastic concepts a look that is half Jack Kirby and half ancient Middle Eastern imagery. He deftly communicates the characters' emotional states, which is the most important thing for a story like this. (Jan.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

When 19-year-old Ali, hapless son of a Pakistani grocer in Bradford, England, and his arranged bride, Sofia, unintentionally unleash an evil race of demons who've been imprisoned for millennia under his family's shop, they try to set things right by summoning godlike Prince Ben Rama and his Ultrahadeen only to revive a cosmic war that threatens to destroy the world. Complication arises when Ben Rama reveals his own love for Sofia, who is the reincarnation of his immortal soul mate. When she rejects him, he is powerless to defend the planet. This apocalyptic tale's most appealing attribute is the whimsical approach scripter Morrison takes to Sofia and Ali's relationship, which seems preternaturally doomed almost as soon as they meet. Illustrator Bond's touch is similarly light, rendering the characters in attractively cartoony fashion yet convincingly portraying the Jack Kirby-inspired superbeings. Both men have done their research to achieve authentic Pakistani characters and milieu in a multiculti concoction that gracefully melds genres as diverse as teen romance, ethnic comedy, and cosmic sf. Gordon Flagg
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