I didn't really know what to expect when I read this book, and I was a little uncertain at the start, as the story jumps around a lot in time and has a ton of characters that it took me a while to keep straight. But by the end I was certain I'd read a work of supreme genius.
It definitely riffs heavily on both the Beatles and the Fantastic Four, as it deals with both a group of four men who become cultural superstars only to have personal differences tear them apart, and also deals with an expedition to space where tragic failings end with young scientists getting superpowers. But the book goes far beyond a mash-up.
The tag-line of the book is "Science is the new Rock and Roll" and the book digs deep into a world where science has become such a cultural force that scientists and engineers completely dominate the gossip magazines the way that rock stars and movie stars do in the real world. Many scientists obviously would love this, but the book shows a lot of the dark side of this, as massive egos and money and power lead to ethical lapses and some tragic results. It shows many sides of this, though: when one character undergoes a transformation like The Thing in the Fantastic Four, becoming a giant, strong monster, in this world where scientific curiosity reigns, instead of moping about his fate, he revels in it. "I've transformed into something way cooler than I was before."
The art and design of the book is also amazing. Every character has a clear distinct look, and with a large cast, the clear faces and expressions help tell the story very well. There are also many breathtaking images, like of a giant space station, or a minimalist mansion of a depressed old scientist. Not only that, but the book includes many incredible inserts to expand the world beyond the story. Similar to the articles in each issue of Watchmen, the articles, press releases, magazine polls, movie posters, and company logos that take up full pages in the book require a lot of attention, as they tell a grand story on their own of a world gone mad with science. And yes, I am saying this book is on a level with Watchmen.
This book is called "Volume 1," but it seems that Nowhere Men is on permanent hiatus, and I have not heard that any issues past the ones in this book will ever be published. While this volume definitely builds a world and cast of characters that could go on to many more adventures, I think it works great as a stand-alone story. Even if it never returns, the 'Volume 1' is like an intriguing nudge to imagine where this world might go, now that it has the hippest team of superhero scientists ever created.
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Top reviews from other countries
bibliovore
intelligent science fiction, about fictional science
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 26, 2014HIDALGO SERRANO
DE lo mejor de los ultimos años
Reviewed in Mexico on July 21, 2016