Review of issues 1-3 of Titan A.E. (the prequel) and the movie
Reviewed by Vanessa Raney
Allie, Scott. Titan A.E. #1, ed. by Dave Land. Pencilled by Al Rio. Inked by Randy Emberlin. Lettered by Steve Dutro. Colored by Dave Stewart. Covers by Al Rio and Andy Owens. Designed by Lia Ribacci. Published by Mike Richardson. Milwaukee, OR: Dark Horse Comics, Inc., May 2000.
_____. Titan A.E. #2, ed. by Dave Land. Pencilled by Al Rio. Inked by Randy Emberlin and Walden Wong. Lettered by Steve Dutro. Colored by Dave Stewart. Covers by Al Rio and Andy Owens. Designed by Lia Ribacci. Published by Mike Richardson. Milwaukee, OR: Dark Horse Comics, Inc., June 2000.
_____. Titan A.E. #3, ed. by Dave Land. Pencilled by Al Rio. Inked by Randy Emberlin and Walden Wong. Lettered by Steve Dutro. Colored by Dave Stewart. Covers by Al Rio and Andy Owens. Designed by Lia Ribacci. Published by Mike Richardson. Milwaukee, OR: Dark Horse Comics, Inc., July 2000.
Titan A.E. Directed by Don Bluth, Gary Goldman, and Art Vitello (some scenes). Story by Hans Bauer and Randall McCormick. Screenplay by Ben Edlund, John August, and Joss Whedon. 94 min. Color. 20th Century Fox, 2000. [I got the info. for the movie version at http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120913/.]
_____. Titan A.E. #2, ed. by Dave Land. Pencilled by Al Rio. Inked by Randy Emberlin and Walden Wong. Lettered by Steve Dutro. Colored by Dave Stewart. Covers by Al Rio and Andy Owens. Designed by Lia Ribacci. Published by Mike Richardson. Milwaukee, OR: Dark Horse Comics, Inc., June 2000.
_____. Titan A.E. #3, ed. by Dave Land. Pencilled by Al Rio. Inked by Randy Emberlin and Walden Wong. Lettered by Steve Dutro. Colored by Dave Stewart. Covers by Al Rio and Andy Owens. Designed by Lia Ribacci. Published by Mike Richardson. Milwaukee, OR: Dark Horse Comics, Inc., July 2000.
Titan A.E. Directed by Don Bluth, Gary Goldman, and Art Vitello (some scenes). Story by Hans Bauer and Randall McCormick. Screenplay by Ben Edlund, John August, and Joss Whedon. 94 min. Color. 20th Century Fox, 2000. [I got the info. for the movie version at http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120913/.]
On all three covers, Dark Horse marketed the comics trilogy Titan A.E. as "the prequel to the hottest animated Sci-Fi film of the year!" The first major discrepancy between the trilogy and the movie, however, is time. According to Prof. Tucker in issue #1: "As early as the twentieth century, plans were made for the terraformation of Mars" (panel 3, italics added). There's no other time reference, so readers are left assuming that the story's taking place a century ago from our time. Also, unlike the movie, the trilogy relates distance between other places and Earth.
The movie, though, begins in "3028 A.D." It also keeps the perspective on the human characters. In contrast, the trilogy plays up points of view between the humans, the D'Amarans, and the Drej during issue #1, then collapses them in issue #2. By issue #3, however, the humans take control. The critical issue with the triology concerns the almost near homogenization of the alien races, while the movie shows token races (that is, one representative per race except for the humans and the Drej). Only the trilogy names the Drej, including their two royal kings and one queen.
Of note, too, is that the only characters who appear in both versions are Dr. Tucker and the Gauol. Yet, by the end of issue #3, the Drej are preparing to attack Earth. Critically, Dr. Tucker's son Cale in the movie is absent in the triology. In the movie, too, the Drej destroy Earth. What lays further doubt to the trilogy as a legitimate prequel to the movie is that the threat of attack in issue #3 and the actual attack in the movie are too immediate, and thus one expects to see either Captain Ruth Kimball or Sergeant Gregory Korso carry over from the triology - at least, I did.
One of the interesting things between the triology and the movie is the death/separation of an important person: Colonel Nik, who doesn't get a last name, for Kimball; Cale's father, Dr. Tucker, whom he later finds out died trying to reach the Titan A.E. Titan A.E. is a spacecraft with the technology to accelerate a human-habitable planet - basically, a modernized Noah's Ark.
The problem with the trilogy and the movie, however, is that the trilogy provides the Drej with a different motivation for destroying Earth (to absorb the planet's energy) - that is, until you get toward the end of issue #3, and the reader's made to question if the queen manipulated events for other reasons. Of course, in the trilogy, the Drej are physically weak and hungry. It's never explained in the movie, however, how the Drej find out about Dr. Tucker, the Titan A.E. and his son Cale.
Of course, in issue #2 of the trilogy, the Drej comment on the human race: "'We can't let this low-watt race of pacifists beat us!'" (panel 17); "'You and I are the rare masters among this race of slaves" (panel 40). In issue #3, Kimball, Korso and Tucker discover, as he introduces himself, "'Commander Bencal of the D'Amaran Mizrate Armada'" (panel 70) - the VIP among the D'Amarans thought dead in the previous issue. At this point, they're all on the Drej ship.
Visually, a key difference between the trilogy and the movie is that the movie presents manipulable electric doorways. In the trilogy, the interior of the Drej ship is metal with defined borders. Both versions, of course, feature attraction: Kimball with Dr. Tucker; Cale with Akima. However, the movie differs significantly from the trilogy, too, because of Capt. Joseph Korso's backstabbing and Preed's double backstabbing. Is it possible the movie's Capt. Korso's related to the trilogy's Capt. Korso? (Either that, or he got misnamed in the trilogy.)
I wasn't convinced, though, with Capt. Korso's quick turnaround toward the end of the movie when he finally sacrifices himself for the human race. The best part of the movie, though, happens before Capt. Korso gives himself away; here, Cale takes the lead with the spacecraft as he plays with the "ghosts"-like race. The music and the visualization are awesome!
Like the movie, there are inconsistencies in the trilogy. Coming into issue #2, for example, readers may have no clue what's going on. In issue #1, Kimball retorts to Nik: "'Is that a slight on my navigating or my gender?'" (panel 48 ). However, the issue of "gender" isn't pursued, which raises questions about the writer's intent.
I want to point out one final difference between the trilogy and the movie. In the trilogy, the crew's only human except when they team up with Bencal. The planet they visit features alien races. Turn to the movie and it's exactly the reverse: the crew's a mix of human and alien, and "Drifter Colony" (I believe its a holding station) is made up of humans.
I'm in no way suggesting, however, that the trilogy should've followed the movie closely. My observations also aren't based on a need for faithfulness between the two versions. I want to emphasize that there are two related stories, but that the prequel isn't really that; it's a different story loosely fitted around the movie.
The movie, though, begins in "3028 A.D." It also keeps the perspective on the human characters. In contrast, the trilogy plays up points of view between the humans, the D'Amarans, and the Drej during issue #1, then collapses them in issue #2. By issue #3, however, the humans take control. The critical issue with the triology concerns the almost near homogenization of the alien races, while the movie shows token races (that is, one representative per race except for the humans and the Drej). Only the trilogy names the Drej, including their two royal kings and one queen.
Of note, too, is that the only characters who appear in both versions are Dr. Tucker and the Gauol. Yet, by the end of issue #3, the Drej are preparing to attack Earth. Critically, Dr. Tucker's son Cale in the movie is absent in the triology. In the movie, too, the Drej destroy Earth. What lays further doubt to the trilogy as a legitimate prequel to the movie is that the threat of attack in issue #3 and the actual attack in the movie are too immediate, and thus one expects to see either Captain Ruth Kimball or Sergeant Gregory Korso carry over from the triology - at least, I did.
One of the interesting things between the triology and the movie is the death/separation of an important person: Colonel Nik, who doesn't get a last name, for Kimball; Cale's father, Dr. Tucker, whom he later finds out died trying to reach the Titan A.E. Titan A.E. is a spacecraft with the technology to accelerate a human-habitable planet - basically, a modernized Noah's Ark.
The problem with the trilogy and the movie, however, is that the trilogy provides the Drej with a different motivation for destroying Earth (to absorb the planet's energy) - that is, until you get toward the end of issue #3, and the reader's made to question if the queen manipulated events for other reasons. Of course, in the trilogy, the Drej are physically weak and hungry. It's never explained in the movie, however, how the Drej find out about Dr. Tucker, the Titan A.E. and his son Cale.
Of course, in issue #2 of the trilogy, the Drej comment on the human race: "'We can't let this low-watt race of pacifists beat us!'" (panel 17); "'You and I are the rare masters among this race of slaves" (panel 40). In issue #3, Kimball, Korso and Tucker discover, as he introduces himself, "'Commander Bencal of the D'Amaran Mizrate Armada'" (panel 70) - the VIP among the D'Amarans thought dead in the previous issue. At this point, they're all on the Drej ship.
Visually, a key difference between the trilogy and the movie is that the movie presents manipulable electric doorways. In the trilogy, the interior of the Drej ship is metal with defined borders. Both versions, of course, feature attraction: Kimball with Dr. Tucker; Cale with Akima. However, the movie differs significantly from the trilogy, too, because of Capt. Joseph Korso's backstabbing and Preed's double backstabbing. Is it possible the movie's Capt. Korso's related to the trilogy's Capt. Korso? (Either that, or he got misnamed in the trilogy.)
I wasn't convinced, though, with Capt. Korso's quick turnaround toward the end of the movie when he finally sacrifices himself for the human race. The best part of the movie, though, happens before Capt. Korso gives himself away; here, Cale takes the lead with the spacecraft as he plays with the "ghosts"-like race. The music and the visualization are awesome!
Like the movie, there are inconsistencies in the trilogy. Coming into issue #2, for example, readers may have no clue what's going on. In issue #1, Kimball retorts to Nik: "'Is that a slight on my navigating or my gender?'" (panel 48 ). However, the issue of "gender" isn't pursued, which raises questions about the writer's intent.
I want to point out one final difference between the trilogy and the movie. In the trilogy, the crew's only human except when they team up with Bencal. The planet they visit features alien races. Turn to the movie and it's exactly the reverse: the crew's a mix of human and alien, and "Drifter Colony" (I believe its a holding station) is made up of humans.
I'm in no way suggesting, however, that the trilogy should've followed the movie closely. My observations also aren't based on a need for faithfulness between the two versions. I want to emphasize that there are two related stories, but that the prequel isn't really that; it's a different story loosely fitted around the movie.
Posted by Vanessa Raney
at 2:39 AM EST
Updated: Tuesday, 25 December 2007 2:48 AM EST
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