A Distant Soil is a series that's been unfolding for decades, and in discussions of independently produced comics epics, it's no doubt overshadowed by Dave Sim's now-concluded Cerebus. I've glanced at Colleen Doran's Soil from time to time; I even have a copy of the very first WaRP Graphics issue lying around my apartment someplace. But it's never been something to which I've been drawn. Despite the science-fiction elements to be found, it's very much a fantasy war epic, and it's not a genre I enjoy, to be honest. I didn't even enjoy Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy, so that might give you an idea of where I'm coming from as I approach this collected edition. There's no denying the strength of Doran's art in this book, just as there's no denying the powerful impact of some of the subject matter. Ultimately, I found little to connect with here. The characters and circumstances are so lofty and alien that I really wasn't moved by them.
The power of the Avatar of Ovanan has passed from Seren and fills the child Liana. The young girl is pampered by attendants who also work to manipulate her to their power-hungry ends, hoping to control the power that lies within her, power enough to wreak havoc on a cosmic scale. Seren is tortured by the sadistic Emeris, as he seeks to extract the information he needs from the former Avatar to maintain his power base. Meanwhile, the Resistance movement finds new allies and an old leader, albeit with a new face.
Doran demonstrates the versatility of her art in this book. I like how the scenes set in the Ovanan palace boast clean lines, reinforcing the opulence and meticulously tidy qualities of the setting. Meanwhile, the underground base of the Resistance righters boasts rougher edges and lines, and the art in those sequences is much inkier, conveying the dirty, unfortunate conditions in which they exist. The two modes also serve to establish the great distance between the two main backdrops, even though the two plotlines are inextricably linked. Doran's art reminds me from to time of George (Infinite Crisis) Perez's richly detailed and expressive style.
Recurring themes throughout this book are sexuality and the taint it can bring to innocent creatures. Emeris's corrupt and hateful nature comes out in his sexuality. He may be beautiful, but he oozes sleaze as well. To be honest, I found the sexuality of the characters to be a bit much. It seemed as though the characters' sexuality is unrelenting, and after a while, I found I just expected it. The theme seemed to lose some of its impact the more it turned up. Of course, one of the key elements that turns up here is sexual abuse, and one wouldn't want the creator to tone things down to make the reader more comfortable. Making one uncomfortable with the notion is rather the point, I suppose.
I was relieved to find an essay "What has Gone Before" (along with accompanying illustrations) in the front of the book, as I felt I'd need the primer in order to appreciate the book. To my dismay, I found the primer itself to be overwhelming and dizzying. If I couldn't follow the essay, I figure I'd have little chance to understand the story that follows. It wasn't quite so bad as that; I followed several key sequences. All the same, I felt like I wasn't fully invited into the book, that I hadn't paid the club dues (namely, reading previous volumes) and wouldn't be granted full admission.
To be completely fair, it's unlikely any readers will pick up this volume without some familiarity with the premise and players. My perspective is based on my status as an outsider in Doran's world, and only those who are new to this title such as myself will likely share that perspective. It's easy to see why fans of the book are devoted; there's a complexity and ambition here that may very well be unmatched in comics storytelling today. But those strengths are also liabilities when it comes to trying to develop a new audience. 5/10
