Given the success of League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, I'm surprised that so few people have attempted to do a similar concept. About the only titles to even come close are from Image, with more action-oriented steampunk takes like Mythstalkers or the upcoming Alter Nation, but Heaven's War is the first one I've seen that sort of aims for the same literary, intelligent tone. Heaven's War posits a conspiracy of light made up of 20th century fiction writers against the well-known magician and hedonist Aleister Crowley, but instead of a conflict steeped in pulp or super-hero traditions, it's more of a thinking man's battle of philosophy and manipulation. On one hand, I have to applaud Harris and Gaydos for taking the road less travelled and presenting such an intricate, multi-layered narrative that steers clear of action storytelling, but on the other, I found it more than a little dry and hard to get into as a result.
Like Alan Moore in League, Micah Harris has no interest in talking down to his readers or explaining himself. Though the authors are best known as C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien, they call each other Jack and Ronald, respectively. And though there are hints here and there, when it comes to identifying the characters and their place in popular culture, Harris always errs on the side of historical accuracy rather than accessibility. Given that his lead character is Charles Williams, a more obscure author than Lewis or Tolkien, the result is a story that doesn't really gain much from its famous faces. Even Crowley, who would seem an obviously notorious figure, is somewhat downplayed, as just another philosophical wanderer, albeit one who carries a straight razor.
Harris's story is one based around a high concept, a set of intellectuals warring to find a gate into Heaven and change (or maintain) the balance of the war that ended with Lucifer being cast into Hell. He approaches the script in a manner that reminds me of Grant Morrison, throwing concepts like linear storytelling and clear character introductions to the wind in favor of time-tossed protagonists, intricate conspiracies based on real conspiracy theory and characters who talk the way they probably really talked, with little regard for whether or not the common man understood them. However, for all of this sort of high concept, high intelligence stuff, Heaven's War is kind of dry. The story features murder, sex and rituals involving both, and yet it all plays out kind of like a genteel discussion in a gentleman's club played out by parliamentary rules.
Part of the reason for this might be Gaydos's artwork, which is not bad by any means but which does tend to be a little on the bland side. His color work on Alias was largely very good for that sort of gritty, rundown and real world, but this is my second exposure to his black and white work, and it doesn't quite have the same strength. Gaydos is excellent when it comes to the use of shadows, and I'm reminded in pleasant ways of both Guy Davis and Mike Mignola, but there's a distinctiveness of characters, a clarity of storytelling and a certain grandeur that just seems lacking in the work.
Where Heaven's War really stands out is for the fans of these authors or those looking for something a little deeper, like League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. Harris has extensive annotations in the back of the trade, full of interesting anecdotes about the real authors, Crowley and the conspiracies that this story is based around. While I felt that Harris was a little too intricate, and used a little too much subtlety and obfuscation in his story, others might find the obviously impressive amount of research and reference just about perfect.
