Tuesday, October 4, 2011

Marineman: A Matter of Life and Depth by Ian Churchill

There was a time when graphic novels meant stories of superheros - Batman, Superman, etc dominated the page. These days the percentage of true superhero graphic novels is far fewer than other tales. With Manga, the storylines stray from the typical superhero tome even more so. When presented with the opportunity to review a new superhero story, I was so there. I haven't read many superhero tales, especially those who still uphold that bright colored world of the right.
Marineman did not disappoint. From the vivid imagery to the good ole boy Steve Ocean to the "save the oceans" moral, this graphic novel has returned the genre to it's origins.
I loved it. Marineman, or Steve Ocean, is the ultimate superhero. He's passionate, strong, morally straight and sexy as all can be. He's perfectly matched with Charlotte "Charlie" Greene who is equally strong, sexy and wonderful.
The story begins with Steve Ocean, a tv personality, whose goal in life is to educate the masses about oceanlife. Charlotte Greene works for the Navy and has been selected to test their newest submarine.
A chance accident and Steve Ocean reveals himself to the world as Marineman. He's dealing with the situation as best as he can. However, when Charlie goes missing, Steve has to put it all aside to save her and the submarine.
Every superhero needs a villain and Marineman is no exception. The Ancient Mariner exposes Steve's true origin leaving Steve to question his purpose in life.
The end of this volume includes real life marine scientists who work to save the oceans and the original drawings of Marineman from Ian's childhood.

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