I have a love-hate relationship with novels. Though I love reading, often times I feel novels can be long winded and monotonous in some parts. At the same time, movies adapted from novels oftentimes omit a lot and or tweak the story so much that you walk out of the theatre wondering how the heck the film-makers came up with such rubbish when the source material was so good. As for comic-book adaptations they offer a whole different problem all together. Usually limited to a four, five or six issue run, how does one cram a novels worth of story into the limited space provided by a comic book? That was the question I had when reading the first issue of Bluewater Comic’s adaptation of the sci-fi classic Logan’s Run by William F. Nolan and George Clayton Johnson.
First off let me say that writer Paul J. Salamoff has done a wonderful job incorporating the world of Logan’s Run into comic book form, and though this isn’t the first time the novel has been drafted into a comic, fans will greet this new vision as the best representation of the novel and its two sequels. Penciler Daniel Gete and colorist Joseph Baker do a fantastic job of bringing the visual world of Logan to life.
The story opens with Logan 6 and his partner chasing down a Runner. For those of you unfamiliar with the plot of Logan’s Run, Logan is a Deep Sleep Operative or “Sandman.” Sandmen are charged with enforcing the rule that no human shall live past the age of 21. Runner’s are those people who when nearing their 21st birthday, or Last Day, choose to flee for the safe ground known as Sanctuary rather than face the “Deep Sleep”. After Logan acquires and terminates his quarry, the story delves into Logan’s past, beginning with his birth and designation as a Sandman and the training that follows. Seeming to be a perfect killing agent for the Almighty Thinker, we come to find out that Logan may soon be “running” himself.
The only complaint I did have with the book, and it’s not even a true complaint, is that there are four variant covers. Don’t get me wrong, the covers by Mr. Gete, Matt Bellisle, Erich Owen and Michael Shelfer are awesome. It’s just that tracking down every alternate cover of a comic can be tedious at times and expensive. However, if you’re okay with owning just one cover, it is cool to be able to choose from four different versions.
Overall, I really enjoyed the first issue of Logan’s Run: Last Day. The action is well paced and the story develops just enough to leave me wanting more. As I’ve said before I was very impressed with the artwork, an area that sometimes concerned me with some of Bluewaters earlier comics. I am curious to see how Mr. Salamoff, along with Jason Brock and William Nolan, are able to update the story to fit into comic-book form. Let the chase for Logan’s redemption begin.
To find out more about Logan’s Run: Last Day check out an interview I conducted with Paul a few months back.
Issue One of Logan’s Run: Last Day hits stores tomorrow, February 3rd.
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