Review: Nine (Neuf)
I have been a fan of Europe Comics for a long time. Their European comics, or albums, are an excellent mix of titles with something different from the mainstream. I had a chance to review Nine, or Neuf, in its original French. Luckily for me, there is an English translation.
Thirty-nine-year-old Johnny C. Hubbel is about to make the greatest discovery in human history: that of a new planet in the Solar System. His spacecraft is approaching the vast cloud of gas that conceals—if all the calculations are correct—Planet #9. Then suddenly, it is struck by a magnetic storm and bursts into flames. Johnny watches in horror as his capsule burns uncontrollably… and finds himself at the wheel of his car, aged 19, on a narrow country road, with his girlfriend Astrid beside him and a truck heading straight toward them. He is about to relive the accident that had cost her life 20 years earlier. But this time, Johnny manages to swerve out of the path of the truck. He has saved her and changed their destiny.
Hardly able to believe it, Johnny realizes that he is about to relive those 20 years and that, in doing so, he might be able to save other people. Could he even go further back in time and save his father, an astronaut like himself, who had died when his rocket exploded?
by Pelaez and Grabowski (translated by Christopher Bradley)
What would you do differently if you could do it all again? The age-old question is: If you knew what you know now, what changes would you make? We’ve all wondered what we would change.
In Nine, that is answered, and there is an end game to it all.
Johnny C. Hubbel is an astronaut. Mankind is going further into the solar system than ever before, but he wishes he could change some things in his past.
In this story, we get an excellent mechanism to explore this aspect.
Reliving 20 years over and over may seem an onerous read, but this story has an excellent combination of action, emotions, and character moments. Johnny is an interesting character; he is driven and one of the best in his class. Those around him are equally clever and well-rounded characters. As we work through his life, jumping forward and back occasionally, we get to know the character, what drives him and the point he wants to get to.
Of course, there are mistakes. There are changes in saving those or not saving those, and he works his way through them well. The result of these changes has a profound impact on others, and sometimes not in the best of ways. The example mentioned in the title information above is exceedingly clever and has some ramifications in the long run.
As we work our way through time, there are those whose impact is less so—the doctor who may have worked it out, and the potential for someone else who had gone through the same experience—albeit with a differing result.
The artwork is amazing. From training to the countryside and out into space, the book has some magnificent vistas and scenes. I enjoyed the dynamic feel to it, and the quieter moments jut out further and make this an incredible read.
This is a heartfelt read at its core, with some brilliant science fiction concepts and character moments. It has a clever story and draws you in well. The time travel-type movement through the story is well-plotted and works well with the story. The art and colouring are excellent, and there are some cleverly laid-out scenes and excellent moments, both in the characters and the various types of action involved.
Get it here:
The English translation is available for pre-order and out on the 26th June.
