Ender’s Shadow: Battle School #1 delivers where the Ender’s Game comic failed. It allows someone new to the property to pick up the comic and actually understand what is going on and form a relationship with the characters. While you do not need to go buy this comic right now, I would definitely recommend picking it up at some point, especially if you are a fan of the novel.
To get everyone up to speed, in October Marvel began running a five issue mini-series based on Orson Scott Card’s epic science fiction novel Ender’s Game. For anyone who has not read Ender’s Game, stop reading this review right now and go buy a copy and read it. It is the story of one gifted child and a struggle to save the human race from alien invaders. Ender’s Shadow is a parallel novel following another child named Bean. While Bean is not recognized as such in Ender’s Game, in the parallel novel we learn that he is the one child smarter than Ender.
This month, Marvel released the first in a five part mini-series adaptation of Ender’s Shadow. The comic manages to stay faithful to the original comic, while allowing new readers to pick it up and enjoy this amazing story. Written by Mike Carey, the first issue follows Bean from his time on the streets as a malnourished child until it is discovered that he is a complete genius. However, the first issue does not end with him in Battle School. Based on the novel, that should happen in the middle or end of issue 2.
Overall, I was extremely pleased with this comic. The art was gritty and a little dirty, not unlike Bean’s home on the streets of Rotterdam. Bean was drawn almost exactly the way I had pictured him from the book. That being said, if you are not already an Orson Scott Card fan, I would probably wait for the trade for this min-series. I think something like this is more enjoyable when you can read it in one or two sittings, instead of over a five month period.
On a somewhat related note, I almost fell of my chair when I was reading the credits to this book. Under “Special Thanks” it lists “Ralph Macchio.” Don’t get your hopes up though. It seems the Karate Kid had nothing to do with this comic. Instead, there is another Ralph Macchio who is a long-time writer and editor at Marvel comics.
