The 40 Years of Comics Project - Day 763: Tales of the Sun Runners v.2 #2, September 1986

Yep, whatever it was that caught my attention with these characters last time I read them has sucked me right back in. It turns out it wasn't an FCBD issue I read them in, but actually the first issue of the series, published by Pacific Comics. And just as with that issue, I'm thoroughly intrigued by the story, the characters, and the universe. Remarkably epic things seem to be happening, and I'm curious to see where it all goes.

Well, where it all goes is 2 more issues through Amazing Comics, which means the likelihood of my finding them is fairly low, as is the likelihood of the story concluding in a satisfactory manner. Nature of the beast, I suppose.

I don't know what it is about elephant-based anthropomorphized characters. The lead character in these last two issues, Doc Gibraltar, comes from a line of such creatures. I think I like how the trunks, short though they are, are used as expressive tools on the faces of the characters. It's like having a prehensile nose that reacted to your state of mind (which, for us, would be really distracting, I'm thinking). Regardless, I find them fascinating. Glen Johnson's artwork is especially expressive in the facial features, and oftentimes we can forget just how much difference this makes for us identifying with the characters, regardless of how alien they are. Perhaps this is a nice shortcut for comics that feature non-human main characters. Even if they don't look like us, if we can recognize their emotions through their facial expression, we can understand that they at least feel like us. Affect theory as applied to non-human facial features. Probably a paper in there somewhere.

To be continued.

The 40 Years of Comics Project - Day 762: Tales of the Sun Runners v.2 #1, July 1986

Somewhere in my collection, I have another issue of a Sun Runners title that I'm sure I got at a Free Comic Book Day some time ago. I can't, for the life of me, find it in my database, though. I do remember, however, really quite enjoying it. I enjoyed today's comic too.

It's tough to combine the genres of fantasy and science fiction in a way that doesn't simply take all of the stereotypical tropes of both and mash them together. Sun Runners does a very interesting job, similar in many ways to how The Force is treated in Star Wars, incorporating magic into a soft sci-fi setting and story. I know we're all familiar with the all-too often used idea that magic is simply technology that we don't understand, and that works in many ways, but with magic there's oftentimes an element of belief or will that's involved, something intrinsic to the caster, not to the machinery, physical or spiritual, that's being used. Magic comes from consciousness. Though I suppose it's a technology for manipulating reality through the application of directed consciousness. Or something.

Anyway, the comic was pretty cool, though I do feel like I'm well behind. It seems the the title bounced between a number of different publishers in the 80s, so while I didn't feel completely lost while reading this issue, I didn't feel completely found, so to speak, either. But I'll read the follow-up tomorrow - there was definitely enough in this issue to pull me back in for more.

To be continued.