Formerly Norrin Radd - an inhabitant of Zenn-La, then the ruthless herald of Galactus, now the guardian of space routes. Despite the fact that the Silver Surfer has incredible powers, he only wants peace. The collection of "Parables" published by Egmont perfectly shows the dilemmas that this hero grapples with during his intergalactic journeys.
Egmont impresses with its publication once again!
The latest album begins with two pages of introduction by Kamil Śmiałkowski, where he not only included interesting facts about the Surfer himself (including that he was Stan Lee’s favorite character), but also tells more about the selection of stories published in this collection. After the introduction, there is another page of the preface, this time by Stan Lee. It is thanks to her that we learn how he and Moebius (Jean Giraud) came to creating the eponymous comic book Parable . I do not intend to hide that I love such justifications, because they allow me to better understand the motivations of the creators and the goals they set for their works, which is why for these three pages a huge plus for our publisher.
The first story, or a few words about blind fanaticism
A comic parableit is strongly religious. We are dealing here with a situation in which Galactus, despite the promise made, appears on Earth. However, he does not absorb it, and makes promises to people to get rid of all wars, poverty and other such phenomena in exchange for paying tribute to him. Humanity accepts it, and the world changes according to the will of the Titan. And it might seem that a true idyll is created, yet another message from Galactus is that there is no such thing as sin. The effect of this announcement is mass insanity, and when we add to it the cult of extremists who do not recognize that it is possible to disagree with the cosmic giant, we get an image of madness. This reality reveals the Silver Surfer, who has been functioning so far disguised as a pauper. Empathetic, steadfast, fearless and hopeful
The story from Stan Lee and Moebius is pleasant to read not only for its retro aesthetics; it also forces us to reflect more deeply. It is not a light story. On these 49 pages, we alternate between despair and anger. On the one hand, we cheer for the silver traveler and admire his undying hope, on the other, we see how little he can do after all, because human nature seems to have a rooted desire to harm itself. This amazing story, contained in two notebooks, was awarded the Eisner Award and in my opinion it is the best in this volume.
The second story, i.e. love conquers everything, and aliens are not always friendly (even if we strongly believed in it)
Slave hunters were also written by Stan Lee, but this time in collaboration with Keith Pollard ( The Amazing Spider-Man , Fantastic Four , Thor). These 75 pages of a colorful story begin when the Silver Surfer realizes that the incredibly tiring attacks that haunt him are calls from his beloved. So the traveler sets off to find his Hallla-Bal. During this time, all superheroes are kidnapped from Earth, and people receive confirmation that there is another life in space and that they are getting closer to their planet. Each of these themes is continued on the ship of the title slavers, led by the powerful Lord Mrrungo-Mu. Without dwelling on the content: there are several clashes, we learn where the strength of the torturers comes from, and we also witness the wrath of the Silver Surfer.
This story is created primarily by frames full of action and psychedelic, intense colors. The plot is lighter in my opinion compared to the first comic in this album, so the several dozen pages are read quite quickly. Despite the fact that the content does not make us reflect in more depth, we do not mindlessly flip the pages and follow the course of subsequent events with interest. On my private podium, however, Mrrungo-Mu landed in the last place, because in this collection we have three much more interesting stories.
The third story, the perfect gift for humanity, exists
Another comic entitled Requiemmakes us think again. Silver Surfer is dying and therefore wants to return to his homeland. Before he dies, however, he wonders if he can do something else for the Earth, which has become dear to him and its inhabitants, who are full of jealousy, hatred and division. After meeting Spider-Man, he manages to choose an amazing gift, which of course I will not reveal to you. Next, the story tells about the last adventure of the Surfer on his way home (it resulted in a monument that, unfortunately, the hero never saw), as well as what happened to him on Zenn-La (of course, he was not allowed to die in peace). The plot is much calmer than in the previous two stories, but this does not reduce the power of the comic’s message. It is sad and philosophical. The heavy atmosphere is emphasized by large frames and rather subdued colors. At first I found the story unattractive. After reading it, however, I decided that it deserved second place in the “Jarowy ranking”. To my surprise, after reading it, I had the impression that I really lost someone.
The fourth story, sometimes you have to let the world burn
In your name, being the last publication in the collection, gave me some problems. The style in which it is drawn seems to be too complicated for my eyes, and I had a hard time recognizing what the characters in it looked like exactly. The story itself, however, is brilliant! The silver hero goes to the Ama collective, which is an alliance of 100 worlds and seems to be a real utopia. In the course of events, however, it becomes clear that it is not as beautiful and gentle as everyone around it presents it. Ama clashes with the world of Brekknis, inhabited by Brekk – religious fanatics. Each side tries to pull the rope of power and the ultimate truth to its side, into which the main character is also drawn. History ranks third on the podium. Religious threads, struggle for power,
It can’t get any better
Parables are not only a very well-chosen set of stories, but also – as always in the case of Egmont – a great edition. Hardcover, high-quality paper and print, all worth the price. Apart from the comic books, there are also additional materials at the beginning and end of the volume, so I am personally delighted and fully satisfied.
