Queen & Country, Vol. 1: Operation Broken Ground

by Greg Rucka, Warren Ellis

Queen & Country, Vol. 1: Operation Broken Ground

published

December 2002 by Oni Press

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binding

Paperback, 120 pages

isbn

192999821X (isbn13: 9781929998210)

description

As part of the Special Section of Britain's Ministry of Intelligence, Tara Chace is one of a handful of operatives they call when they need to clean u...more

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other reviews (showing 1-20 of 180)

All ratings | 5 stars (50) | 4 stars (66) | 3 stars (30) | 2 stars (1) | 1 star (2) | avg 4.08

all | this edition

Jace

Jace rated it:

04/12/08

bookshelves: comics

Read in March, 2008

recommended to Jace by: Free Comic Book Day

My initial encounter with QUEEN & COUNTRY came a couple years ago when I got a copy of the first issue on "Free Comic Book Day". I really liked the story and wanted to read more, but it wasn't until recently that I managed to get my hands on a copy of Volume 1, which collects issues 1-4.

QUEEN & COUNTRY centers around the adventures of Tara Chace, a covert operative in the employ of the British government. This first volume features her assasination attempt on a Russian gu...more

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Noah

Noah rated it:

11/21/07

bookshelves: graphic-novels, not-owned

Read in September, 2007

recommends it for: Rucka fans, spy fans, 70's British TV fans

While I was seriously enjoying Greg Rucka's Whiteout, I was drawn to the character of Lilly Sharpe. Sharpe is a smart, beautiful, witty, and caring individual, and as you might know from my previous review, makes one heck of a romantic pairing with Carrie Stetko. I was towards the end of Whiteout when I remembered that Rucka also had a series out called Queen & Country. I also remembered, from the covers, that its lead was a blond British agent. I quickly ordered the first graphic novel...more While I was seriously enjoying Greg Rucka's Whiteout, I was drawn to the character of Lilly Sharpe. Sharpe is a smart, beautiful, witty, and caring individual, and as you might know from my previous review, makes one heck of a romantic pairing with Carrie Stetko. I was towards the end of Whiteout when I remembered that Rucka also had a series out called Queen & Country. I also remembered, from the covers, that its lead was a blond British agent. I quickly ordered the first graphic novel in the series. As I popped it open, I noticed that the character's name was different, as well as her character design. I was a little let down. However, I decided I'd give it shot. As soon as I started reading Warren Ellis introduction to the book, things began to look up. I have always considered The Prisoner one of, if not the greatest television series ever created. So, when I saw Ellis comparing Queen & Country to shows like Danger Man, The Prisoner, Callan, and The Sandbaggers, I knew I was in for a treat.

As I said, the main character of this piece is "minder" Tara Chase. Chase has very few lines of dialog in this book, and Steve Rolston's spartan art, while detailed, does not offer many insights into her character. This is what draws the reader in. This is Tara Chase's book. Slowly, through her actions, and the results of those actions we are painted a picture of a woman very much like that of Lily Sharpe, but withdrawn, quiet, and sad. Chase hides her emotions and pain beneath the surface and seals it like blacktop with thick layer of alcohol. Even though these two characters are ver different, we are given a few interesting tidbits of information. As some fans of British spy series may know, Patrick McGoohan played the lead in both Danger Man and then The Prisoner. While McGoohan's character is never given a name, there are few hints that suggest his kidnapped spy character may be the same spy character that he portrayed in his previous series. Similarly, we are given two such hints about a connection between Whiteout's Lily Sharpe and Queen & Country's Tara Chase. At the beginning of the story we find Tara in Kosovo, and she comments that, "I haven't been this cold since I was in Antarctica." The other piece of evidence that Tara Chace might be Lily Sharpe is that, in the short bridge story drawn by Stan Sakai, we find that Tara Chace goes by many different aliases and looks. So, are these two women one in the same? Well, like The Prisoner it doesn't really matter as it doesn't effect the story as a whole. What really matters is how the events of the story effect the character. I wont go into details here because it is these small tidbits that relaly make this book great. I will just say that there is a panel where Tara looks at a young couple walking hand in hand and it really just says it all.

If your looking for a tough, gritty, in depth espionage thriller that features fascinating characters, Machiavellian machinations, and sharp action, then you must really seek this book out. Also, if you enjoy or are interested in any of the series listed above then you will also most likely enjoy this book....less

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1 comments

Falkor

Falkor rated it:

08/20/07

bookshelves: fiction, graphic-novels-comics, mystery-thriller

Read in August, 2007

recommends it for: Fans of espionage thrillers, people looking for a good female protagonist

Tara Chace is a "minder" in Britain's Special Intelligence Service--their term for special agents sent on Her Majesty's most secret, most dangerous missions, where people are all but guaranteed to be killed. Sometimes killing people is the point of the mission, as it is when Tara goes to Kosovo to assassinate a big wig in the Russian mafia who's been causing too much trouble for Western power brokers working in the already turbulent Balkans. She succeeds, but the Mafioso's associates...more

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Dufour

Dufour rated it:

02/04/08

bookshelves: graphic-novels, spies-and-intrigue

Queen & Country is Greg Rucka's ongoing comic series following a British MI6 agent named Tara Chace. It's spies and clandestine operations, intelligence and bureaucracy. In this story, Tara is on a mission to recover something from an informant who's disappeared in pre-9/11 Afghanistan. The chilling spy procedural is rife with loads of tradecraft (how do you spot a dead drop in a place you've never been?). It's fun for intel freaks. My big complaint about this series is that Rucka writes mos...more

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sweet pea

sweet pea rated it:

07/14/08

bookshelves: graphic-content

Read in June, 2008

this series shows the inner workings of a british intelligence unit. heavy on bureaucracy and bucking (and sometimes following) protocol. a deadly female protagonist? i should love this book. i don't. although the portrayal of operations is probably truer than any other espionage series out there, i don't want to read about it. i no like bureaucracy. the illustrations are cartoony, but suitable. sometimes detailed, sometimes sparse.

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Selwa

Selwa rated it:

07/17/08

bookshelves: comics

Read in June, 2008

This comic is about British intelligence, and very interesting on the psychological front. The protagonist is a sole woman in a field of men. She is very passionate about and committed to her work, but it just might kill her, after she kills her first person on assignment. It's a page turner.

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Liam

Liam rated it:

07/08/07

The best spy series I have read to date. Greg Rucka has his finger on the pulse of both the literary world and the political world. Dealing with some issues in the world before most world authorities even realize the problem exists, Rucka is sure to open your eyes.

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Ryan

Ryan rated it:

08/09/07

Read in August, 2007

The working world of espionage and assasination; more Le Carre than Bond. Chain smoking and trading favors, exotic locations on the map marked less by landscape than by remembrances of who shot whom and which crosses were doubled or tripled.

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Kirsten

Kirsten rated it:

03/15/08

bookshelves: from-library, graphic-novels, read-pre-12-07

Read in March, 2004

A gritty take on the espionage genre. The artwork is very clean-looking and the plotlines are thrilling.

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Kevin

Kevin rated it:

05/29/08

bookshelves: comics

This series has been my favorite "comic" for a few years now. So badass it's ridiculous

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Grant

Grant marked it as to-read

11/13/08

bookshelves: to-read

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Samuraifrog

Samuraifrog rated it:

11/11/08

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Patrick

Patrick rated it:

11/09/08

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Jack

Jack rated it:

11/06/08

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Warren

Warren rated it:

11/02/08

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Douglas

Douglas marked it as to-read

10/31/08

bookshelves: thriller, to-read

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Matthew

Matthew rated it:

10/27/08

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David

David rated it:

10/15/08

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Sam

Sam rated it:

10/13/08

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lovestoread

lovestoread rated it:

10/12/08

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book data (includes all editions)

avg rating (all editions): 4.08 (149 ratings)
avg rating (this edition): 4.08 (149 ratings)
number of reviews: 10

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