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A Once Crowded Sky
A tour de force debut novel from a former CIA counter-terrorism officer, A Once Crowded Sky fuses the sensibility of bombastic, comic-book-style storytelling with modern literary fiction to bring to life a universe of super men stripped of their powers, newly mortal men forced to confront danger in a world without heroes.
The superheroes of Arcadia City fight a wonderful war and play a wonderful game, forever saving yet another day. However, after sacrificing both their powers and Ultimate, the greatest hero of them all, to defeat the latest apocalypse, these comic book characters are transformed from the marvelous into the mundane.
After too many battles won and too many friends lost, The Soldier of Freedom was fine letting all that glory go. But when a new threat blasts through his city, Soldier, as ever, accepts his duty and reenlists in this next war. Without his once amazing abilities, he's forced to seek the help of the one man who walked away, the sole hero who refused to make the sacrifice--PenUltimate, the sidekick of Ultimate, who through his own rejection of the game has become the most powerful man in the world, the only one left who might still, once again, save the day.
The superheroes of Arcadia City fight a wonderful war and play a wonderful game, forever saving yet another day. However, after sacrificing both their powers and Ultimate, the greatest hero of them all, to defeat the latest apocalypse, these comic book characters are transformed from the marvelous into the mundane.
After too many battles won and too many friends lost, The Soldier of Freedom was fine letting all that glory go. But when a new threat blasts through his city, Soldier, as ever, accepts his duty and reenlists in this next war. Without his once amazing abilities, he's forced to seek the help of the one man who walked away, the sole hero who refused to make the sacrifice--PenUltimate, the sidekick of Ultimate, who through his own rejection of the game has become the most powerful man in the world, the only one left who might still, once again, save the day.
326 pages, Hardcover
First published July 10, 2012
118 people are currently reading
1860 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 230 reviews
October 12, 2013
Superheroes seem to be the new thing these days, not that they've ever not been the thing, it's just that they seem to be more of a thing now. Not only are they in the movies but now they're even combined with zombies.
Superheroes with no powers, well all except one of them, reflect on the meaning of being a hero. No this isn't The Watchmen silly, it's not even a graphic novel.
But seriously, it's hard not to compare to The Watchmen when you start reading. And after a while you realize it's actually quite a bit different.
A Once Crowded Sky is a novel that starts with and is interspersed with comic pages in each "part," of which there are nine. It's really a very clever novel, from the slow reveal of the mysteries of the plot to the set up of novel/comic to the commentary it's making.
The novel starts with all the superheroes gathered around while their powers are voluntarily stripped from them so that The Man With the Metal Face, Ultimate, can use them to destroy the "blue" that is threatening to destroy everything. Each superhero gives up their power for the sake of the entire world, never to be able to use those powers again and Ultimate is completely incinerated in the process.
We slowly come to find out that Ultimate's sidekick, PenUltimate, actually never showed to the gathering to save the world and thus has kept his powers and simultaneously the ire of all his former friends who think he is a coward.
So, instead of being regular people who never had powers to begin with, these superheroes are going through some really hard times coming down down from the high and having to be normal people again, if they ever were. As you can imagine, not everyone deals with it well and some, one in particular, actually need saving over and over again.
In this superhero world, the superheroes we know about also exist in the form of comics, so the story ends up working as a post-modern/meta look at how we view superheroes and then how they view themselves. Some can no longer deal with the fact that they're useless, some continue to look for fights, and others have given up completely.
The commentary it makes really only works in novel form as well. It's looking at what comics do and how they effect people and what superheroes are to people. At first I wondered why the entire story wasn't in comic form, but as it progresses, it starts to make sense especially with one of the main reveals that's hard to hold back right now, but terribly clever as I mentioned earlier.
One thing I have to mention that bugged me was in the writing itself. There were a lot of odd contractions such as, "There're shots in the air," throughout the novel. The worst part is, I've been known to write like this, but suffice it to say, I will stop because it gets annoying and it's not smooth reading.
In the end, it's not The Watchmen at all, but a clever story that makes you think. The themes in A Once Crowded Sky are a bit lighter, but no less interesting, especially to a comic fan. I would love to read a comic with all these superheroes in it and maybe that will happen one day because I think King did a great job thinking these ones up from powers to personality they're excellently crafted.
4 out of 5 Stars (highly recommended)
Superheroes with no powers, well all except one of them, reflect on the meaning of being a hero. No this isn't The Watchmen silly, it's not even a graphic novel.
But seriously, it's hard not to compare to The Watchmen when you start reading. And after a while you realize it's actually quite a bit different.
A Once Crowded Sky is a novel that starts with and is interspersed with comic pages in each "part," of which there are nine. It's really a very clever novel, from the slow reveal of the mysteries of the plot to the set up of novel/comic to the commentary it's making.
The novel starts with all the superheroes gathered around while their powers are voluntarily stripped from them so that The Man With the Metal Face, Ultimate, can use them to destroy the "blue" that is threatening to destroy everything. Each superhero gives up their power for the sake of the entire world, never to be able to use those powers again and Ultimate is completely incinerated in the process.
We slowly come to find out that Ultimate's sidekick, PenUltimate, actually never showed to the gathering to save the world and thus has kept his powers and simultaneously the ire of all his former friends who think he is a coward.
So, instead of being regular people who never had powers to begin with, these superheroes are going through some really hard times coming down down from the high and having to be normal people again, if they ever were. As you can imagine, not everyone deals with it well and some, one in particular, actually need saving over and over again.
In this superhero world, the superheroes we know about also exist in the form of comics, so the story ends up working as a post-modern/meta look at how we view superheroes and then how they view themselves. Some can no longer deal with the fact that they're useless, some continue to look for fights, and others have given up completely.
The commentary it makes really only works in novel form as well. It's looking at what comics do and how they effect people and what superheroes are to people. At first I wondered why the entire story wasn't in comic form, but as it progresses, it starts to make sense especially with one of the main reveals that's hard to hold back right now, but terribly clever as I mentioned earlier.
One thing I have to mention that bugged me was in the writing itself. There were a lot of odd contractions such as, "There're shots in the air," throughout the novel. The worst part is, I've been known to write like this, but suffice it to say, I will stop because it gets annoying and it's not smooth reading.
In the end, it's not The Watchmen at all, but a clever story that makes you think. The themes in A Once Crowded Sky are a bit lighter, but no less interesting, especially to a comic fan. I would love to read a comic with all these superheroes in it and maybe that will happen one day because I think King did a great job thinking these ones up from powers to personality they're excellently crafted.
4 out of 5 Stars (highly recommended)
October 16, 2012
I really wanted to like this. I just didn't.
A good editor may have had a chance to save this. Verbose doesn't even begin to describe how overly-wordy this book is. Drags, drags, drags. A main character is shot and dodges the bullet, which takes FOUR PAGES. Four pages to explain the emotional backstory to dodging a bullet? Backstory is rehashed so much, so much, over and over again, treading the same territory, retold, explained again and... oh wait, where was I? Oh yes: backstory is rehashed so much that the main story barely moves along. For a comic book novel, I wanted more action, more punch. So much emotional weight was going on, even the fight scenes couldn't pick up the pace. For all that, it's pretty hard to follow what's going on (either that or I kept falling asleep over it.)
Great concept, should've been 100 pages shorter (out of 322, that's saying something.) I kept finding other things to read to take my mind of this.
There are some b&w panels throughout; The artwork is very good.
A good editor may have had a chance to save this. Verbose doesn't even begin to describe how overly-wordy this book is. Drags, drags, drags. A main character is shot and dodges the bullet, which takes FOUR PAGES. Four pages to explain the emotional backstory to dodging a bullet? Backstory is rehashed so much, so much, over and over again, treading the same territory, retold, explained again and... oh wait, where was I? Oh yes: backstory is rehashed so much that the main story barely moves along. For a comic book novel, I wanted more action, more punch. So much emotional weight was going on, even the fight scenes couldn't pick up the pace. For all that, it's pretty hard to follow what's going on (either that or I kept falling asleep over it.)
Great concept, should've been 100 pages shorter (out of 322, that's saying something.) I kept finding other things to read to take my mind of this.
There are some b&w panels throughout; The artwork is very good.
July 12, 2012
Interesting superhero plot involving a cataclysmic event that took all the superheroes and villains out of a comic-book world, but the execution is maddeningly oblique and repetitive. The author attempts to preserve an air of mystery throughout the first half of the book by deliberately obfuscating identities and events, omitting names and specifics, which is more often confusing than exciting. And the characters are mostly caught in traumatized states where their mental monologues just repeat the same catchphrases or thoughts or desires over and over and over, as if the goal is just to fill pages. The self-aware excursions into metatext and superhero deconstruction don't much help. I stuck with this to the end hoping the pieces would eventually fall together and the mysteries would be explained — which they were — but it was a frustrating slog getting there.
December 15, 2012
Full review at SF Signal.
REVIEW SUMMARY: Comic book in prose sends us inside the heads of heroes and villains fighting for the world and those they love.
BRIEF SYNOPSIS: A mysterious threat to Arcadia forces the last superhero to choose between being a husband and saving the world.
PROS: Superhero adventure with heart, mystery, and immersive action that makes reading about these characters a moving experience.
CONS: The prose may take too many liberties in what the reader understands to be happening, and the mystery of The Blue may be too slow of a burn to hold some readers' attention.
BOTTOM LINE: May require more concentration and patience than some readers will give, but if they do, they’ll be rewarded with a philosophical gem on heroes, sacrifice, and the meaning of life in a corrupt world.
REVIEW SUMMARY: Comic book in prose sends us inside the heads of heroes and villains fighting for the world and those they love.
BRIEF SYNOPSIS: A mysterious threat to Arcadia forces the last superhero to choose between being a husband and saving the world.
PROS: Superhero adventure with heart, mystery, and immersive action that makes reading about these characters a moving experience.
CONS: The prose may take too many liberties in what the reader understands to be happening, and the mystery of The Blue may be too slow of a burn to hold some readers' attention.
BOTTOM LINE: May require more concentration and patience than some readers will give, but if they do, they’ll be rewarded with a philosophical gem on heroes, sacrifice, and the meaning of life in a corrupt world.
September 5, 2012
I am going to start by saying that I really wanted to like this book more than I did. The author knows the genre of comic book based superheroes really well, and clearly loves it. And I am glad I read it.
I'll start with what I liked.
The book was structured and presented wonderfully for comic hero prose. Each chapter is broken into segments, and each segment comes from a perspective of one of the characters. Each segment is identified by a title & number of a comic book that would correspond to the character of the segment, including annuals and one-shots. It was nicely done and a great feature of the narrative. In addition some elements of the book were done in comic panels, and others had hand written pages that represents a 'script' describing comic panels. As well as fitting a purpose within the story, it was interesting and effective for those familiar with reading comics.
Now for what I didn't like.
First, the author's deep familiarity with the genre tied the narrative up. The entire story of the book is buried in comic tropes, at a level where the characters identify and reference the tropes directly. So rather than a story bringing super heroes into the real world... it just makes comic heroes real. And I found it jarring. I believe I could have taken it in small doses, but it was the central plot element and referenced continually.
Second, was that while the story is told from differing character's perspective, the narrative tone of the story never changes. It came off as a single narrator's tone for each character. There were snatches of clear identity and perspective that stood out, particularly late, but the general tone and voice didn't vary as each segment did, which left the characters with less depth.
Third, there is a key plot element ((I'll try to limit the spoiler reference here)) based on eyesight and shooting ability of a hero who is now old and without abilities. It is setup repeatedly about his in ability to hit a target and being old frequently. Then in the late middle of the book suddenly he hits accurately without comment more than once. Then in the climax, his inability to hit a target is again incredibly important. It just didn't hang together well enough. As inconsistent as it's source material, I guess. But that really bugs me about comics and ultimately one of the reasons why I stopped reading series.
Anyway, in short, it is a fun read and worth it. But I was hoping for more.
I'll start with what I liked.
The book was structured and presented wonderfully for comic hero prose. Each chapter is broken into segments, and each segment comes from a perspective of one of the characters. Each segment is identified by a title & number of a comic book that would correspond to the character of the segment, including annuals and one-shots. It was nicely done and a great feature of the narrative. In addition some elements of the book were done in comic panels, and others had hand written pages that represents a 'script' describing comic panels. As well as fitting a purpose within the story, it was interesting and effective for those familiar with reading comics.
Now for what I didn't like.
First, the author's deep familiarity with the genre tied the narrative up. The entire story of the book is buried in comic tropes, at a level where the characters identify and reference the tropes directly. So rather than a story bringing super heroes into the real world... it just makes comic heroes real. And I found it jarring. I believe I could have taken it in small doses, but it was the central plot element and referenced continually.
Second, was that while the story is told from differing character's perspective, the narrative tone of the story never changes. It came off as a single narrator's tone for each character. There were snatches of clear identity and perspective that stood out, particularly late, but the general tone and voice didn't vary as each segment did, which left the characters with less depth.
Third, there is a key plot element ((I'll try to limit the spoiler reference here)) based on eyesight and shooting ability of a hero who is now old and without abilities. It is setup repeatedly about his in ability to hit a target and being old frequently. Then in the late middle of the book suddenly he hits accurately without comment more than once. Then in the climax, his inability to hit a target is again incredibly important. It just didn't hang together well enough. As inconsistent as it's source material, I guess. But that really bugs me about comics and ultimately one of the reasons why I stopped reading series.
Anyway, in short, it is a fun read and worth it. But I was hoping for more.
October 3, 2012
Amazing concept. Fantastic concept. Let me think of a few more adjectives to describe how much I like the idea and plot of this book before I discuss the execution of said concept and plot … Stunning, that’s a good one. Enthralling would also work. But man, this book needed someone to save it from its own adolescent self-indulgence (let me pause here to say none of what I say is intended to sleight Mr. King, who strikes me as an intelligent, thoughtful man). Or, as another review put it (albeit more crassly): “Unfortunately, this book crawls straight up it's own ***hole about halfway through and never really recovers.” This is a high-concept book that hinted at elevating the superhero genre to highbrow, literary heights but is instead trapped in the mind of a preteen boy who still views woman as cardboard cutouts and confuses long-winded, rambling expositions with intelligent commentary. But man, the use of superheroes to comment on the modern War on Terror? Genius. And some of the twists … truly great stuff. I just wish the actual book lived up to the idea. Not recommended.
April 1, 2014
If you love or have ever loved reading comics, you need to read this book. It is essentially a love letter to comic book fans. This is a world in which the characters are slightly self-aware. They don't really know they're in a story, but it does still have some of the same vibes of Redshirts. The characters know that they always come back after death and they know they monologue and then save the world. But they don't necessarily know they're in a book or comic.
I love that this book is essentially the written version of a trade paperback. Each chapter is broken into sections with titles like Ultimate Man #454. And you can see how if this were drawn it would be a trade of something like a Marvel summer event.
While many of the characters seem to have analogues to our world - like a Captain America, Superman, Batman, and Superboy - they don't feel like derivatives or parodies. They seem like fully fleshed characters. It just makes sense that there would always be a Captain America-like hero. Even Watchmen has a demented version in The Comedian.
The main premise of the book is to explore what it means to be a hero and why we want such unrealistic heroism (to an almost black and white level) in our comics.
The book also reminds me of Bill Murray's line in Groundhog's Day when he claims that maybe God only knows everything because he's seen it before.
I've literally read hundreds of books in my lifetime and so I consider it a mark of a very good writer when he keeps me surprised and on my toes. Tom King did that many times over and it didn't seem cheap like M Night Shamalyn. There was only one plot twist I saw a mile away - The only parts that felt a bit contrived were when characters ignored other characters who clearly wanted to give them info and then that person dies or something happens. I know it's a key part of story-telling so that stories aren't just a few pages long - but I've never liked it even when my original author heroes like Michael Crichton used it.
The front cover makes a comparison to Alan Moore's Watchmen. The biggest one I see is in the ending. In Watchmen both Ozymandius and Dr Manhattan were willing to kill to allow the greater purpose to win. But it's all undone by Rorshach's journal.
I can't reiterate enough how much you should read this book if you love comics. And, just like the comics, it invites rereading once you know the plot twists because there were little details that you could have picked up along the way.
I love that this book is essentially the written version of a trade paperback. Each chapter is broken into sections with titles like Ultimate Man #454. And you can see how if this were drawn it would be a trade of something like a Marvel summer event.
While many of the characters seem to have analogues to our world - like a Captain America, Superman, Batman, and Superboy - they don't feel like derivatives or parodies. They seem like fully fleshed characters. It just makes sense that there would always be a Captain America-like hero. Even Watchmen has a demented version in The Comedian.
The main premise of the book is to explore what it means to be a hero and why we want such unrealistic heroism (to an almost black and white level) in our comics.
The book also reminds me of Bill Murray's line in Groundhog's Day when he claims that maybe God only knows everything because he's seen it before.
I've literally read hundreds of books in my lifetime and so I consider it a mark of a very good writer when he keeps me surprised and on my toes. Tom King did that many times over and it didn't seem cheap like M Night Shamalyn. There was only one plot twist I saw a mile away - The only parts that felt a bit contrived were when characters ignored other characters who clearly wanted to give them info and then that person dies or something happens. I know it's a key part of story-telling so that stories aren't just a few pages long - but I've never liked it even when my original author heroes like Michael Crichton used it.
The front cover makes a comparison to Alan Moore's Watchmen. The biggest one I see is in the ending. In Watchmen both Ozymandius and Dr Manhattan were willing to kill to allow the greater purpose to win. But it's all undone by Rorshach's journal.
I can't reiterate enough how much you should read this book if you love comics. And, just like the comics, it invites rereading once you know the plot twists because there were little details that you could have picked up along the way.
August 4, 2013
All the super heroes, except 1, have given up their powers to Ultimate to fight the Blue. Some energy force cause the villains to kill themselves so now the use to be heroes must adjust to life without villains and powers. While they are still adjusting to their new roles, The Blue shows up on earth.
The powerless heroes must rally together, including the reluctant side lick, Pen Ultimate. Pen Ultimate was Ultimate's side kick and the only one that chose to keep his powers. A choice that was ridiculed by the rest of the hero pantheon.
This story is extremely descriptive and vividly expressed. Tom King colorfully draws an intriguing comic book world come to life in A Once Crowded Sky. I did find the story quite predictable with the characters “sides” clearly defined...taking away the suspense. A Once Crowded Sky is an intriguing, interesting and original comic style story.
I received this copy of A Once Crowded Sky from Touchstone - Simon & Schuster, Inc. in exchange for a honest review.
Written by: Tom King
Hardcover: 336 pages
Publisher: Touchstone
Publication Date: July 10, 2012
ISBN-10: 1451652003
Rating: 3
Genre: Comic Fiction Contemporary
To Find out More: A Once Crowded Sky Webpage
Find this book on:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble
For more reviews check out Tome Tender's Book Blog or find us on Facebook.
The powerless heroes must rally together, including the reluctant side lick, Pen Ultimate. Pen Ultimate was Ultimate's side kick and the only one that chose to keep his powers. A choice that was ridiculed by the rest of the hero pantheon.
This story is extremely descriptive and vividly expressed. Tom King colorfully draws an intriguing comic book world come to life in A Once Crowded Sky. I did find the story quite predictable with the characters “sides” clearly defined...taking away the suspense. A Once Crowded Sky is an intriguing, interesting and original comic style story.
I received this copy of A Once Crowded Sky from Touchstone - Simon & Schuster, Inc. in exchange for a honest review.
Written by: Tom King
Hardcover: 336 pages
Publisher: Touchstone
Publication Date: July 10, 2012
ISBN-10: 1451652003
Rating: 3
Genre: Comic Fiction Contemporary
To Find out More: A Once Crowded Sky Webpage
Find this book on:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble
For more reviews check out Tome Tender's Book Blog or find us on Facebook.
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September 9, 2016The idea of this story sounds absolutely amazing. It's a superhero world in which all but one hero had to sacrifice their superpowers in order to save the world, and it follows the aftermath of these immortals suddenly dealing with their own mortality. I wanted to love this book so, so much.
Unfortunately, only ten pages in, the f-word had already been used close to twenty times in a single conversation. Yeah, I'm not putting up with that.
For those who don't mind the swearing, the storytelling 10 pages in is an interesting mix of comic book scenes and literary fiction, the writing seems decent, and the story compelling. But for me, I don't put up with that much swearing.
Unfortunately, only ten pages in, the f-word had already been used close to twenty times in a single conversation. Yeah, I'm not putting up with that.
For those who don't mind the swearing, the storytelling 10 pages in is an interesting mix of comic book scenes and literary fiction, the writing seems decent, and the story compelling. But for me, I don't put up with that much swearing.
July 28, 2016
I could not get into this book at all. I know any superhero story is in some way going to be a reflection of the big name heroes and their history but the characters in this book just seem to be cardboard cutouts of already established superheros. The writing never seemed to reach out and grab me and pull me into the story like a good book should. While not one of the worst books I have ever read (see my reviews for Catcher in the Rye, The Hunchback of Notre Dame and Fahrenheit 451 for those) it is not a book for me. I am going with not recommended.
June 13, 2016
Interesting concept, but given the number of points of views the narrative tones needed to be more distinct. Everyone had the same depressed, self-pitying, stream-of-consciousness narration.
January 5, 2019
In the acknowledgments to this novel, Tom King describes this book as an "odd...tragicomic-book novel," and I don't think there's much else to say. I believe the story would have functioned better as a graphic novel (a paucity of interstitial scenes are depicted this way). The plight of the fallen superheroes is repetitive, the details of the central backstory are revealed in a muddled manner, and King's style is not solid enough to satisfyingly carry this multi-character tragedy at an appropriate pace and flow. I think two-stars is a fair rating: it was ok, I honestly can't I "liked it," but credit to King for doing something different, differently. (P.S. I would definitely be interested in checking out King's Batman graphic novels)
July 31, 2021
A very frustrating read. The narration tends to repeat some line over and over again. The characters also have their own lines that they rehash over and over again. Plus several side plot that does not made that much sense. It just made me mad reading it.
April 24, 2023
Sort of an interesting post-modern/post-post-modern Watchmen. Spends a lot of time in prose, if that’s your thing, with some meditations on stories and heroes and sacrifice. Enough details to keep me interested, but not enough to be really chunky and satisfying.
January 1, 2015
One of these days I'm going to stumble across a superhero novel I actually like. I'm not sure what it is about the genre that makes the transition from "graphic" to "novel" so difficult, but my patience is starting to wear a little thin. I guess I'll just have to grit my teeth and put my hopes into Seven Wonders.
A Once Crowded Sky is set in Arcadia, a city teeming with former superheroes who gave up their powers in order to prevent the end of the world from The Blue—a nebulous force that required the heroes to give their vast abilities to Ultimate (The Man with the Metal Face), who collected them in a belt and flew into The Blue (to his death) to seal off the problem and save humanity.
Every hero made this sacrifice, all except PenUltimate, who had opted out of "the game" in order to pursue an ordinary life as an average citizen and newlywed. But now, six months after the defeat of the The Blue, mysterious attacks have begun to rain down on Arcadia, and Pen is the only one capable of stopping them. Former colleagues and heroes beg him to help, but his wife Anna yearns for the life that she was promised.
As the attacks intensify, Pen knows he can't stand idly by; but he soon begins to question who the real enemy is, and if he can trust those closest to him. When Anna's life is put in danger, though, Pen must make the ultimate decision whether to save his reputation or keep his promise.
On the face of it, A Once Crowded Sky sounds awesome. It has all the fun of a summer blockbuster, but with the literary weight and complexity that's lacking in the majority of graphic novels. As a story, A Once Crowded Sky should soar ... instead, it loses its powers early and plummets to its death.
A Once Crowded Sky is steeped in many superhero tropes and, I think ultimately to its detriment, gets as much mileage from relying on these shorthands as it does subverting them. If you're not at least superficially versed in comic books, your enjoyment of this book is probably going to suffer.
The novel is the work of first-time author Tom King, a former CIA operations officer who also interned at both Marvel and DC. While his background certainly gets put to good work here, King simply isn't a good enough author (yet) to pull off a novel of this scope. This is a shining example of how the best ideas can be total shit with poor execution.
The issue, which rears its head in two different ways, is repetition.
Firstly, our heroes navel-gaze over the same issues page after page after page after page after page. The novel's middle-third could have been trimmed from 100 pages to about 10 without losing anything from the story. The result is that A Once Crowded Sky becomes monotonous extremely early (after a very promising beginning), making the entire experience a slog, to say the least.
Secondly, King literally repeats the same words and phrases over and over again, ad nauseam, for 323 pages. Here's a painful example: "Pen can't move. He's too hurt to move. He's not enough of a hero to move. And his wife's whimpers finally stop. And Pen listens to the quiet, and he can't move, and he knows he has nothing but wires, wires, just wires and wires and wires, all wires, yards and yards, miles and miles, years and years of wires." (pg. 177)
It's so ridiculous it almost makes me dizzy.
As far as characters go, some (like Soldier of Freedom and Strength) are well-drawn and feel both recognizable and somewhat fresh, even as they draw on well-known comic counterparts. Others, though, are less clearly established, and confusion is often the name of the game as you try to make sense of what's happening to who and when. King tries to draw too much too quickly and is less successful.
My instinct is to not recommend this book to anyone, even comic book fans. However, there are plenty of positive reviews from the comic book community that spit in the face of my assessment. My advice, then, is this: proceed with caution, and don't say I didn't tell you so.
A Once Crowded Sky is set in Arcadia, a city teeming with former superheroes who gave up their powers in order to prevent the end of the world from The Blue—a nebulous force that required the heroes to give their vast abilities to Ultimate (The Man with the Metal Face), who collected them in a belt and flew into The Blue (to his death) to seal off the problem and save humanity.
Every hero made this sacrifice, all except PenUltimate, who had opted out of "the game" in order to pursue an ordinary life as an average citizen and newlywed. But now, six months after the defeat of the The Blue, mysterious attacks have begun to rain down on Arcadia, and Pen is the only one capable of stopping them. Former colleagues and heroes beg him to help, but his wife Anna yearns for the life that she was promised.
As the attacks intensify, Pen knows he can't stand idly by; but he soon begins to question who the real enemy is, and if he can trust those closest to him. When Anna's life is put in danger, though, Pen must make the ultimate decision whether to save his reputation or keep his promise.
On the face of it, A Once Crowded Sky sounds awesome. It has all the fun of a summer blockbuster, but with the literary weight and complexity that's lacking in the majority of graphic novels. As a story, A Once Crowded Sky should soar ... instead, it loses its powers early and plummets to its death.
A Once Crowded Sky is steeped in many superhero tropes and, I think ultimately to its detriment, gets as much mileage from relying on these shorthands as it does subverting them. If you're not at least superficially versed in comic books, your enjoyment of this book is probably going to suffer.
The novel is the work of first-time author Tom King, a former CIA operations officer who also interned at both Marvel and DC. While his background certainly gets put to good work here, King simply isn't a good enough author (yet) to pull off a novel of this scope. This is a shining example of how the best ideas can be total shit with poor execution.
The issue, which rears its head in two different ways, is repetition.
Firstly, our heroes navel-gaze over the same issues page after page after page after page after page. The novel's middle-third could have been trimmed from 100 pages to about 10 without losing anything from the story. The result is that A Once Crowded Sky becomes monotonous extremely early (after a very promising beginning), making the entire experience a slog, to say the least.
Secondly, King literally repeats the same words and phrases over and over again, ad nauseam, for 323 pages. Here's a painful example: "Pen can't move. He's too hurt to move. He's not enough of a hero to move. And his wife's whimpers finally stop. And Pen listens to the quiet, and he can't move, and he knows he has nothing but wires, wires, just wires and wires and wires, all wires, yards and yards, miles and miles, years and years of wires." (pg. 177)
It's so ridiculous it almost makes me dizzy.
As far as characters go, some (like Soldier of Freedom and Strength) are well-drawn and feel both recognizable and somewhat fresh, even as they draw on well-known comic counterparts. Others, though, are less clearly established, and confusion is often the name of the game as you try to make sense of what's happening to who and when. King tries to draw too much too quickly and is less successful.
My instinct is to not recommend this book to anyone, even comic book fans. However, there are plenty of positive reviews from the comic book community that spit in the face of my assessment. My advice, then, is this: proceed with caution, and don't say I didn't tell you so.
November 29, 2012
Let me tell you why you shouldn’t let this crowd your bookshelf.
Ok, maybe that was a bit harsh, how bout, if you find this book in the discount bin and you like superheroes you can determine what to do with the book yourself after you buy it.
I accepted a review copy based on the premise of this book by Tom King, A world where superheroes had lost all of their powers to save the world from a blue energy destroying foce and the villains all committed suicide. There is one person left with powers, PenUltimate, the former sidekick of Ultimate The Man with the Metal Face, who was the greatest hero of them all. Why does PenUltimate still have powers? He had retired from “The Game” and didn’t show up with everyone else when they gave up their powers. Ultimate had absorbed all the powers in a belt and then stopped the Blue Energy from destroying the world. Everyone gave up their powers but PenUltimate. So naturally, they all think PenUltimate is a coward for staying at home with his wife instead of showing up and sacrificing like they did. Things start to go wrong something is unleashing horrible attacks around the planet and PenUltimate finds himself being forced from retirement, forced to be a Hero again.
Now, that sounds pretty bad ass right? So where did I fall? I can’t put a finger on it to be honest. There was just something about when I finished, I had a feeling of “Thank Crom I finished this, after a month of reading.” I’m not a slow reader, it’s just that my time to read books is very, very limited between Family, Work and the usual WPR musings. I never got absorbed into all night readings with this book. I’m not going to say I hated the book, I didn’t, it was entertaining on a base level, but nothing about it blew me away enough to rave about it and demand you purchase it.
I felt Underwhelmed.
The heroes, and their lack of powers doesn’t really diminish from the book, it’s an interesting take into a world where all of these people were super heroes, and now, they have to get real jobs, move on with their lives, feel pain. Some die trying to still “save the day” some go to counseling, it’s very interesting but I never felt sucked in.
If you see this book and are expecting a comic book/graphic novel kind of immersion in a novel form, you might be disappointed, there is something about the Graphic, the art in comics that make superheroes fun. If you’re looking for a new take on the medium you should check this out, but I wouldn’t pay full price just yet.
Ok, maybe that was a bit harsh, how bout, if you find this book in the discount bin and you like superheroes you can determine what to do with the book yourself after you buy it.
I accepted a review copy based on the premise of this book by Tom King, A world where superheroes had lost all of their powers to save the world from a blue energy destroying foce and the villains all committed suicide. There is one person left with powers, PenUltimate, the former sidekick of Ultimate The Man with the Metal Face, who was the greatest hero of them all. Why does PenUltimate still have powers? He had retired from “The Game” and didn’t show up with everyone else when they gave up their powers. Ultimate had absorbed all the powers in a belt and then stopped the Blue Energy from destroying the world. Everyone gave up their powers but PenUltimate. So naturally, they all think PenUltimate is a coward for staying at home with his wife instead of showing up and sacrificing like they did. Things start to go wrong something is unleashing horrible attacks around the planet and PenUltimate finds himself being forced from retirement, forced to be a Hero again.
Now, that sounds pretty bad ass right? So where did I fall? I can’t put a finger on it to be honest. There was just something about when I finished, I had a feeling of “Thank Crom I finished this, after a month of reading.” I’m not a slow reader, it’s just that my time to read books is very, very limited between Family, Work and the usual WPR musings. I never got absorbed into all night readings with this book. I’m not going to say I hated the book, I didn’t, it was entertaining on a base level, but nothing about it blew me away enough to rave about it and demand you purchase it.
I felt Underwhelmed.
The heroes, and their lack of powers doesn’t really diminish from the book, it’s an interesting take into a world where all of these people were super heroes, and now, they have to get real jobs, move on with their lives, feel pain. Some die trying to still “save the day” some go to counseling, it’s very interesting but I never felt sucked in.
If you see this book and are expecting a comic book/graphic novel kind of immersion in a novel form, you might be disappointed, there is something about the Graphic, the art in comics that make superheroes fun. If you’re looking for a new take on the medium you should check this out, but I wouldn’t pay full price just yet.
August 20, 2012
As a comic book junkie with decades of experience I jumped a the chance to read "A Once Crowded Sky" by Tom King. The author has a very unique background of working for both DC and Marvel and I was looking forward to reading some excellent "four color" writing.
I was disappointed. The book is either a story about "the end of a beginning" or "the beginning of an end" depending on how you view the story as it unfolds.
The ideas behind the book started out fresh and exciting. The most powerful "super" in the world is gone, and with his sacrifice so too vanish the powers of other super-powered beings. All the heroes banded together to prevent a cataclysm and the price of saving the world was their power. All save one; PenUltimate, the sidekick of the sacrificial Ultimate.
The story focuses on these "once-were-Gods" and how they cope (or don't) in the world of Normals. Pen is the only hero left with any powers but is somewhat shunned by the others as he did not participate in the heroic sacrifice.
The characters were at times interesting but only in a flashy 2D style, which may be appropriate for comic-based narrative, but I was expecting a lot more. The narrative became bogged down quickly in highly uninteresting details which did little to move the story forward. None of the characters generated much in the way of sympathy / empathy and many times behaved like spoiled children.
Backstory was rehashed over and over again. The primary plot seemed to beg, borrow and steal from a variety of sources - which is hardly surprising given the plot and focus of the work.
I guess I wanted more action, resolution and tension rather than read about former Supers getting drunk and wallowing in self pity.
The inclusion of b&w illustrated panels was very cool and the interactions between the characters were largely interesting as well, but just fell short of being riveting. The story moved forward but sort of slinked along at an awkward pace.
I have a lot of respect for the author in terms of his attempt of scope. Its a very grandiose idea with significant challenges to it and I'd love to read more of the genre, but this effort falls just a bit short.
I was disappointed. The book is either a story about "the end of a beginning" or "the beginning of an end" depending on how you view the story as it unfolds.
The ideas behind the book started out fresh and exciting. The most powerful "super" in the world is gone, and with his sacrifice so too vanish the powers of other super-powered beings. All the heroes banded together to prevent a cataclysm and the price of saving the world was their power. All save one; PenUltimate, the sidekick of the sacrificial Ultimate.
The story focuses on these "once-were-Gods" and how they cope (or don't) in the world of Normals. Pen is the only hero left with any powers but is somewhat shunned by the others as he did not participate in the heroic sacrifice.
The characters were at times interesting but only in a flashy 2D style, which may be appropriate for comic-based narrative, but I was expecting a lot more. The narrative became bogged down quickly in highly uninteresting details which did little to move the story forward. None of the characters generated much in the way of sympathy / empathy and many times behaved like spoiled children.
Backstory was rehashed over and over again. The primary plot seemed to beg, borrow and steal from a variety of sources - which is hardly surprising given the plot and focus of the work.
I guess I wanted more action, resolution and tension rather than read about former Supers getting drunk and wallowing in self pity.
The inclusion of b&w illustrated panels was very cool and the interactions between the characters were largely interesting as well, but just fell short of being riveting. The story moved forward but sort of slinked along at an awkward pace.
I have a lot of respect for the author in terms of his attempt of scope. Its a very grandiose idea with significant challenges to it and I'd love to read more of the genre, but this effort falls just a bit short.
December 3, 2017
I wanted to like this book, I kept telling myself how much I love this book. The prose was so advanced that I could barely concentrate on it, and the plot wound so much that I could barely follow. It wasn't until I found myself a month after I started it, only halfway done, and overly anxious every time I picked up the book that I admitted the truth. It's just not that great.
I came to Tom King from his fantastic run on "The Vision" for Marvel and his even better "Batman" for DC, and this, I believe, is why I was unable to come to terms with the truth. I willed myself to love this, ergo I must love it.
It wasn't that his prose was too good that I couldn't focus, it's that everything he said was reiterated for essentially the whole chapter. It's not that the plot was too advanced for me, it's that I couldn't tell what was going on. I really don't think that's my inability to read. I think that's his plotting and prose. Maybe I'm wrong.
What the book does right, as everyone has said, is in its concept. The cover quote compares it to Alan Moore's "The Watchmen". That's definitely a stretch. It's interesting trying to parse out the things he wanted to do, but it's also sad realizing how far he actually was from realizing them. 3/4ths of the way through the book I found myself returning to the character page at the front to figure out characters. That just took me out of the book.
Yet, look at me. I'm giving this thing 3 stars. No matter how much I come to terms with my expectations I still can't fully admit the truth. I'm glad I read it, but I wouldn't recommend to anyone else. Honestly, though, having read this and his subsequent works, if I saw another Tom King novel at my local bookstore, I'd give it a chance. I know he can do it, I just also know he fell short with this one. Sorry Tom, I really do love your comic work.
I came to Tom King from his fantastic run on "The Vision" for Marvel and his even better "Batman" for DC, and this, I believe, is why I was unable to come to terms with the truth. I willed myself to love this, ergo I must love it.
It wasn't that his prose was too good that I couldn't focus, it's that everything he said was reiterated for essentially the whole chapter. It's not that the plot was too advanced for me, it's that I couldn't tell what was going on. I really don't think that's my inability to read. I think that's his plotting and prose. Maybe I'm wrong.
What the book does right, as everyone has said, is in its concept. The cover quote compares it to Alan Moore's "The Watchmen". That's definitely a stretch. It's interesting trying to parse out the things he wanted to do, but it's also sad realizing how far he actually was from realizing them. 3/4ths of the way through the book I found myself returning to the character page at the front to figure out characters. That just took me out of the book.
Yet, look at me. I'm giving this thing 3 stars. No matter how much I come to terms with my expectations I still can't fully admit the truth. I'm glad I read it, but I wouldn't recommend to anyone else. Honestly, though, having read this and his subsequent works, if I saw another Tom King novel at my local bookstore, I'd give it a chance. I know he can do it, I just also know he fell short with this one. Sorry Tom, I really do love your comic work.
July 21, 2012
I've read a lot of superhero novels. Some have hit the mark--understanding what superhero comics are and how to evoke that in a narrative plot. Some are a bit far off base and never quite capture that vantage point that "gets" superheroes. There's no doubt this author gets the genre--King recognizes the tropes and cycles and feeling of the comics without hesitation.
What I will say is this--if you're looking for a comic book story told in novel form, this won't be it. The author's take on this is a bit more internal monologues, analyzing the shape and sense of comics through a world of superheroes who have given up their powers to save the world. It's not always easy to follow and if you don't have an interest in a bit of bellybutton gazing, you probably will find this irritating. If the question "what's it really all about?" sets your teeth on edge then back away slowly from this book.
I liked the story. It's more of a straight drama than some of the superhero stuff. Soon I Will Be Invincible went more for some of the camp. But this kept me interested in reading until the end and I liked the variation of format and how the story was told. The ending wasn't quite as strong as the beginning for me, but overall I was well pleased. This book won't be for everyone, but I think it hit the mark for what it intended to be.
What I will say is this--if you're looking for a comic book story told in novel form, this won't be it. The author's take on this is a bit more internal monologues, analyzing the shape and sense of comics through a world of superheroes who have given up their powers to save the world. It's not always easy to follow and if you don't have an interest in a bit of bellybutton gazing, you probably will find this irritating. If the question "what's it really all about?" sets your teeth on edge then back away slowly from this book.
I liked the story. It's more of a straight drama than some of the superhero stuff. Soon I Will Be Invincible went more for some of the camp. But this kept me interested in reading until the end and I liked the variation of format and how the story was told. The ending wasn't quite as strong as the beginning for me, but overall I was well pleased. This book won't be for everyone, but I think it hit the mark for what it intended to be.
September 25, 2012
When I first spotted this book during check-in at the library I was really excited to check it out. The concept sounded fascinating to me. Unfortunately, once I started reading, I just couldn't get into it. I gave up without even making it in to my usual 100-page cut off.
I like the format, but the content just felt lacking to me. I felt like the reader was supposed to just KNOW who these characters were. There wasn't enough offered to me to endear the characters to me quickly, probably something compounded by the fact so many characters were introduced so quickly. I only actually read about 60 pages, but I feel like I read much more just because I spent so much time flipping back and forth trying to remember who everyone was. The list of heroes at the front of the book probably should have included brief bios instead of just the names.
I get that the book is trying to emulate a comic book style (what with the section titles like "The Soldier of Freedom #518). But I feel like King fails to pull readers into the middle of a storyline the way comic books can often manage. King failed to engage me with the characters and almost made me think I should feel bad for not already knowing their histories.
The book was a disappointment to me. I was absolutely IN LOVE with the concept but, in my opinion, King fails in the execution.
I like the format, but the content just felt lacking to me. I felt like the reader was supposed to just KNOW who these characters were. There wasn't enough offered to me to endear the characters to me quickly, probably something compounded by the fact so many characters were introduced so quickly. I only actually read about 60 pages, but I feel like I read much more just because I spent so much time flipping back and forth trying to remember who everyone was. The list of heroes at the front of the book probably should have included brief bios instead of just the names.
I get that the book is trying to emulate a comic book style (what with the section titles like "The Soldier of Freedom #518). But I feel like King fails to pull readers into the middle of a storyline the way comic books can often manage. King failed to engage me with the characters and almost made me think I should feel bad for not already knowing their histories.
The book was a disappointment to me. I was absolutely IN LOVE with the concept but, in my opinion, King fails in the execution.
September 16, 2012
PULL THE TRIGGER!!!
I am in love with this book! I am a manager for chapters and when this book came in put it on my reading list right away!
Being a huge (secret) Fangirl, And avid reader (did you see where I work!) I was very excited to finally get to read "A once crowded sky" ( I had 5 other books ahead on my list, cuz ya gotta keep a list!)
I am not even half done but I can't stop talking about it! Truly hope Tom King writes MORE!!! (and what the heck, He was CIA and worked at Marvel comics? AMAZING!)
I can't wait to finish it!
The "Blue" is about to destroy the world , The supers answer the call to action. Their powers are no more. Pull the trigger, The Vilians are gone..dead...gone. Pull the Trigger. how does life continue? What is left for a hero with no powers, no purpose? PULL THE TRIGGER! (Pull the Trigger, pg 19 The soldier of Freedom #518 )
My favorite Chapter so far! This is a great read for people who like dark stories, super heroes and graphic novels.
But that's just me!
I am in love with this book! I am a manager for chapters and when this book came in put it on my reading list right away!
Being a huge (secret) Fangirl, And avid reader (did you see where I work!) I was very excited to finally get to read "A once crowded sky" ( I had 5 other books ahead on my list, cuz ya gotta keep a list!)
I am not even half done but I can't stop talking about it! Truly hope Tom King writes MORE!!! (and what the heck, He was CIA and worked at Marvel comics? AMAZING!)
I can't wait to finish it!
The "Blue" is about to destroy the world , The supers answer the call to action. Their powers are no more. Pull the trigger, The Vilians are gone..dead...gone. Pull the Trigger. how does life continue? What is left for a hero with no powers, no purpose? PULL THE TRIGGER! (Pull the Trigger, pg 19 The soldier of Freedom #518 )
My favorite Chapter so far! This is a great read for people who like dark stories, super heroes and graphic novels.
But that's just me!
October 10, 2018
I very much wanted to love this book. I went in excited as I am a very big Tom King fan. I love his take on Vision, The Omega Men, and his Batman comics. However after just a little ways into this book I knew I was not going to finish it with a good opinion. It wasn't that the story was bad. It wasn't. It reminded me of Watchmen in a way. Almost a deconstruction of the "superhero". That's great. I'm all for that. My issues really stemmed from the pacing and repetitiveness. Too much time was spent on things that didn't seem to matter. Too little time was spent keeping the story cohesive. It felt all over the place and kind of unsure of where it wanted to go exactly, how it wanted to get there, and why it was going in the first place.
That said, isn't an interesting concept. The ideas put forth in this story are good ones. I think had this been a straight up comic run, it may have been very good, maybe even great. As it is is though, it's hard to really recommend it to anyone who isn't just a die-hard King fan who has to read everything he does.
That said, isn't an interesting concept. The ideas put forth in this story are good ones. I think had this been a straight up comic run, it may have been very good, maybe even great. As it is is though, it's hard to really recommend it to anyone who isn't just a die-hard King fan who has to read everything he does.
July 19, 2016
3.5/5
So I do just have to say initially that I love Tom King. I loved the first issues of Vision and Sheriff of Babylon and Grayson and The Omega Men (unfortunately I still have to read the rest of what's come so far, as I've been waiting for trades to continue the series), and the current Batman series he's been putting out has been great. I'm a huge fan and I'll probably buy any comic he does.
As such, I picked this up expecting to love it. And for the last third-ish, I kinda did. Unfortunately, though, for about the first two thirds it just never really grabbed me and it was hard to get into for a long time, as I wasn't the biggest fan of the writing style.
Maybe when I go back and re-read it I'll like it better as I'll be used to it (and I'll know that I'll really enjoy parts of it), but as of right now it was just a good read--but unfortunately not a great one as his comics have been.
So I do just have to say initially that I love Tom King. I loved the first issues of Vision and Sheriff of Babylon and Grayson and The Omega Men (unfortunately I still have to read the rest of what's come so far, as I've been waiting for trades to continue the series), and the current Batman series he's been putting out has been great. I'm a huge fan and I'll probably buy any comic he does.
As such, I picked this up expecting to love it. And for the last third-ish, I kinda did. Unfortunately, though, for about the first two thirds it just never really grabbed me and it was hard to get into for a long time, as I wasn't the biggest fan of the writing style.
Maybe when I go back and re-read it I'll like it better as I'll be used to it (and I'll know that I'll really enjoy parts of it), but as of right now it was just a good read--but unfortunately not a great one as his comics have been.
February 7, 2017
I was expecting a book about a world where superheroes lost their powers. What I got was much, much more. An ambitious book, King proves that superheroes can be used to tell any story. Much of this book deals with themes of mortality, family, sacrifice, and the relationship between humans and gods. At times I felt like King was writing a critique of comics; at other times, a love letter. I suspect this was meant as a bit of both.
The style of the book is very non-conventional (which I loved, as a sucker for unique ways of telling stories). The chapters are split into segments that are headed with comic book titles and issues numbers and, in many ways, the prose reads like a comic script: Very descriptive and clear narration and dialog. There are other ways King writes in this book, but to discuss them would be to get into spoiler territory. This is a heavy book that asks for you to be part of a conversation with it. If you're prepared for that, pick it up!
The style of the book is very non-conventional (which I loved, as a sucker for unique ways of telling stories). The chapters are split into segments that are headed with comic book titles and issues numbers and, in many ways, the prose reads like a comic script: Very descriptive and clear narration and dialog. There are other ways King writes in this book, but to discuss them would be to get into spoiler territory. This is a heavy book that asks for you to be part of a conversation with it. If you're prepared for that, pick it up!
December 4, 2012
... King has a knack for bringing his characters to life in stressful situations. He shows them realistically dealing with their new reality, mourning their old life and changing to fit their new one as new threats rise against them. A Once Crowded Sky, despite its faults, is an action packed story with plenty of raw, believable emotion. While many of the graphic novel aspects of the book are completely lost on me, I can appreciate the novel for what it is and all King is trying to do with it. What it all boils down to is this: A Once Crowded Sky is a fun, fast paced book and King’s blending of novel and graphic novel sets him in a small, but ambitious group of authors who dare to go where no other author has gone before.
Read my full review here:
http://www.bookwormblues.net/2012/12/...
Read my full review here:
http://www.bookwormblues.net/2012/12/...
February 6, 2017
a trite "literary" structure serves to disguise a thin plot, but that doesn't change the fact that there are some pretty inspired sequences in here. but really, what was the point of this? how many more superheroes-as-commentary works do we need? just give me some dumb sequential epic like INVINCIBLE and leave it at that. that said, king is a very good writer's writer, even if there are a bunch of minor things in here that an editor should've caught, and i'm glad he's writing all of the comic books in the world right now (as bendis, fraction, ennis, ellis, et al. all did at various points).
May 24, 2012
I received the book as a Goodreads first read. This reads like a comic book (or series of comics) in the form of a novel. Love the classic/epic illustrations inside. I enjoyed the read, but it's been a while since I've read comic books; therefore it threw me for a loop between the jumping about and the plot/characters flip-flopping wildly. I'd like to read this one again soon, to better evaluate it.
July 2, 2013
It's difficult for me to get into any superhero story where the main character isn't really interested in being a hero, so this book kind of started behind the 8-ball. The writing kept me going, though, and there are some really brilliant passages in here. I think next time I'd like to see a little less deconstruction of the genre and more application of what makes it so great. Still, this was well worth the read.
April 21, 2012
Received as an ARC from the publisher. I don't even know what to say about this book. Maybe I just didn't "get it." Fictional superheroes and villains all know each other. They give their powers to one of them so he can save the world, dying in the process. The remaining ones aren't happy with their ordinary lives. I'd love to sit down with the author to discuss the book.
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