Book Review: Silver Surfer, In Thy Name

Silver Surfer: In Thy Name (Silver Surfer: In Thy Name by Simon Spurrier

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


In a four issue mini-series packed with enough plot for one entire issue, the Silver Surfer finally finds a planet that appears to be an ideal utopia but actually is oppressing another planet, populated by violent religious fanatics (who are the representative of all religious people in this book.)

The best thing about the book is the art. The art in this book mostly serviceable. It manages to make this alien world seem alien and like this is a picture of another. The art is rarely horrible, but it's also never majestic or beautiful as a good Silver Surfer book in space should be.

The story is pretty much your typical broadstorke "religious people are stupid and fanatical story," but with the twist that the government that hates them is equalized. Thus, I credit Spurrier for not having a specialized contempt for religious people but extending it to all human beings.

Of course, religious war and violence is tragic and you can tell a good thought-provoking story around it that emotionally engages the readers, particularly when you have the Silver Surfer as your lead character. For an example of how this is done well, see Silver Surfer Requiem #3 where writer JMS tells the story of a dying Silver Surfer coming on two feuding planets fightings a religious war. The Surfer's feelings reactions make this poignant and the story takes a surprising turn and leaves with a thought-provoking message.

This story has none of that. Throughout the entire book, it pounds home what tired points it makes with ham-fisted clumsiness. (Having one of the alien races say, "Crucify him!" in regards to the Silver Surfer was one of the cringiest bits.)

The characterization is awful. The Surfer feels out of character and is less like he has been in other comics and more like what the writer needs him to be for the story. We never connect with any of the alien characters or are given any reason to care about the alien planets. The Surfer never makes us relate him so strongly that we care because he does.

As such, while this book is cynical, I would not consider it depressing as that phrase gives it credit for being able to evoke an emotional reaction, which it never does. It's a shallow polemic written as a shallowed padded graphic novel that fails in every way but the art. It's not only an uninteresting story, it's an uninteresting story that for all its bluster has little interesting or original to say.



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