RASL, Vol. 3: Romance at the Speed of Light

RASL #3

by Jeff Smith

From the New York Times best-selling author of BONE comes a hardboiled sci-fi tale about a dimension-jumping art thief — a man unplugged from the world, racing through space and time searching for his next big score and trying to escape his past.

Cartoonist Jeff Smith continues the critically acclaimed noir adventures of RASL, as the art thief tries desperately to hold on to anything constant in his fast changing world.

Collects issues 8 to 11.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Comics, Science Fiction, Fiction, Graphic Novels Comics, Adventure, Thriller

120 pages, Paperback

First published December 6, 2011

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See other authors with similar names.

Born and raised in the American mid-west, Jeff Smith learned about cartooning from comic strips, comic books, and watching animation on TV. In 1991, he launched a company called Cartoon Books to publish his comic book BONE, a comedy/adventure about three lost cousins from Boneville. Against all odds, the small company flourished, building a reputation for quality stories and artwork. Word of mouth, critical acclaim, and a string of major awards helped propel Cartoon Books and BONE to the forefront of the comic book industry.
In 1992, Jeff’s wife Vijaya Iyer joined the company as partner to handle publishing and distribution, licensing, and foreign language publications. In the Spring of 2005, Harry Potter’s U.S. publisher Scholastic Inc. entered the graphic novel market by launching a new imprint, Graphix with a full color version of BONE: Out from Boneville, bringing the underground comic to a new audience and a new generation.
In 2007, DC Comics released Smith’s first non-creator owned work, SHAZAM! Monster Society of Evil, a four-part mini-series recreating a classic serial from comic’s Golden Age. Between projects, Smith spends much of his time on the international guest circuit promoting comics and the art of graphic novels.

Reviews

[Sam Quixote · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read Jeff Smith's "Bone" a few years ago and decided to see what he was up to these days. I saw he was writing/drawing a new series called "Rasl" and thought I'd give it a shot. I picked this one because I thought it was a mix of the other two books I saw labelled "Vols 1+2" but it turns out that this volume is actually the third in the series, not an omnibus. Nevertheless, I read it to see what kind of stuff Smith's writing these days.

I know this is a review where 50% of the story has been told and I'm jumping in in the middle but from what I gather there's a guy who jumps from parallel world to parallel world (in a really funny outfit) and is searching for his lost love. Nikolai Tesla is involved somehow and there's an experiment in the desert somewhere that could blow up the world. Throw in God in the form of a brain damaged little girl (see the cover), and you've got one mighty strange tale.

That said, it was good to see Smith's art again after so long. His artwork was always better than his storytelling and he does landscapes beautifully. Not that the writing is too shabby, it's definitely an intriguing story and I'll definitely pick up the series when they (inevitably) do a large collection of all the volumes, a la "Bone", so until then this volume by itself is definitely not to be read by those who haven't read the previous two like myself as it's quite the confusing tale. Otherwise it's a decent comic book that I'm sure followers of the series will lap up.

[[Name Redacted] · Rating 4 out of 5]

Things get deep, things get weird. This volume is a bit slower than the first two, but just as intense -- my only real complaint is the fact that, whereas the first two volumes were 100% narrative, this volume is at least 1/3 excerpts from Smith's sketchbook. And I don't mean "bonus" material; I mean that these sketches take the place of an entire chapter of the story. It's not that these sketches weren't cool, especially the original "cartoony" character designs and Smith's discussion of how he slowly shifted towards the more realistic, more hard-boiled character models. It's simply that these aren't what I paid for.

[tony dillard jr · Rating 5 out of 5]

RASL is given a deadline of 48-hours to provide the lizard faced assassin the missing journals of Nikola Tesla or the art thief's loved ones are going to start dying.

The penultimate chapter of Jeff Smith's RASL gets metaphysical thanks to the scary looking girl on the front cover. Just who is she is up to debate. But man, is she freakin' creepy. (A look at the director's cut extras in the back of the book shows a sketch of RASL that might just blow the lid over the identity of one of the most disturbing moppets in all of comic book history.)

I can't wait to get my hands on the final chapter of this cross-dimensional caper. The story has just kept getting better and better. And I can't believe that I am saying this, but I am more than willing to give Smith's all-ages classic Bone another try. It's quite rare that I give works a third try. But Jeff Smith has really impressed the heck out of me with RASL that I feel it's worth yet another go

[Vittorio Rainone · Rating 3 out of 5]

Raccontare, Smith racconta bene, però mano mano che la storia va avanti ci sono troppi elementi nuovi e misteriosi che si sommano. E l'inizio della digressione su Tesla è troppo verboso rispetto al resto della storia, raccontato in maniera cinematografica e con un ritmo secco. I disegni di Smith erano ottimi nel fantasy di Bone. QUi alternano a pagine ispiratissime, con il suo tratto fluido, altre tavole piuttosto tirate via

[RSC_Collecting · Rating 5 out of 5]

No! No way! There's one more volume?? I only found three at my shop! I need to order the fourth one ASAP! This series is insane! It has a hold on me and it won't let go. My mind is racing! So much was revealed in this volume. So many answers! But so many questions that I need to figure out! This is quickly becoming a new favorite of mine! I can't wait to get the last volume! This is a must read so far! Let's hope the finale keeps that up!

[Fraser Sherman · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. In Vol. 3, Rasl meets the president (or is he?) and God (or is she?) and tries to deal with various parallel world counterparts of women he's loved on his own Earth. The romantic dramas give it a stronger thrust than Vol. 2.

[miha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Woaaa, čist se je zmešalo vse - zlo napeto postaja !!! :)

[Edmund Davis-Quinn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun read. Super frustrating that the library only had the first 3 volumes. I'd love to read the 4th. Not sure if I want to own the series though.

[Greg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyed the spiritual angle of this one. Interested to read the conclusion.

[Liam Strong · Rating 5 out of 5]

This print edition is longer than a Subway footlong sandwich, my god.

[Mikmak · Rating 3 out of 5]

קשה לי לדרג גם את זה כי אני לא זוכר מה קרה בחצי הראשון של הספר (3 ספרים ברצף שקשה לי לרשום ביקורת עליהם כי אני לא זוכר מה קראתי, איזה יופי).
ואם לומר את האמת , אין לי יותר מדי דברים לומר על החלק אותו אני כן זוכר.
אני מניח שהספר הזה הוא בסדר גמור.
יש סיבה שלוקח לי כל כך הרבה זמן לקרוא כל ספר בסדרה הזו, כי זה פשוט לא התחבר אליי.
זה לא אומר בהכרח שהספר הזה רע, להפך, הסיפור נחמד ומגניב, יש בו מסתורין והוא הרבה יותר בוגר מ"בון", אבל את זה כבר אמרתי בספר הראשון והשני, אז אין פה משהו חדש.
לא נראה לי שרוב הדמות הראשית מתפתחת במהלך הסיפור ברמה גדולה, זה מרגיש שעיקר הסיפור לא בא מהדמיות שלה אלא מהסביבה בה הסיפור מתרחש.
והסביבה והסיפור הם כן מעניינים ומסתוריים, פשוט לא אכפת לי מאוד מהדמויות פה.
אמשיך גם לספר האחרון בסדרה כי למה לא, כנראה אבל שלא אסיים אותו בזמן הקרוב.

[Moira Fogarty · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a peculiar graphic novel: Nikola Tesla and parallel universes and doomed lovers, oh my!

I made the mistake of reading volume 3 before I could lay hands on volumes 1 & 2, which lead to a bit of befuddlement on my part, especially when the parallel-universe-transporting voodoo masks and jet packs came out of nowhere. What now? I think a good soundtrack for reading this book would have been Orbital 2, aka 'The Brown Album', esp. tracks 1 (Time Becomes) & 2 (Planet of the Shapes). Even a stopped clock gives the right time twice a day.

Regardless, I enjoyed the art - Jeff Smith can really do no wrong, for my personal aesthetic taste. Here he is moving away from his crisp, defined style into an inkier, rougher, looser line. The touch of chaos he's blending into his images works well with the subject matter, and gives this book the edgy feel I think Smith wanted, to divorce this from his child-friendly Bone series.

If I had to compare his evolving art style to others, I'd say there's a touch of Paul Pope, a hint of Scott Morse, perhaps a dash of Doug TenNapel or a low-action Kagan McLeod. Still, the drawings are more raw, less refined than the major works by these artists. In terms of writing, if you like Grant Morrison and Alan Moore, you'll probably enjoy this. It's a bizarre genre blend of sci-fi, mystery, edge science, sexy romance and action/adventure.

Rob, the hero of our tale, is looking the worse for wear in this volume. I missed the backstory, but he's clearly in need of a shower, haircut and new clothes, so things can't have gone well for him earlier. His standard outfit is an unassuming light shirt, dark suit, but when his clothes are off he has a decided Bruce Lee look to him. The main female character, Maya/Uma, is breathtakingly lovely, luscious, naughty and seductive as all hell with her chin-length bob and her cat-eye glasses. Her facial expressions are beautifully penned and very consistent.

The little girl is one of the creepiest things I've ever seen, with her staring, vacant eyes, gaping mouth and unkempt blonde hair. Her portrait on the cover almost steered me away from taking the book, but I'm glad I overcame my initial hesitation. The story was interesting, and the art, luscious.

[Peter · Rating 4 out of 5]

After Jeff Smith finished his award winning series "Bone," he knew he wanted his next project to wrestle with a more mature subject matter. RASL is a sci-fi noir. It is based on what physicist call string theory and everyone else calls other dimensions. It follows a scientist who has nothing left to loose. When we first meet RASL, he is ripping off a Picasso from a near identical dimension and passing it off in Vegas as a perfect counterfeit. The story is a fascinating combining elements of Nicolas Tesla, Southwest American native mythology, and interestingly flawed characters. It is rare to read a story with such wide reaching ideas and so few characters. In its focus on relationships and character development it almost feels like a stage play. It is a complex mystery, so if you are interested in reading it, I would wait the 6 month to a year when the last book in the series comes out and you can read it in one go.

[Michael Larson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am really enjoying this new noir-flavored tale of espionage and time travel from Jeff Smith. It really does feel like he set out to write something as different from 'Bone' as he could, but I have no problem with this, as the stark, black and white art, much different than the Barksian style of 'Bone', perfectly suits what is shaping up to be an intriguing mystery.

I do agree with another reviewer on here that these volumes are perhaps best read together- I have read them at about the pace of their release, and it is confusing to remember how all the pieces of this puzzle fit together when reading them at a rate of one a year.

[quinnster · Rating 1 out of 5]

Just not my thing.

After reading the entire Bone series this was....disappointing. The art just wasn't as rich and detailed as Bone and it wasn't really all that exciting to look at. And I just wasn't into the subject matter. Maybe because Tesla played such a big part and there was SO MUCH EXPLAING I just couldn't get into it. Not that I don't think Tesla is cool, but Odd Apocalypse was all about Tesla too and I'm just a little burnt out at this point.

I'm not sure if I'll read the last one. I got these three at the same time from the library and they don't have the fourth so I'm probably not going to go out searching for it. Just....not my thing.

[William Holm]

This is the third volume collecting Jeff Smith's noir science fiction tale RASL. According to Smith the next volume will be the last and it will be interesting to see what sort of finale he is planning. In this volume the plot thickens even further with the appearance of yet another inter-dimensional traveler, electrocuted birds falling from the sky, and local break up of space-time. The artwork is still fantastic and it really deserve to be seen in this over-sized format. I certainly look forward to the fourth and apparently final volume.

[George Ilsley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Once into this series, of course I had to plow right through it. It is a bit repetitive here, with a recapitulation of Tesla's work that was already surveyed in a previous volume (I may have the order confused, since I read #1 and #2 together, then looked at #2 again in its separate format.)

The story line seems confused at times, but that I suppose is just the nature of all those parallel universes. The take away: the multiverse has a complicated story line.

[Tom · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is another solid collection by Jeff Smith. It gets into some slightly more surreal, supernatural, or metaphysical realms. Not as much action in these chapters, but it provides more back story for Dr. Robert Johnson.

Interestingly enough, while reading this book, I got to see Jeff Smith speak at Columbus College of Art and Design's Mix 2013 Comics Symposium, and then saw him around Columbus at Double Happiness (where sadly he did not stay for Har Mar Superstar).

[Bonnie Brzozowski · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just love this series! Tesla, parallel universes, lost love! Plus it's all noirish and the main character seems to take some inspiration from the likes of my very favorite PI, Philip Marlowe. Very imaginative with just enough based in fact and/or speculative science to keep you Googling all night long.

[Lindsay · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story keeps getting better and better. If you get this book, get the Artist Series larger books. They have a lot of great background information and drawings in the back of the book. Where Jeff got his inspiration from and even some actual photographs where he was in the desert getting in the right mind set of the story and creating this book.

[Matt Sabonis · Rating 5 out of 5]

The penultimate story in the series, and we get a LOT more about what's going on. I think the reveal about the strange little girl is my favorite part. Also, the sequence about the creation of the world? Absolutely fantastic. I'm loving this series to death.

[Sam Sobelman · Rating 5 out of 5]

My only problem with this book is that it just came out, and now I have to wait a year or so until the final volume is available. This is a must read for fans of metaphysical adventures and soul searching. Jeff Smith is the Osamu Tezuka of America.

[Corinna Bechko · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you, like me, enjoy a good cross-dimensional mystery this is the book for you. Like the two previous volumes this one continues to surprise. By turns creepy, noir-ish, romantic, and just plain crazy. I can't wait to read the 4th volume.

[Jake Kilroy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is shaping up pretty wild, and I'm not sure where it's going. But I'm pumped. It's such a big story contained in such a small narrative. It's so isolated. It's weird and funky and cool. So much science, so much calmness, so much wacky.

[Matej · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another interesting, quick volume of RASL, but the story kinda feels rushed and with only one more volume left I'm afraid there will be a lot of unanswered questions and that it won't come even close to the amazing Bone graphic novels.

[Rick · Rating 5 out of 5]

As the story unfolds, Jeff Smith's latest just gets better and better.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

more RASL!!!

[Sam Sills · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great artwork and story! Can't wait to read Volume 4 when it comes out!

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

See review of volume one...

[Rosa · Rating 3 out of 5]

RASL collects his things and goes back to the remaining Annie only to find she's called her pimp. Of course, she tries to make plans to meet up later and he gets sucked in by the Maya clone.