Infinite Vacation

Infinite Vacation #1-5

by Nick Spencer (Writer), Christian Ward (Illustrator)

Welcome to the INFINITE VACATION, where alternate realities are up for sale, and buying and trading your way through unlimited variations of yourself is as commonplace as checking your e-mail.

At long last the brilliant and beautiful series that turned alternate realities on its ear, collected together for the first time in a beautiful, lavish, oversized hardcover.

All five issues, plus extras - and a five-page fold-out suitable for framing.

Collects INFINITE VACATION #1-5

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Science Fiction, Comix, Fantasy, Comic Book, Adult

191 pages, Hardcover

First published August 6, 2013

About the author

Librarian Note:
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.

Nick Spencer is a comic book writer known for his creator-owned titles at Image Comics (Existence 2.0/3.0, Forgetless, Shuddertown, Morning Glories), his work at DC Comics (Action Comics, T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents), and for his current work at Marvel Comics (Iron Man 2.0, Ultimate Comics: X-Men).

Reviews

[Jayson · Rating 3 out of 5]

(B+) 77% | Good
Notes: A clever concept hardly made hay, it’s very deus-ex-iPhone, dawdling before it dwindles to a dragon and damsel plot.

[Jesse A · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting if not wonderfully executed concept. Could've been great. Wasn't.

[Valéria. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This comics happened to be one of my most favourite things I have ever read. I always wanted something drawn by Christian Ward, and when I got this, I was pretty happy. As it was said on the hardcover: "Ward deserves the title of Art Champ. Art Hero, perhaps. Ward takes everything to the limit and pushes past it." Not only this has beautiful, extraordinary psychedelic artwork with non-traditional selection of colours, but super-interesting story. Action-packed, gorgeously funny, heartful, gore-y, weird but suitable random parts with real people. I honestly haven't read anything as good as this was and I will come back to it again for sure. I recommend this to everybody.

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

https://youtu.be/pAM0pSZz07I

[Gabriell Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Skvěle kreslená multi-dimenzionální love-story.
Co kdyby se někomu podařilo zpeněžit existenci nekonečného množství vesmírů? A co kdyby jste díky tomuto zpeněžení mohli cestovat mezi těmito realitami, jak se vám zlíbí (pokud to vaše peněženka dovolí, samozřejmě)?
Hlavní hrdina je chronický cestovatel, i při malých životních chybách (nekoupili jste si mléko k snídani) se totiž může oplatit si za pár dolarů koupit pobyt v realitě, kde se tahle chyba nestala. Bohužel tohle vede k tomu, že ho jeho vlastní život vlastně moc nebaví. Tedy až do chvíle, kdy ho někdo začne napříč realitami zabíjet. To pak totiž nuda moc nehrozí.
Na čem tohle obrovsky stojí (aspoň za mě) je kresba. Ta je totiž parádní a hlavně v druhé půlce už se docela trhá ze řetězu. Rozhodně ji pomáhá i příběh, který se nebojí násilí a trochu šílené zápletky, byť je to vlastně zase jednou jenom love-story.
Co mě zarazilo a musel jsem si na to zvykat byly části, kde komiks přešel do reálných fotek místo obrázků a byť chápu účel, tak by mi víc sedlo, kdyby tyhle části byly taky kreslené a pro odlišení klidně jenom jiným stylem/někým jiným. Ale možná mám prostě jenom nostalgickou averzi po čtení foto-příběhů v Bravíčku před dávnými lety.

Mohlo by se vám líbit, pokud:
- si chcete užít komiks, který se dá popsat jako hraní si s formátem a podpoří tuto hru krásnou kresbou
- máte rádi příběhy psané s nadhledem, které se nebojí i nějakého toho násilí

Spíš vás zklame, pokud:
- nejste na úlety a neradi otáčíte komiksy při čtení o 90% a/nebo se neradi ztrácíte na stránkách občas
- foto-příběhy vám dodnes způsobují noční můry a stačí i ta trochu, co je tady, abyste pak pár měsíců klidně nespali

[k · Rating 3 out of 5]

christian ward's art is always BONKERS and amazing and perfect, nick spencer's writing remains middling i guess?? i'm not sure i'd recommend it but if you can borrow it, then why not, because CHRISTIAN WARD'S ART THO. he made that boring plot-hole-riddled pseudo science bullshit BEAUTIFUL





*** i did not pay for this and i don't endorse nick 'punching nazis is bad :(' spencer in any way tbh

[Althea J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

mind=blown

I have been having a love affair with Christian Ward's art ever since I came across it on Tumblr. And when I heard he was doing the art on I couldn't wait to see how Ward's style would translate as a storytelling medium. Now ODY-C is one of 2 comics that I have to physically go into the store for every month because I absolutely cannot wait for the trade. And Ward blows me away EVERY month. The chaos and colors and fluidity of his style just speaks to me.

I saw on GR that ODY-C isn't his first foray into interior, full-issue comic art. I had seen this image on tumblr but didn't know there was a whole story behind it:

I immediately picked up Infinite Vacation and jumped in without knowing much about it. To my surprise, it was like this book was created just for me.

Years ago I read Jorge Luis Borges and became fascinated with the concept of the bifurcation of time. How every choice potentially splits off into multiple pathways of reality, and time marches on with a multiplicity of realities, coexisting. Infinite Vacation takes this concept and plays with what might happen should a corporation commodify travel between these realities. Can you imagine, putting your existence up for sale on ebay?

The concepts are heady but the reading experience of this book is FUN! The presentation of the story makes the science-of-it-all accessible, being driven by the story. The art keeps things moving and the creators seem to be having fun playing with the medium, switching it up to incorporate photography and at one point, what appears to be a bit of a powerpoint presentation. (be still, my geeky heart!) The main character, Mark, is this fantastically flawed guy. You've gotta love a universe where you have to rely on other versions of you and you're constantly letting yourself down because you know what a fucking idiot you can be. And, the 4-page pullout section had such an emotional impact that it made me cry.

I have no idea why I haven't heard about this book before. It's brilliant and the art is FUCKING PHENOMENAL!!!!!! Christian Ward's style serves this story so hard, it'll be sore the next morning. I can't fathom any other artist who could've so skillfully made these concepts so visually tangible.

[Aaron · Rating 3 out of 5]

This should be a four or five star book. It really should. The three is my fault, because this was a really smart book. The art was gorgeous and painted and beautiful. The last sixish pages were insane. The gatefold fold out was simply amazing. Maybe it wasn't written for me. Maybe it was such a niche piece of work that only a select few could really fully understand it. I wanted to understand it better. I liked this story a lot, i really did, but at times i got a little lost by the depth of quantum physics.
The reason i'm not giving this a four or five stars is that would have required finding a way, at the beginning, to make it more accessible or understandable. I think, but am not positive, that when Mark, or anyone in this universe, traveled to another life they took over the body. However, i don't fully understand how that happened, or what happened to make that happen. What happened to the "host"? Could you stay forever and "be" that person? Did you leave and not affect their life at all? Did you change the course of who or what they were? Was every instance of of travel another creation of a parallel universe? Did you then not become that person, but the person this new universe became?
This was a very clever concept and the book found it's footing and became more of an accessible story once the creators moved on to Mark's purpose, but still many unanswered questions. At least from my perspective. One could say this is a huge concept to take on and how do you expect these questions to be answered. I would say, unless i'm just missing something because this was way to smart for me, that the creators took this on as a concept and should have figured out how to address that.

Now, please understand, i really believe this to be a good read and I fully enjoyed it. I actually kind of enjoy that there are many things left open to be thought about. If you read this, maybe you'll be inspired to learn more. Once you get past the first couple of issues, it really picks up and becomes a digestible storyline. I don't want to be spoon feed, but i don't mind the spoon being in plain sight, then feeing myself.

Read it. Enjoy it. Get something thought provoking from it. Then tell me where i'm wrong, or what i missed. I'm okay with that. :)

[Des Fox · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Infinite Vacation is a genius piece of visual storytelling that asks the easiest question to ask, and the hardest one to answer. "What if?" In this world, every possibility is out there, and at the tap of a finger, you can find yourself in another world, in your own shoes, under different circumstances. Mark spends his existence and money chasing his perfect world, failing to live his life in search of a better one. What follows is one of the most thought-provoking comic books I've ever read. The art is gorgeous and inventive, while the story never gets too heady to understand.

The Infinite Vacation is a masterwork, on par with Morrison's cosmic yarns, while maintaining a close enough relationship with real theoretical science to keep things grounded and wholly readable.

[Bruna · Rating 1 out of 5]

I originally rated this three stars, but looking back, all I can think about is how disgusted I felt over some of the violence in this, which totally overshadowed the premise for me. Also, not a fan of the art.
I'm sure a lot of people will like it, but not for me.

[Tom De · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read it in one session, blew my mind.
Like back to the future, but in this time and with more science.
Great ideas, great setting and colouring, loved it all the way!

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

"...all of infinity exists so that a choice can be made."

Unless you're really into quantum physics, this book was a little slower at the beginning, but throughout you have these sections with photographs being used as commercials and customer service videos and it felt like being in an FMV game (full motion video).

The end of this book, however, is fantastic. There's a section where an FMV style character is talking to the illustrated main character which was such a cool visual. I've never seen anything like it in a graphic novel. There's a segment where the character is running through multiverses and you're spinning the book around to follow him and the words, and then when he makes a final decision, you slowly unfurl these foldout pages to unveil a momentous image and it makes your action in revealing it feel the same. I've never read such an interactive book that pulls you in and makes you feel like an active participant. Incredible ending. Really unique style throughout.

[Bill Coffin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story about the commercialization of traveling between alternate universes - and the drama of murder and apocalypse that follows - is so well told and so gorgeously illustrated that it makes you wish you could travel to an alternate reality yourself where you never read Infinite Vacation, just so you could enjoy it for the first time again. And again. And again. And again.

[Tyler Graham · Rating 5 out of 5]

An immensely cool, action-packed sci-fi graphic novel about the multiverse theory and a corporation that decides to exploit it. Murder, mayhem, mystery, a love-interest, and cannibalism all play a part, and every single page is beautifully and uniquely illustrated. Such a fun read!

[Travis Webber · Rating 2 out of 5]

This felt like late-stage juvenilia: both the creators are clearly very talented, but they hadn't quite figured out how to make it distinctive or fully compelling yet. Can't fault their ambition though.

[Zuzka Jakúbková · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting idea about commercial uses of multiverse.

[St Fu · Rating 3 out of 5]

What if the multiverse was a commercial venture and one could opt out of the challenges of your life by moving to the universe next door?

[Marija · Rating 2 out of 5]

The story had such potential to be amazing and the art already was. It was just confusing and boring instead.

[Devon Munn · Rating 3 out of 5]

The concept was pretty interesting and Christian Ward's art fit perfectly

[Matt · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are not into good stories, or stories that talk about concepts of choices, you still have to read this.
I have never saw something as beautiful as this.
I am forever changed, thank you

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty good. Pretty, good.

[Ryan Werner · Rating 4 out of 5]

A directionless young man meets an eccentric young woman who can fix all his problems. Also, quantum physics.

This is essentially a sci-fi version of the same meet-cute/cure-all tale that has been forever bothersome, but let's just blame Garden State and peg it to 2004 for the sake of laziness. Nonetheless, in looking past that, the idea of incorporating the multiverse to it, and the ability to travel through those layers of the multiverse, is pretty rad, and well done to the point that I think I understood it.

(I THINK the multiverse is this science thing that says an endless number of universes exist, each one based on a different set of possibilities. So there's a universe where you did meth and a universe where you won the lottery and a universe where you didn't get caught cheating on a Spanish test and on and on.)

The art is very cool, especially when Ward gets into all the weird layering and framing. The coloring comes off as a little-too digital, but not in that Fiona Staples sort of way I like. Still, it's very realized, and the clarity comes through even when the creativity pushes it into untraditional territory.

As for Spencer, I love to read Morning Glories and complain about it, be pissed that he writes unsatisfying, time-travel horseshit for teenagers. He's formulaic to a fault and there's too much dialogue and the way the characters speak to each other makes them seems like parodies. But! I keep reading it! So there's something there, and Infinite Vacation might give some insight as to why I stick with Morning Glories.

Spencer's inventive and ambitious, not afraid to tell a big story. There are parts here that could have gone right over my head--indeed, some sections took a couple read-throughs--but he lays out the complexities in a logical, narrative-driven way. The ending comes off a bit flat to me, but even that makes sense with Spencer writing it down. I'd love to see his brain at work with someone who can reign him in a bit, but when he's in collaboration with someone like Ward who can more than carry his end of the story, it really does turn out to be a very good book, meet-cute and all.

[Jake · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nick Spencer meshes TOTAL RECALL "identity tourism" and infinite universes into an original premise that could have, in my opinion, stood to be fleshed out into 8 or even 10 issues instead of just 5. Christian Ward's art is fantastic, Spencer's writing is snappy and clever, and when things get dark around issue 3 I may have done a bit of a metaphorical wee.

One big problem at the center of the story bothered me, though. The same one that usually does.

The character of Claire, like so many females in comics, is a complete cardboard cutout with a few witty one-liners. Poor Mark, looking for meaning and love in his life, keeps finding himself inexplicably face-to-face with her in at least four different universes. He immediately comments on the astronomically minimal chances of this happening. Yet in universe after universe she is frightfully underdeveloped and samey. We see dozens of versions of Mark throughout -- surfer Mark, hacker Mark, redneck mark, CANNIBAL MARK -- but Claire always has the same hair and more or less the same style of clothing. No apparent difference. I understand she's supposed to be the metaversal lifesaver Mark's grasping at, but her same-ness contradicts the entire premise, no? Or is that the entire point? She's the steady buoy drifting in the trans-universal sea that he needs to grab hold of? That makes sense thematically but is nonsensical in the world the book has built for itself. It's one or the other, and, in my view, we should have seen at least a taste of infinite Clairedom.

Still, the book was so fast, clever and gorgeous that I'm fine knocking off that one star. INFINITE VACATION is highly recommended for the art alone.

[Alexander Peterhans · Rating 4 out of 5]

A future where multiple realities isn't just a theory, it's reality (or realities, ha ha is this thing on..?) and a great money making opportunity. It is possible to temporarily inhabit the universe and life of another version of you (never the realities of people who aren't you). A company, Infinite Vacation, lets its clients offer their own lives to their other selves, on a sort of multiverse eBay - you look at the offers of other you's and choose the most fun.

There are also people (very few people) who reject this multiverse vacationing, so called singularists or deadenders, who believe there is only one true universe looked over by God.

Mark, our protagonist, is a regular traveller of the multiversal highways, who recently has discovered that a lot of other Marks are being murdered, perhaps even assassinated. Who has it in for all Marks? And why does Mark keep running into versions of the same woman, Claire?

I really enjoyed this book. It's (obviously) high concept, but well thought through (doesn't happen nearly as much as you'd hope, in comics). It is gory, it is funny, and it has heart.

Sadly the ending is a disappointment - there's a huge fat deus ex machina, coming out of nowhere, or I must have missed subtle foreshadowing somewhere

The art is exceptional, had its own style. The layout of pages is used in a playful way. Now and then photography (of real people) is used, and it's used effectively.

If you like your sci-fi a bit weird, but funny, you should enjoy this book.

(I did encounter a couple of spelling mistakes. YMMV whether you care about that, of course.)

(Read as five single issues)

[Meran · Rating 5 out of 5]

The premise of this book is interesting -- is one I've thought many times, myself, over the years: is there a me in another universe who didn't have the problems or triumphs, the physical problems, etc, that I have had? one who, say, became a doctor? or a famous artist?

Imagine paying "half your weekly wages" (that's if you make $3000/week!) to either visit or switch places with another you in a parallel universe! (It's called a Vacation.) Probability engines, apps, many works of Science keep you on track (There's even a foreword from a Chaos Theory scientist who exclaims that the science in this book is intact!) Just keep your nametag on at all times!! (In this case, My Name is MARK, reads the tag.)

And then, what if many of the Yous begin dying? Someone is killing them off... What do you do then?

There also happens to be a religious anti-Vacation movement, called Deadenders, or Singularists, depending on the Universe. They believe in the sanctity of ONE, of keeping the life you have, making your choices and being happy with them. They get involved with Mark. This group also happens to have Claire, a girl who makes Mark's heart beat faster.

The writing flows pretty well, the art does well also. It's very colorful, though I don't think I like the line work. In some parts, it's neat, clear; other, messy, very messy. His painting skill is excellent, and ultimately, saves the book.

Experimental in layout, it even has a foldout of 4 pages! Very interesting :D

[Gabriel Martins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Na realidade de “Infinite Vacation” mais do que a prova da existência de infinitos universos paralelos, existe a possibilidade de viajar entre eles. Como estamos perante uma realidade muito próxima na nossa (salvo esta pequena/grande excepção), não surge como surpresa que este tipo de viagens tenha escalado rapidamente num negócio - aqui o dinheiro continua a mover o mundo.

Uma vez que a viagem entre universos se tornou um negócio prolífico, qualquer pessoa desde que tenha a quantia certa pode ter acesso às suas vidas paralelas, seja para as visitar ou até mesmo comprar, caso estejam disponíveis para isso. Imaginem que se arrependem de uma decisão no passado ou que sempre quiseram explorar outros caminhos. Basta procurar numa respectiva aplicação se essa vida se encontra no mercado e em caso afirmativo podem adquiri-la à velocidade de um clique. Como referi, aqui o factor mais limitante é a conta bancária. E não se preocupem se mudarem de vida, a empresa responsável por estes serviços disponibiliza-vos toda a informação necessária para o vosso cérebro assimilar as novas memórias. Afinal de contas não convém tornarem-se médicos sem adquirirem os conhecimentos da profissão. As possibilidades como já perceberam - nem que seja pelo título - são infinitas.

Mais em: http://alternative-prison.blogspot.pt...

[Susannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a quite enjoyable one-off comic. Appealingly illustrated by Christian Ward, and written by Nick Spencer, it explores what happens to a man called Mark when he is able to experience infinite versions of his own life in parallel universes. The quantum physics theory part of it is pretty cool. It explores the idea that each parallel universe is just a state of waiting until a decision is made, at which point the infinite universes collapse into one, and this pattern happens constantly.
The story is enjoyable - I feel that it would make a good film - but I would have liked to see some parts fleshed out more. How exactly does the corporation "Box Off" universes, and why does that cause them to not exist, rather than just separating them from the other universes? How come the universe travel option is present in all the universes? It would have been nice to have had more of an intro to how the universe travel idea worked, but I guess there is not time for that in a graphic novel. Mark and Claire are also not that well-developed as characters. He is not particularly engaging as a protagonist. Cannibal Mark is just plain disturbing. Of course the moral of the story is to make the most of the life you have rather than constantly wishing things were different. Still, this is a cool concept that is quite well explored.

[Keith Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Infinite Vacation is a rather high concept graphic novel. A phone app allows people to arrange vacation swaps with versions of themselves in alternate realities. You can spend a week in a world where you pursued a different career or married a different person, while the you from that reality tries out your life. Mark is a heavy user of the service until he discovers that someone is murdering all the alternate Marks and he is the prime suspect. In addition he meets Claire, the girl of his dreams in his own reality, and she has deep philosophical objections to the whole concept of skipping around alternate realities.

The art of Infinite Vacation is quite creative. Most of the traditional comic book sections are colored in such a way that they look like watercolors. Several sections are done in the fumetti style with photographs of models used as frames of the comic. Another clever touch is that Mark and Claire bear a passing resemblance to Fry and Leela from Futurama, although Claire is not a cyclops.

If there is anything wrong with the book it is that the concept is too big for the limitations of one graphic novel. It seems more like a concept for a Science Fiction TV series than a single graphic volume. The ending is bit rushed but the art and the ideas make it well worth a read.

[Cale · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a blast. First off, it's beautiful - the artwork, from live action shots to beautiful watercolor work is diverse and amazing, and the regular style with its non-traditional color palettes and multiple digital compositing of images leaves huge amounts of detail to decompress, which is in keeping with the whole theme of the book. And then there's the story...
Mark timeshares his life with his infinite parallel selves, buying and selling experiences rather than living his own life. But when someone starts killing off a surprising number of his alternate selves, something needs to change. Mark stumbles into and through a fairly shallow mystery, then runs away from everything, and it really works. The humor, the over-the-top villain, the love interest, the science, the climax, all of it just really works amazingly well. And it taught me something about a favorite musician of mine that I didn't know, so that's a bonus. If you have any interest in parallel worlds, this is a unique spin on the concept that is a joyous romp. I may have to get a copy of this to keep on hand. This is the kind of graphic novel that you use to evangelize the medium.

[Alex Sarll]

High concept miniseries really play to Nick Spencer's strengths, meaning he can't meander like he does on Morning Glories. And Christian Ward's mixture of solid basics with psychedelic craziness is perfect for a story where most of the leads are the same guy, drawn from endless parallel worlds by means of an app which is essentially AirBnB for multiple realities. There's an admiring foreword from John Gribbin, which seems fair given the story finds a way to reconcile the two main interpretations of Schrödinger's cat &c; almost as impressive is that it manages to work as science fiction, conspiracy thriller and romantic comedy all at the same time.