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Letter 44 #5
Letter 44, Volume 5: Blueshift
The crew of the Clarke may just be humanity's last hope. Sent to investigate an alien construction in the asteroid belt, they're hoping to make discoveries, establish first contact, and--though it's a long shot--stay alive for as long as they can.
They all came aboard knowing it would be a one-way trip. So what propelled them to sign up? For some, it was a choice. For others, it was a chance. Learn the extraordinary story about how the crew of the Clarke came together, featuring one-shots by guest artists Joelle Jones, Drew Moss, Ryan Kelly, and Alise Gluskova, as well as the origins of the mysterious Builders, from guest artist Langdon Foss.
Collects issues #7, 14, 21, 28, and 32
They all came aboard knowing it would be a one-way trip. So what propelled them to sign up? For some, it was a choice. For others, it was a chance. Learn the extraordinary story about how the crew of the Clarke came together, featuring one-shots by guest artists Joelle Jones, Drew Moss, Ryan Kelly, and Alise Gluskova, as well as the origins of the mysterious Builders, from guest artist Langdon Foss.
Collects issues #7, 14, 21, 28, and 32
136 pages, Paperback
First published November 15, 2017
About the author
Charles Soule
1,548 books1,715 followersCharles Soule is a #1 New York Times-bestselling novelist, comics author, screenwriter, musician, and lapsed attorney. He has written some of the most prominent stories of the last decade for Marvel, DC and Lucasfilm in addition to his own work, such as his comics Curse Words, Letter 44 and Undiscovered Country, and his original novels Light of the Jedi, The Endless Vessel, The Oracle Year and Anyone. He lives in New York.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
November 16, 2021
2019 read: Another great thing about this series, is that nothing is left ambiguous... this volume covers the one-shot comic books spaced throughout the series, that covered the back stories of the Clarke crew and the often unbelievably underhand ways that Carroll's Presidency used to get them on board. Unlike similar series, these one-shots work really well with, and on some occasions surpass the main story. The last one-shot providing the entire alien Builder back story gives Albuquerque the canvass to really show-off with his alien world reality building. Another easy 8.5 out of 12.
December 9, 2017
Up ‘til now Charles Soule’s lesser writing efforts could only be found in his blander-than-bland Marvel work but now it’s unfortunately crept into his best ongoing and creator-owned title, Letter 44. Take the word “blue” and letter “f” out of Blueshift and you’ve got an accurate description of this fifth volume’s quality!
If, like me, you were hoping for the next instalment of the story, slow your roll because this ain’t that! Instead we get an entire book of needless, utterly boring backstory for each of the characters. Ever wonder how the Clarke’s crew were individually recruited? Me neither! But here you go anyway.
It’s essentially the same rubbish each time with some government stooge rocking up with a mysterious offer and getting rebuffed before the character capitulates. God, they’re such a tedious chore to slog through. Not one is in the least bit entertaining nor is any of the new information worth knowing or adds anything to the overall story.
I thought the alien Builders’ issue about their origins could be good as we know almost nothing about them and they play a key role in the plot but even that was a let-down. Nothing much was revealed and what little there was turned out to be boring and unsatisfyingly vague.
This whole book is absolutely pointless - one big nothing! I’d recommend fans skip this filler volume entirely (or get it free from the liberry so you haven’t wasted anything but your time) and wait for the next one instead. It’s especially disappointing as this used to be one of my favourite titles after those strong first three volumes. After the mediocre fourth book, I’d hoped this would be a return to form but instead Blueshift turned out to be the dullest addition to the series so far – Letter 44 gets worse with each passing volume.
If, like me, you were hoping for the next instalment of the story, slow your roll because this ain’t that! Instead we get an entire book of needless, utterly boring backstory for each of the characters. Ever wonder how the Clarke’s crew were individually recruited? Me neither! But here you go anyway.
It’s essentially the same rubbish each time with some government stooge rocking up with a mysterious offer and getting rebuffed before the character capitulates. God, they’re such a tedious chore to slog through. Not one is in the least bit entertaining nor is any of the new information worth knowing or adds anything to the overall story.
I thought the alien Builders’ issue about their origins could be good as we know almost nothing about them and they play a key role in the plot but even that was a let-down. Nothing much was revealed and what little there was turned out to be boring and unsatisfyingly vague.
This whole book is absolutely pointless - one big nothing! I’d recommend fans skip this filler volume entirely (or get it free from the liberry so you haven’t wasted anything but your time) and wait for the next one instead. It’s especially disappointing as this used to be one of my favourite titles after those strong first three volumes. After the mediocre fourth book, I’d hoped this would be a return to form but instead Blueshift turned out to be the dullest addition to the series so far – Letter 44 gets worse with each passing volume.
November 29, 2023
The One Where Everyone Gets a Backstory.
And I mean EVERYONE.
And I mean EVERYONE.
May 31, 2019
Entrega dedicada a contar cómo se montó la misión que dio inicio al tebeo, un sacacuartos completamente prescindible. El guión apenas aporta nada relevante salvo, quizás, las 20 páginas que cuentan la parte de los alienígenas. El apartado gráfico es todavía peor. Los dibujantes que se encargan de la historia van de lo mediocre a lo amateur. Extremadamente vulgar.
January 29, 2018
Utterly pointless backstory for each crew member. This might have made some sense earlier in the series, but at this point it just detracts from the story's forward momentum. Absolutely useless.
December 16, 2017
A fitting end to an interesting graphic novel. Letter 44 kept me on my toes its entire run. Great blend of SF and social sciences. I could do a bit without the hippie stuff, though.
January 30, 2020
The side-story that shows how the Clarke crew was built is pretty cool, but mostly if you manage to like them in the main story. It's skippable, since it doesn't offer too much depth. It feels like a completely separate story. It has a different artist that manages to make these side-stories look far better than the main comic.
The story is ok, but entirely forgettable. The main idea is that the project director had leverage on all of them, but still they chose to undertake the mission even though it was believed to be a one-way trip. The last issue shows how the Builders created the End. They felt resonsible and began the long struggle to stop it.
The story is ok, but entirely forgettable. The main idea is that the project director had leverage on all of them, but still they chose to undertake the mission even though it was believed to be a one-way trip. The last issue shows how the Builders created the End. They felt resonsible and began the long struggle to stop it.
July 1, 2018
I've been following the Letter 44 series since I stumbled across it at my library and have been enjoying each volume. Till now.
This is a rather boring flashback explaining how the Clarke's crew was enticed/coerced into joining the mission and it's pointless.
And the artwork wasn't up to snuff in many of the pages.
Very disappointing. I hope volume 6 ("The End") gets back to the real story.
This is a rather boring flashback explaining how the Clarke's crew was enticed/coerced into joining the mission and it's pointless.
And the artwork wasn't up to snuff in many of the pages.
Very disappointing. I hope volume 6 ("The End") gets back to the real story.
September 3, 2021
Letter 44 Vol. 5 Blueshift collects issues 7, 14, 21, 28, and 32 of the series written by Charles Soule with art by Joëlle Jones, Drew Moss, Ryan Kelly, Alise Gluśkova, and Langdon Foss.
We get flashbacks to how each member of the Clarke were recruited and how the Galaxy threatening disaster was created.
While the story was good here, I'm not a fan of how it was presented in it own trade paperback. It would have made more sense giving us these issues as they were released chronologically and giving us more reasons to care for the characters. Presented this way right before the last volume takes away some of the character development and the dampens the pace of the overall story.
We get flashbacks to how each member of the Clarke were recruited and how the Galaxy threatening disaster was created.
While the story was good here, I'm not a fan of how it was presented in it own trade paperback. It would have made more sense giving us these issues as they were released chronologically and giving us more reasons to care for the characters. Presented this way right before the last volume takes away some of the character development and the dampens the pace of the overall story.
March 18, 2020
Honestly, throwing backstory in the second to last volume of the series is kinda pointless to me. The author could have introduced those informations through the last 4 volumes in a more concise way. Overall, it was meh. The issues I enjoyed the most were #21 and #28, for sure.
December 31, 2020
La colección sigue siendo buena, y no sé cómo se publicaria en USA, pero el hecho de que el penúltimo tomo haya sido de capítulos de relleno me ha resultado bastante anticlimático para la historia.
May 14, 2018
All hope seems lost. Humans can adapt to almost anything though.
April 9, 2020
Honestly this book is creme de la creme of Letter 44. Reading the issues in order I had these scattered throughout and I honestly think it's a little sad if you have to read them separately. Especially Gomez's issue was an absolute gut punch after his untimely demise.
Soule really makes you feel for the members of the crew and gives a very nice twist to the crew's love of Carroll and the government. Every story gives you some important fact about the crew members past and makes them and their decision feel much more human.
Art is by various artists who all manage to capture the the style of the show very well. I was impressed by their ability to stand out while still keeping within recognition of the characters.
Definitely should not skip this if you're interested in getting the full story. Especially issues 21 and 32 are important.
Soule really makes you feel for the members of the crew and gives a very nice twist to the crew's love of Carroll and the government. Every story gives you some important fact about the crew members past and makes them and their decision feel much more human.
Art is by various artists who all manage to capture the the style of the show very well. I was impressed by their ability to stand out while still keeping within recognition of the characters.
Definitely should not skip this if you're interested in getting the full story. Especially issues 21 and 32 are important.
September 13, 2024
Review is for the entire run read back to back (6 volumes)
Wow. A strong tale that movers apace, doesn't linger, peppers in the backstory with one-shots, and wraps up on its own terms without being rushed or drawn out. So why not 5 stars? The problem is not so much the writing or the art, it's that current events have overtaken the work itself. Bit's and pieces that were fantasy or farce when put to paper are happening now or are recent history, and that pulls the reader out of the story every time it happens.
*The other truly bothersome thing is writing a series with US presidential elections taking place in the wrong years - 1998, 2002, 2006, etc. It's an entirely unimportant and small detail, but again, it's off just enough to distract the mind from the tale at hand, something no author wants.
Wow. A strong tale that movers apace, doesn't linger, peppers in the backstory with one-shots, and wraps up on its own terms without being rushed or drawn out. So why not 5 stars? The problem is not so much the writing or the art, it's that current events have overtaken the work itself. Bit's and pieces that were fantasy or farce when put to paper are happening now or are recent history, and that pulls the reader out of the story every time it happens.
*The other truly bothersome thing is writing a series with US presidential elections taking place in the wrong years - 1998, 2002, 2006, etc. It's an entirely unimportant and small detail, but again, it's off just enough to distract the mind from the tale at hand, something no author wants.
November 19, 2023
The 5th volume of this sci-fi book is an odd editorial choice. The story takes a break as we get a handful of issues all dealing with the crew's backstory. These issues were originally published throughout this run but to collect this here before the finale is an odd choice as it cools everything down. The story's not bad by any means but I think it could have been collected much better. I did like learning more about the crew prelaunch. Multiples artists were in play and all did a fine job. Overall, the stories here should probably have been collected in publishing order to break them up but it wasn't a bad read.
February 4, 2019
I actually kind of liked this one; I always enjoy assembling the team stories. But why in the hell is this volume 5 of 6? At this point I don't care about the backstory, especially since some of these folks are dead already. With how volume 4 ended, it's a real insult to readers to give them a volume of meaningless backstory that should have come in volume 2 or 3 (if at all). You could honestly skip this one entirely and it would not change your understanding of the series in any way. What a waste.
Read
November 29, 2019Four issues of backstory for the human crew of the mission to the asteroid belt – which would probably have felt more revelatory a volume or two earlier, rather than in the penultimate book. But it builds to our first direct look at what brought the aliens there in the first place, which cheats and/or does us all a favour by not being couched in their usual abstract syntax. In short, a bunch of cephalopod types tried to pull the same trick which turned Gallifreyans into Time Lords, but royally fucked it up, and the Milky Way has been paying the price ever since.
September 11, 2025
In many cases, I like the guest artists in these interstitials more than the series artist (no disrespect to Albuquerque.) But I'm simply not a fan of these interstitial collections, especially when they're packaged as the penultimate trade (Time Before Time does this as well.) I wouldn't mind these character backstories if they were 5-6 page backup matter sprinkled throughout the series. But most of these do not warrant a 24-page issue on their own. My feeling is that if these stories were important, they would have a less contrived way of appearing in the natural course of storytelling.
July 18, 2018
So... essentially the story is over in vol. 4
So they never got around to telling the crew's back story or showing anything from the alien perspective. Or maybe they worried it would bore/deter readers. They clearly thought it was important though so they put it all in vol. 5. We see how each crew member is recruited and how/why the aliens ended up there. It felt misplaced. I think we could have seen it all earlier. It would have added to the story to show most of it sooner.
So they never got around to telling the crew's back story or showing anything from the alien perspective. Or maybe they worried it would bore/deter readers. They clearly thought it was important though so they put it all in vol. 5. We see how each crew member is recruited and how/why the aliens ended up there. It felt misplaced. I think we could have seen it all earlier. It would have added to the story to show most of it sooner.
June 27, 2020
This book just keeps doubling down on craziness. Alien life, world war III, a shadow presidency, and now the alien life seeks to expand rather than stagnate and it ends up setting off a chain explosion that will result in the "End," i.e. the end of all sentient life. They aim to stop it, in a process that will take place forever. It's interesting and crazy but I have no idea how Soule will tie up all the threads with just one more book left.
December 22, 2018
The drawings in this were more subdued, and I liked that. I also found the last section to be pretty interesting. I don't think it was necessary at this point to give us the full background stories of the characters, though, not in Volume 5 of this series. I don't see what we gained by that at this point.
April 18, 2022
After going as far as it does in the plot with the war, the aliens that may or may not be helping, and a host of other things...why not make the penultimate volume a series of issues acting as origin stories for the crew of the spacecraft as well as backstory for the aliens? I suppose that all could have gone somewhere, but it is a little weird it went here just before the end.
March 13, 2018
Still really interesting, but I do tend to get bored when books do these 'flash back to get the story of everyone' as a bridge and a pause in the action. But, well written, well drawn, well plotted, so no real complaint.
February 10, 2020
Backstory in the second to last volume of the series seems a little bit pointless. While it is nice to know a little more detail about why people were chosen, it seems like just a way to extend the series for extending the series.
July 28, 2020
I almost feel like not reviewing this like I have the others. This entire (short) volume feels like a waste of money. The art is jarringly different, it’s just pure background filler as if Soule had other more important things to deal with. Skip this volume... seriously.
May 17, 2021
While I did not dislike the backstories, I feel placing them in this volume detracts from the pace and overall experience of the stories. It was good to see where they came from and what their motivations were before the aliens and WWIII.
July 28, 2021
It’s a flashback volume before we head into the final stretch. I kinda wish I’d known this stuff at the start, it makes the crew members more distinct. But I understand that you can’t start a story with six issues of build up or it’ll never sell enough to get a second volume.
August 31, 2018
Volumen intrascendete solo para completistas. A la espera del cierre con el sexto tomo.
September 25, 2018
Actual rating - 3.5 stars.
November 4, 2018
I kinda wish this was vol 3 instead of vol 5 because although it's interesting backstory it interrupts the overall story momentum. Still a great series!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews