Logan’s Run │ Review

Anyone who is a fan of the 1976 film Logan’s Run (or of the lesser-known 1967 novel on which it is based) will greatly enjoy this series of graphic novels published by Bluewater Comics.  These new works are collaborative efforts between William F. Nolan—the co-author of the original novel and sole author of two other works set in the same universe—and a handful of talented artists and writers, primarily Paul Salamoff.

There are currently three major works in the series:  Last Day,  Aftermath, Rebirth and a smaller one-off sketch, Logan’s Run: Solo.  Under Nolan’s guidance, the works follow the ideas set up and extended in the novels rather than the rather-loosely adapted film, but fans of the film that were unaware of the source novels—a group that includes this reviewer—will undoubtedly pick up Nolan’s trilogy after enjoying these works.

Logan’s Run: Last Day is the most enjoyable of the three, and essentially recounts the action of the 1976 film and original novel.  Fans of the movie will be thrilled to see the familiar plot accompanied by very unobtrusive and stylishly presented flashbacks that lend backstory and depth to the world.  Viewers of the original film had no idea how the bizarre, synthesizer-enhanced city and its gorgeous, jumpsuited residents came into being, except perhaps to guess that Studio 54 was the only bomb shelter that survived the apocalypse, and that Halston took control of the remaining survivors and their wardrobes.

In addition to this exposition of the world’s setup, if the end of the movie felt rushed, Last Day does the reader the great service of making him or her realize it’s primarily because Nolan’s world was just too deep and intricate to be covered well by a two-hour script.  The artwork in Last Day is excellent, and the only disappointment to this reader was to learn that the character Box is actually a very sinister-looking android and not, as in the movie, a lethal Frigidaire on wheels.

Logan’s Run: Rebirth is very well drawn, but difficult to follow for a reader not familiar with Nolan’s books.  But the artwork here is so superb and the further background exposition on the universe of Logan’s Run is so interesting, one hardly notices.  Like sitting shotgun in a good friend’s vintage car, in Rebirth you hardly care where you are going and what time you arrive.  Solo is another beautifully drawn vignette that showcases Salamoff’s gift for dialogue.

Finally, although Aftermath is the least-polished looking of the series, it serves up a great plot and offers the most interesting exposition on Logan’s character.  Aftermath is a mixture of a Tarantino revenge flick and a sexed-up version of Ender’s Game (it’s not as creepy as it sounds) and its focus on character and plot make it a great counterpart to Rebirth.  Overall, these works are all very much enjoyable in their own way, and as a whole constitute one of those rare sequels that enhance and deepen the appreciation of fondly remembered source material. [subscribe2]