Ezra Claytan Daniels is a multidisciplinary artist and creator of the Eisner, Harvey, and Ignatz Award-nominated graphic novels, Upgrade Soul and BTTM FDRS. Ezra currently resides in Los Angeles, CA, where he writes for film and television.
LIBRARY JOURNAL (STARRED REVIEW) -- An aging sf novelist and his
research scientist wife agree to help fund an impetuous scientific
wunderkind's attempts to provide patients with a longer life span
and enhanced endurance and intelligence through an experimental
gene therapy with the caveat that they themselves serve as the
procedure's first human subjects. But things don't go as planned,
and soon the couple are both physically diminished and face-to-face
with horribly malformed clones of themselves. The foursome's
predicament is complicated by the reveal that the clones share a
strange psychic dependency upon their genetic source material.
Daniels (The Changers) delivers a skillfully told, beautifully
illustrated tale that is all at once a love story;
thought-provoking sf; a meditation on aging, identity, and race; as
well as a terrifying, visceral thriller.
VERDICT Originally serialized as an iOS app, and winner of the 2017
Dwayne McDuffie Award for Diversity, this work arrives already
internationally acclaimed and poised to be one of the most
discussed releases of the year.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY (STARRED) -- In this innovative and exquisitely
drawn sci-fi graphic novel, an aging couple grapples with what it
means to be human. Molly, a brilliant geneticist, and Hank, a
famous comics creator, celebrate their 40th anniversary in a most
unusual way: undergoing an experimental operation to clone
themselves. Under the eye of an unsavory scientist, the operation
goes awry, leaving Hank and Molly mentally and physically
weakened-and their clones as "mutant fetuses" who retain their
sparkling intelligence but resemble fleshy potatoes. Daniels
originally serialized the story on an interactive iPhone app,
complete with an original musical score. The adaptation to the
printed page doesn't lose that inventive spirit, while cunningly
executed expressions make each character feel deeply real, with
warm and thoughtful coloring throughout. At the heart of this
complex, cutting-edge comic is an old-fashioned tale: that love
gives life its meaning. On a bed that resembles a life raft in a
chaotic cloning clinic, Hank returns from a conversation with his
doppel-brainer to hug Molly tightly, their wedding bands touching
on their knotted, wrinkled hands. "I'm so lucky to have you,
Molly," he says. "Just the way you are." This immersive, touching
sci-fi narrative weaves around central philosophical questions
about identity, appealing to both genre and art comics fans.
Ask a Question About this Product More... |