Volume 2 - The Ascendant, continues the story of Jason & Liana, two children of a human mother and an Ovanan father, who posess incredible psi-powers. They were unwillingly drawn into the middle of a power struggle that will effect the futures of two worlds. I'm not going to spoil the story but I will tell you there are plot twists that come up that you almost never see coming. Just when you think you have it all figured out - Wham! Colleen throws you a curve. I've read every issue of the comic and it just keeps getting better. I both look forward to and dread the conclusion of this story, I don't want to see it end but I want to know what happens.

This is what comics should be and if you like the in-depth story and detailed art, I highly recommend David Mack's Kabuki.


And the plot thickens...   August 31, 2000
 2 out of 2 found this review helpful

A Distant Soil is the tale of Liana Scott, a young girl who is heir to the collected psionic powers of an alien race. She allies herself with a rebel faction and, with the aid of a ragtag band of humans (ranging from a Jersey cop to the legendary Sir Galahad), she prepares to help lead a revolution.

Ms. Doran weaves a story of psionic battles and political intrigue, all rendered in her sumptuous illustrations. A Distant Soil is probably best known for its art, a stand alone in the world of comic books. Her drawings contain a realism rarely seen in comic books, a realism that is propelled into the fantastic by the gorgeous cosume designs and extravegant sets.

The villians are horribly evil and sometimes the story becomes a bit of a space opera, but the character of Liana helps to ground the tale and makes it engaging from start to finish.


GORGEOUS AND ENGROSSING!   February 22, 2001
 2 out of 2 found this review helpful

This is probably one of the most beautifully illustrated books I have ever seen in my life! This science fiction/fantasy tale is more than one might expect from a comic book--far more. I can't even begin to imagine the difficulty of creating a book with several illustrations per page and 240 pages to boot, and I can't recommend it enough. Reading it is a joy and looking at the pictures is a joy. When a little girl inherits the power of an Avatar, she attracts the notice of an otherworldy group of villains who are lusciously evil ( and fabulously dressed.) In order to keep her from inheriting the throne of their world, the bad guys employ some pretty drastic measures to eliminate her. But a secret Resistance group (full of its own problems and power struggles) has plans of their own. A world of cut throat politics, and romance, if you are a fan of the work of Marrion Zimmer Bradley, Mercedez Lackey, Tanith lee or Catherine Asaro (and I would kill to see Colleen Doran illustrate their books too!), you will absolutely LOVE A Distant Soil! This is volume II, but get volume I while you're at it. Can't wait for #III!


A Worthy Sequel   April 1, 2006
 2 out of 2 found this review helpful

Maybe I shouldn't say this is a sequel, because it is really a continuation of the same story that was in volume I. This is better written than the first book. The art also improved a lot, and I am not complaining about the first book at all, because it was also very good. But Colleen gets better. I like the elegant way she has of drawing people, clothes and hair, etc. Everything is very beautiful, which is interesting in a very Japanese kind of way because of contrast between beautiful people and settings and horrible things that are happening in the story. The characters are real depth. They have flaws, even when they are heros. They are scared and in no-win situations. Bast and D'mer compete for the love of Seren, who seems to use this romantic triangle as a way to keep his mind off his other problems. On the last book, someone said there was a very strong child molestation scene in this series. There was no scene like that in the last book and whatever happens in this one is implied and happens off panel on one page. It is very creepy, but you don't see anything. It really brings the horror to you without seeing. It is actually quite scary in parts of this book. This is like reading a novel with pictures and I get more out of it every time I read it. I especially like Kovar and D'mer. Jason gets a lot of time, and it is interesting to see because you can tell he is being jerked around by everyone he meets. We get told how the humans got picked in the first place, why Galahad and Dunstan are there. That is kind of a relief because I was worried there would be a try at making the magic in this book some kind of alien thing. I was afraid the aliens would turn out to be elves and I am so glad they are not. You will like this book if you like Marion Zimmer Bradley. It also will probably be good if you like Mercedes Lackey, but I think Colleen is a better writer. This is one of those comics that is much better when you read it all at once as a book. This is one of the best fantasy sf/graphic novels ever. It has more in common with manga from the scope of the story, but it has a lot more story and mature sense than manga like Clamp, which is mostly for kids. And the pictures are more grown-up. It is not cartoony, but it is pretty. There are also a couple of nice short stories in this, but I like the main story best.


Great work Coleen !!   December 21, 2001
 1 out of 1 found this review helpful

As always, Coleen Doran has produced a fine story and good artwork.