The Amory Wars
In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3 #9 (of 12)
Created by Claudio Sanchez
Written by Claudio Sanchez and Peter David
Art by Aaron Kuder
Colors by Zac Atkinson
Letters by Johnny Lowe
Cover by Chris Burnham
Evil Ink Comics/Boom! Studios
Price: $3.99
Release Date: March 30, 2011

The Amory Wars – In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3 starts to move into its last leg and you can tell. Claudio Sanchez and Peter David turn up the excitement in this issue, while beginning to wrap up the 12-issue miniseries in the best way possible.

The issue starts as all others have with the narration by main protagonist Claudio Kilgannon explaining the events of the book to Apollo, the dog of former girlfriend Newo Ikkin. But in this issue, you can tell there is something different. Something has changed within our hero. And that something is Claudio finally realizing and confronting his fear, and his necessary acceptance of his growth into the protector against the ultimate villain, The Supreme Tri-Mage Wilhelm Ryan. While the turning point for action was a couple of issues ago, issue #9 is the turning point for the characters.

Avid consumers of graphic fiction, it’s time for you to grab a small stack of comic books or a good graphic novel and head out to a public park, coffee shop or other crowded venue. Today is international “Read Comics In Public” day and coincidentally also the birthday of legendary artist Jack Kirby.

The point of reading comics in public is to help end the feeling of embarrassment associated with reading comic books, explains Editor of The Daily Cross Hatch Brian Heater, who came up with the idea.

“Take to the streets. Be proud. If someone asks what you’re reading, say, “a comic book” (the phrase “graphic novel is also acceptable, but let’s face it, it sort of defeats the whole purpose). Heck, lend them a book, if you’ve got an extra””what better way to make a new friend and convert a new reader?,” Heater writes on the Day’s official blog.

To further the cause, there’s also a flickr pool set up for people to snap photos of what they’re reading.

I’m going to go a step further than these guys and say everyone participating should do more than just read comics in public. Ripping a page out of Marvel Comics Chief Creative Officer Joe Quesada’s book — once you finish reading those comic books in public, leave them for others to find and read. Of course for big time collectors, this might present a problem, but everyone has that stack of comics that they don’t want to file into their personal stash. Don’t throw them away (ever).

Read them in public, leave them in public.

Check out what the Geeks of Doom staff is reading below…

The Amory Wars: In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3 #2
Writers: Claudio Sanchez and Peter David
Artist: Chris Burnham
Colorist: Zac Atkinson
Letterer: Johnny Lowe
Published By: Boom! Studios/Evil Ink Comics
Price: $3.99
Release Date: June 23, 2010

The science fiction epic The Amory Wars: In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth 3 really takes off in this second issue of the series. After the introductions to the cast we get a little more back story regarding the characters, and the action starts when we see the characters of Inferno and his children, and get more of a look at the villains of the story, General Mayo Deftinwolf, and the Supreme Tri-Mage Wilhelm Ryan. Claudio Sanchez and Peter David take this issue to set up the conflicts in the story and provide a refresher in the motivations for each of the characters, and they do a fantastic job in doing so.

Issue #2 starts where we left off, with our hero, Claudio Kilgannon, explaining to his former girlfriend’s dog where he has been and all of the reasons for his absence in their lives. Sanchez and David use this conversation as a device to explain more of the history of the series, which is very complex and has previously had an entire series that takes place before In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3. Also, we experience the trials and tribulations of those that oppose the Supreme Tri-Mage, and get a real look at the rebel forces through the descriptions of Kilgannon’s experiences off-planet, and Inferno growing his forces to fight this evil empire.

The Amory Wars: In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3
Creator: Claudio Sanchez
Writers: Claudio Sanchez & Peter David
Artist: Chris Burnham
Boom! Studios
Release date: May 26, 2010

You had me from “Hello Apollo, where should I begin.”

Pardon me while I fanboy…

First, I’d like to state that I am, indeed, a huge fan of Coheed and Cambria, and their album In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3 (henceforth to be referred to as IKSSE:3), so it’s pretty much a given that I will love this comic book if it stays anywhere near what the album did for me.

Coheed and Cambria, the band, has a series of five albums, each telling an integral part to an overall science fiction story about the destruction of these characters’ universe (The Keywork) and the rise of its rightful hero, Claudio Kilgannon. All of this is done through the glory of prog rock. There have been previous interpretations of Coheed’s work including a novel adaptation of the first chapter, Year of the Black Rainbow, and an original graphic novel based on Chapter IV: Good Apollo, I’m Burning Star: IV, which is now considered out of continuity. But IKSSE:3 picks up from the latest comic interpretation of Chapter II: The Second Stage Turbine Blade. I’ve keep up with pretty much all of this, so I was definitely excited for the release of this story.

By mk2fac3

Fresh on the heels of their fifth studio album and prose novel entitled Year of the Black Rainbow set to release April 13, 2010, Coheed and Cambria and Evil Ink comics, in conjunction with BOOM! Studios, bring a visual interpretation of two of their most popular albums.

The albums of Coheed and Cambria tell a very complicated sci-fi story entitled The Amory Wars, a tale about a young man named Claudio Kilgannon, son of Coheed and Cambria, and his journey of self-discovery in the face of a galaxy, called the Keywork, in turmoil at the hands of Supreme Tri-Mage Wilhelm Ryan. The first story told, The Second Stage Turbine Blade, released previously on Image Comics, was well received by both fans and critics alike and is getting the Ultimate treatment with a full series hardcover release through BOOM! at a low cover price of $29.99 in May to coincide with the release of the next installment of The Amory Wars.