The Red Star
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The Red Star is a graphic novel by Christian Gossett set in a sci-fi/fantasy world described by Gossett as "Mythic Russia". Gossett's "Lands of The Red Star" were inspired by Russian folklore and military history. The series is heavily reminiscent of post-WW II Soviet Russia, mixing technology and sorcery.
The 'United Republics of the Red Star', often simply called the 'State' in the comic, are shown to be coterminous with the historical Soviet Union in a map at the beginning of the first issue. Their main enemy of the first novels, Al'Istaan, is a stand-in for historical Afghanistan and occupies a similar area of the map.
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[edit] Comics
[edit] The Red Star, Issues 1-4
The first four issues of The Red Star tell the story of the war of the state and the Red Fleet / Army against Al'Istaan, told in a retrospective by Maya Antares, who remembers her husband's death in that war. Having penetrated deeply into Al'Nistaani, the fleet of Red Star warships (gigantic, magically floating constructs up to three kilometres long) seem to destroy their enemies, when the volcanic fury of their engines/weapons is directed on the massed enemies below.
However, the leader / god of the Nistaani, Kar Dathra the Immortal, appears, and powered by the mystical energies of his thousands of dying followers - manages to destroy almost the whole of the Red Fleet.
The further three of the first four issues deal mainly with the panicked attempt of Maya to reach her husband, fighting a grim and hopeless infantry battle on the ground where suddenly, the might of the Red Fleet crashes down and burns, turning certain victory into history-changing defeat. The deaths and the spiritual energies released by the dying soldiers waken other mystical beings, whose goals and allegiances are still not fully known in the first issues. Their apparent warring over the dead souls, especially that of Marcus Antares, become a major plot of the later issues.
Marcus himself is saved by the appearance of a mysterious ghost known only as the Red Woman. She saves his soul from becoming a captive of the evil sorcerer Troika - servant of the evil Imbohl. Defeating Troika in a duel, the Red Woman spirits Marcus away into the Spiritrealm, informing him that "It was not our people who were defeated here, but our past-- and the path to our future begins with you."
[edit] The Red Star, Issues 5-15
Issue 5 tells the story of the Fall of the Red Fleet from the perspective of the Prison Laborers whose grim toil maintains the massive Skyfurnaces.
Subsequent issues chronicle the further adventures of Maya and Marcus, who lives on in the Spiritrealm, working from within to undo the tyranny of Imbohl's legacy. From issue 9 onward, Maya is contacted by The Red Woman, who grants her the power to descend into the afterlife and join Marcus in his struggle. Maya does so without fear, as does her superior officer, Skymarshall Urik Antares, Marcus' older brother. As commanding officer of the Skyfurnace Konstantinov, Urik and his loyal crew stage a mutiny and begin the quest to save Marcus.
[edit] The Sword Of Lies 1-X
The Red Star: Sword of Lies is the continuation of the comic series that brings readers back to the events as we left them in the previous Red Star Trade Paperback, 'Prison of Souls'. It also takes readers back into the time of the Great Revolution, revealing the downfall of the summoner Imbohl. Once a leader of the Revolution, Imbohl's embrace of evil is the origin of The Red Star saga.
This series is colorized by the Weta Workshop Design Team, known previously for their film work on The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, King Kong, The Chronicles of Narnia and the upcoming screen adaptation of the videogame Halo.
[edit] The Red Star Game
The rights to the Red Star game, an arcade-style beat-em-up reminiscent of Cannon Spike, have been picked up by XS Games, with an expected release on the PS2 in early October 2006. Work on the originally intended Xbox version had been more or less completed, but the game was never published due to Acclaim's bankruptcy. While the Xbox version will most likely never see a commercial release, the game itself has been found on some peer-to-peer file-sharing networks.
[edit] Characters
Marcus Antares is an Infantry Captain of the Red Fleet and the husband of Maya Antares.
Maya Antares is a Warkaster (sorcerer and human energy cannon) of the Red Fleet and the wife of Marcus Antares.
Urik Antares commanding officer of the Skyfurnace R.S.S. (Red Star Skyship) Marshall Konstantinov. Older brother of Marcus Antares.
Kyuzo is a guardsman to Maya Antares. Considered to be the deadliest of all the guardsman.
Makita orphan of the War of Nokgorka. Member of the Nokgorka Resistance Militia.
Alexandra Goncharova Maya's oldest and best friend. Killed In Action in the Massacre of the 131st armored division (War of Nokgorka).
Andrei Torin Chief Engineer of the R.S.S. Konstantinov. Powerful 'rogue' sorcerer.
The Red Woman Mysterious leader of the Forces of Liberation, seeking to free her people from their slavery to the legacy of Imbohl.
Troika Servant of Imbohl, leader of the national security agency known as the 'Third Department', seeking to maintain the order established by the rule of Imbohl.
Imbohl Revered as the leader of the Great Revolution. Imbohl was a sorcerer who led the Red Councils to victory over the corrupt Monarchy of the Ancient Dynasties.
[edit] Credits
[edit] 'Team Red Star' 2006
Christian Gossett - Creator
Weta Workshop Design Team - Colorists
Paul Schrier, Emil Petrinic, Kostas Koutsoliotas - 3D Team
Johanna Olson, MD - Publisher/Editor
Ned Downes - Archangel Studios
[edit] 'Team Red Star' 1999-2004
Christian Gossett - Creator
Bradley Kayl - Writer
Allen Coulter - 3D
Jon Moberly - 3D
Junki Saita and the Komputer Graphics Bureau - 3D
Snakebite - Colorist
Johanna Olson, MD - Business Manager/Co-producer
Sir Nathaniel Downes - Finance Manager/Co-producer
Paul Schrier - 3D Artist/Development
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