Review: Grease Monkey, Tim Eldred
Mar. 5th, 2010 08:58 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jeriendhalSummary: In Eldred's graphic novel collection, newly minted Navy cadet Robin Plotnik comes aboard the space battleship Fist of Earth and through a bit of luck finds himself assigned to the Barbarians, the hottest fighter squadron aboard the ship (and not just because it happens to be exclusively staffed by statuesque Amazons). Under the mentoring care of chief squadron engineer (and self-styled "artist") Mac Gimbensky, Robin learns lessons in personal responsibility, some more lessons being utterly irresponsible, and the difficulties of both love and trying to find a decently stocked library.
Oh, and Mac happens to a be 400 lb. genetically uplifted mountain gorilla...
The setup to this story is somewhat similar to![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
chapeta's Terinu. As in her universe, Earth suffered considerable trauma thanks to an alien attack, losing over half its population and only being saved when a more benevolent set of aliens come close on the invader's heels to help Earth recover. But while Terinu concerns itself with high-adventure in its coming of age story, Grease Monkey focuses on the more mundane aspects of life aboard a ship so big it's got its own shopping mall and casino. Like real military units,[1] the Barbarians spend a lot of time training. Indeed, the aliens that they're defending Earth against never even show up in the course of the book. Instead the main enemies Robin faces is shipboard politics and his own inner doubts.
Another aspect that reminds me of Terinu is the artwork. It's a bit more "cartoony" than Peta's work, but like Peta, Eldred has a knack for human expressions and anatomy. Or more simply, he can draw women, men (and apes) in a variety of heights, weights and personalities, without making them all look like Barbie dolls.[2] But he's no slouch at mechanical stuff either, given all the detail you can see in the equipment aboard the ship, especially the Barbarian's fighters.
Recommended.
[1] Though that's where its connection to real life military units ends. Especially given one major plot involves an officer arranging for himself to get voted into a new position and the accompanying promotion, a practice that pretty much ended around the time of the American Civil War.
[2] Though the Barbarians are really easy on the eyes.
Oh, and Mac happens to a be 400 lb. genetically uplifted mountain gorilla...
The setup to this story is somewhat similar to
chapeta's Terinu. As in her universe, Earth suffered considerable trauma thanks to an alien attack, losing over half its population and only being saved when a more benevolent set of aliens come close on the invader's heels to help Earth recover. But while Terinu concerns itself with high-adventure in its coming of age story, Grease Monkey focuses on the more mundane aspects of life aboard a ship so big it's got its own shopping mall and casino. Like real military units,[1] the Barbarians spend a lot of time training. Indeed, the aliens that they're defending Earth against never even show up in the course of the book. Instead the main enemies Robin faces is shipboard politics and his own inner doubts. Another aspect that reminds me of Terinu is the artwork. It's a bit more "cartoony" than Peta's work, but like Peta, Eldred has a knack for human expressions and anatomy. Or more simply, he can draw women, men (and apes) in a variety of heights, weights and personalities, without making them all look like Barbie dolls.[2] But he's no slouch at mechanical stuff either, given all the detail you can see in the equipment aboard the ship, especially the Barbarian's fighters.
Recommended.
[1] Though that's where its connection to real life military units ends. Especially given one major plot involves an officer arranging for himself to get voted into a new position and the accompanying promotion, a practice that pretty much ended around the time of the American Civil War.
[2] Though the Barbarians are really easy on the eyes.
