| Title | : | The Old Guard, vol. 1: Opening Fire |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Kindle Edition |
| Number of Pages | : | 169 |
| Publication | : | First published August 30, 2017 |
Old soldiers never die…and some of them don’t even fade away. Cursed with immortality, Andromache of Scythia and her comrades-in-arms ply their trade for those who can find—and afford—their services. But in the 21st century, being immortal is a difficult secret to keep, and when you live long enough, you learn that there are many fates far worse than death.
Collects THE OLD GUARD #1-5
The Old Guard, vol. 1: Opening Fire Reviews
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There's nothing groundbreaking here, but I liked it.
For some reason, unknown even to themselves, there are some soldiers who don't die. Eventually yes, they'll die like everyone else.
It just may take a few thousand deaths for it to stick.
And when a new immortal soldier is born (by dying) the rest of them all have dreams that lead them to this new comrade.
Why?
Nobody knows.
Ok, so for thousands of years these guys have been able to skate under the radar, but now with technology able to track people, they've been noticed. This means, of course, some rich dude wants to dissect them and discover the key to their immortality.
The gist is that they've got to find the new kid, evade the bad guys, and...
Yeah, ok. That's pretty much it.
The art was kind of fugly to me, but the plot was decent enough that it didn't matter too much. I can see that several of my friends didn't like this one, mostly because there's just nothing that makes it stand out as incredible story-wise. I can't argue with that.
BUT. It was good enough that made me want to read more about these guys.
Maybe with a different artist? -
Get ready to be knocked out with this original concept: people who can’t die! Woooah… yeah and that’s our protagonists in The Old Guard, a buncha unkillable soldiers-turned-mercenaries. And get this for a gripping storyline: they’re gonna grudgingly go through the motions of doing mercenary stuff because fuck it. I know, I’m on the edge of my seat too… zzz…
You might’ve picked up that I’m not terribly impressed with Greg Rucka and Leandro Fernandez’s new Image series! But then I’m not sure who would be or by what. We have one-dimensional, unlikeable, forgettable characters, a pointless story and an overall unappealing weary tone (which made me feel as jaded as the characters behaved) to match the generic action scenes that fill up most of the book. I mean, there’s nothing exciting or tense about having invincible characters in a gunfight but there are numerous scenes where our heroes go up against nameless guards with guns, get shot at, shoot back, and carry on. If it’s that easy, why even bother having these scenes in there to begin with???
Not that I care because I’m already done with this title, but the immortal powers are arbitrarily allocated and it’s completely undefined how they work and why, making the whole thing feel even more haphazardly plotted. Maybe it was the Burj Khalifa in the finale but this book read like the kind of dreary garbage Tom Cruise craps out annually nowadays (have you seen those Jack Reacher movies? Jaysis, this guy’s name used to be synonymous with quality!).
I really enjoyed Leandro Fernandez’s art which looked strikingly similar to Eduardo Risso’s but I love Risso’s art so I didn’t mind. And some of the historical flashbacks to the characters’ pasts were ok like the Crusades and the Napoleonic Wars scenes. Other than that though, The Old Guard was a bunch of old hat. I wouldn’t bother unless bland, mindless action is all you’re after. -
I generously received a free copy of this book, won through a Goodreads giveaway.
Ok. This was good, but I feel it could've been a little better. A five star instead of a four star if you will. Personally, I would've preferred more flashbacks--or for the whole first half to have been about the past--along with a lot more mythology. Instead we are thrust into the present, with nary enough of anything to find yourself a decent foothold. You do understand the important plot points right away, but the why of it all is still shrouded in fog and uncertainty. I'm hoping we get a more rounded view of the characters and their pasts, as well as more insight into the mythos in Book 2. The art was good with what felt like a warm 80's sunset color palette for most of it, with cool muted blues and greens for the rest. My only issue with the art was the action sequences. This had quite a few action panels--which is normally a great thing--but here it was a little depressing because they were a bit difficult to follow. Well I think that's enough of me just yammering on. It's time for me to go read that second installment.
P.S. I read the book, then immediately watched the movie--it's on Netflix--and I have to say the book is better. Now don't get me wrong. The movie was great, but as with all movies, some changes were made--some good, some not so good but tolerable, some downright bad--but this is one of those instances where the book comes out on top. Due to this, I have to recommend the reading before the watching. -
The story of a team of immortal mercenaries who are discovered and must cover their tracks.
I'm a Greg Rucka fanatic but this was a dud. There's no explanation why these guys are immortal. Or worse, why they have dreams when a new immortal shows up. And then one day after being shot and stabbed thousands of times and living for a thousand years, they just die.
For an action oriented story, this was boring. Leandro Fernandez is a wannabe Eduardo Rizzo. But where Rizzo's art is clean and concise, Fernandez action scenes are a mess. There are so many lines on the page, none of which are weighted to differentiate the various elements on the page. Plus he draws women's necks like they are giraffes. -
Greg Rucka is slowly rising to my top 10 writers of all time. I read a few duds but the more I read the more I'm enjoying his work. Especially his creator own stuff.
The Old Guard takes a idea you've seen before. What if you couldn't die? Immortal? No. No quite. What if you could die, over and over again, and just keep coming back? Interesting huh? Now take a group of individuals who give you very distinct different view points about their powers and their life up until this point and you have a crazy team all together in this full, explosive, very bloody, action packed adventure.
Andy is the main character here and she's pretty much that badass miltary solider you'd expect except she isn't the norm. She fucks, drinks, and kills. She's also 3,000+ years old and when you can never die is there much else to do but drink, eat, and fuck? No right. Well except kill motherfuckers who need some killing. Anyway she is sent on a mission and betrayal and twist begin and end up giving us some crazy high action packed fighting and whooping ass.
Good: Let me just say I love the cast here. All of them. The all shine, all have their moment, and the more you get to know the characters the better you enjoy them. Also the dialog is fun and bouncing, everyone just having a good old time. There's also some great twist, and some that actually made me re-read it.
Bad: The art can suffer at moments of high action. Sometimes had trouble following it. Also the first issue or two I was unsure about this and kind of started similar to every other action movie/comic but soon changes. Still, the start is shaky.
Overall The Old Guard Book 1 is VERY much worth owning. I really hope Greg continues this one and was just enjoying every moment with these characters. Give me more! 4/5! -
3.5 shinies :)
“War never takes the wicked man by chance, the good man always.”
- Sophocles, Philoctetes
This graphic novel takes you traveling! The Old Guard refers to a small group of people who are near immortal…they have lived lifetimes and just not died.
They are sort of like a secret society of mercenaries. Only a few people know of them and they try to keep it that way. As they get offered a job, they actually end up getting set up. Someone wants what they have!
Despite the futuristic shoot outs that is part of their job, there are moments of flashbacks and memories that are told and reminisced about. To a new member of the team these guys and gals may seem tin hearted, more some then others, but you can imagine what it does to you if you had outlived all your family and loved ones over centuries ago. It hardens you. It makes you bitter and merciless.
***
Old premise in a way, but still entertaining. The plot takes the reader from Barcelona to Afghanistan, Paris, London…as well as through the French invasion of Russia and The First Crusade and other historical events.
This was my palate cleanser from novels. Will give the next one a try and see where it takes me next :)
Sneak peek of pics on my blog!
More of my reviews here:
https://scarlettreadzandrunz.com/ -
I really enjoyed this one. Yes, the concept isn’t especially original, but it’s well written, exciting and has some really nice art. I came away wanting more and that’s always a good thing. Bring on volume two...
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What are the chances that the few people in the whole of humanity who are (near-)immortal, all have so little imagination the only thing they can think of to use their (near-)immortality, is mercenary work. Incroyable!
And then those (near-)immortals keep droning on about how aaawful it is to live sooo long. Add a lot of hackneyed action movie dialogue, and don't forget some firearms that go budda! budda! budda! and you're on Netflix.
(Read as five single issues) -
I like the emotional and relationship bonding of the old guards. I think it is the strong point of the story. The plot is hardly thrilling with classic super hero against unpowered villains. The plot seems standard, if not a bit better than average, as a first arch of a series.
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SUPER FAST REVIEW:
I normally like Rucka’s writing... but I wasn’t into this.
The story itself is actually pretty cool. Rucka does write the protagonist characters pretty well. There’s a lot of action throughout so it’s not one I could understand someone calling boring.
Unfortunately the villain is pretty bad. He does fortunately have a clear goal but at the same time he’s very generic and stereotypical. The dialogue is pretty iffy throughout (as if I kinda wonder if Rucka actually read over the script to make adjustments or if he just went with the first draft). The story is pretty predictable. I also didn’t like the artwork, there’s a few good panels but for the most part it’s kinda ugly IMO and doesn’t really even fit the book’s tone.
Overall, it’s not terrible and this had potential but quite a few things here didn’t work for me. I usually like Rucka’s work (this is actually my lowest rated book of his) and with the hype it’s been getting since the recent film I thought I would probably like it. I didn’t. Perhaps I’m just too picky but it isn’t for me.
2/5 -
Greg Rucka lifts the concept of a person who cannot die from his other book, Lazarus, and applies it to several far more interesting characters, and then gives them a much more compelling story, and that's The Old Guard. Yep, it's good!
So, I hate Lazarus. I think it may be Rucka's worst comic. It's just so lifeless, characterless and bland, I can't see what's so great about it. So when I heard about The Old Guard, his new book with a similar premise, I felt skeptical. Surprisingly enough, it was nothing like Lazarus — it was actually quite enjoyable.
The Old Guard is about a small team of immortal people, all of them different ages — some are a hundreds of years old, some thousands. They do risky and dangerous jobs for money, and try to stay off the radar so that the secret of their immortality doesn't get out into the world. Unfortunately, at one such job, they get set up, and the secret is out, so they have to deal with the consequences.
It's not the deepest book out there. In fact, it's more of a violent action comic. The book offers plenty of bloody shootouts, as well as many creative executions of the main characters (they're immortal, so they obviously get killed a lot), all masterfully illustrated by the series artist Leandro Fernández. His style looks like a cross between Eduardo Risso and Gabriel Bá, and it's really cool, although it can be a bit tough to differentiate between some of the characters, especially when you just start reading the comic. I got used to it pretty fast, though, and by the second issue didn't have any problems with it.
It's not all action though, as we also get to see the backstory of the main cast, and those flashbacks are some of the most compelling moments in the book. The historical perspective is fascinating, as we see events such as the French invasion of Russia, The First Crusade, the Byzantine Empire etc., all through the eyes of the main characters who now live in our modern world. Their relationships with each other are also quite interesting, at times sweet and touching, although not without their hardships.
There are definitely some weak parts to the book, and the worst thing has got to be the villain, the one who set the team up for his own selfish reasons — I won't spoil anything here, but I just don't understand what this guy was hoping for. He goes down very easily, as expected, and doesn't pose any threat to them at all.
Still, The Old Guard is a solid comic, and one of Rucka's better creator-owned titles. Just don't expect it to be too deep or thoughtful — this one is more on the fun action side. -
'I think everything is broken.'
'Everything is.'
So I only came to know about this comic series when
Netflix tweeted about its adaptation coming later this year. I mean, Charlize Theron as a leader of an immortal badass mercenary group (directed by a female director) and I knew this was gonna be my first comic of 2020.
Now that I've read, I really hope the adaptation rocks. It has to what with Andy being the oldest living immortal (they should have a proper word since they do keep dying but just come back alive and then eventually, do die someday) and I just loved her immediately. There is a gay couple, Joe and Nicky, Booker who's kinds lost and Nile AKA ANOTHER FAVE.
Plot-wise, it's interesting and made sense to me that something like this would happen to them eventually.
The concept of immortality gets a new spin in this and so the best was easily seeing the team's backstories intertwining with the historical aspects of their lives and as they're from all over the world (some from regions that aren't even on the map) and different ages, the diversity is there. I immediately loved Andy and Nile's dynamic like yesss. Also, when Andy basically kills Nile and then herself just to get Nile up to speed on what's up LOL (and of course, the falling scene ahdlsjkdf)
The art does leave something to be desired, though. Some of the action panels are hard to follow and some of the male characters kinda look the same (unlike Joe whose bigass nose is just LOL) but the color palette is amazing. Also, there's a lot of violence from eyes getting popped out of sockets regularly and heads getting half blown off.
In all, this is a solid comic and I can't wait for the adaptation to hopefully kick ass. I'm also glad there's gonna be another volume releasing this year, too. MORE ANDY AND NILE, ALWAYS -
Even though I watched the movie first, reading the graphic novel was still enjoyable and it was so much fun trying to figure out the differences between the two, and think which was done better. I was definitely reading all of Andy’s dialogue in Charlize Theron’s voice because I can’t get her out of my head. And my favorite scene of the movie - Joe’s romantic confession about Nicky - was even more heartwarming and spectacular in the book and I don’t think I can forget it anytime soon.
To conclude, this is a cool story and the artwork is interesting (maybe not completely to my taste but I have no complaints) but I think you’ll enjoy it much more if you read it first and then watch the movie. But undoubtedly both the formats are very good and I can’t wait to read the sequel which releases later this year. -
PROS v CONS of reading this as a Graphic Novel instead of just watching the Netflix Movie.
PROS:
Murky stylized art let's your imagination fill in the blanks.
CONS:
No Charlize Theron.
I've made worse decisions, but not recently. -
The Old Guard was a nice read. It's the story of two women and three men who can not die. They are centuries old and have fought in almost every major conflict in history. They have led secretive lives and are always on the move from mission to mission.
But now someone knows their secret and wants the gift of everlasting life. That's the gist of the story. It is a pretty good story and violent too boot. The artwork may be the weakest part of this volume. It isn't awful, but still, is not to my preference.
The fact that they are not functionally immortal is interesting. They can die but they never know when their "power" will stop working. You could die 99 times and it might be the 100th that you don't wake up from. Or it could be hundreds of times you've died. As is the case with Andy, she is almost 6,000 years old.
Still nearly immortal special operations units are quite a cool concept. The story is exciting and the plot is pretty good. I am impressed by this Rucka effort and I hope to see more of the Old Guard if there are any more volumes to this series. -
It has a really good premise and plays quite well on the idea of immortality and the relativity of time but the world-building is weak and suffers enormously from not exploring the history behind these characters more profoundly.
The artwork has a unique style that doesn't shock or awe. It works for what it is but it's often rough around the edges and makes it difficult to enjoy the action sequences. Especially the gore-filled ones.
Yours truly,
Lashaan | Blogger and Book Reviewer
Official blog:
https://bookidote.com/ -
The Old Guard is a graphic novel series about 5 immortal warriors who band together in a found family. Its a story that is filled with action, violence, betrayal, complex characters, and heart. Immortality also has it's limits in this world and the exploration of this theme is one of the reasons I love the story.
The 2020 Netflix adaption brought me here so my review will rely heavily on the comparison of the two. The graphic novel is closely adapted to film with exact lines and scenes included that highlight the story arc in this volume. I can't wait for volume 2 to be published because, the film in particular, ends with a major cliff hanger.
The character's histories and memories were the details I most enjoyed understanding more by reading the graphic novel. So if you aren't sold on the whole immortal mercenaries premise, maybe you'll enjoy getting to know some really interesting characters through the ages.
Andy/Andromache of Scythia acts as the leader of the group because she's the eldest at over 6,000 years old. She's wise and jaded after living for so long with little to show for it. Joe and Nicky fought each other on opposing sides of the Crusades. They fell in love after they realized they couldn't kill each other and represent one of the sweetest enemies-to-lovers, queer romances. Booker is a French soldier who fought under Napoleon. Booker struggles most with his immortality because he has a lot of resentment. Nile is the newest member of the team who is a Black woman and realized she couldn't die while deployed in Afghanistan as a marine. They've managed to find one another and live in secret until they are discovered by a big pharma company called Merrick.
The art style in the graphic novel isn't my favorite. It especially suffers in moments of high action because the color and blocking used makes the sequence of events hard to follow. The big pharma evil and subsequent hunt of The Old Guard functions as a sub-plot but the execution is a bit clunky. However, I love the premise and how this story explores the theme of how immortality affects all these characters. For Nicky and Joe, it means they can live forever, happily. For Booker, it means he's haunted by the rejection and death of his late family. There are hints to how immortality also manifests itself as a villain rises to power. Do yourself a favor and read it or watch the movie.
CW: gore, violence, war, death, grief as related to death of love ones, medical experimentation -
High-action, high-violence graphic novel about immortal warriors that has already been optioned for film, and yes please, especially if they keep the diversity. It stars a small team of mercenaries in current times, all hundreds of years old, who come back to life when killed - until they don't, and they won't get any warning that this end is the last one. Andy, one of the two female leads, is bi or pan. Nile, the other, is African-American. Two of the male team members, Nicky and Joe (formerly Yusuf), are lovers who were on opposing sides during the Crusades.
The main plot is that a powerful billionaire has discovered their secret, and wants to replicate it, so they have to run and/or fight to avoid becoming lab rats. The deeper issue laced throughout is that immortality means losing everyone you care about, over and over and over. There's a lot of history brought out through in various characters' memories, and substantial character development even for the secondary characters.
It's found family, queer, and things blow up, which pretty much makes it perfect for me. And maybe you? So far there is one collected edition, which includes existing issues 1-5, but it's fairly recent so I have hope there will be more. Rucka can be very slow with his creator-owned projects. -
A simple concept executed well. A modern-day band of mercenaries has a big old secret: they're immortal. And they have just discovered a new member of their rare breed. But one of the mortals they work with has sussed out the secret and sells it to a rich and powerful man who wants to figure out how to bottle immortality.
Death and destruction. Death and friendship. Death and betrayal. Death and love. But mostly death.
Fast-paced, funny, and violent with quickly endearing characters.
I'm eager to see movie adaptation coming to Netflix this week, and -- oooooooh! -- Volume 2 is scheduled to come out this September!
(Minor peeve: The lead character is referred to as both Andronika and Andromache in different chapters. It seemed more like an editing error than a story detail.) -
Bullet Review:
This isn't original in the slightest. In fact, it feels like a blend of two other Rucka specials, Stumptown and Lazarus. But damned if I didn't enjoy the hell out of it. Yes, the characters are cliched (especially Nile and Andy), the story goes along the route you would expect for something like this - but again, I can't help it, I really enjoyed reading about this.
Totally wouldn't mind seeing where this story goes, especially how this one ended (most interesting way to deal with the betrayal plotline I've seen in awhile). -
The Old Guard: Opening Fire es una novela grafica de acción, intriga y fantasía, con protagonistas que no pueden morir. La premisa parece bastante básica y quizá un poco cliché, pero de alguna forma, es intrigante y engancha.
Disfruté mucho de este volumen y la verdad es que no había escuchado de este comic antes de ver la película en Netflix (la cual, también AME y he visto ya tres veces).
El ambiente en que se desarrolla la historia es el mundo moderno (actual) así que no hay nada de original en eso, pero si me gustó cuando los personajes tienen vestigios de su pasado en diferentes épocas.
Por otro lado, los personajes me gustaron mucho. Todos, y eso es una sorpresa. Creo que son complejos, con personalidades y actitudes auténticas y que denotan que han vivido muchísimo tiempo. Además, son muy baddass y me fascinan que sepan utilizar armas y peleen como el demonio.
Andy es uno de mis personajes favoritos. Creo que es el personaje más solido, aunque pueda parecer un poco pesada y fría en ocasiones.
Nile es un personaje que promete mucho al ser la última inmortal en unirse al grupo, quizá se convierta en la nueva Andy. Mientras Booker es un personaje de apoyo bastante bueno. No concuerdo con sus pensamientos o acciones, pero bueno... alguien debe provocar desdicha.
Nick y Joe también son personajes que adoro. Sí, son cliché, pero... ¿Y qué? Me gusta que no tuvieran que morir por alguna razón absurda solo porque son pareja gay. Además, su declaración de amor es una de las más románticas que he leído.
En cuanto al arte, es un poco... peculiar. No es mi favorito en cuanto a gusto personal, pero creo que para el género de este comic es muy adecuado. Las escenas de acción son lo mejor. Me encanta todo el detalle. Incluyendo, la sangre y las balas.
En general, creo que es una novela gráfica bastante buena, con una combinación de fantasía y acción que logra mantener el interés. Los personajes opino que son lo mejor. Y aun no estoy segura si leeré el segundo volumen porque no quiero hacerme spoilers de la segunda película (la cual, espero que estrenen pronto). -
I usually enjoy Greg Rucka's work, but while reading this I had to check the cover to make sure I wasn't reading a Mark Millar book (which is not a good thing for me). For those who are unfamiliar with Millar's style of storytelling, my impression is that it basically goes like this: think of a scene that would look really cool on a movie screen, and then think of other cool scenes to surround it until you have enough pages for a book (don't expect a strong narrative). Next, fill in the dialogue. Have characters act as macho as possible, and have them curse at each other a lot. Characters will think of this as enduring terms of friendship rather than as a sign that they are in abusive relationships. This book reads exactly like that. I'm not a fan.
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A story that reminded me slightly of Highlander. Pretty violent plot with lots of action; also fairly predictable. But I did like the dynamic between Nile and Andy, and Andy’s utter weariness, and I was happy that Nicky and Joe survived.
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The story was a bit confusing to begin with. The immortality was never explained, it was just kind of thrown at us. Once the story developed it became a full blown espionage action plot. Some cool action sequences but I found the art at times pretty simple and confusing. The twist I actually didnt see coming, which I commend the team for. It has potential to be a pretty cool series, just in the infancy stage atm.
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The story more than made up for my quibbles with the art. Wonderfully realized, and brilliantly adapted in the Netflix film. The film may have an edge if only for one scene missing from the volume, however I am told I ought continue with volume 2, so perhaps what I'm missing will be there.
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review-
https://youtu.be/oi3DWG8eT98 -
just finished the movie and had to immediately read the graphic novel, a good choice I would say
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There's some good bits here - art is good, action is solid, more than a decent premise - but on the whole it's just a huge missed opportunity. There was a lot it promised and could have given, but those things it just teases and then steps aside for more action. Why are these guys immortal? No one knows, no one gets to know.
I believe I'll keep at it anyway. Maybe they'll answer these questions later, build it into a story arc where this one's only the beginning. But on its own it doesn't really work all that well. -
3,5/5*
Filmas Old Guard scenārists : copy paste, copy paste, copy paste. DONE! -
في محبة نيكولو ويوسف إلى الأبد والله
<3
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