Virga: Sun of Suns was originally a sci-fi novel by Karl Schroeder, but after Ryan Sohmer, Editor-in-Chief at Blind Ferret read the book, he knew it had to be made into a comic. This is where writer/adapter Jeff Moss and artist Guy Allen come in. The duo adapted the sci-fi classic into a comic, taking the described world and putting it onto the illustrated page.
Virga #1
Virga is a fullerene balloon 3000 kilometers in diameter filled with gas, water, and floating bits of rock. The humans in this world must create artificial “suns” in order to heat and light the towns they make either on or tethered to the largest bits of rock. After Slipstream, one of the largest and most powerful floating nations, conquers Aerie and kills a young Hayden Griffin’s parents, he’s bent on revenge, but in an ever changing world, that might be hard to come by.
Virga #1
Though I’m unfamiliar with the original novel, Jeff Moss has adapted the work into a pretty solid piece of sci-fi comic writing. The story is something of a familiar one at its core, with a son seeking to revenge his parents, but the world of Virga is something extraordinary. It’s a world of miniature suns and flying men, all housed in a balloon. It’s something special, and both Schroeder and Moss are to thank for that.
Virga #1
Guy Allen’s art is very smooth and fluid in the book. It’s quite detailed and really helps capture the strange world that is Virga. A feathered fish doesn’t seem out of place as Allen has drawn it, nor do the jetpacks and floating masses of rocky nations. At times, the art feels cinematic, which is interesting coming from a book but makes the story look fantastic.
Virga is different. It’s unique. It’s a solid book, both visually and storywise. It’s currently only on Comixology for a measly ninety-nine cents. For the quality of the book, you’d be crazy not to buy it.
