Ascension #1

Originally Published
October 1997
Writers: David Finch and Batt
Artist: David Finch
Inker: Batt

Ascension is one of those early Top Cow comics that were so pivotal in securing me as a lifelong comic book fan. To this day these books from Top Cow are some of my favorites and I’m happy to be able to share this first issue of a truly great comic series with you.

Ascension opens in the past, 1986 to be exact, as Russian soldiers are combing the ruins of Chernobyl. Amidst the nuclear wasteland they discover some strange looking bodies. When they investigate further, they find that these strange beings aren’t quite dead and they aren’t quite human either. The beings look like a mix between angels, demons, and aliens and immediately blame humans for stealing “the pages”. The soldiers and the weird beings mix it up for a while before the weird beings teleport away.

With this opening sequence, David Finch sets up the tone for this whole story masterfully. With many first issues you have to wait until the final page to get a real sense of what the book is going to be like. Ascension took a different storytelling route and told us right up front. Weird demon/angel/alien things think humanity stole something from them, and they’re pissed.

We jump ahead many years to modern times, as the Russians are desperate to develop something that will make them a world power once again. They’re using dna from the weird beings to try and replicate their teleportation abilities. They’ve brought in a brilliant (and beautiful!) woman scientist named Andromeda to try and figure it out. Our other main character is Lucien, a mysterious bodyguard who has been assigned to both protect and observe Andromeda. He’s more her friend than anything else, but you do pick up on a bit of a “prison guard” thing here, hinting that Andromeda may not be free to leave.

Andromeda gets frustrated and decides to get away from the lab for a while. She and Lucien go for a walk and happen across an unconscious angel girl. Andromeda scoops her up and wants to take her to get medical attention. Lucien sees a strange bundle of ancient looking pages nearby and picks them up. Andromeda wants to try and hide the girl, saying that if Lucien tells his bosses (presumably the Russian government) they will come and dissect the angel girl. Lucien is sorry, but has to do his job and begins to call it in. Andromeda knocks Lucien out from behind and goes on the run with the girl.

This whole section of the book felt… a little too convenient, I guess is the best way to put it. The introduction to the two main characters was fine, but they step outside and just happen across some angel girl who just happens to have in her possession the aforementioned pages that the strange angel/demon/alien guys are looking for? It just seems a bit rushed and all a little too easy. However, this was 90’s Image comics, so maybe I’m being too hard on it. At least this book actually had a story to it.

Lucien wakes up and goes in pursuit of Andromeda and the angel. He calls his boss, Mr. Griegeroff and explains the situation to him. Griegeroff looks evil, lives in a big evil looking mansion, and has on a suit, so I’m pretty sure he’s a bad guy. The angel wakes up in Andromeda’s car and they chat a bit. The angel is on the run from the Dayaks, which are the alien/demon/angel things (so thankfully I can stop referring to them as alien/demon/angel things). She’s had dreams about Lucien and Andromeda and says that it was destiny that they have all met and such. When she finds out that Lucien has the pages she gets worried for him, saying that it’s too late to help him.

Lucien is in pursuit, but isn’t looking too well. He’s becoming increasingly angry with Andromeda and starts talking violently about what he’s going to do to her. He’s beginning to grow pale and looks very ill. In the car ahead the angel girl continues to spout on about destiny and such. She’s afraid that the Dayaks will find her and Andromeda and kill them.

This is the point in the comic that I really found myself hooked. Lucien’s getting all messed up somehow, we’re getting info and foreshadowing about the Dayaks and such. I really like the intensity and build up of this scene.

Next up, the Dayaks find Andromeda and attack her car. She and the angel girl crash and flee on foot. The Dayaks say that Petra (the little angel girl) has their birthright (the pages) and they want it back. At this point Lucien drives up. His hair has changed colors and his skin is slate (the color, not the stone). His eyes are glowing blue and he just looks crazy. He’s screaming and saying that Andromeda has led him into a trap and he thinks the Dayaks are her allies. He says there are voices in his head and attacks the Dayaks. He murderizes all of them and then grows angel wings. Andromeda is shocked to see the transformation of her friend, but when she tries to calm him he says he’s going to murder her and Petra. Petra says that’s what the prophecy said was going to happen, and we end the issue.

Ascension was unfortunately lumped in with all the Image Comics of the 90’s, most of which had lots of pretty art and very little story. While there’s absolutely no denying that Ascension has pretty art, it’s definitely false to say that there’s no story here. What follows in this great series is a war between angels and humans, political intrigue, amazing action, romance, and other general awesomeness. It’s a series that’s definitely worth a look and showcases David Finch at his best. The art in this book is some of the best I’ve ever seen.

From what I can tell, it doesn’t seem that Top Cow ever put out an Ascension collection. However, if you search at your local comic book store or online (www.mycomicshop.com is a great place to get back issues) I think you’ll find that the series is rather cheap.