Snowpiercer, Volume 1: The Escape

SNOWPIERCER by Jacques Lob as writer and artwork provided by Jean-Marc Rochette, is a evocative view of a dystopian future. All of humanity is relegated to live aboard one solitary train that constantly drives onward through a stark ice age. Nothing lives outside the train. Within the massive super vehicle, 1001 cars long, the population is still stratified. Military might keeps the poor in their ghetto at the rear of the train while the powerful enjoy a life of splendor at the front.
And then one man escapes from the tail end cars and life changes for everyone.
Superb storytelling from 1984, now in updated versions to coincide with the release of a movie version, this story is a harsh commentary on modern life and just as vital now 34 show more years later. show less

A train holds the survivors of a sudden nuclear winter, and they build an extremely classist society in the microcosm of its compartments and halls. This is a loopy premise that could turn corny in the hands of a lesser writer, but here, it's the base for a quite adult, sociologically interesting story. As with most polemic pieces, the characters are a bit thin, but no matter. The art is solid, though the panel layout won't win any awards. But the writing is the thing to focus on here, and that's rather above average.

I watched the movie Snowpiercer recently. It had an interesting concept: the Earth was frozen and its only survivors were aboard a fast-moving train. There were some high concepts introduced -- climate change, class and status during a dystopian future -- but the movie was a complete joke as its internal inconsistencies piled up too high.

The movie, though, was based on a graphic novel. So I looked that up. Le Transperceneige had a snowy background, a long train, and a few people who wanted to go from the back to the front. That's about all it shared with the movie. (In some ways, that was disappointing, as I wanted questions about the movie answered, but perhaps it's all for the best.)

Here, we have our hero, a passenger in the back cars show more of the train (and thus with a much lower status than those in the front cars) wanting to prove something by literally advancing his cause. He's joined by a woman who has some privilege, but only enough to get the story moving. There are some odd moments along the way (like a love affair in a side bathroom that ultimately goes nowhere), and a few that seem a bit more exaggerated than what might "really" happen (for example, during yet another advancement, the heroic duo are surrounded by train police, and the police start shooting -- the two in the middle essentially duck and that's the end of those officers).

I'm not sure I would have rated this higher even if I hadn't seen the movie. The ending (of the book) is a bit too fatalistic for my tastes. But it's much more internally consistent than the movie.

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LT Haiku:

Life protects its own,
and social order system
exists to do same. show less

This graphic novel has an interesting take (if slightly obvious) on the class system of humanity, Many might think that it is gone, but to those on the bottom it becomes painfully clear as they struggle to emulate the lives of their "betters."

In a harsh, uncompromisingly cold future where Earth has succumbed to treacherously low temperatures, the last remaining members of humanity travel on a train while the outside world remains encased in ice.

The surviving community are not without a social hierarchy; those that travel at the front of the train live in relative luxury whilst those unfortunate enough to be at the rear remain clustered like cattle in claustrophobic darkness. Yet, things are about to change aboard the train as passengers become disgruntled..

A revolution is about to start and Alen being the leader have to be a team player and have to play the role than can help them win and overthrow the power of rich and anarchist.

Yeah, no. I was soooo very excited to read this after watching the killer trailer for the movie coming out this summer. But, ugh, such a disappointment. Flat characters, so very very much misogyny, and despite the interesting idea/setting, it's...boring. I don't know how you make a story like this boring, but he managed to. Too rushed, too thin. I feel malnourished after reading it.

Snowpiercer 1: The Escape by Jacques Lob and Jean-Marc Rochette (2013) – A mighty locomotive hauls, 1001 carriages crammed with what is left of humanity on a non-stop, never-ending journey to nowhere on a frozen Earth that can no longer support life. Of course the society of the perpetual travelers is stratified, with elites enjoying many amenities near the locomotive and horrible deadly conditions toward the rear. A refugee from the rear, Proloff, escapes the tail of the train and fights to reach the engine along with Adeline. However, it is a ruthless society even near the front of the train. This is a very creative and fascinating graphic novel with revealing illustrations and a well-written story. I look forward to reading show more Snowpiercer 2: The Explorers. This graphic novel also spawned a movie, Snowpiercer, that is scheduled for DVD release in October 2014. show less