"2012:Final Prayer" Book Review
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The 2012 hype machine is in full force these days, with "2012" the movie, and the numerous documentaries and specials airing all over television as of late. Yep, 2012 certainly has people spooked. So what is it about 2012 that has people so scared, intrigued, and in some cases paranoid? Well, 2012, often referred to as 12/21/12, is the end of the Mayan long count calendar. And for most people, it signals the end of civilization. While others believe it will mark the occurance of some cataclysmic event. And there are those who believe it will mark the beginning of a new era. Either way, the 2012 madness won't be dying down anytime soon. Which brings us to "2012:Final Prayer", a new graphic novel from Heske Horror. |
The novel features a large collection of short and quasi-long stories, all revolving around the dreaded 12/21/12 (2012), the day that many believe the world as we know it, will end. Billed as a graphic novel, but is more along the lines of a graphic anthology-novella, the piece features stories from Heske himself, as well as various writers from around the world including Canada, Britain, Ireland, Brazil, and Finland just to name a few. Which really shows in the writing as so many different perspectives are covered in each of the stories. Some are very odd and surreal. Others are dark, macabre, and ominous. And there are a few that carry a lot of dark humor and underlying irony also.
The artwork, dialogue, and lettering are also top notch, and really give you a great feel for the material. The stories for the most part, are very engrossing and make the novel impossible to put down at some points. The novel also keeps you on your toes with how the stories are positioned and placed within the piece. Another way the book shows off it's diversity. You can go from reading a story about an otherwordly creature causing the 2012 apocalypse, right into segwaying into a story about a mother who decides to go kamikazi on her son and his friends before the apocalypse strikes. You can just be finishing up a story where a man is called in to save the city from dark forces lurking in the post-apocalyptic background, and then go into a story about a man using a time machine to go forward in time after the horrific events of 2012.
I'd certainly recommend "2012:Final Prayer" to anyone who is looking for a multitude of different stories, viewpoints, and takes on not only the horror-genre aspect of things, but also the whole "2012" debate in general. Of course none of what is written about or occurs in "2012:Final Prayer" is meant to be taken literally, but it's still a great piece of writing because so many different people contribute their respective stories to the novel, and with those stories come many different ways to look at the foreshadowed apocalypse. The piece isn't depressing or extremely somber in any way, and as a graphic novel, it's goal isn't to bring you down or make you afraid in any way.
Nor is it meant to inspire panic, fear, or terror in any way. The book is really meant to make you think with some stories, laugh with others, and really ponder a few more. It's truly a rainbow of stories and a collection of ideas and reading material that can spark many different debates outside of the piece and once you're done reading it. I can't say for sure how people will respond to the book, or how some will take it. I'm sure many people will bash the piece because it in their minds, continues the "2012" tidal wave, while others will take it too literally. My take is, it's a great read that blends a lot of smart stories and great writing, with a hot topic in the world today, which is the "2012" debate. My recommendations for stories you might wanna really be sure to read from the piece are "12.21.12", "Manchester", "End Of The World Party", "Gallows Humor", and "Judgment On High". The book has many other great stories, but those are my top five, not necessarily in that order.
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