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Finals (comic)
Encyclopedia
Finals is a four-issue mini-series
published by DC
under its Vertigo imprint
from September to December 1999
. Written by Will Pfeifer
and illustrated by Jill Thompson
, it is a black comedy about campus life at Knox State University, aka KAOS U, where the maxim “Strength Through Study” is taken very much to heart.
Limited series
A limited series is a comic book series with a set number of installments. A limited series differs from an ongoing series in that the number of issues is determined before production and it differs from a one shot in that it is composed of multiple issues....
published by DC
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
under its Vertigo imprint
Imprint
In the publishing industry, an imprint can mean several different things:* As a piece of bibliographic information about a book, it refers to the name and address of the book's publisher and its date of publication as given at the foot or on the verso of its title page.* It can mean a trade name...
from September to December 1999
1999 in comics
-February:* February 3: Pioneering editor Vin Sullivan dies at age 87.* February 26: John L. Goldwater, co-founder of Archie Comics, dies at age 82.-March:* Incredible Hulk is canceled by Marvel with issue #474.-May:...
. Written by Will Pfeifer
Will Pfeifer
-Personal life:Will Pfeifer was born in 1967 in the town of Niles, Ohio. He attended Kent State University and graduated in 1989. He has resided in Rockford, Illinois since 1990, with his wife, Amy....
and illustrated by Jill Thompson
Jill Thompson
Jill Thompson is an American comic book writer and illustrator. Probably better known for her work on Neil Gaiman's The Sandman characters and her own Scary Godmother series, she has also worked on The Invisibles, Swamp Thing, and Wonder Woman.-Career:Jill Thompson illustrated The Sandman story...
, it is a black comedy about campus life at Knox State University, aka KAOS U, where the maxim “Strength Through Study” is taken very much to heart.
Plot synopsis
Various college students try to survive the 'finals' period; literally. Common incidents at the learning institution include murders, world-changing wars and various cults.Characters
- Wally Maurer - A film studiesFilm studiesFilm studies is an academic discipline that deals with various theoretical, historical, and critical approaches to films. It is sometimes subsumed within media studies and is often compared to television studies...
major, Wally is something of a slacker, struggling to find inspiration for his “extreme cinema verite” senior project.
- Nancy Bierce - A comparative religionsTheologyTheology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
major, Nancy is Wally’s girlfriend. She’s set up her own cult as her senior thesis but is starting to feel the pressure of having dozens of girls looking to her for divine guidance.
- Dave Oswald - A criminal justice major, Dave has been on a one-man crime wave, robbing local convenience stores as “homework”. His new girlfriend Collette is a member of Nancy's cult.
- Tim Pike - A theoretical engineeringEngineeringEngineering is the discipline, art, skill and profession of acquiring and applying scientific, mathematical, economic, social, and practical knowledge, in order to design and build structures, machines, devices, systems, materials and processes that safely realize improvements to the lives of...
major, Tim is attempted to live up to his family’s high standards by developing a time travel machine. He becomes cynical after witnessing his future self come through the machine only to be shot and killed.
- Gary Skelton - An anthropologyAnthropologyAnthropology is the study of humanity. It has origins in the humanities, the natural sciences, and the social sciences. The term "anthropology" is from the Greek anthrōpos , "man", understood to mean mankind or humanity, and -logia , "discourse" or "study", and was first used in 1501 by German...
major, Gary is attempting to de-evolve (a scientific and logical impossibility) for his thesis. He’s prepared to do anything to climb down the evolutionary ladder, even undergo physical change.
- Michael Woolrich - The only member of the faculty to survive the detonation of homemade nuclear bomb in 1949. He is now college president and rules with an iron fist.
- Riley - The head of campus security, Riley is Woolrich’s right hand man and responsible for all of the president's dirty work.
- Collette - A junior, Collette is a member of Nancy’s cult who starts’s dating Dave.
- Randy - Randy is a senior who is going to ace his final year by orchestrating a war in the Middle East.