Sheva's War
Encyclopedia
Sheva's War is a five-issue fully painted limited series
graphic novel
published in 1998
and was the final title to be released under the short-lived DC Comics
imprint
, Helix
.
Created, written and painted by Christopher Moeller
, the story is the second to be located in Moeller's futuristic Iron Empires
universe following publication of the Faith Conquers limited series by Dark Horse
in 1994
.
galaxy; being representative of the remains of a decaying human civilization which was once immeasurably vast. For millennia, the alien Vaylen, a parasitic worm-like race, have rolled back the frontiers of inhabited human space, invading the minds of their conquered hosts and gradually eroding human control throughout the galaxy.
Ahmi Sheva is the once-young, beautiful and restless baroness of Taramai, a planet located within the boundaries of the Karsan League. She is also a soldier by training and holds the rank of captain in the planetary Landwehr. Frustrated with life in the company of her much older husband and bored by dalliances with a string of younger lovers, Sheva assumes command of local forces when the Ganasch, the deformed ape-like minions of the Vaylen first infiltrate and then invade her planet.
As the narrative unfolds, Sheva is courted by the visiting Philippe of Artois, Count of Karishun, her former mentor and commander and also initiates a new romance with Hardi Degas, a farm-boy turned soldier. She must lead the resistance of her vastly outnumbered Taramai forces against the incursions of the Vaylen in a series of conflicts ranging up and down the deep forested valleys of her planet.
Both the Vaylen and the human nobility employ mind-control techniques to optimise the performance of their forces. Indeed, the Vaylen share an acknowledged parasitic relationship with their hosts and as the series progresses treachery rises to the surface of the human defence initiative:
role-playing game
designed by Luke Crane
based on the fictional works of Christopher Moeller. Background material contained in the manual drew heavily upon Moeller's plot and literary devices featured in Sheva's War.
Dark Horse re-released Sheva's War in a collected edition trade paperback
.
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....
graphic novel
Graphic novel
A graphic novel is a narrative work in which the story is conveyed to the reader using sequential art in either an experimental design or in a traditional comics format...
published in 1998
1998 in comics
-Spring:* Gay Comix , with issue #25, publishes its final issue -October:* Toy Biz buys Marvel Comics* Excalibur is canceled by Marvel with issue #125.-November:...
and was the final title to be released under the short-lived DC Comics
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...
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...
, Helix
Helix (comics)
Helix was a short-lived, science fiction and science fantasy imprint of DC Comics, launched in 1996 and discontinued in 1998. Helix was a short-lived, science fiction and science fantasy imprint of DC Comics, launched in 1996 and discontinued in 1998. Helix was a short-lived, science fiction and...
.
Created, written and painted by Christopher Moeller
Christopher Moeller
Christopher Moeller is a writer and painter, specializing in fully painted graphic novels. Moeller's signature creation is the Iron Empires science-fiction universe, comprising two fully painted graphic novels Faith Conquers and Sheva's War, a short story in Dark Horse Presents, and a second in...
, the story is the second to be located in Moeller's futuristic Iron Empires
Iron Empires
Iron Empires is a comic series written and painted by American artist Christopher Moeller. It consists of two parts: Shadow Empires: Faith Conquers, first published as a limited series by Dark Horse in 1994, and Sheva's War, published by Helix in 1998....
universe following publication of the Faith Conquers limited series by Dark Horse
Dark Horse Comics
Dark Horse Comics is the largest independent American comic book and manga publisher.Dark Horse Comics was founded in 1986 by Mike Richardson in Milwaukie, Oregon, with the concept of establishing an ideal atmosphere for creative professionals. Richardson started out by opening his first comic book...
in 1994
1994 in comics
-Year overall:* Huge changes in the marketplace force many retailers and small publishers out of business...
.
Plot synopsis
The Iron Empires comprise eight nations of peoples scattered across the Milky WayMilky Way
The Milky Way is the galaxy that contains the Solar System. This name derives from its appearance as a dim un-resolved "milky" glowing band arching across the night sky...
galaxy; being representative of the remains of a decaying human civilization which was once immeasurably vast. For millennia, the alien Vaylen, a parasitic worm-like race, have rolled back the frontiers of inhabited human space, invading the minds of their conquered hosts and gradually eroding human control throughout the galaxy.
Ahmi Sheva is the once-young, beautiful and restless baroness of Taramai, a planet located within the boundaries of the Karsan League. She is also a soldier by training and holds the rank of captain in the planetary Landwehr. Frustrated with life in the company of her much older husband and bored by dalliances with a string of younger lovers, Sheva assumes command of local forces when the Ganasch, the deformed ape-like minions of the Vaylen first infiltrate and then invade her planet.
As the narrative unfolds, Sheva is courted by the visiting Philippe of Artois, Count of Karishun, her former mentor and commander and also initiates a new romance with Hardi Degas, a farm-boy turned soldier. She must lead the resistance of her vastly outnumbered Taramai forces against the incursions of the Vaylen in a series of conflicts ranging up and down the deep forested valleys of her planet.
Both the Vaylen and the human nobility employ mind-control techniques to optimise the performance of their forces. Indeed, the Vaylen share an acknowledged parasitic relationship with their hosts and as the series progresses treachery rises to the surface of the human defence initiative:
Themes
Moeller's novel has been variously described as addressing the theme of loyalty from a variety of angles, the issues that confront you as one grows older as well as identifying your best role in the society you have chosen.Other media
In 2006, Burning Wheel released the award-winning Burning EmpiresBurning Empires (role-playing game)
Burning Empires is an American science fiction role-playing game, designed by Luke Crane and published by Key 20 Publishing in 2006. The epic game is based on Christopher Moeller's two critically acclaimed Iron Empires graphic novels, Faith Conquers and Sheva's War...
role-playing game
Role-playing game
A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
designed by Luke Crane
Luke Crane
Luke Crane is an Australian Rules Footballer with the Sturt Football Club in the SANFL. He won the 2008 Magarey Medal as the best and fairest player in the SANFL.- External links :°...
based on the fictional works of Christopher Moeller. Background material contained in the manual drew heavily upon Moeller's plot and literary devices featured in Sheva's War.
Collected editions
In 20042004 in comics
-February:*February 6: Marvel Enterprises and Electronic Arts announce a multi-year agreement in which EA will develop a new generation of fighting video games pitting Marvel superheroes against a new, original set of EA heroes....
Dark Horse re-released Sheva's War in a collected edition trade paperback
Trade paperback (comics)
In comics, a trade paperback is a collection of stories originally published in comic books, reprinted in book format, usually capturing one story arc from a single title or a series of stories with a connected story arc or common theme from one or more titles...
.
- Iron Empires vol. 2: Sheva's War, by Christopher Moeller, Dark Horse Comics (2004), 160 pp, ISBN 978-1593071103