Tokyo Storm Warning
Encyclopedia
Tokyo Storm Warning is a three-issue comic book
mini-series
published in 2003
by WildStorm
imprint Cliffhanger
. It was written by Warren Ellis
, with art by James Raiz and Andrew Currie.
and later collected into a trade paperback
with Red
. The book was written during a period of Ellis' output, when he mostly produced books in three-issue bursts for independent DC
imprints (like Wildstorm's Homage Comics
and Cliffhanger
), such as Red and Reload, because he had reached the end of his exclusive contract with DC and was reassessing his next steps.
It followed the exploits of the pilots of the ARCangels - gigantic robotic constructs used by the Japanese government to battle fantastic creatures hell-bent on penetrating the defenses of a secret installation in the heart of modern Tokyo
.
franchise.
with Red
:
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
mini-series
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 in 2003
2003 in comics
-January:* January 2: Kid Colt artist Jack Keller dies at age 80.- April :* Action Comics #800: Double-sized anniversary issue, "A Hero's Journey," by Joe Kelly, Pascual Ferry, and Duncan Rouleau...
by WildStorm
WildStorm
WildStorm Productions, or simply WildStorm, published American comic books. Originally an independent company established by Jim Lee and further expanded upon in subsequent years by other creators, WildStorm became a publishing imprint of DC Comics in 1999...
imprint Cliffhanger
Cliffhanger (comics)
Cliffhanger was an imprint of Wildstorm, publishing creator-owned comic books. It was founded in 1998 by Joe Madureira, J. Scott Campbell and Humberto Ramos, when Wildstorm was still part of Image Comics ....
. It was written by Warren Ellis
Warren Ellis
Warren Girard Ellis is an English author of comics, novels, and television, who is well-known for sociocultural commentary, both through his online presence and through his writing, which covers transhumanist themes...
, with art by James Raiz and Andrew Currie.
Publication history
Named after an Elvis Costello song, the series was published between August and December of 20032003 in comics
-January:* January 2: Kid Colt artist Jack Keller dies at age 80.- April :* Action Comics #800: Double-sized anniversary issue, "A Hero's Journey," by Joe Kelly, Pascual Ferry, and Duncan Rouleau...
and later collected into a 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...
with Red
Red (comics)
Red is a three-issue comic book mini-series published in 2003 and 2004 by WildStorm imprint Homage Comics. It was created by writer Warren Ellis and artist Cully Hamner.-Plot:...
. The book was written during a period of Ellis' output, when he mostly produced books in three-issue bursts for independent 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...
imprints (like Wildstorm's Homage Comics
Homage Comics
Homage Comics was a comic book publishing imprint, a subdivision of Wildstorm. It was created in 1995 to focus more on writer-driven titles. As part of Wildstorm, it was acquired by DC Comics in 1998...
and Cliffhanger
Cliffhanger (comics)
Cliffhanger was an imprint of Wildstorm, publishing creator-owned comic books. It was founded in 1998 by Joe Madureira, J. Scott Campbell and Humberto Ramos, when Wildstorm was still part of Image Comics ....
), such as Red and Reload, because he had reached the end of his exclusive contract with DC and was reassessing his next steps.
Plot
The comic takes place in an alternate time line where after the capture of U-234 on 14 May 1945 and the discovery of its nuclear cargo (intended for the Japanese atomic program in Tokyo) the US decides to use its first A-Bomb on Tokyo to prevent the Japanese developing their own device. Following this Japan finds itself plagued by giant monsters and the appearance of giant battle robots within the city of Tokyo, over the next sixty years.It followed the exploits of the pilots of the ARCangels - gigantic robotic constructs used by the Japanese government to battle fantastic creatures hell-bent on penetrating the defenses of a secret installation in the heart of modern Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
.
Reception
Praised for its depiction of the Japanese, the first issue is considered an English-language homage to Neon Genesis Evangelion, Tokyo Storm Warning is mostly concerned with the 'giant robot' genre through the perspective of Western readers, which it uses as its main selling point. Several of the creatures depicted also bear a resemblance to famous movie monsters, such as the Americanised Godzilla, and King Ghidorah, while the ARCangels have several surface details similar to robots from the GundamGundam
The is a metaseries of anime created by Sunrise studios that features giant robots called "Mobile Suits" ; usually the protagonist's MS will carry the name Gundam....
franchise.
Collected editions
The series was collected into a trade paperbackTrade 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...
with Red
Red (comics)
Red is a three-issue comic book mini-series published in 2003 and 2004 by WildStorm imprint Homage Comics. It was created by writer Warren Ellis and artist Cully Hamner.-Plot:...
:
- Red/Tokyo Storm Warning (144 pages, June 2004, ISBN 1401202837)
External links
- Review of Tokyo Storm Warning #2, 2 and 3, Comics BulletinComics BulletinComics Bulletin is a website with an emphasis on the American comic book industry, updated daily with news, reviews, interviews, and editorial content. Coverage ranges from mainstream to independent/small press comic book and graphic novel publishers.-History:...