Review: Far Sector
Quick Summary
Pros: Watching the mystery at the book’s center evolve and play out makes for a fun and exciting read. The worldbuilding and characters within the read are great. The book tackles a variety of modern social issues in a way that is thought-provoking and enhances the reading experience. The artwork is beautiful and suits the story.
Cons: The conclusion has a few small problems.
Overall: This is a wonderful read and a great addition to the DC Universe. Within this book is a compelling main storyline and some beautiful artwork. On their own, these elements would make for a worthwhile book. However, this volume also has creative worldbuilding, a charming cast of characters, and a thoughtful approach to social issues. Together, these make for a reading experience that is downright good all around.
Story
Far Sector, by N.K. Jemisin, is a fantastic comic that works on many different levels. At its core, the book is a well-executed whodunit mystery. However, the book itself is so much more than this. Layered over this core, is an awesome level of science-fiction worldbuilding, a great cast of characters, and a thoughtful approach to modern social issues. The only downside is that a few very small problems appear in the book’s conclusion. For the most part though, this book is fantastic and is a joy to read.
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The main narrative in Far Sector starts with a murder and with the subsequent investigation into that murder. This provides an immediate hook that is interesting from the very start. From there, the mystery becomes larger, more elaborate, and even more compelling. Not only is this great, but the evolution from a simple whodunit to a complex conspiracy is satisfying to see. It keeps things fresh, interesting, and exciting the whole way through. It also serves as a great way to explore the unique worldbuilding that supports this entire comic.
Over top this murder-mystery, is a wonderful level of worldbuilding and character development. I loved the fact that this book takes place in a world completely alien to the DC universe, while still retaining the Green Lantern elements. It allows the book the freedom to come up with creative new races and worlds, all of which are fun to see explored. These same positives come into play with the characters as well. Jo and her supporting cast are all well-rounded and their adventures are well-written.
Far Sector also excels when it comes to social commentary. The book uses its sci-fi setting and otherworldly characters to explore real-world issues. Police brutality, a discriminatory justice system, poverty in relation to class, and voting rights are all tackled within this book. Jemisin deftly weaves these into the narrative in a way that enhances the storytelling while also giving the reader something to think about.
The only problem with Far Sector is that there are small pieces of the conclusion that don’t work too well. The conclusion introduces the return of an entire civilization but doesn’t actually do anything with them. It also fails to do anything with the research that was done by the government into Jo’s abilities, which makes this point feel like a buildup to nothing. I also felt like, amid everything else going on in the conclusion, the voting rights subplot feels sidelined, which is unfortunate considering it could have been a great story on its own. None of these problems are major though and the conclusion, mostly, plays out well.
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Art
The artwork in Far Sector, by Jamal Campbell, is just as high-quality and appealing as the storytelling. It features sharp designs, well-structured layouts, and colors that make everything look even better. Plus, there is a level of detail, in both the foreground and background, that simply gives the book a greater sense of life.
The visuals here also add a lot to the creativity of the book as a whole. The storytelling introduces a fantastical world, a diverse cast of characters, and a variety of new technologies. However, the art brings all of these things to life. The way all of these concepts are rendered really allows the book to show off its unique setting and environment. Honestly, the visuals are so good that simply leafing through this book without reading anything would still provide a positive reading experience.
Continuity
Far Sector is an independent storyline that takes place far from the rest of the DC Universe. It incorporates the Green Lantern Corps but doesn’t directly continue any specific storylines.
This comic marks Sojourner Mullein’s first comic appearance. Her next major appearance is in Green Lantern Vol. 1: Invictus. See our Green Lantern (Sojourner Mullein) Reading Order for a full explanation of her adventures.