Halo: Helljumper #1

By looking at this cover you wouldn't immediately say that this book would be heavy on dialogue. You'd be quite wrong, this issue is entirely setting up and foreshadowing major events later in the mini. It starts out with ODST's (Orbital Drop Shock Troopers) dropping onto a human colonized planet called Ariel that has sent out a distress call saying they are under attack by the Covenant. While this is going on we get narration from our Jarhead main character, Romeo, about how the crisis all started. He flashes back to before the mission, our introductory page, where he is being punched in the face by another marine. He narrates: "No not there. Earlier." This sets the stage for the attack on Ariel from the perspective of a colonist trying to get the call out to the UNSC (United Nations Space Command). She gets to the comm room, a man is in there who died of a heart-attack, or "fright" as its referred to in later issues. Then we flash forward to Romeo and Dutch, Romeo's buddy, getting into a fight over a marine's dead pal who was killed by a Spartan (a clever nod to 'The Fall of Reach' Halo novel). Then they're confined to quarters where Dutch is first developed as a character. But before that, we cut back to the planet Ariel where Romeo, Dutch and Master Sergeant Frost, their team's commander, form up to begin searching for the trouble. We cut back to another flashback where Dutch receives a transmission from his wife who was injured after stepping on a mine in the line of duty with Dutch and his team. This scene I felt made Dutch more than just the strong silent type, and really makes for an even more enjoyable. Anyway, Dutch's wife Gretchen suggests that Dutch should take a motor pool job to be closer to her. This is another foreshadowing and setup, anyway, Romeo comes in during the flashback saying their needed on a job. Romeo says "Looks like they can't live without us." Dutch replies, "I know the feeling." We then cut forward, or backward. I forget to mention this series seems like a giant flashback. Anyway, we cut to Romeo's team searching the dig site on the planet Ariel. They find the man who died of "fright", and Romeo wonders "Files state Ariel colony is supposed to have 4,000 men, women, and children--" the panel then pulls out to a shot of the whole colony, and Romes continues: "...so why the hell are we all alone?" So should you pick it up? If you're a fan of Halo or want to read a good action comic. If you were disappointed by the lack of action in Halo: Uprising, and thought the plot tried to do too much in only four issues. Then you're the audience for this book, you'll really enjoy the mix of action and plot laid out in a really balanced way. I recommend it highly if you want to read a good action mini-series, or if you're a fan of the games, or if you thought that Halo: Uprising was good but needed something, or if you're a die-hard fan of Peter David you probably already have it. For the former three groups, buy this book as well. However, this shouldn't be read outside the series, and should be re-read as more information is released in the later issues. The art is also good, and I say this knowing full well I'm not doing it justice by just mentioning it a little-bit here.