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Ether #2
Ether Volume 2: Copper Golems
From New York Times bestselling Mind MGMT creator MATT KINDT and Black Hammer's DAVID RUBÍN comes this fantasy adventure about a science-minded hero intent on keeping the balance between Earth and a magic world!
Portals between Earth and the Ether begin to crack open unleashing devastating magical fury on our planet and only adventurer Boone Dias can seal the breaches. In order to put an end to this chaos, Boone recruits a powerful team of mystical beings including a grumpy, spell-writing fairy; a bickering, lavender gorilla; and a bull-headed, motorcycling, spell-hacker. These heroes set off on a journey taking the reader through the center of volcanoes, deserts full of living mummies and sphinxes, and a bizarre fairy forest in an effort to save both worlds from complete destruction!
Collecting issues #1-5 of Ether series II and featuring a sketchbook section with bonus art from PAUL POPE, MIKE ALLRED, BILL SIENKIEWICZ, MARCOS MARTÍN and JEN BARTEL!
Portals between Earth and the Ether begin to crack open unleashing devastating magical fury on our planet and only adventurer Boone Dias can seal the breaches. In order to put an end to this chaos, Boone recruits a powerful team of mystical beings including a grumpy, spell-writing fairy; a bickering, lavender gorilla; and a bull-headed, motorcycling, spell-hacker. These heroes set off on a journey taking the reader through the center of volcanoes, deserts full of living mummies and sphinxes, and a bizarre fairy forest in an effort to save both worlds from complete destruction!
Collecting issues #1-5 of Ether series II and featuring a sketchbook section with bonus art from PAUL POPE, MIKE ALLRED, BILL SIENKIEWICZ, MARCOS MARTÍN and JEN BARTEL!
144 pages, Paperback
First published February 6, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
August 8, 2019
Copper Golems is the second volume of the sci-fi/fantasy series written by Matt Kindt and illustrated by David Rubin. I really think the main reason for the series is to give David Rubin the chance to create this bizarre, inventive world full of as many colors as possible, but Kind tries to match Rubin for sheer invention. The whole feels like a kind of wild adventure more than anything else.
Here, I found Rubin confirming my suspicion:
"Ether is a great excuse to draw all the stuff that I love like weird landscapes, monsters, creatures, and other bizarre things."
It's not about the story, so get over that worry; it's about fantastical creatures and color and adventure. The first volume focused on arrogant/logical adventure/scientist Boone Días in a kind of detective story, called to Ether to solve some mystery. Not much action, though.
The second volume poses another challenge/mystery to solve, but this one is more action-focused, as I said, an adventure, involving breaches/portals in the border between Earth and Ether. These are apparently not good, not sure why. Días doesn't believe in magic, there's a scientific explanation for everything, he gives up his family for this work, he's kind of a machine, though everything around him in Ether is magical and illogical and feelings. He's a kind of Sherlock Holmes type. But he seems to be kind of emotionally connected to Violet, who is gender unidentifiable and as crusty as he is. Interesting characters, with moral dilemmas. The emotional center of this volume is Días meeting his wife and daughter, who have aged on Earth as he has not in his time on Ether (he comes back to Earth periodically because he can't indefinitely survive on the food there, apparently).
Ether is a place of imagination and invention, where myths and magic come from, all anti-Holmes stuff. And weird ideas: Copper golems; a grumpy, spell-writing fairy; a lavender gorilla; a motorcycling spell-hacker. We're in one moment in a volcano, in the next in a desert full of living mummies and sphinxes, and then in a bizarre fairy forest. If this sounds like it might be fun to you to look at or read, if you have high tolerance for not knowing what the hell is going on, you are hereby invited to the madness. At its most basic it is about the struggle between myth/imagination and science as a basis for understanding the multiverse. Guess which side the storyteller and the artist come down on.
Here, I found Rubin confirming my suspicion:
"Ether is a great excuse to draw all the stuff that I love like weird landscapes, monsters, creatures, and other bizarre things."
It's not about the story, so get over that worry; it's about fantastical creatures and color and adventure. The first volume focused on arrogant/logical adventure/scientist Boone Días in a kind of detective story, called to Ether to solve some mystery. Not much action, though.
The second volume poses another challenge/mystery to solve, but this one is more action-focused, as I said, an adventure, involving breaches/portals in the border between Earth and Ether. These are apparently not good, not sure why. Días doesn't believe in magic, there's a scientific explanation for everything, he gives up his family for this work, he's kind of a machine, though everything around him in Ether is magical and illogical and feelings. He's a kind of Sherlock Holmes type. But he seems to be kind of emotionally connected to Violet, who is gender unidentifiable and as crusty as he is. Interesting characters, with moral dilemmas. The emotional center of this volume is Días meeting his wife and daughter, who have aged on Earth as he has not in his time on Ether (he comes back to Earth periodically because he can't indefinitely survive on the food there, apparently).
Ether is a place of imagination and invention, where myths and magic come from, all anti-Holmes stuff. And weird ideas: Copper golems; a grumpy, spell-writing fairy; a lavender gorilla; a motorcycling spell-hacker. We're in one moment in a volcano, in the next in a desert full of living mummies and sphinxes, and then in a bizarre fairy forest. If this sounds like it might be fun to you to look at or read, if you have high tolerance for not knowing what the hell is going on, you are hereby invited to the madness. At its most basic it is about the struggle between myth/imagination and science as a basis for understanding the multiverse. Guess which side the storyteller and the artist come down on.
February 18, 2020
Where volume one was world building amidst a detective story, this was a straight up action quest in the mad world of Ether. Boone, his purple ape friend, Glum, the surly fairy Violet Blue and a motorcycle riding, spell casting minotaur ride across Ether in order to seal the breaches to Earth caused by the Copper Golems. Rubin is one of the most imaginative comic book artists I've witnessed. He's always inventing these madcap cartoon worlds full of whimsy and menace. They always remind me of those early 20th century cartoons. The art is really where this book shines over the writing.
January 28, 2019
It seems to me that the series has become a bit weaker. If the first arch was more detective, then this one is more like a type of adventure from point to point. Also, the atmosphere that Kind formed in the previous volume has been lost somewhere. Despite this, the reading was still interesting: the characters are cooperating with each other, the locations are fantastic, and the whole idea (specially in the end) pushes us to the new layers of this world. I felt so sorry for Boone Dias's daughter as well as his lost in our world. Perhaps, needed more dynamics and development in this particular storyline, although Kindt has been focused on Ether without any comeback to Boone's past/present. Finally, the art of Rubin is stunning, beautifully composed and painted. However, he experimented with panels much more in the previous arc, although there are also some incredible pages here. The series continues, and then we will learn about the causes of one disappearance.
February 1, 2020
3.5 Stars
This was more serious than the first volume and so it was not quite as much fun. Yet, I still enjoyed reading it and look forward to volume three.
This was more serious than the first volume and so it was not quite as much fun. Yet, I still enjoyed reading it and look forward to volume three.
May 13, 2024
Something about this "Ether" seems a little off in its conception. It just comes off as a bit cartoon-y.
October 14, 2019
The heady, big idea weirdness of Ether Vol. 1 is shunted aside in this second volume in favor of big action scenes and a simple quest plot. I mean, it all works and it looks great and, hell, it sure is fun, but I expected a lot more from Ether after that first volume. This volume does very little to expand the world or supplement Boone Dias' backstory. Instead, Boone and his companions close portals and fight crazy Ether creatures. Cool, great to look at, not a lot of content. This might be another Matt Kindt series that starts strong and tapers off.
April 23, 2020
La calidad de la historia baja un poco en relación al primer tomo. La trama se centra demasiado en las luchas contra los golems que boquean las tres puertas y a los que Boone Dias y sus amigos derrotan como si fuera un mero trámite. Los personajes avanzan poco en sus arcos psicológicos y el conflicto acerca de cómo se pueden unir de forma plena ambos mundos sin que se acaben anulando mutuamente casi no se aborda.
Entre los aciertos podemos citar alguno de los saltos en el tiempo que nos permiten entender mejor las consecuencias de las acciones de Boone en el pasado: sus elecciones y sus errores tanto en el mundo mágico como en el ámbito de la realidad, donde vivía su familia y se pagaban las facturas.
Entre los aciertos podemos citar alguno de los saltos en el tiempo que nos permiten entender mejor las consecuencias de las acciones de Boone en el pasado: sus elecciones y sus errores tanto en el mundo mágico como en el ámbito de la realidad, donde vivía su familia y se pagaban las facturas.
September 12, 2021
I love the story of Ether, but more of it I AM IN LOVE with the artwork. All the colors and shapes and the way panels were placed was so clever and funny and all of them go along with story so well. Ether is good, so good.
August 21, 2019
I liked this a lot more than the first volume. I feel like the story had a lot more room to develop and make sense. It didn't flit around as much or give into confusing, hard to understand visuals. I absolutely love David Rubin's artwork as usual, but I feel like this one really brings a lot of narrative to life in the writing.
There's a lot of sorrow in Boone's life outside of the Ether, and his mind is warped by his need to practice his knowledge and 'save the world.' This is the ultimate story of someone who pushes himself to be 'the greater good.' Boone is selfless and not thanked enough. I love that he now is part of a ragtag group! I can't wait for another volume...
There's a lot of sorrow in Boone's life outside of the Ether, and his mind is warped by his need to practice his knowledge and 'save the world.' This is the ultimate story of someone who pushes himself to be 'the greater good.' Boone is selfless and not thanked enough. I love that he now is part of a ragtag group! I can't wait for another volume...
March 5, 2020
I want more.
October 23, 2020
Sub-text hits hard in a fun adventure.
Kindt and Rubin are an awesome team-up!
Kindt and Rubin are an awesome team-up!
January 29, 2021
Boone takes all the fun & mystery of magic using science. That's devastating in a world fuelled by human imagination. His team need to seal breaches in reality.
December 15, 2019
Tal y como dije en la reseña del anterior volumen: Ether, Vol. 1: Death of the Last Golden Blaze te quedas con ganas de saber más. Así que aquí estamos de vuelta al mundo de Ether con algunas ideas más claras pero con una historia que parece seguir el Monomito de una forma más directa y por lo tanto más aburrida.
A mí con el dibujo ya me ganan, así que lo disfruté como para darle un 4 pero con altibajos de historia simple que lo llevan a que le ponga 3 estrellas, ***, altas. Esperemos que el póximo se merezca las 5.
A mí con el dibujo ya me ganan, así que lo disfruté como para darle un 4 pero con altibajos de historia simple que lo llevan a que le ponga 3 estrellas, ***, altas. Esperemos que el póximo se merezca las 5.
November 15, 2018
Well, I liked this. But still, it is not that perfect (for me), but I'm not surprised. I big fan of David Rubín's art. I like his style (and I also like his storytelling - both in comics art way and in writer way). A lot. But on the other hand, I have trouble with Matt Kindt. I do not say he is bad, but his writing style just doesn't fit my taste. I'm usually interested in comics he does, bud once I start reading I usually get annoyed and unsatisfied. And I have the same issue with Ether (with second more than with the first). The story is kind of clumsy and uneven, and it feels like it's missing "bigger picture (even in fact the bigger picture is there). For me, the significance and balance of the major story and internal personal story is off, not helping any of them to actually shine. An I find myself not to care both about the state of Ether/Earth and Boone Días. Only thrilling thing is action and what keeps me in the story is.... art. David art is beautiful here. And I love the difference between bright clean simple Ether style, and dark, dirty reality, with all that hatched and dotted shading. It is beautiful (and I especially like the "Earth" style. Without David's art, I would go for three, maybe even two stars. But I will rate higher than that, but with emphasis on David Rubín. If you do not like his style and art, but like Kindt, stay with that rating. But if you're not a fan of David and/or Matt, go with ease one star down. And, of course, second Ether ends with a great teaser, so big thanks for impatient waiting for the new arc, guys!
July 6, 2019
The first volume of Ether was well-crafted but emotionally flat, so I wasn't expecting much from this second volume. Perhaps it was the result of my lowered expectations, but this second volume is much stronger than the first.
In the first volume, I was annoyed by the main character's self-righteousness. A workaholic and egomaniac, Boone left his family in order to "save the world." There was no counter-weight to his selfishness. But this second volume deals much more with Boone's personal cruelties (like Faust), failings (like Thomas Covenant), and lack of self-awareness (like Don Quixote). He may be out to "save the world," but the cost feels real.
He's no hero, but he thinks he is. He's simply in the right place at the right time. And his intellectual hubris has real negative consequences. I also can't help but read into this version of his story a kind of queer "closet narrative." The world of Ether provides Boone a kind of alternate life that he can't (or won't) reconcile with his everyday, heteronormative life and family. And Boone isn't just attached to his work in the Ether; he also has a troubled romantic relationship there with an ambiguously gendered elf (though she does use "she"/"her"). Then again, I may be over-reading it.
Or maybe this book is an expression of *anyone* absorbed by their work to the detriment of family and friends. Someone (perhaps a cartoonist?) who feels torn between their commitment to their work and to their life. It’s about the tragedy of someone recognizing that their obsessions have estranged them from their own family and persisting in those obsessions anyway. Each time Boone visits the Ether, years or decades pass in the real world; his wife ages and dies while he is away, and in this second volume, his daughter too enters her golden years while he's away. What better way to convey the tragedy of the workaholic?
In any event, despite Matt Kindt only being on writing duties, this volume feels much more in line with his best solo-creator work (Mind MGMT, Superspy, etc). It's a testament to David Rubín's talents, as well, that he's found the visual language that best matches Kindt's most human and most fantastical tendencies.
In the first volume, I was annoyed by the main character's self-righteousness. A workaholic and egomaniac, Boone left his family in order to "save the world." There was no counter-weight to his selfishness. But this second volume deals much more with Boone's personal cruelties (like Faust), failings (like Thomas Covenant), and lack of self-awareness (like Don Quixote). He may be out to "save the world," but the cost feels real.
He's no hero, but he thinks he is. He's simply in the right place at the right time. And his intellectual hubris has real negative consequences. I also can't help but read into this version of his story a kind of queer "closet narrative." The world of Ether provides Boone a kind of alternate life that he can't (or won't) reconcile with his everyday, heteronormative life and family. And Boone isn't just attached to his work in the Ether; he also has a troubled romantic relationship there with an ambiguously gendered elf (though she does use "she"/"her"). Then again, I may be over-reading it.
Or maybe this book is an expression of *anyone* absorbed by their work to the detriment of family and friends. Someone (perhaps a cartoonist?) who feels torn between their commitment to their work and to their life. It’s about the tragedy of someone recognizing that their obsessions have estranged them from their own family and persisting in those obsessions anyway. Each time Boone visits the Ether, years or decades pass in the real world; his wife ages and dies while he is away, and in this second volume, his daughter too enters her golden years while he's away. What better way to convey the tragedy of the workaholic?
In any event, despite Matt Kindt only being on writing duties, this volume feels much more in line with his best solo-creator work (Mind MGMT, Superspy, etc). It's a testament to David Rubín's talents, as well, that he's found the visual language that best matches Kindt's most human and most fantastical tendencies.
March 18, 2022
The reality-bending adventures of Boone Dias continue as he continues his investigation into the mysterious murder of the Blaze and now these Copper Golems that seem to have punched holes into reality that are allowing the magics of the Ether to drift into the "real" world of Earth. And now he has been charged with closing the portals.
Boone remains an amazing science hero (literally) in a world that is anything but scientific. He has a drive that borders on the terrifying but he keeps pressing forward. And you know there has to be more of a story as to why he has pushed his family aside in favor of this entirely different world. And I can only hope that we'll learn more about that in time.
I'm really liking the sort of crew that they've assembled for this leg of the journey. We're not quite all the way to full-on heist territory but it's close enough for the purposes of this magical realm.
And the ending...was unexpected but totally makes sense. So things are only going to get more interesting.
Boone remains an amazing science hero (literally) in a world that is anything but scientific. He has a drive that borders on the terrifying but he keeps pressing forward. And you know there has to be more of a story as to why he has pushed his family aside in favor of this entirely different world. And I can only hope that we'll learn more about that in time.
I'm really liking the sort of crew that they've assembled for this leg of the journey. We're not quite all the way to full-on heist territory but it's close enough for the purposes of this magical realm.
And the ending...was unexpected but totally makes sense. So things are only going to get more interesting.
June 18, 2022
Loveliest art. Oddest behaviour. Uncertain why there was any flirting (can’t even call it that) added between Boone and Violet Bell — honestly, that was pretty yikes given he has a wife + kids at home which he continuously happily leaves to be in the Ether and Violet is the one who reminds him that they can’t be “together” bc he has a family (he gives her other reasons until he is reminded of this one on multiple occasions). The man continuously over-explains as if she asked or as if they actually did anything besides share the most unnecessary and awkward kiss which he initiated?? For what reason? Out of character behaviour + his over-explanation was unwarranted.
To be honest, the more I read the less I like the main character. He’s quite annoying as is — the killjoy amongst all the characters in the series so far. Maybe his over-explanation wasn’t unwarranted, then — he was just stupid and reckless.
Will read the third book since the art and the way it’s designed on the page is *chef’s kiss*
To be honest, the more I read the less I like the main character. He’s quite annoying as is — the killjoy amongst all the characters in the series so far. Maybe his over-explanation wasn’t unwarranted, then — he was just stupid and reckless.
Will read the third book since the art and the way it’s designed on the page is *chef’s kiss*
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 8, 2022
La verdad es que me ha dejado una sensación algo más fría que el anterior. Puede que porque lo dejara a medias durante demasiado tiempo y luego tuviera que retomarlo desde el principio, pero aunque tiene personajes interesantes y una trama bastante clara, no me da una sensación narrativa coherente. El arte sigue siendo precioso, y el mundo de Ether súper interesante, aunque aquí tengo un poco más sensación de que intenta ser demasiado referencial... tampoco terminan de convencerme la forma en que están construidos los flashbacks con Violeta Campana.
No sé, realmente no me parece un mal libro (ni mediocre) en absoluto, creo que es cosa mía, tal vez simplemente el haberlo leído en un mal momento, que ha hecho que no lo disfrute. Dejaré el tercero aparcado hasta que recupere las ganas, porque estoy convencide de que el trabajo de Kindt y Rubín sigue siendo fantástico.
No sé, realmente no me parece un mal libro (ni mediocre) en absoluto, creo que es cosa mía, tal vez simplemente el haberlo leído en un mal momento, que ha hecho que no lo disfrute. Dejaré el tercero aparcado hasta que recupere las ganas, porque estoy convencide de que el trabajo de Kindt y Rubín sigue siendo fantástico.
April 2, 2019
La historia abre foco, enseña más escenario, más conexiones con nuestro mundo... y también comienza a mostrar una cierta debilidad. El lugar narrativo ideado por Kindt es un tanto endeble y si se sostiene es sobre todo por el diseño de Rubin y sus sentidos de la aventura, de la acción y su heterodoxa puesta en página. El acceso a los dos primeros gólems y cómo se desactivan es un festival de narrativa únicamente entorpecido por un uso del color demasiado extravagante y chillón para mi gusto. Por otro lado, parte esencial de la personalidad de este tebeo.
November 25, 2021
There is some stunningly imaginative artwork here. There were some interesting layouts too. The plot was pretty good. I particularly liked the logic puzzle riddle; I've never seen something like that in a comic. I'm invested and want to read the final volume.
July 29, 2019
Not quite as good as the last visit to the Ether. The framing device that allows us to explore this world was weaker this time and did not amount to much more than it did in the last volume. As a result, this felt like a holding pattern to introduce more cool creatures (most of which we had learned about in the sketchbook commentary from last volume).
The art and inventiveness are still amazing and push it from a 3 star story to a 4 star book.
The art and inventiveness are still amazing and push it from a 3 star story to a 4 star book.
September 17, 2021
LOVE the transportation vehicle animals. They are incredibly unique. Boone continues to be almost frustratingly logical in the face of incredible things. He will explain away things while I am in awe of the artist's creativity. The logic puzzle in one issue had me puzzling over a sketched out diagram for quite some time, but it IS solvable and I loved figuring it out (but you don't have to for the story to make sense).
January 16, 2023
Ether is really two stories at once. The hero Boone Dias can enter a magical realm of fairies and purple monkeys and use science to overcome mystical problems. However, time moves slow there so every minute is a day in the real world. Also, he can't digest anything in this realm ( gives an obvious reason to return). So, how depressing to return to find your wife aged, your family in poverty without you, and your children fatherless. This could be really dark, but it's not.
March 10, 2019
To be frank, I barely remember what happened in the first volume of Ether but this one takes off with enough momentum that that's okay. And there's a bit of a reminder in the last issue of this volume. The brilliant art and interesting story will hold my interest until the next volume.
December 1, 2019
Grandor Boldbody the Spell-Hacker is a great addition to the cast. I actually like him better than Boone Dias (who's arrogance can be quite annoying at times). I wouldn't mind if the series focused on Grandor (and Glum and Violet too) from here on out.
June 10, 2020
At first, this seemed dumb. But then I remembered, way back in the day, sitting and staring at my dad’s album covers. The outlandish and often scary adventures I’d have in these crazy environments. That’s literally what this comic book is. It’s 70’s and 80’s prog rock album covers. Oh god I’m in.
July 9, 2024
the main protagonist is a bit annoying (purposely i'm sure), and its starts to become too repetitive. The rest of the cast really carry the story forward though. I also felt like the story might be losing whatever focus it had, i guess we will find out, on to the next.
February 28, 2019
Kinda like Saga but with some weird quirks. Not sure I like it but will probably give it one more trade at least
December 29, 2019
Niestety, Słabiej niż ostatnio
February 14, 2021
Llàstima del final un pèl precipitat, perquè la imaginació que desprén aquest volum sembla il·limitada. Rubín converteix els somnis en realitat de colors llampants.
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