If you haven’t read 2010′s comic series, “Tales from the Fringe“, now is the perfect chance for you to catch up. Many comic shops will be restocked on the trade publication on August 1st, as it is being re-offered in preparation for next month’s release of “Beyond the Fringe” .
“Tales from the Fringe” is a 6-part series that focuses largely on the characters of the Fringe Division before the time period in which the TV show takes place. Each part is broken down to 2 stories – one about a Fringe character and one is a tale that would be something in the realm of what the team would investigate. In each story you actually get to see a small snippet of one character’s past – with the exception of Walter, which I have to say, I find disappointing. However, I get it – Walter is easily the most fleshed out character on the show, so I think as much as the fans enjoy him, the writers took this opportunity to show us more of the other character’s pasts.
The first story, “Tomorrow”, is, in my opinion, the best of the bunch. It gives us a look at Peter’s life as a con artist in Iraq and shows him in a troublesome situation in which he is forced to choose between helping someone else or helping himself. This is really the only story in the book where we see one of the characters wrestling with their own choices and ethics. I also enjoy this story because it brought me back to season 1, where we got to see Peter in Iraq as a somewhat morally ambiguous character. I always find it strange when comics that are based on TV shows ignore the history that has already been set for them rather than incorporate it, so I found it refreshing that the authors, Doble and Gaines, chose to build on what we already know about Peter. The rest of the stories aren’t quite so deep. We get to see an impediment along the way to Olivia’s position of Special Prosecutor in the Marine Corps, Broyles’ family problems, Astrid’s bizarre induction into the FBI and a small piece of Nina’s history involving her robotic arm. We even get a story about Gene the cow. The stories are all quite short and don’t go into much depth, so when I say we get a snippet, it really is just that.
The secondary stories, or fringe tales, albeit amusing, are reminiscent of the stories I read when I was a kid by the likes of Christopher Pike or R.L Stine. As I read them, I couldn’t help but think I should dim the lights and hold a flashlight to my face. One of the stories is a creepy tale of fate and what control we have over it. Another one of the stories has a very similar feel to the film The Ring or Pike’s “Chain Letter”. These stories felt more like ghost stories than the science-backed plots we are used to on Fringe. However, that being said, the stories are entertaining and unique. They certainly didn’t wow me, but they were enjoyable. And if I ever have to host a slumber party for a group of pre-teens, I can pull out this book and I’m pretty sure I’ll be the hit of the party.
As far as the artwork goes, each story is done by a different artist and has a completely different look. I actually enjoy all of the styles from Fiona Staples’ literal style to the more freestyle look of David Hahn. My only complaint is that is the comic is based on the television series and yet none of the characters resemble their TV counterparts! Some of the artist’s renditions are more recognizable than others, such as Astrid and Broyles, but Nina, Olivia and Peter would be impossible to identify if you were just flipping though the book. There are also a few fun easter eggs hidden in the pages, such as J.J Abrams’ favorite fictional drink, the Slusho. You may also spot an Observer or two if you look closely.
Overall, I’d give “Tales from the Fringe” a 6/10. It really adds very little value to the Fringe canon but it’s a fun, enjoyable read. It’s not near on the level of complexity as the show, but at about 10 pages per story, that’s to be expected. And as we all know, Fringe merchandise is pretty scarce, so at $15, I think it’s a nice addition to add to any Fringe fan’s collection. Just don’t expect to be blown away by it or you’ll end up disappointed.
Did you purchase “Tales from the Fringe” when it was originally published, and if not, do you plan on purchasing it now as a precursor to next month’s “Beyond the Fringe”?
- “Tales From The Fringe” @ MyComicShop
- “Tales From The Fringe” TPB @ MyComicShop
- “Tales From The Fringe” SC @ Amazon
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{ 12 comments… read them below or add one }
I will have to check these out. Thanks!
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6/10 rating, hm I thought it would be higher. I haven’t read any of the comics but if it is true what she says about how they add “very little to the Fringe canon” I would hope they get much better after the show is over.
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the first comic run was better and the peter and the machine comic was too but it was a good read as was said and the fate story of the secondary stories was great. very outer limits.
I’m stoked for the rest of beyond the fringe
PS: my issue didnt have the cool alt batman cover! WHY NOT!? I WANT ONE!
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Natasha,
Walter & Bell’s back story was the focus of all six of the A-stories from the 2009 Fringe comic. That is probably why they didn’t feel the need to discuss them further in the 2010 series.
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yeah I think the whole point was that the previous series’ A story was about Walter (who is arguably the main character, at least from my POV he is) and Bell (which is arguably what the show is about, what they did, what they discovered, what they set in motion, and what they do about it) and now the second run of A stories makes it total one for each main character
while the B stories have been the same type of outer limits/pulp style freaky science phenomena stories
and now the third comic series’ is the Peter and the machine storyline (which I cant remember if they said was cannon or not, I think they said it was if memory serves but dont quote me on that) and then some alternate timeline stories featuring “what ifs” for all the characters.
There’s also a short preview/prequel to everything comic that was distributed at comic con 2008 which wasnt collected as part of any of the subsequent comic series which is a very cool read (you can read it or at least part of it online) which I’d really like to get my hands on a copy of to complete the ol set.
I gotta say the Bishop and Bell story line is by far the best of the comics so far. I have it collected as a continuous story in the graphic novel and it’s really interesting, a great read.
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oops, in the first paragraph “and now the second run of…” should just be “and the second run…” cause it isnt now, it was last year…
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also, I checked ebay on a whim after typing the above post for the prequel/preview comic and for the alt-universe covered issues and I found:
preview/prequel comic for $30
alt-univers covers for $30, $70, and frighteningly $120!
wow
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^someone’s greedy^, I also just found the same alt covers for $20 and a 2008 preview comic for $20 on ebay…
also, more interestingly (I wonder where they got em!) theres an entire set of the framed alt cover comics like on Peter’s wall in the show for about $10 each
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LOL I guess I sould have read all of your comments before I replied. :-/
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Fringe issue zero! I would LOVE to find that! Please let me knw if you ever find somewhere to get a copy.
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I read a few Beyond the Fringe comics. I have to say, I really like Peter and the machine, because (with a few exeptions) it really feels like a part of main story.
As for “What if… Peter never died?” and “Imagine if … Astrid was a spy?” from B series, I think they missed the point. While I found them very amusing (Olivia profesional artist and Astrid working for Nina), they had no conection to the main story whatsoever.
And like she said, the characters were kind of hard to recognise, especially Olivia (that didn’t look like Anna Torv at all, so it took me around seven pages to figure out who she is) and Peter (he was kind of similiar to Joshua Jackson, but not as similiar as I would wanted).
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Hey guys – I just saw all your comments in regards to the comics and the variant covers and all. I decided to check out Midtown, which is usually my go-to place for hard to find comics, and they have quite a few of them including that Batman variant for $6! Here’s the link if you’re interested.
http://www.midtowncomics.com/store/dp.asp?PRID=Fringe+Tales+From+The+Fri_1094794
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