The Changers: Our Obligation to the Future

The best science fiction is about looking to the future and extrapolating from the present. The best science fiction authors and artists create believable futures that we can see ourselves heading towards. Whether it's for the purposes of pure fantasy or a cautionary tale, sci-fi is perhaps the area of literature that allows its creators to be their most creative.

Nothing could be truer of this concluding volume in a series of two. Taking both writing and art roles, Daniels has created a wonderful piece of contemporary science fiction revolving around two humans from the future, who return to the present day in an attempt to make things better for their own future. In the first volume we saw them sliding into their new surroundings. In this second book we see them become increasingly insular and confused about the task they're performing, not helped by the mysterious actions of a visitor from the world they're destined to create. As a result, the paradoxical nature of the piece gets more and more complex, fascinating and thought provoking, while maintaining its raw, emotional humanity.

As in the first book, the science fiction conundrums are only part of a plethora of themes intertwining the book - friendship, violence, power, responsibility and what it really means to be human are all tackled meaningfully by Daniels, making for a multi-faceted read.

Daniels' drawing differs in style to his writing, moving away from the exquisite detail to a more stylised and less complex look. With the big ideas buzzing around in the writing though, there's no harm done in the relative simplification of the artwork, which is perfectly capable of portraying all the concepts and emotions it needs to get across.

Head over to Daniels' website and order this if you like thought-provoking sci-fi for grown-ups, that doesn't need to resort to the typical hyperbole of the genre to do its business. This self-published two-volume work is more than worthy of most comic fans' time and money, unless you really prefer your comics to to pass you by without having too much of an impact on your brain.

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