Review: Threshold Vol. 1- The Hunted

Quick Summary

Pros: The entire narrative is unique and interesting, especially the conclusion. The Larfleeze story is great and stands well on its own. The artwork looks good and is as imaginative as the story.

Cons: Many plot threads drag on too long and others feel completely unnecessary. Some of the story elements are woefully underdeveloped. Not all readers will appreciate the collection’s conclusion.

Overall: This is a book with plenty of personality but not enough execution. This sets the reading experience apart as something different but doesn’t exactly make it entertaining. Instead, most readers will end up frustrated with many of the book’s small storytelling problems. This book will likely only appeal to readers who are simply looking for something radically different, no matter the quality.

Story

Threshold Vol. 1: The Hunted, by Keith Giffen, is a book of mixed quality that, unfortunately, ends up frustrating more than it entertains. Throughout this read, there are numerous problems when it comes to the pacing and development of plot threads. This makes smaller elements of the narrative less enjoyable and also creates plenty of disappointment. However, the concepts behind the entire book are very imaginative and the conclusion is mind-blowingly unique. In addition, the Larfleeze backup story is excellent. The positives here don’t make up for the negatives but the volume still may be worth it for fans looking to read a very unique take on the comic side of DC Comics.

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The positives in The Hunted come from how unique and imaginative the entire work ends up being. This is a book that takes its time in depicting strange cultures and the bizarre interactions between various alien races. It also centers around a consistently interesting concept, which involves a planet obsessed with a television show wherein “criminals” are hunted for sport. This makes for a read that is more cosmically minded than typical DC comic books, which is a nice change of pace.

Though the story is unique all the way through, the book’s conclusion is the most unique and interesting aspect of the entire collection. It reveals that almost everything that happened within this book was done at the behest of television executives trying to make a more dramatic narrative. This turns the entire book on its head in a way that I truly enjoyed. However, it also completely invalidates multiple elements from the main storyline, which some readers may not appreciate.

Where this volume fails is in the execution of its own lofty concepts. Numerous plot threads are stretched out far too long and some feel as if they have no place in this volume whatsoever. This can be seen in the New Guardians’ involvement, which lasts far longer than necessary, and the inclusion of Brainiac, which contributes almost nothing to the overall narrative. In other places, concepts are introduced only to be left on the table as the volume concludes, leaving them woefully underdeveloped. This can be see in Blue Beetle’s inclusion, which starts out interesting but fizzles out before too long, and in the mystery behind the Legend, which ends up being far less relevant than initially teased. These problems are numerous enough to significantly take away from the book’s positives and make it hard to enjoy in some places.

The Hunted also contains a Larfleeze backup story that ends up being the highlight of the volume. It pairs Larfleeze’s absolutely ridiculous characteristics against the reluctant sarcasm of his new assistant. Watching his assistant interpret and attempt to carry out Larfleeze’s madness is tremendously entertaining and gives the work plenty of humor. It is also the beginning of a story with some potential, which will hopefully develop into something even more for these solid characters.

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Art

The artwork in The Hunted is generally positive and helps assist the storytelling. Within this book, Tom Raney creates a detailed and visually pleasing world that is laid out in a way that makes sense. In addition Raney’s work is able to live up to the level of imagination the story requires. This makes the world of Tolerance feel as unique and diverse it should be. It also allows for a wide range of different characters, each with visual depictions that help enhance their personalities. Overall, this is a good looking book that provides the visuals readers would expect to see.

Continuity

Threshold Vol. 1: The Hunted is the only volume in the Threshold series.

This series ends with this volume and the main storyline is not continued anywhere. The Larfleeze story is continued in Larfleeze Vol. 1: Revolt of the Orange Lanterns.

This volume also references another comic book, detailed below:

• The New Guardians’ appearance here follows their adventures at the beginning of Green Lantern: New Guardians Vol. 3: Love & Death.
• Blue Beetle’s appearance here directly follows the conclusion of Blue Beetle Vol. 2: Blue Diamond (Review).
• Many references are made to the “Third Army”, a central concept in Green Lantern Vol. 3: The End and Green Lantern: Rise of the Third Army.
• Brainiac’s last appearance was in Action Comics Vol. 1: Superman and the Men of Steel, which Brainiac mentions.