Let me begin by saying that I’ve never read the actual novel Logan’s Run but I have seen the movie. Even though I’ve always liked the movie, over the years, I’ve heard that there are many differences between the movie and the novel. The reason for the differences is, simply, that a movie can’t cover as much material as a novel and still run a reasonable length. Now, I can’t be certain but I feel safe in saying this comic series is a much more faithful adaptation of the original novel then the movie was.
In many ways Logan’s Run is a classic sci-fi tale of a perfect future society with one dark flaw. You get to live a life of endless pleasures, inside your perfectly engineered world, free from all wants and worries but only until you turn twenty-one. In Logan’s world your twenty-first birthday is your last day and those who try to live beyond twenty-one are called Runners because the must run for their lives. That’s where Logan comes in, he is a DS man or Sandman, his job is to hunt down Runners and terminate them. He was chosen for this job only minutes after his birth and has been raised and trained by the state not just to carry out this job but also to enjoy doing it.
SPOILER WARNING In this issue, Logan’s plan to gain eternal fame by uncovering the location of Sanctuary and discovering how the Runner’s underground railway works hits two big snags. First, to maintain his cover as a Runner he is forced to kill one of his fellow DS men. Second, his flower, the crystal in his palm that serves as his life clock, turns black meaning his last day has come. These events mean that Logan is no longer on a mission but is now running for his life. END SPOILER WARNING
The artwork in this series is very straightforward and while it is not great it does the job. I’ve enjoyed writer Paul J. Salamoff’s story especially his flash backs to the past. Unlike so many other sci-fi stories, set in the future, Logan’s Run not only shows you the world of the future but it also tells you, in detail, how this world came to be. Step by step, we see how and why the decisions where made that lead to a world that mandates that you must die at twenty-one. Overall, I think anyone who enjoys a good sci-fi story will enjoy this version of Logan’s Run so check it out and while you’re at it check out the movie too.
Keith Forney