Title: The Traveler: Complete Collection (TPB)
Publisher: BOOM! Studios
Grand Poobah: Stan Lee
Written by: Mark Waid
Art by: Chad Hardin
Colors by: Blond, Chris Beckett
Letters by: Ed Dukeshire
Cover: Scott Clark
Price: $ 26.99 US
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Website: www.boom-studios.com
Comments: This book combines issues one through twelve.
Chapter One: A mother on her way to work has her day interrupted when Kronus appears out of nowhere. He possesses powers that manifest violently upon arrival, and he immediately attacks a Split Second-Man named Angstrom.
Kronus is illustrated in a well-designed costume, and the way his powers are depicted makes their energy truly stand out.
Another Split Second-Man, Splinter, attacks a bus driver, and Kronus intervenes. Kronus understands how best to fight these Split Second-Men. Splinter, however, also attacks civilians and is clearly a killer.
Chapter Two: Kronus is a hero who controls certain aspects of time, making him fun to watch in action and interesting to follow through his internal thoughts. It becomes pronounced who Kronus really is.
Mortar, a large and powerful Split Second-Man, attacks Kronus. Kronus is protecting certain people within this timeline—but why?
Chapter Three: The way Kronus uses his powers is unique, although it often leads to him throwing objects at his opponents. A lead villain is introduced, but nothing is revealed about him beyond his appearance. The people Kronus saves continue to appear, and the reader is still left wondering why they are important.
Chapter Four: The Unified Field Experiment Goes Horribly Wrong. A great deal happens here, including the revelation of Kronus’s origin. Many events are driven by his love for Julia.
Chapter Five: Kronus—also known as Ronald, aka the Traveler—faces Abaris as his enemy, who sends various beings after him. The Traveler is now on the run.
Chapter Six: The art throughout the comic gives the Traveler the look of a normal man combined with that of a superhero. The Traveler wants to save the universe from Abaris, but the question remains: what must he do to accomplish this?
Chapter Seven: The Traveler is shown engaging in a great deal of combat. The action is fast and furious, with frequent warps to different locations.
Chapter Eight: The Traveler suffers a devastating loss—something very precious to him. The saddest part is that he has no idea what he has lost.
Chapter Nine: The Traveler continues battling Abaris and his Split Second-Men across multiple locations. At times, the story becomes difficult to follow. Then comes a surprise: a new player enters the field.
Chapter Ten: The art here is gorgeous as the Traveler and Soldier Zero—an armored warrior—face three menacing giants known as the Inheritors. Together, they fight to save the world from the ravaging effects of time gone insane.
Chapter Eleven: A mysterious woman appears and attacks the Traveler and Soldier Zero. It is obvious who she truly is. The Traveler is shown in his final battle, though it is not entirely clear what each character is doing at this stage of the story.
Chapter Twelve: The Traveler and the mysterious woman use their powers over time to fight to save Earth. They work together as if they truly belong together.
This is a science-fiction superhero mashup that works.
Ultimately, this book is about the journey of one man becoming a hero—not because he wants to be one, but because he must be. It is also a story about the powerful love one man has for one woman, and how nothing can overcome that.
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