Title: Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials: The Official Graphic Novel Prelude
Author: Jackson Lanzing
First published June 23, 2015
96 pages, Paperback
ISBN: 9781608867509 (ISBN10: 1608867501)
Rating: 4.18
Overview
As the survivors of the Sun Flares attempted to rebuild their world, a new threat emerged in the form of the Flare. The disease ravaged their bodies and minds, until a cure was finally discovered.
However, the cure came at a heavy price. Now, Thomas, Teresa, and their companions find themselves in a new experiment, more terrifying than the Maze they escaped from.
In this prelude to the Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials graphic novel, uncover the origins of W.C.K.D. and the very first Maze. Discover what it takes to survive in a post-Flare world, and face the violent Cranks that have begun to take over humanity.
But when the Gladers learn that W.C.K.D. was running more than one Maze, they realize that their fight is far from over. With an introduction from James Dashner himself, this collection of all new short stories reveals the hidden histories of your favorite Gladers, including Aris, Ava Paige, and Mary Cooper.
Get ready to experience the next chapter in the Maze Runner saga.
Editoral Review
Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials: The Official Graphic Novel Prelude by Jackson Lanzing is a thrilling addition to the popular Maze Runner series. Published on June 23, 2015, this graphic novel prelude serves as a bridge between the original Maze Runner novel and The Scorch Trials, the second installment of the series.
The book is illustrated by Marcus To, penciled by Nick Robles, inked by Agustin Padilla, colored by Ian Herring, Marian Gonzales, and Jeremy Lawson, and lettered by Deron Bennett. The Maze Runner series is a young adult dystopian fiction, set in a post-apocalyptic world where a group of teenage boys called “Gladers” live in a community called the “Glade,” surrounded by an ever-changing and dangerous maze.
The Scorch Trials picks up where the first book left off, where the Gladers are finally freed from the maze but are met with new challenges in a barren, hot, and desolate landscape called the “Scorch.”
Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials: The Official Graphic Novel Prelude tells the story of how a young girl named Theresa is brought to the Glade and has her memories restored. The story also reveals how she and the Gladers communicate with the mysterious organization known as WCKD, which governments the world outside of the Glade walls.
The graphic novel uses the perspective of a new character, named Mark, to provide a fresh view into events leading up to The Scorch Trials. The vivid illustrations of Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials: The Official Graphic Novel Prelude provide readers with a new level of excitement that is often missing in the original Maze Runner novel.
The imagery of the Scorch and its dangers are brought to life by the artwork, making it easier for readers to visualize the character’s journeys through this new and terrifying landscape. However, the graphic novel is not without its flaws.
The characterization of new characters like Mark is often lacking, and readers may find it difficult to relate to and care about his story. Some of the dialogue is also lackluster, which is ironic because the graphic novel is relatively wordy for a comic book.
This verbose approach may weigh down the otherwise fast-paced narrative and dampen the suspense and thrill that are often the highlights of the Maze Runner series. Despite these setbacks, Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials: The Official Graphic Novel Prelude is a successful graphic novel prelude to The Scorch Trials.
It manages to maintain the suspense and intensity developed in the original novel while adding new and intriguing layers to the Maze Runner universe. Readers who loved The Maze Runner and The Scorch Trials, will surely enjoy this new addition to the series.
The target audience for Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials: The Official Graphic Novel Prelude is young adults, particularly those who enjoy dystopian novels and graphic novels. Fans of the original novel will appreciate the development of characters and events, and the action-packed adventure that awaits them.
Overall, Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials: The Official Graphic Novel Prelude is a must-read for fans of the Maze Runner series, and we give it a rating of four out of five stars.
