Description

War of the Worlds: Haven and the Hellweed                        Trade Paperback
Signed & Numbered by Robert Zimmerman
Writer: Robert Zimmerman
Artist: Horus Odenthal
Inkers: Horus Odenthal & Kirsten Mischok–Odenthal
Letterers: Horus Odenthal & Scott Martyniuk
Editor: James Pruett
Cover by: Scott Rosema

Based on concepts and stories originated by H.G. Wells! The “Martian Invasion” has begun again and now mankind must fight, not only for their homes, but for their very humanity. In this first action-packed series, the war has descended upon Kansas City, but the government and the military are gone, how does Kansas City stand a chance? Meanwhile, hundreds of miles away in a small plains town called Haven, humanity just might have been given a second chance at survival.

Trade paperback is signed and numbered on title page by writer, Robert Zimmerman and presented in its original Glorious Black & White!

Story/Spoilers
In part #1, No One would’ve believed that last years of the twentieth century this world was being watched by an intelligence far greater than Man’s and yet as mortal as his own. Aliens were the stuff of legends, fairy tales to scare children or to entertain those wanting to escape the mundane existence of their lives. Few men took them seriously, let alone see them as a threat. Yet as mankind busied itself about their petty affairs they were being scrutinized and studied perhaps as narrowly as a scientist might watch under the microscope the microbes that swam and multiply in a drop water. We seemed sure that we were the superior species in the universe, yet across the immense gulf of space, minds that are to our minds as ours are to mice in the fields, intellects vast, cool and unsympathetic, regarded this Earth with envious eyes and slowly and surely drew their plans against us for what some claim would be the second time. The month of September in the ninety seventh year of the twentieth century held the beginning of our great disillusionment. It happens slowly at first, three to nine cylinders per day. We threw nearly everything we had at them, as if we knew just how to fight the myths of our childhood. Every time it looked like we were victorious another wave of cylinders would arrive and continue to crush our efforts, eventually we began to lose. When New York finally fell we became downtrodden. When Washington and Los Angles fell, we, as a nation and perhaps a race, fell into a deep state of shock. Soon we were hearing of a worldwide invasion, London, Moscow, Rome, Tokyo, had all apparently fallen to invaders dropping down on us from space, some say from the planet Mars. By late August in the third year of the twenty first century it seems that the war is almost over. The war is almost lost.

Next in part #2, Who was to believe that in the last years of the twentieth century human affairs were being watched from somewhere in the void of space? Few men seriously considered the thought of intelligent life on other planets, let alone one superior to us in intellect and technology. That was the stuff of entertainment, a way of passing the time and forgetting one’s own troubles, watching another world fall to the “Martians” or some other “little green men”. When the first cylinders slammed onto our pitiful planet, and its vile content emerged to conquer us, we were valiant in our efforts to remove them from our world, as if we were exorcising all our demons at once. What we never considered was the chance that we might lose. Our Heroes were the first to die. Those willing to lay down their lives to defend Earth did so in great numbers. Then when Washington fell, and New York City fell, it did not take long for us to become disillusioned. Soon we found ourselves fighting much more than the “Martians”. We found ourselves fighting for our own humanity. It is now the year 2003 and we, as a race, are now fighting for our own humanity. In the small town of Haven, a visitor had brought its townsfolk a very important package wrapped in the menace of the Hellweed, a seemingly intelligent “red weed” that hungers for anything organic. Julie LaRouque has just rescued her daughter Hope from the weed, while young doctor Ethan Smith has found even more week on the body of the now dead visitor. It will be up to those in the Haven town to decide how to treat their newest delivery, but will they be able to see through their paranoia to reason? Only time will tell. While in Kansas City preparations have been made to defend one of man’s last thriving metropolises against the “Martian’s” invasion but how can they hope to succeed where so many others have failed? How will they win their war when they have already lost it in their hearts?

Next in part #3, We know now that in the late years of the twentieth century this world was being watched closely by an intelligence greater than man’s and yet as mortal as his own. As humans busied themselves about their petty concerns they were being scrutinized and studied, perhaps as narrowly as a man with a microscope might scrutinize and study the transient creatures that swarm and multiply in a drop of water. When the invaders made their move to conquer our planet, it was as if we were fighting myths, and legends. For years we gave it everything we had, but eventually we began to lose. Then we began to lose big. Washington and New York were valiant losses, St. Louis was a rout, and Chicago was little more than a massacre. We found ourselves fighting for our very humanity as much as against the Martian invaders that accosted us. We quickly became disillusioned, lost in our own inadequacy. It is now late August of the year 2003 and the Martians have turned to Kansas City as their next conquest. A few hundred miles from the river City, deep into the plains, is the growing town of Haven, a home for those tired of fighting. For some unknown reason the Martians have left the plains alone, though their reasons for doing so may turn out to be more horrifying than their conquest. The resistance in Kansas City has sent them a gift , one that only Julie LaRouque, her daughter Hope, and young Doctor Ethan Edgar Smith seem to appreciate. Though now their “gift” may get the best of them all. The Hellweed, a Martian red weed that devours anything organic it can “absorb”, has contaminated the messenger of the resistance, killing her and now threatening to engulf all of the Haven Medical Center. While in Kansas City the command headquarters has now been trampled by the Martian war machines. Mother McFadden along with others, like the mute electronic whiz known only as Lewis, have become trapped in the rubble. While on the outskirts of the city, Steven Koch (field commander, war-gamer, and ex-computer salesman) has been forced underground by the Black Smoke. a Martian gas that instantly kills anything that inhales it. His instinct for survival has temporarily saved his life as well as the others he convinced to follow him into the cellar. Now if it was only that easy to save their morale…

Next in part #4, When the invaders came to conquer our planet, it was as if we were fighting myths and legends. For years we fought with everything we had, losing more warriors and sacrificing more heroes with every battle. Eventually, we began to lose. Washington D.C. and New York were valiant losses, but when we lost LA, and then Denver, we had also lost our drive. We had become disillusioned. Losing so badly in Chicago, then having St. Louis fall, left us as a race desperately fighting to preserve whatever we could find of our dignity, as well as anything we could still use against the invaders. It is now late August in the years 2003 and Kansas City has fallen. Using their heat-ray and black smoke the Martians have routed us, making us run for cover and hide, as if we were roaches running from the light. A few hundred miles from Kansas City, the small town of Haven (a growing community formed by those who were tired of fighting) has had the war come to them. A refugee from Kansas City has brought them a van filled with scientific equipment. For some reason the Martians have left the great plains alone, instead they have unleashed a strange red weed upon the land. The Hellweed has a insatiable appetite for anything organic and spreads like wildfire, absorbing anything in its path. Now the Hellweed has infested Haven’s only Medical Center. The refugee also brought the residents of Haven a chemical repellent to defeat the weed, unfortunately she did not live long enough to tell them how to use it. Though Julie LaRouque has been blamed by the Haven town council for bringing the Hellweed to their town, she has herself fallen victim to the weed. In an attempt to rescue innocents trapped by the weed inside the medical center, Julie has had the weed-filled ceiling fall upon her head. Meanwhile Doctor Ethan Smith, who just survived the weed’s attack by jumping out of the second story of the Medical Center, could hold the key to the weed’s continued destruction on a slip of paper in his pocket. Back in Kansas City, the resistance tries to dig themselves out from the Martian’s attack only to learn that their leader, Mother McFadden, has been seriously wounded. Now hiding in a small, confined room along with the mute boy Lewis, Mother is slowly dying from her wounds. Field leader Steven Koch (ex-computer salesman and avid war-gamer) has escaped the Martian’s deadly black smoke by hiding out in a basement along with anyone he could convince to follow him. How long they can stay there without driving each other insane is hard to guess. Despite all their efforts the resistance has been routed by the Martians. Now, thanks to a strange newcomer to their town, they are about to find out why…

Finally in part #5, So haughty was man, thinking ourselves the superior intellect in the universe, busying about our petty affairs believing that we were safe and secure on this tiny speck of Earth. The rumors of an invasion from outer space by “little green men” seemed nothing more than myths and punch lines, or so we thought. Then, late in the year 1997, began our great disillusionment. When the Martians began their invasion, we, as a race so filled with ourselves, knew that whatever threat they posed would be quickly defeated, and it was for the first year or so. The we lost New York City, and shortly after wards Washington DC, suddenly we seemed to lose everywhere. Now it is late August in the year 2003. The North American resistance has continued to fight, despite the odds, only to lost Kansas City to the heat-ray and the black smoke of the Martian. What is left of the resistance is gathering, trying to rally support for one final assault. The Martians seem to be growing their vicious “Redweed” in a structure made from rubble at the banks of the Missouri River. The Redweed carries around the nickname “Hellweed” because of its harsh ability to “eat” anything organic that it can wraps its vines around, especially people. The resistance has found out a way to destroy the weed, they just need the help to carry it out. With the leader of the resistance, “Mother” McFadden, near death from her injuries, it is up to Steven Koch, ex-computer salesman and avid war-gamer, to carry on. A few hundred miles away in a small, secluded town called Haven, help is coming in the form of Julie LaRouque and anyone else she can convince to come along with her. Haven was founded by those who were fed up with the war and just wanted to live in peace. Now the war has hit too close to home and can no longer be ignored. Julie, mechanic Stephanie Kline, and a few others have uncovered a defoliant that kills the Hellweed very effectively. They are currently planning to help out the resistance in whatever way they can. Meanwhile back in Kansas City, there is so much work to be done that it is difficult to decide what to do first…

Trade Paperback reprints/collects: War of the Worlds (1996) Issues #1-5.  Caliber Comics

Trade Paperback is bagged & double boarded and will be carefully / securely packaged then shipped via USPS Priority Mail to ensure that it arrives to you perfectly and quickly.

First Printing
Publisher: Arrow Books
Publication Date: April 2002
Format: BW, 144 pages, TPB, 9.38″ x 6.15″
ISBN-10: 0972027106
ISBN-13: 9780972027106

Collectible Entertainment note: Trade Paperback is Brand New & Unread.  Very Fine + condition.  Beautiful!  Please See Scans!!  A must have for any serious War of the Worlds collector and/or enthusiast.  A fun & entertaining read.  Recommended.

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