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Snow (manga)
Encyclopedia
Snow is an original English-language manga
written and illustrated by Morgan Luthi and published by Tokyopop
. It is Luthi's first comic, published after repeated rejections from the Rising Stars of Manga
anthology.
It details the story of the titular hero, Snow, retreating to the cold, unknown planet of Hub to get away from his past. Meanwhile, the galaxy is being terrorized by giant genocidal aliens called Warmongers that seek to "purify" all worlds with their secret weapon, the Ghost of Destruction.
called "the Ghost of Destruction" that lays waste to whole planets. The story opens with a small sarcophagus
landing in the middle of a city, and a mysterious man with empty eyes emerges and begins to destroy things with powerful telekinesis. The city tries to stop the Ghost, but it proves indestructible, and within minutes, the entire planet is reduced to ash. The Warmongers congratulate the Ghost's efforts, and encourage him to continue.
A young man with a severely scarred eye is walking across a snowy landscape covered in garbage, when he encounters the gates to Refuse City, a backwater city populated by many strange people and creatures. Once there, he witnesses a semi
crash, and stops the driver from escaping. A girl orders her gang to rob the truck. She finds the young man, and asks his name. It starts snowing, so he absent-mindedly replies "Snow". The girl introduces herself as "Kat", and takes Snow in.
Kat explains that Refuse City is tangled up in gang warfare
, and all the gangs answer to the Space Syndicate of Crooks, Assassins and Bandits (or "SSCAB") except for her gang, "The Crows", which makes headquarters in a diner
. They support more charity and good deeds to prevent the greed and authority of SSCAB, and seek to preserve the way of life on the planet, called Hub. She further explains that Hub is one of the few places left in the galaxy that's quiet, tolerant, and not under the gaze of the Warmongers; a good place to get a second chance. Snow decides to join the Crows.
Meanwhile, the Warmongers are discussing a problem they're having with the Ghost, and send two Warmongers to attack planet Hub.
Later, a SSCAB member offers Kat an ultimatum
as retribution for their truck robbery. Kat refuses, and the SSCAB threatens to blow up the diner
with a small robot bomb that accompanied him, but leaves to give Kat time to think about it. Immediately after this, a large robot shoots up the diner. No one is hurt, but Kat remembers that the rest of the Crows are on patrol
, and she and Snow rush out to find them.
They find the Crows engaged in a shootout
with another gang, and Kat finds out that several Crows have been taken hostage. Kat asks Snow to come with her to rescue the hostages, but he's traumatized by all the violence, and tells Kat where he came from.
Snow came to Hub to hide from his past: he was the Ghost of Destruction. Following his latest devastation, the Ghost found two small children buried under some rubble, one of them wounded and dying. One of the children attacked the Ghost with a knife, causing the scar on Snow's eye. The Ghost was so shocked by seeing the pain he caused that he ran away to Hub, to make sure the Warmongers could never find him and use him again. He's not sure that will work, though; he still has the Ghost's terrible powers, and thinks he shouldn't exist anywhere. Kat convinces him that Snow is not the terrible weapon that the Ghost was, and that Hub will give him a second chance.
Kat and Snow find out that the hostages have been taken away on a train, so they commandeer a train engine called the "White Knight" to catch them. While they're catching up to the train, Kat confesses that she used to be a mercenary
assassin
for many years, killing for money. She, too, came to Hub to redeem herself. She asks Snow why he won't use his Ghost powers to stop the train, but he's afraid to try, since he doesn't know what he might do.
Kat and Snow raid the train, but Snow is captured and held at gunpoint by the gang's leader and an unstable goblin. Kat subdues the leader, and the goblin shoots Snow with what just turns out to be a water gun
. They find the hostages in the next car, as well as one of the bomb robots from earlier, counting down. Snow uses it to scare off the gang, and Kat gets the other Crows and some SSCABs that don't want to die onto the White Knight. Snow, however, doesn't make it across, and the train explodes.
Snow survives the explosion by changing back into the Ghost of Destruction. Just then, the two Warmongers arrive on Hub, glad to have found their lost Ghost. The Warmongers think that Snow has malfunctioned, and ask him to be recalled
. Snow refuses, and fights the Warmongers into submission. This exhausts Snow's Ghost powers, and he thinks they'll never return. Kat asks him to keep that to himself, as a form of insurance
.
Following this incident, Snow becomes wanted, with a bounty
of "NAME YOUR PRICE" offered for his capture.
Snow - The titular protagonist. He has a certain nervousness about the world around him and is rather soft-spoken, but he has a fierce sense of justice and a strong value of life. He used to be the Ghost of Destruction, a powerful doomsday device designed by the Warmongers to destroy entire planets.
Kat - Short for "Katrina", she took Snow in when he first arrived at Hub. She's the leader of a gang called "The Crows", and strives to keep Refuse City away from oppressive influences. She's a very tough and strong woman, prepared to deal with any problems she faces, but also compassionate and charitable.
The Warmongers - A race of 1000 feet (304.8 m) aliens that seek to "cleanse" worlds. They treat this task without emotion, and are consistently serious and businesslike. They resemble statues as well, with black, stony flesh and static faces. All this and the way they talk suggests that they are somewhat robotic.
Grom and Krom - The two Warmongers that invade Hub to find Snow. They are the only ones that are named or see any battle.
The Crows - Kat's gang. Their goal is to give back to Refuse City however they can, and get Hub out from under the oppressive control of the SSCAB gang syndicate.
SSCAB - The Space Syndicate of Crooks, Assassins and Bandits. They hold control over all the gangs in Refuse City, with the exception of the Crows. They are very violent, and their greed is insatiable.
of Volume 1 hints at a second volume of Snow and even mentions "Snow: Volume 2", but there has been no news of it. Morgan Luthi, however, has released a preview image from Snow: Volume 2 on his DeviantArt
gallery.
Original English-language manga
Original English-language manga or OEL manga is the term commonly used to describe comic books or graphic novels in the "international manga" genre of comics whose language of original publication is English...
written and illustrated by Morgan Luthi and published by Tokyopop
Tokyopop
Tokyopop, styled TOKYOPOP, and formerly known as Mixx, is a distributor, licensor, and publisher of anime, manga, manhwa, and Western manga-style works. The existing German publishing division produces German translations of licensed Japanese properties and original English-language manga, as well...
. It is Luthi's first comic, published after repeated rejections from the Rising Stars of Manga
Rising Stars of Manga
Rising Stars of Manga was an English-language comic anthology published by TOKYOPOP from 2002 to 2008, and a contest held by the same company. It was originally semi-annual, but switched to annual beginning with the 6th volume....
anthology.
It details the story of the titular hero, Snow, retreating to the cold, unknown planet of Hub to get away from his past. Meanwhile, the galaxy is being terrorized by giant genocidal aliens called Warmongers that seek to "purify" all worlds with their secret weapon, the Ghost of Destruction.
Plot
There is news that the race of Warmongers have employed a doomsday deviceDoomsday device
A doomsday device is a hypothetical construction — usually a weapon, or collection of weapons — which could destroy all life on a planet, particularly the Earth, or destroy the planet itself, bringing "doomsday", a term used for the end of planet Earth...
called "the Ghost of Destruction" that lays waste to whole planets. The story opens with a small sarcophagus
Sarcophagus
A sarcophagus is a funeral receptacle for a corpse, most commonly carved or cut from stone. The word "sarcophagus" comes from the Greek σαρξ sarx meaning "flesh", and φαγειν phagein meaning "to eat", hence sarkophagus means "flesh-eating"; from the phrase lithos sarkophagos...
landing in the middle of a city, and a mysterious man with empty eyes emerges and begins to destroy things with powerful telekinesis. The city tries to stop the Ghost, but it proves indestructible, and within minutes, the entire planet is reduced to ash. The Warmongers congratulate the Ghost's efforts, and encourage him to continue.
A young man with a severely scarred eye is walking across a snowy landscape covered in garbage, when he encounters the gates to Refuse City, a backwater city populated by many strange people and creatures. Once there, he witnesses a semi
Semi-trailer truck
A semi-trailer truck, also known as a semi, tractor-trailer, or articulated truck or articulated lorry, is an articulated vehicle consisting of a towing engine , and a semi-trailer A semi-trailer truck, also known as a semi, tractor-trailer, or (in the United Kingdom and Ireland) articulated truck...
crash, and stops the driver from escaping. A girl orders her gang to rob the truck. She finds the young man, and asks his name. It starts snowing, so he absent-mindedly replies "Snow". The girl introduces herself as "Kat", and takes Snow in.
Kat explains that Refuse City is tangled up in gang warfare
Gang
A gang is a group of people who, through the organization, formation, and establishment of an assemblage, share a common identity. In current usage it typically denotes a criminal organization or else a criminal affiliation. In early usage, the word gang referred to a group of workmen...
, and all the gangs answer to the Space Syndicate of Crooks, Assassins and Bandits (or "SSCAB") except for her gang, "The Crows", which makes headquarters in a diner
Diner
A diner, also spelled dinor in western Pennsylvania is a prefabricated restaurant building characteristic of North America, especially in the Midwest, in New York City, in Pennsylvania and in New Jersey, and in other areas of the Northeastern United States, although examples can be found throughout...
. They support more charity and good deeds to prevent the greed and authority of SSCAB, and seek to preserve the way of life on the planet, called Hub. She further explains that Hub is one of the few places left in the galaxy that's quiet, tolerant, and not under the gaze of the Warmongers; a good place to get a second chance. Snow decides to join the Crows.
Meanwhile, the Warmongers are discussing a problem they're having with the Ghost, and send two Warmongers to attack planet Hub.
Later, a SSCAB member offers Kat an ultimatum
Ultimatum
An ultimatum is a demand whose fulfillment is requested in a specified period of time and which is backed up by a threat to be followed through in case of noncompliance. An ultimatum is generally the final demand in a series of requests...
as retribution for their truck robbery. Kat refuses, and the SSCAB threatens to blow up the diner
Bomb threat
A bomb threat is generally defined as a threat, usually verbal or written, to detonate an explosive or incendiary device to cause property damage, death, or injuries, whether or not such a device actually exists...
with a small robot bomb that accompanied him, but leaves to give Kat time to think about it. Immediately after this, a large robot shoots up the diner. No one is hurt, but Kat remembers that the rest of the Crows are on patrol
Patrol
A patrol is commonly a group of personnel, such as police officers or soldiers, that are assigned to monitor a specific geographic area.- Military :...
, and she and Snow rush out to find them.
They find the Crows engaged in a shootout
Shootout
A shootout is a gun battle between armed groups. A shootout often, but not necessarily, pits law enforcement against criminal elements; it could also involve two groups outside of law enforcement, such as rival gangs. A shootout in a military context A shootout is a gun battle between armed groups....
with another gang, and Kat finds out that several Crows have been taken hostage. Kat asks Snow to come with her to rescue the hostages, but he's traumatized by all the violence, and tells Kat where he came from.
Snow came to Hub to hide from his past: he was the Ghost of Destruction. Following his latest devastation, the Ghost found two small children buried under some rubble, one of them wounded and dying. One of the children attacked the Ghost with a knife, causing the scar on Snow's eye. The Ghost was so shocked by seeing the pain he caused that he ran away to Hub, to make sure the Warmongers could never find him and use him again. He's not sure that will work, though; he still has the Ghost's terrible powers, and thinks he shouldn't exist anywhere. Kat convinces him that Snow is not the terrible weapon that the Ghost was, and that Hub will give him a second chance.
Kat and Snow find out that the hostages have been taken away on a train, so they commandeer a train engine called the "White Knight" to catch them. While they're catching up to the train, Kat confesses that she used to be a mercenary
Mercenary
A mercenary, is a person who takes part in an armed conflict based on the promise of material compensation rather than having a direct interest in, or a legal obligation to, the conflict itself. A non-conscript professional member of a regular army is not considered to be a mercenary although he...
assassin
Assassination
To carry out an assassination is "to murder by a sudden and/or secret attack, often for political reasons." Alternatively, assassination may be defined as "the act of deliberately killing someone, especially a public figure, usually for hire or for political reasons."An assassination may be...
for many years, killing for money. She, too, came to Hub to redeem herself. She asks Snow why he won't use his Ghost powers to stop the train, but he's afraid to try, since he doesn't know what he might do.
Kat and Snow raid the train, but Snow is captured and held at gunpoint by the gang's leader and an unstable goblin. Kat subdues the leader, and the goblin shoots Snow with what just turns out to be a water gun
Water gun
A water gun is a type of toy designed to shoot water. Similar to water balloons, the primary purpose of the toy is to soak another person in a game such as water warfare....
. They find the hostages in the next car, as well as one of the bomb robots from earlier, counting down. Snow uses it to scare off the gang, and Kat gets the other Crows and some SSCABs that don't want to die onto the White Knight. Snow, however, doesn't make it across, and the train explodes.
Snow survives the explosion by changing back into the Ghost of Destruction. Just then, the two Warmongers arrive on Hub, glad to have found their lost Ghost. The Warmongers think that Snow has malfunctioned, and ask him to be recalled
Product recall
A product recall is a request to return to the maker a batch or an entire production run of a product, usually due to the discovery of safety issues. The recall is an effort to limit liability for corporate negligence and to improve or avoid damage to publicity...
. Snow refuses, and fights the Warmongers into submission. This exhausts Snow's Ghost powers, and he thinks they'll never return. Kat asks him to keep that to himself, as a form of insurance
Insurance
In law and economics, insurance is a form of risk management primarily used to hedge against the risk of a contingent, uncertain loss. Insurance is defined as the equitable transfer of the risk of a loss, from one entity to another, in exchange for payment. An insurer is a company selling the...
.
Following this incident, Snow becomes wanted, with a bounty
Bounty (reward)
A bounty is a payment or reward often offered by a group as an incentive for the accomplishment of a task by someone usually not associated with the group. Bounties are most commonly issued for the capture or retrieval of a person or object. They are typically in the form of money...
of "NAME YOUR PRICE" offered for his capture.
Characters
Kat - Short for "Katrina", she took Snow in when he first arrived at Hub. She's the leader of a gang called "The Crows", and strives to keep Refuse City away from oppressive influences. She's a very tough and strong woman, prepared to deal with any problems she faces, but also compassionate and charitable.
The Warmongers - A race of 1000 feet (304.8 m) aliens that seek to "cleanse" worlds. They treat this task without emotion, and are consistently serious and businesslike. They resemble statues as well, with black, stony flesh and static faces. All this and the way they talk suggests that they are somewhat robotic.
Grom and Krom - The two Warmongers that invade Hub to find Snow. They are the only ones that are named or see any battle.
The Crows - Kat's gang. Their goal is to give back to Refuse City however they can, and get Hub out from under the oppressive control of the SSCAB gang syndicate.
SSCAB - The Space Syndicate of Crooks, Assassins and Bandits. They hold control over all the gangs in Refuse City, with the exception of the Crows. They are very violent, and their greed is insatiable.
Volume 2
The cliffhanger endingCliffhanger
A cliffhanger or cliffhanger ending is a plot device in fiction which features a main character in a precarious or difficult dilemma, or confronted with a shocking revelation at the end of an episode of serialized fiction...
of Volume 1 hints at a second volume of Snow and even mentions "Snow: Volume 2", but there has been no news of it. Morgan Luthi, however, has released a preview image from Snow: Volume 2 on his DeviantArt
DeviantArt
deviantART is an online community showcasing various forms of user-made artwork. It was first launched on August 7, 2000 by Scott Jarkoff, Matthew Stephens, Angelo Sotira and others. deviantArt, Inc...
gallery.