There are many post-apocalyptic stories, whether in films, series, games, or comics. A cover was so good that MeinMMO editor Nikolas Hernes took a look at the story of a radiated guy – it’s one of the best alternatives to Fallout.
Which story is it? Comics are not only published by Marvel or DC, there are many other publishers who also release unusual stories. While visiting my favorite comic store, I stumbled upon Geiger. The cover featured a green glowing skeleton with 2 fuel rods and a torn cape. What can I say, I bought it.
After reading, I am completely thrilled because it is not just a great alternative while waiting for the 3rd season of Fallout – it even surpasses the series in some places.
Somehow a superhero, somehow not
The premise of Geiger is that of a classic post-apocalypse. Two people in radiation suits tell the story of Tariq Geiger, who became a myth. Just before Tariq wanted to go into a fallout shelter with his family, he is stopped and has to stay outside to save his family.
Instead of dying from radiation, he absorbs it and becomes a living reactor. Without the fuel rods stuck in his back, he would become increasingly unstable until he explodes. If he removes them, he becomes a green glowing skeleton with superhuman abilities.
His only task seems to be to watch over his family’s bunker, which remains locked until it is safe outside again. However, his dreary life is disrupted by two fleeing children.
Geiger comes from the pen of Geoff Johns. He was the creative head at DC Comics from 2016 to 2018 and is primarily known as the author of various Green Lantern
stories like Blackest Night. In 2021 he wrote Geiger for Image Comics. The story was illustrated by Gary Frank, who illustrated various Hulk stories for Marvel but also worked as an artist for characters like Batman or Superman.
Geiger offers a lot of what one likes from the Fallout world, but it has its own nice touch that makes the story feel independent.
Absurd, but also human
Besides the tragic story of Geiger himself, the comic also features absurd villains and side characters. There is a king of Las Vegas who rules the city like a medieval king. His soldiers are knights in armor. Then there is a mafia boss who handles everything like in the 1930s.
What I find very nice about Geiger is that the absurdity never outshines the tragedy of the story. The post-apocalypse is not an ironically dangerous place, but a sad one where people just want to survive. Geiger as the main character is especially effective in this regard.
He is not just the heroic guy wanting to protect his family; he has to face a dramatic truth. Conceptually, he is exciting: Geiger was created by the weapon that destroyed the entire Earth. However, that is not a gift with which he can do good; it is a burden – on a thematic and emotional level.
For me, this surpasses the ghoul from the Fallout series because Geiger’s actions are not told with flashbacks, but subtly within the story in progress. Even though he looks more otherworldly than the ghoul, he is emotionally more tangible. This fully resonated with me after the 2nd season of Fallout.
This applies to the entire world of Geiger. Human distrust and trust and the core theme survival
are in focus. Decisions are morally ambiguous and also pose difficult questions for me as a reader – without being too cumbersome or complicated.
Geiger packages a dystopian theme in a pleasant reading experience without being too flashy or absurd, and that is a strong achievement. By the way, I haven’t even talked about the illustrations yet.
Drawings full of human emotions
Gary Frank manages as an artist to effectively convey the emotions of the characters. Sadness, anger, but also disgust are portrayed so in detail that one forgets they are looking at images. At the same time, he manages to create awe for Geiger and the devastated Earth. This is also due to the colors, especially green and yellow, from the colorist Brad Anderson.
They are not dark, but also not classically colorful or vivid. When looking at it, the world really feels toxic because the colors glow dangerously
.
Lastly, I have to praise the character designs. They embody the personalities of the various characters well and are also stylistically confident. One can certainly believe that a mad king rules over Las Vegas. First and foremost, however, Geiger is of course the highlight. What has been made from the idea of a green glowing skeleton is truly impressive.
How can one read Geiger? I read Geiger from the German publisher Cross Cult in hardcover format. It is nice, quite large, which benefits the panels, and the paper quality was very good. It contains issues 1 to 6, making it a good entry point – although the volume is quite bulky for some shelves.
Otherwise, there are individual volumes available in English from Image Comics if you prefer to read paperback comics. Additionally, there are also German and English digital versions available if you don’t mind reading on your phone or tablet. Why digital subscriptions to comics can be worthwhile can be found here: I no longer want to wait for a Marvel or DC movie – thanks to two subscriptions, I can read the best comics directly on my phone
Your opinion is important to us!
Do you like the article? Then let us know!