Conspiracy Theories: Air, The Ferryman, and Fringe

I like reading conspiracy theories, though I think 80% of them are generally crap and 20% have some points to ponder. The trick, I believe, is to burrow your way through the crap -- but I could say the same thing for the evening news.

I've lumped the first issues of Air, The Ferryman, and Fringe together for this review not only because they seem to be concerned with conspiracy theories of one stripe or another, but because -- despite their stylistic differences -- they seem to unfold these conspiracies in the same way.

But first let me meditate on my favorite conspiracy books. A caveat: just because I consider some of these books great conspiracy narratives doesn't mean I necessarily agree with their content.


1. The Gods Of Eden by William Bramley: Let me spoil it for you: humanity is nothing but an alien ant farm. Mixes some actually pretty useful info on how America's economy is structured (especially in light of the current clusterfuck) with a retread of the "Chariots of the Gods" ancient astronaut theory.

2. Hellhounds on Their Trail by R. Gary Patterson: This book, about the intersection between the occult and rock n' roll, was so excessively creepy that I had to throw it away in the garbage. If that's not an endorsement to read it, I don't know what is.

3. The Book of the Damned by Charles Fort: This 1919 book is the grandfather of all the great conspiracy books. However, its biggest revelation does not regard aliens and unexplained phenomena, but how refreshingly modern and genuinely talented Fort was as a writer.

4. The Cosmic Trigger by Robert Anton Wilson: Another "meta theory" book in the vein of "Gods of Eden," discussing everything from LSD to the significance of the number 23 to Aleister Crowley. What makes this book special, however, is the skeptical stance the author takes every step of the way -- not allowing himself the luxury to wallow in, as he put it, the "chapel perilous" of the theories themselves.

5. The Spear Of Destiny by Trevor Ravenscroft: What book can seamlessly weave together the Holy Grail, Hitler, medieval romances and black magic, and present the whole thing as if it was true? This one. A jaw-dropping epic narrative irredeemably marred by a single anti-Semitic line slipped in towards the end, resulting in one of the biggest 180-degree turns in the history of the written word.


In the examples above, a heavy ground-work is presented for each conspiracy theory, layer upon kooky layer of history and cited texts interweaving. In the comics mentioned at the beginning of this review, however, we are dropped in medias res -- in the middle of things -- and forced to figure out where we are and what in blazes is happening.

As a result, Air, The Ferryman, and Fringe are a bit confusing. I do not see this confusion as something that would necessarily ruin the reading enjoyment of each, but it does require one to purchase subsequent issues of each in order to better understand the conspiracy -- or simply the plot. In the case of Fringe, whose schedule has been pushed back to January, this will no doubt produce some frustration.

I can appreciate Air #1 as literature -- much as Salman Rushdie's "Satanic Verses" that writer G. Willow Wilson references at the beginning of the story -- but not as a comic book issue. As a discrete single comic book unit, the issue has very little in the way of plot, or anything that would really satisfy me as a reader. That's why I really believe serializing works such as Air delivers a real injustice to the content. The conspiracy offered, about anti-terrorists who become wacky terrorists in their quest to fight terrorism, was intriguing, but could use more meat.

The Ferryman is the lovechild of another conspiracy classic, Confessions of an Economic Hitman, with (spoilers) ye olde fallen angels lore. Because the entire first issue revolves around a single action sequence, it better draws the reader in than Air. The edgy art, by Jonathan Wayshak, brought to mind that of Ralph Steadman's work for "Rolling Stone" -- and, via the Hunter S. Thompson connection, I thought of Transmetropolitan as well.

Fringe #1 is an absolutely pointless read without buying the issues after it and, I suppose, having at least half-a-season of the TV show it is based on under your belt. It is far more like several clues strung together than an actual comic book; a special decoder that you might get with your cereal that might provide added value to your television viewing experience.

Verdict: Will continue to read Ferryman, might check out Air in trade, forgetting Fringe for now