Rasl - (RASL) (Hardcover)

About the Book

"Parts of this book were originally serialized in the comic book RASL"--Copyright page.

Book Synopsis

Winner of the Eisner Award for Best Graphic Album

472 page hardcover in full color! A New York Times Bestseller, RASL is Jeff Smith's follow up to his epic fantasy BONE. A tightly wound mixture of science fiction, noir and conspiracy theories, RASL is a gritty, hard-boiled tale of an inter-dimensional art thief caught between dark government forces and the mysterious powers of the universe itself.

When Rasl, a thief and ex-military engineer, discovers the lost journals of Nikola Tesla, he bridges the gap between modern physics and history's most notorious scientist. But his breakthrough comes at a great personal price. In this twisting tale of intrigue and betrayal, Rasl finds himself in possession of humankind's deepest, most dangerous secret.

Originally serialized in black & white comic books and graphic novels, the award winning completed novel is embellished with muted, smoky color by Steve Hamaker and Jeff Smith. Praised by The Village Voice, USA Today, NPR, Physics Today, Booklist, The Onion/AV Club, Paste, Publishers Weekly and more.

Review Quotes

Junot Díaz, This Is How You Lose Her
"RASL is like nothing you've ever read--it's electric, eerie and riveting;and as close as you get to a masterpiece. Smith is simply peerless."

Booklist STARRED REVIEW
"Smith is a unique talent in the world of comics who's not afraid to take risks and knows how to pull them off...fascinating."

Publishers Weekly STARRED REVIEW
"Stunning visual narrative that impresses with its originality, sophistication, and complexity."

John Geddes, USA Today
"Smith is awesome. There's really no other way to put it...RASL reads like one long, dust-filled, sci-fi, blood-stained, crime noir chase scene.

Onion/AV Club
..."dazzling...demonstrates the same knack for arresting character design that made Smith's Bone such a rewarding read..."

Village Voice
"...briskly paced hardboiled sci-fi hybrid...an inventive mix..."

Paste Magazine
"...audacious...a concentrated thrill."

Portland Mercury
"RASL is gorgeous, creepy, grim, and crammed with action, history, sex, booze, science, and psuedo-science...a hell of a ride."

Multiversity Comics
"...there is one simple truth in comic life: you must read Jeff Smith's comics. It's just the reality of the situation."

Bill Baker, ForeWord Reviews
"Jeff Smith is perhaps the most accomplished cartoonist and storyteller of his generation, no small praise for an artist whose contemporaries include the likes of Alison Bechdel (Fun Home) and Chris Ware(Acme Library)... [RASL] offers universe-spanning adventure even as it explores those tender and terrible territories within the human heart."

About the Author

Jeff Smith is the author/cartoonist of the BONE graphic novels which won numerous awards around the world, including 11 Eisner Awards & 9 Harvey Awards, the Alph Art for Best Foreign Book in France, as well as awards in Spain, Germany, and Italy before being chosen to launch the first graphic novel imprint for children by Scholastic in 2005. In 2009 Smith was the subject of an Emmy Award winning documentary called The Cartoonist: Jeff Smith, BONE, and the Changing Face of Comics. Most recently, Smith was Guest Editor of The Best American Comics 2013.