The single issue collection has a code. Each symbol added up builds this: S-R-E-N-. The butterfly with a dot on the inside is not an original glyph. This leads me to believe that the creative minds either chose random glyphs, or developed a new code for the comic miniseries. Until news of the latter is released, I'm rather disappointed that I didn't get to decode anything. :(
Story: Two crazy scientists pushing the boundaries of ethics and science, a man who mysteriously wakes up in prison, a news reporter investigating Massive Dynamic, a boy poisonous to the touch - and HITLER IN THE MESOZOIC ERA?!
When William Bell encounters bossy, hot-tempered Walter Bishop, he adds a softer blur to Bishop's edgy experiments. Years later, as odd occurrences start popping up, a strange blonde appears at a mental hospital, asking for the now-institutionalized Bishop.
*There is a prequel to this, and it serves to explore The Pattern even more.
Review: I was mildly upset that this miniseries was not focused on the usual characters, rather it jumped around from Walter and Bell's happenings, to some experiments gone awry, to ONE appearance of Olivia. Some of the stories were rather funny and gave a nice background, but I was hoping for something more linear to the show, which was what I thought I was getting when I opened to the story of Bishop and Bell meeting for the first time. The stories weren't very well connected, nor were they answered - but I guess you can't expect that with Fringe.
Hopefully the creators will make a continuing series of Walter and Bell's old experiments, focusing primarily on the project involving Olivia. Even some new storylines could be revealed.
It was nice to see more of Belly's personality revealed -- it had never occurred to me that he may have been the gentle counterpart to Walter's crazy science fantasies.
On the whole, it was a nice start - but if no other comics are made from this, it has been in vain.
Rating: 3/5. A little better than the X-Files miniseries.
