This week’s lead review is You’ve Been Cancelled #1, the madcap new book from Mad Cave Studios. Plus, the Wednesday Comics Team has its usual rundown of the new #1s, finales and other notable issues from non-Big 2 publishers, all of which you can find below … enjoy!
You’ve Been Cancelled #1
Writer: Curt Pires
Artist: Kevin Castaniero
Colorist: Jason Wordie
Letterer: Micah Myers
Publisher: Mad Cave Studios
Oh wow, would you look at that everyone – is that the exceedingly tempting low-hanging fruit to describe the first issue of Mad Cave Studios’ new miniseries You’ve Been Canceled as a more satirical, but equally ultra-violent love letter to 2000 AD’s Judge Dredd, but with honest, modern cultural questions? Just because it’s obvious doesn’t make it any less accurate.
Writer Curt Pires and artist Kevin Castaniero team-up for what officially makes my first Mad Cave read-through ever, and I’m happy to report that this first issue is a ton of fun – albeit maybe not for all readers (especially our younger audience). With a title like You’ve Been Canceled, it shouldn’t be too difficult to surmise what the main premise of this book is:
In the near future, cancel culture means more than just losing your job… it could mean your life. The world’s premier entertainment event is CANCELLED – a live-streamed program where elite bounty hunters called cancellers kill individuals who society has voted to “cancel” following heinous actions or offenses. Our story follows Roland Endo, the world’s #1 ranked Canceller. Because of this status, Roland lives in a constant state of paranoia with a target on his back…
Pires has tapped into what I can only assume is the thought, “we should have an honest discussion about mob mentality and how to properly keep folks accountable within our society without losing our minds, but could we also kick a little ass too? Please?”. It’s also apparent that Pires recently watched either everyone’s third favorite Black Mirror episode White Bear or 2006’s Idiocracy and decided that there’s an interesting reflection on the current state of moral panic to discuss here. What is most refreshing about this inaugural issue is the amount of honest to god, lizard-brain fun there is within – specifically from Castaniero’s kinetic pencil work throughout (along with Wordie’s compatible colors).
You’ve Been Cancelled #1 is angry and entertaining, and we won’t really know how serious it is about its premise until we get further into its four-issue run. However, this first issue asks the reader to turn their brains off and enjoy the ride, while also planting some interesting questions for those that want to pay attention. The creators substitute character work for world-building and flashy action, but brain candy has value in the medium too. Solid recommend.
Verdict: BUY
—Chris Hacker (of The Oblivion Bar podcast)
Sins of the Salton Sea #1
Writer: Ed Brisson
Artist: C.P. Smith
Letterer: Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou
Publisher: AWA Studios
A heist gone cataclysmically wrong is great grist for milling a crime drama, and in this premiere from writer Ed Brisson and artist C.P. Smith, the job couldn’t go more bust. Wyatt’s living carefully under the radar in stealth fighter mode following a previous trauma he won’t discuss. Perhaps he’s more in stealth bomber mode because Wyatt’s criminal specialty is ordinance. But since said trauma he’s subsisted for three years, staying clean while burning through aliases and menial jobs in backwater towns.
Then his former crew comes calling with a dream job in need of his gift for explosives, a job that would net them all money enough to retire from the life. Unfortunately, that job is nothing like described resulting in a desperate firefight and a misguided bait-and-switch. Now Wyatt’s on the run and weighed down with serious baggage. The kind that attracts very dangerous people.
The creative team makes a case for the passions of youth giving ground to the realities revealed through experience. Banditry and the bonds of camaraderie it forges, the pride and accomplishment of pulling off a major haul, diminish the same as in other professions when a calling becomes a cashout. They keep the focus on Wyatt and his crew indistinct but with a few defining details, rendering them like a police artist’s suspect sketch.
There’s a grounded seediness in Smith’s visuals that complements the underworld-weary protagonist and his crew. Here you’ll find no glamour. There are only jobs, risk assessment, and grit to see it through with results ranging from jackpot to disappointment. And death, the stark and unfiltered kind.
When it begins, the action is as brutal and unrelenting as its hard-boiled narrative. With a spartan setup, a realistic portrait of what living off the grid looks like, and just enough character development to hook us into what happens next, Brisson’s started a tale reminiscent of Ed Brubaker’s crime fiction. Wyatt’s a criminal, but he’s one with a code as well as the respect of his fellow felonious professionals. He may not be a hero, but he’s a protagonist we’re drawn to and reason enough for crime fiction fans to pick up this miniseries from AWA Studios.
Verdict: BUY
Wednesday Comics Reviews
Fence: Redemption #1 (BOOM! Studios): Writer C.S. Pacat, artist Johanna the Mad, and colorist Joana Lafuente return to the GLAAD Media award-nominated series “Fence” in Fence: Redemption #1. Johanna the Mad wears their Eastern influence on their sleeve as they demonstrate strong and expressive character drawing, really dialing up actions and reactions within the cast, bringing them to life through the use of chibi, dynamic movements, and facial expressions. Joana Lafuente uses color to highlight the mood, dialing up intensity and drama within the lines of Johanna the Mad; the team is very comfortable in their work together and it shows through how cohesive everything feels.The characters bounce off of each other and the humor plays very naturally before Pacat puts them into tense situations through fencing or verbal confrontation. Fence: Redemption #1 sets up queer romance, rivalry, and intense fencing, weaving in exposition for the uninitiated and aiming the story and the characters toward exciting goals. This book also features lettering by Jim Campbell. —Khalid Johnson- Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: The Dog of War #3 (IDW Publishing): Nog Alert! The first Ferengi ensign in Starfleet returns in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: The Dog of War #3, written by Mike Chen, with art by Angel Hernandez, colors by Nick Filardi, and letters & design by Neil Uyetake. This issue delivers a satisfying third act for the series, which continues to read like a delightful “lost episode” of DS9. Beginning with Odo’s supplemental security log (a clever conveyance of the recap), the character dialogue can easily be imagined to be spoken in the voice of the actors who originated the roles. The art in the series continues to excel, offering clear character interactions, interesting integration of stellar cartography, and of course, plenty of the eponymous canine in his adorable Starfleet badge collar. While an antagonist and narrative objective seems clear at the conclusive cliffhanger, two more issues mean more twists may lie ahead. Don’t wait to get into this terrific series. Plus: how Ring-a-Ding-Ding is the Vic Fontaine variant by Adrián Bonilla and DC Alonso? – Avery Kaplan
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Vs. Street Fighter #1 (IDW Publishing): The IDW Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series has had its fair share of crossover miniseries, ranging in quality from great to forgettable. TMNT/Street Fighter #1 falls closer to the latter. To its credit, Paul Allor’s script skips tedious set up, instead launching readers into the middle of a tournament that provides the excuse to bring the franchises together. But as a result we get very little reason to care about the conflict or characters. Ariel Medel’s art showcases a great talent for action composition but his rubbery figures and faces suits neither franchise and gives what could benefit from a sharper, grittier manga influence a Saturday morning cartoon look. Ultimately that’s what this comic feels like — a cartoon to sell Playmates’ new TMNT vs Street Fighter line of toys. In addition to Allor and Medel, the creative team is rounded out by colorist Sarah Myer and letterer Ed Dukeshire. —Tim Rooney
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