[Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers.]
Writer: Rob Williams
Artist: Mike Dowling
Inker: Quinton Winter
Summary
In our last outing, Larry shut off the internet. Yep. Now, we see what his new plan is: it is an unconnected world. Not only is the dude not dead, he has all the money in the world. He has a new lease on life thanks to some experimental medical hoo-hah and he wants to take everyone down. Rubenstein and the mask are plotting the destruction of Larry. I will be honest and say I did not see that coming. Maybe I should have. I am still not sold on that story line. Dave, Courtney, Ravan and Deacon are trying to survive being shot down in a helicopter. That does not go well for two of them. Which two? You just have to see for yourself.
Positives
Here is some of that Rob Williams “real talk.”
“Can you imagine that just 10 years ago, there were no smartphones? Twenty years ago most people did not have E-mail. It really wasn’t that long ago. But, the thought of now being without it causes innate fear. In all of us. A contraction within. This is the physical reaction to an addiction. The technology now controls us.”
Any and all aspiring writers can take a page out of Rob Williams’ book of awesome and learn how to write dialogue with perfect pacing. His characters say the most profound things at the exact right time. After Larry starts his soliloquy, it runs the length of the whole book. We move away from Mike Dowling brilliant artwork where Larry has a full Snow White going on with foxes and birds and all of nature eating out of his hands and landing on his head, and we just “hear” Larry’s words as narration through the rest of the book. There is a lot of Big Brother happening there, and I have no doubt, that was intentional.
Larry Farrell is Big Brother. Just like Big Brother, he is full on aware of what he is doing. He has all the power, he has all the information, he has all the control. The rest of the characters are literally just living in his world. They have no choice but to come along for the ride because their futures depend on what he does next. It is blood chilling for all of its reality and honesty.
By the way, Mike Dowling gets us right up to the edge of everyone’s sanity. We see what they see. It is not pretty, but like any ugly, train wreck, we can not help but look at it. Wow.
Negatives
Seriously, I am not sure there is much wrong with this issue except that is the second to last issue. Sadness.
Verdict
Only five people remain. There was a lot of bloodshed in this issue. What does that mean? It means that next month is the end of this spectacular book. Soak it up dear readers, the ride is coming to an end.
