I had heard a bit about this title before I read it and really wasn’t sure what to expect going into it. It’s actually a very “down to earth” book. I mean that, in that there is a focus on relationships, and how they are effected by political ideology as opposed to just the ideology by itself. It’s set not too far in the future, and sadly enough you can see seeds being planted in this reality now for this type of timeline, possibly, to come to fruition.

This first chapter takes us to a world that is simmering with the tensions of a societal civil war looming over it. The characters that we are introduced to have the same type of lives in many ways as characters you would see in “the Walking Dead ” now. No black and white answers. Only shades of grey. One of the most pleasant surprises of the book is that it didn’t seem one sided.All the characters you encounter are “humanized ” in some way by writer Ales Kot .They may not be the most savoury of individuals, but you are at least introduced to their point of view even if you don’t agree with it.

Sadly enough, this may very well be where the U.S could be heading in the next 10 years. Many of the source elements in this book already exist within our society now. We have always associated large-scale bombings and targeted assassinations with other parts of the world.This book brings those apparatuses to local problems in the U.S to great effect. Ales Kot puts a very human face on a very violent solution.

Artist Danijel Zezelj compliments the writing with a shady, murky style befitting a shady, murky story. There is a “splash page” at one of the pivotal moments of the book I thought was beautifully done. Lots of “charcoal fingerprint” shading was done around the edges of the art that fit the tone of the book wonderfully.If your a fan of the X-Men books I can see some definite similarities if you are looking  to try some “non-superhero” reading with that same “us against the world” vibe.

There were a few comments made about enforcement apparatuses that I believe were a bit harsh, but they are not made COMPLETELY without merit, and this is a future alternative. I  enjoyed this first issue and will be putting in my pull list. Next chapter drops Feb.28th/2018

P.S Drop back by on Jan.25th .I’ll be taking a look at X-Men :Blue Annual #1