Publisher: Boom
Writers: Justin Jordan
Artist: Ariela Kristantina
Colourist: Ben Wilsonham
Release date: OUT NOW!!!!!!!
Price: $3,99
Boom Comics
Seven issues in, Deep State turns on its head. Government operative John Harrow is behind some of the country’s most egregious conspiracies. Now there is a conspiracy against him, and Harrow outmaneuvered at every turn. John Harrow can run but much to the chagrin of this master of shadows he can’t hide. When asked if he’s going off the grid, he responds, “No such animal.”
On another level, Deep State is a metaphor for the Internet age. “In exchange for the admittedly glorious ability to share cat pictures, we gave them unfettered access to our lives,” Harrow says. Today’s social media and e-commerce Web pages do just that. In Deep State it’s not just access, but manipulation too and it is so effective that his partner Ms. Branch (is the name an homage to the comic book detective Ms. Tree?) asks, “So you don’t know if what we’re doing now is what they want us to do?” Harrow’s answer, of course, is no.
Justin Jordan’s dialogue is snappy and meaningful. “Are you alright?” he asks his partner. “No, I’m pissed,” answers Ms. Branch. And you wouldn’t like her when she’s pissed: she has a tendency to shoot people. Jordan is also funny when the story gets too heavy. “You can hotwire a car?” “I have an electrical engineering degree.” “That allows you to hotwire cars?” “It allows me to figure it out.”
The story has more twists and turns than a Jeffery Deaver novel. The ending surprises both the reader and the characters. Literally none of the protagonists are who they appear to be. Or are they?
Ariela Kristantina’s intentionally sketchy art has a noir-ish anime sensibility, which propels the story forward. And Ben Wilsonham’s dramatic colouring uses light and shadow to give the art additional depth and paranoia.
Deep State succeeds in keeping the reader guessing at the truth but never frustrating on the journey towards that horizen. Who could ask for anything more?
Reviewer: Joe Lovece
Reviews Editor: Steve Hooker