MattGrant
Sunday, May 25, 2008, 10:53 PM
Title: The Surrogates
Publisher Name: Top Shelf Productions (http://www.topshelfcomix.com)
Writer: Robert Venditti
Artist: Brett Weldele
$19.95 208-Page, Full-Color Graphic Novel
Safety Content Label: T+ TEENS AND UP - Appropriate for most readers 13 and up, parents are advised that they might want to read before or with younger children.
Publishers Blurb:
The year is 2054, and life has been reduced to a data feed. The fusing of virtual reality and cybernetics has ushered in the era of the personal surrogate, android substitutes that let users interact with the world without ever leaving their homes. It's a perfect world, and it's up to Detectives Harvey Greer and Pete Ford of the Metro Police Department to keep it that way. But to do so they’ll need to stop a techno-terrorist bent on returning society to a time when people lived their lives instead of merely experiencing them.
In the tradition of William Gibson and Philip K. Dick, The Surrogates is more than just an action story with sci-fi trappings. Applying familiar tropes in unfamiliar ways, The Surrogates is about progress and whether there exists a tipping point at which technological advancement will stop enhancing and start hindering our lives. It is also a commentary on identity, the Western obsession with physical appearance, and the growing trend to use science as a means of providing consumers with beauty on demand.
This volume collects all five issues of the critically-acclaimed comic book miniseries. Packed with bonus content, inside you will find never-before-seen sketches and artwork, as well as commentary from the creative team that brought this breakout story to the page.
Reviewer Comments:
I could wrap this review up with one word: Wow. I'm not even going to BS around here, this is one of the best comics experiences I've had in a long time. Hands down. Venditti and Weldele weave one of the most compelling sci-fi tales every to be produced in four colors, and its no surprise that this book has already been optioned to be made into a major motion picture. There, got that out of the way...
The Surrogates is the story of a possible future where, instead of living out their lives, people instead stay home linked up to surrogate androids that live their lives in their place. This has become the way of life for people (except the "Dreads" who have confined themselves to a colony, calling the surrogate way of life "abomination"), but someone (named by Greer as "the Steeplejack") is out to bring an end to all this. The story follows a pair of cops who are trying to stop the Steeplejack's plan, but along the way become believers in his message.
This story carries a strong message about vanity, technology, and reliance... and also serves as a warning. Venditti's story is original, exciting, and well thought out. Paired up with Weldele's original art stylings (quite an experience), The Surrogates brings you into a world all its own. It's total sci-fi goodness!
I am not exaggerating when I say this is one of the best comics I've read in years. I would put this on par with classics like Frank Miller's Ronin, or Alan's Moore's V for Vendetta, which is saying quite a bit. I say, check this one out!
Publisher Name: Top Shelf Productions (http://www.topshelfcomix.com)
Writer: Robert Venditti
Artist: Brett Weldele
$19.95 208-Page, Full-Color Graphic Novel
Safety Content Label: T+ TEENS AND UP - Appropriate for most readers 13 and up, parents are advised that they might want to read before or with younger children.
Publishers Blurb:
The year is 2054, and life has been reduced to a data feed. The fusing of virtual reality and cybernetics has ushered in the era of the personal surrogate, android substitutes that let users interact with the world without ever leaving their homes. It's a perfect world, and it's up to Detectives Harvey Greer and Pete Ford of the Metro Police Department to keep it that way. But to do so they’ll need to stop a techno-terrorist bent on returning society to a time when people lived their lives instead of merely experiencing them.
In the tradition of William Gibson and Philip K. Dick, The Surrogates is more than just an action story with sci-fi trappings. Applying familiar tropes in unfamiliar ways, The Surrogates is about progress and whether there exists a tipping point at which technological advancement will stop enhancing and start hindering our lives. It is also a commentary on identity, the Western obsession with physical appearance, and the growing trend to use science as a means of providing consumers with beauty on demand.
This volume collects all five issues of the critically-acclaimed comic book miniseries. Packed with bonus content, inside you will find never-before-seen sketches and artwork, as well as commentary from the creative team that brought this breakout story to the page.
Reviewer Comments:
I could wrap this review up with one word: Wow. I'm not even going to BS around here, this is one of the best comics experiences I've had in a long time. Hands down. Venditti and Weldele weave one of the most compelling sci-fi tales every to be produced in four colors, and its no surprise that this book has already been optioned to be made into a major motion picture. There, got that out of the way...
The Surrogates is the story of a possible future where, instead of living out their lives, people instead stay home linked up to surrogate androids that live their lives in their place. This has become the way of life for people (except the "Dreads" who have confined themselves to a colony, calling the surrogate way of life "abomination"), but someone (named by Greer as "the Steeplejack") is out to bring an end to all this. The story follows a pair of cops who are trying to stop the Steeplejack's plan, but along the way become believers in his message.
This story carries a strong message about vanity, technology, and reliance... and also serves as a warning. Venditti's story is original, exciting, and well thought out. Paired up with Weldele's original art stylings (quite an experience), The Surrogates brings you into a world all its own. It's total sci-fi goodness!
I am not exaggerating when I say this is one of the best comics I've read in years. I would put this on par with classics like Frank Miller's Ronin, or Alan's Moore's V for Vendetta, which is saying quite a bit. I say, check this one out!