Top Cow Productions/Image Comics 2017
Written by Matt Hawkins
Illustrated by Atilio Rojo
Lettered by Troy Peteri
I’m a little surprised that this arc is only lasting three issues but then again if you can tell it in three there's no need to stretch it out. This is another thing about Matt that I like, appreciate and come to expect it’s that there’s no gimmick to the story it’s just solid work that when it’s done it’s done. Of course what happens to Sam here is entirely what we expect just not in the way that we think it’s going to happen. So kudos for keeping me entertained for three solid issues that leads us into the future still.
Well I do like how this issue opens up. I like it because I can see and appreciate both sides of the argument being presented. I mean from the higher up’s viewpoint they really do need someone to blame Sam’s death on or risk turning her into a martyr type. On the other hand with Sam you aren’t going to to get many opportunities like the one that presented itself. It’s an interesting dilemma and the solution well it’s logical, maybe not prudent but logical and that goes a long way.
I really like Atilio’s interiors as well with his use of angles, perspective and those backgrounds really highlight how well page layouts are utilised. The ebb and flow of the work really makes the story seem smooth. The attention to detail is fantastic and how he’s able to bring these characters to life and evoke the emotions from facial expressions is dreamlike. Always enjoy his work but somehow he manages to keep getting better and better.
One of the aspects about Sam and this story that I enjoy but want more of is how she comes up with her plans. I mean we all know she’s crazy smart and a hacker of some repute. So these things mean she’s able to gain access to stuff that helps her formulate these plans and her network allows her to implement them but seeing her thought process would be amazing to see. Otherwise watching her with her team and going over how the operation should unfold is kind of like an episode of Leverage.
There isn’t anything that happens here that really isn’t plausible. Of course by that I mean it could all conceivably happen given the right people, the right motivation and the wherewithal to actually pull it off. It makes you wonder if there really are people out there who can do these things and the news keeps them underwraps thanks to government intervention. I mean all the leaks aside we don’t hear about hackers so much and that with stories like this one make you wonder why?
So long as Matt keeps the stories feeling real, like they are the kind we could see being committed in our real lives, and Atilio has the desire to bring them to life I’ll be here to tell you all this some hella cool stuff. I’m beginning to wonder if Matt shouldn’t try his hand at writing a novel with Sam and these kinds of scenarios.