Titan Comics 2019
Written by Simon Kansara
Illustrated by Horne
CTOS, also known as the Central Operating System, has made its way into Rio, Brazil. Hackers have found a way to break in through the backdoor of the pervasive system that has stored information on every resident of the gang-controlled favela Rocinha. Now, one young hacker plans to use this backdoor to take back her home from the gangs that mercilessly slaughter the innocents in the streets...
I can always count on Titan to bring me something I have never seen before. Now not being a gamer I had no idea what Watch_Dogs was, so yes I googled it and watch a very impressive trailer for PlayStation Europe. While the graphics for the game are hyper realistic in style I think that what Horne does here is just beautiful. Alright so either way if you know the game of if you don't this is spectacular story that is easy to follow along to and there is a fair bit of explaining as the book goes along. Also it doesn't hurt that it is an over-sized issue either, though you won't want this to end regardless.
I really am enjoying the way that this is being structured. The way that we see the story & plot development and the character development weaving in and out, around and through each other creates a fantastic ebb & flow. The story itself takes place in Rio which has a very large disparity between the rich and the poor and it is a highly coveted vacation destination with it's beautiful beaches but they don't tell you about the crime. That's okay what we see here is both fiction and fact interspersed with one another and that's what makes it such an amazing story.
So the opening here is perfectly designed to grab the readers' attention, draw them in and make them want to stick around to see and learn more. As we are introduced to Sauda and get this glimpse of what she's capable of the more we wonder what it is that draws such an intelligent young woman to be in this place run by ruthless gangs and corrupt police? Also I kind of think of her as a modern day Robin Hood if you will only she really wants to rid the area of the bad influence and help those who are honest folks.
There is something about the interiors here that find extraordinary. I mean the way we see different types of people who inhabit or just visit the region shows a knowledge of diversity and how to bring that life. The night time scenes with their bluer hues covering the work to the brightness of the sun making everything vibrant it all works in such wondrous ways here. The style that Horne has is definitely unique and I absolutely adore how we see the backgrounds being utilised. The attention to detail is sensational as the views are breathtaking and even this rundown section as seen above has a beauty to the way that it's rendered. The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels show a stupendous eye for storytelling.
There is a fantastic way that we are introduced the characters here from Sauda to everyone in her sphere of influence. It all has this amazingly natural feel to the events and even those that are well not so legal. I know this is based off a video game but honestly this transcends that and takes on a whole new meaning. Social commentary sure, subtle and yet effective plot development devices oh hell yeah, dynamic characters we want to see more of, please that was rhetorical. Titan Comics never disappoints with the quality and level of the storytelling they bring us.