REVIEW: Eight Billion Genies -Graphic Novel

High-concept stories often ask big questions by crafting outlandish, elaborate and out-this-world ideas. ”What if a mad scientist made a time machine out of a sports car, and his young, clueless friend accidentally went back in time and met his parents”. ”What if superheroes existed in the real world and worked for an evil corporation?”

When these High Concept ideas allow characters any kind of special ability, audiences will inevitably ask questions. “Yeah, but if they can travel back in time, why don’t they just go back and kill the bad guys before he turns bad?” ‘If she has superpowers, why not just fly over and break open the safe with the secret codes?’’ This happens as high-concept stories often don’t seem to follow the rules they create for themselves.

Eight Billion Genies from Charles Soule & Ryan Browne is about as outlandish a high-concept story as you can get. The premise is simple, “What If everyone on earth received a Genie that could grant them any wish they want”. In exploring this idea, the team behind Eight Billion Genies have produced a well-crafted and highly entertaining graphic novel. But the real genius of the work is in the fact that it uses the inevitable and frequent questions that its high-concept idea presents as a central plot device as each character, in their own way, wrestles with how this sudden and dramatic power given to every human will turn out.

Eight Billion Genies opens at the unassuming Lamp Wick Bar and Grill in Michigan. Moments before the big ‘what if’, eight random folks inhabit the bar; a band getting ready to play, the steely-looking bar owner, a couple of Chinese tourists and an awkwardly drunk father with his young son.

As the Genies appear and reveal their purpose, the inner world of the main characters quickly begins to unravel, as they realise everyone in the world can now fulfil their most treasured desire. Some panic, others ponder and one way or another, they all wrestle with the choice of wish they’ll eventually make. However, the quick-thinking bar owner immediately wishes that not no one within the bar can be harmed by another person’s wish. And with his conveniently high-level survival skills, the main characters are fully stocked on provisions to try and wait out the wish fulfilment madness that begins to grip the planet.

From here, Eight Billion Genies blast off into various unexpected and entertaining directions. Just when you think all the layers have been peeled back, the stakes keep getting raised as the plot develops to higher metaphysical and philosophical levels full of extremely satisfying twists and turns!

At its core, Eight Billion Genies is about the responsibility of making choices and what desires drive our decisions. Charles Soules’s background as a lawyer shines through as he develops and enhances this moral conundrum, deftly exploring questions like ‘Who gets to make choices on behalf of society?’ Can potentially harmful choices be made for the greater good? When are we old enough to make life-changing decisions for ourselves? These themes are explored with gratifying and entertaining results thanks to Charles Soules’s ability to create well-rounded character and relationships that keep you flicking through the pages to feast on the constantly unfolding plot.

Ryan Browne’s high energy , fun art style provides the perfect look for a lively and unique imaginative story. Crisp, clean detail combines with a cinematic eye, keeping the high-stakes tale full of suspense and action. Browne also takes charge of the colour work, which ramps up the magic and energy of Eight Billion Genies even further. The perfect mix of tones and shading guide the ever-shifting dark and light moments, effortlessly complimenting all of Browne’s images. But no image symbolises the feel of Eight Billion Genies more than the Genies themselves. Almost every page has the Casper-like apparitions shining with deep blue & purple cosmic patterned glow.

Eight Billion Genies grabs hold of its wacky concept with both hands and uses it to weave the fabric of the story that asks and discusses some of the most important human questions. All the while telling an action-packed, human story that builds into an epic sci-fi adventure.

Definitely one not to miss.

Writing 5
Art 4.5
Colours 4.5

Overall, 4.5

Writer: Charles Soule
Art: Ryan Browne
Colour: Ryan Browne & Kevin Knipstein