Hacktivist GN Review

Created by Alyssa Milano

Writers: Jackson Lanzing,Â Colin Kelly
Artist: Marcus To

Publisher: Archaia Entertainment
REVIEW

Alyssa Milano, Jackson Lanzing, Collin Kelly, Marcus To and Ian Herring bring us Hacktivist, the story of 2 co-founders of the social media site Yourlife whom the world know to be young, brilliant and have changed the world with the social network, not too dissimilar to the way Facebook and Twitter have changed the way we interact with the world around us today. The world is also aware of the largest white hat hacking group on the planet, “sve_Urs3lf”. What the world does not know is that the two are one in the same, and the code that runs Yourlife is also used by our two leads Nate and Ed to expose information and sparking revolutions across the globe.

To that end the story opens up with Nate and Ed bringing the internet back on in Tunisia for a small group of revolutionaries to help kick start a revolution against the corrupt government. This brings them to the attention of the CIA and the US Government, who take over their company with a series of military contracts and what follows is a frightening tale of two friends forced to choose their beliefs over their friendship and showcases just how powerful social media can truly be in the modern age. This cyber thriller is fantastic; the story has two really believable characters and the writing team spend a lot of time creating a believable friendship for the reader that feels true when it comes into conflict, there are many twists and turns and plenty of intrigue to keep the reader thoroughly engrossed in this story, so much that when I was reading it I could not put this down.

As stated, this book shows just how powerful social media can become; Nate and Ed create what is essentially a combination of Facebook, Anonymous, Linkedin and any other social media platform rolled into one. They are social revolution; they are change that the world is willing to embrace without fully understanding what this change can do, what this change means and what happens if that power is abused by those that control it. The whole world is our lead characters finger tips, with the push of a button they could simply destroy your life, the writing team create a cautionary tale that is testimonial to the ability of social media to instigate change on a small or large scale, all it needs is ambition behind it.

To’s artwork is beautifully rendered, and there is great synergy between all the creators to create a sense of tension when much of this book is set around characters sitting behind a computer screen. The book can change from a protest scene in the Middle East, to our leads working behind a desk to then exploring their characters and personalities. The pacing in this is superb and none of these transitions feel forced and To’s layouts are so impressive, each splash page in this graphic novel is a treat to behold.

This cyber thriller hits a home run; the creative team on this book is firing on all cylinders to bring the reader something truly special. This book inspires thought, some of this fearful and other optimistic about the feats we can achieve with technology in the near future and it is brought to life with such care and attention that I cannot recommend this enough, anyone will take something from this book with them once their time with it has come to an end.

5/5

By Matt Deery
Follow Matt on Twitter: @brujah69ad

Author Profile

Matt Deery

Matt Deery is an avid comic reader from the UK, relatively new to the writing scene but, enjoying being part of the Comic Crusaders team and getting to talk about some the books that I adore. Will read almost anything Marvel, with Spider-Man and Iron Man being my all time favorite comic book characters and has recently found a love for Image and Valiant books and generally anything Sci FI or Espionage related. Check out my twitter @brujah69ad if you want to stop by and talk comics, video games or movies!