Review: Join the Future #1

Join the Future #1, by writer Zack Kaplan (“Eclipse,”“ “The Lost City Explorers”“), is about a Mega-city which is a closed community that offers its citizens the accouterments of a Universal Basic Income, Universal Healthcare, the ubiquity of absolute security and government surveillance masked by the technicalities of Artificial Intelligence and Robots.

Everything is not greener in the future; however, there are a few rural communities that still have refused to become dependent on the Government. Shown from the perspective of a young girl by the name of Clementine, her family prefers to hunt and trap their own food, and barter and trade for whatever else they need. Things get upended the nearby Megacity pressures her town to join up, pressuring the towns people to demonstrate how far they will go to defend their principles.

Join the Future #1, starts out demonstrating a corner of the country that has become a window into the possible dystopian future of surveillance technology, wielded by certain socialist countries (country name edited, because we here at CC do not want any problems Mr. Pooh Bear!) that have the resources and the lack of ethical direction will to repress minority groups. completely funded life, with every need met, from food to housing and healthcare, in order to compete in an economic power struggle in which population is key.

The art by Piotr Kowalski (“Terminal Hero,”“ “Bloodborne”“, “30 DAYS OF NIGHT #1”) does very well in showing the contrast in between the rural areas and Megacity. I would have like to see more of Mega-city and more of the Town of Franklin.Â The art is very detailed, the characters have realistic designs, but none of it feels or looks like Kowalski other franchise works.

Lets face it Zack Kaplan, has undertaken a craftily foolish, though perfectly timed project. If you have any doubt how big a risk this book is, then look no further than the current presidential race.Â There isn’tÂ a lot of time spent on world building, because the readers need to become familiar with the concepts of Basic Income and its contrasts.Â Join the Future #1, does an excellent job of not just explaining but demonstrating the vision of the people who are not live the life but are willing to die for their beliefs, giving the Oregon Trail a run for its money.Â So you can bet that I’ll be turning in for issue #2

SCORE: 3.8 stars out of 5.

Join the Future will have two different covers: Cover A Regular drawn by Piotr Kowalski & Brad Simpson;and the Cover B Incentive, drawn by Brandon Peterson.

Author(s): Zack Kaplan
Artist(s): Piotr Kowalski
Colorist(s): Brad Simpson
Letterer: Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou
Publisher: Aftershock Comics