Review: Conspiracy – The Illuminati

What do you get when you combine an Alex Jones surrogate, lizard people, shadow brokers and a mass shooting?  The answer, Conspiracy – Illuminati.

In this issue of Conspiracy it is important to follow the arcs of four characters.  The first is Darcel.  She is a young aspiring actress in Tulsa, Oklahoma.  We first meet her as she is auditioning for a part in an unknown production.  As she prepares to enter the studio for her audition the second of our players, a young unnamed actress, emerges from the studio pleased with herself and assured that she has won a role in the drama that will unfold, though she does not know the nature of this drama.  Meanwhile, Darcel auditions and recites line from a script which will have more meaning later in the issue as the puppet masters in this issue pull their strings.  The third person in this story is Bill Bourget.  A quite unassuming man, he quickly loses control of his mental faculties and is last seen as he prepares to commit mass murder with a handgun.  Of sinister note is the fact that Bouget’s slide into criminality begins after he meets Truth.  Truth hosts an online program and is an obviously exaggerated parody of real life personality Alex Jones.  All four of these characters are being subtly and cleverly maneuvered in a sinister shadow game of deceit and manipulation to an unspecified end.  As the issue progresses, some of the true power players are revealed and the issue ends on an alarming note that leaves the reader with more questions than answers.

I enjoyed this book but I wasn’t quite sure what it was that this book wanted me to take away.  Realizing that the book is titled Conspiracy, I was prepared for conspiracy in the book.  But layer upon layer of subplot  were presented to me, some hitting incredibly close to real life events, with no real resolution or answers provided or in sight.  Instead, I’m left to wonder how a man, who was quiet and unassuming, melts down and becomes a mass shooter in what appears to be two days.  Other events are equally as frustrating in their nebulous origins.  At times I felt that the book needed twenty more pages or another issue.  The artwork was serviceable and did a good job telling the story that was written.  There were no stand out panels to admire but there were also no panels that seemed out of place or drawn poorly.   I’m not quite sure what to make of Conspiracy – Illuminati.  I enjoyed the idea of the book but wasn’t really entertained by the final product.  In the end, I give this issue a passing grade but I’m not sure I would come back for more.

Writing – 3 of 5 Stars
Art – 3.5 of 5 Stars

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Writing – Hans Rodionoff
Art – J.G. Miranda
Colors – Leonardo Paciarotti
Letters – Taylor Esposito