- The Grid Wars, chapter 1
- Revenant Studios
- Written by Brian Rousso
- Illustrated by Bräo
- Ages 18+
- Available now
In the year 2062, half of the United States population is now in prison, locked up behind an impenetrable wall. To pay for our country’s mass incarceration, the National Penitentiary League launched a new blood sport that has swept the nation: The Grid Wars. Many who dare play will die, but the fierce few who win are granted the one prize coveted by all those who live behind the wall: Liberty. Because if you are the unlucky ones to live behind the wall, there’s only one way out: Play for Freedom.
What do you do when you’re either the player or the played? In the spirit of classic dystopian stories like Rollerball & Robocop, with a touch of The Longest Yard & Blood Bowl for good measure, the team at Revenant Studios is putting together a series of graphic novels steeped in violent mayhem. Heavy on the violence & the mayhem. Writer Brian Rousso digs right into his story with a few pages of narrative to set the stage, and then steps back for a few pages of over-the-top bloody action as illustrator Bräo sets the tone.
From there on, The Grid Wars carries a mix of the two storytelling styles, walking a very fine line between too much and just enough dialogue. For all of that, the dialogue itself is great, sounding like normal people talking. As for the running narrative, it all wound up sounding like an overly excited sports announcer in my head, so that worked out. While there might be spots where Rousso could have dialed it back a bit, it’s all well written and I’m at a loss to point at a specific page or panel. It’s worth mentioning that my personal reading preference falls into the “show, don’t tell” range.
I’m also looking forward to seeing more of the jaw-drop-gorgeous art laid down by Bräo! From the visceral to the pastoral, he fills the pages with environments a reader can dive right into. There’s always something in the background that adds to the world, if not to the story directly. Character designs are unique, and everyone has their own style, creating the impression of lives lived off the page. I can’t stress enough, Bräo’s work would fit perfectly with any major publisher out there.
This is a great opening salvo, introducing a world already established and full of potential- if a little dark & cynical- and that’s a lot of ground to cover. I’m looking forward to seeing chapter two, so it’s up to us to make sure that happens. If you’re a fan of extremely violent, dystopian futures devoid of hope, The Grid Wars could easily bring you the dopamine deficit you’re looking for.
Final Score: 11/13
