More Comics

Utopiates #1 of 4

By Hervé St.Louis
May 14, 2006 - 15:48:00 PM

Utopiates #1 of 4
Bloodfire Studios
Writer: Josh Finney
Artist: Kat Rocha
www.bloodfire.com
www.glitchwerk.com

Utopiates is the first issue about a new drug bearing the same name and its effect on people who consume it. This new drug has a special twist. It contains the personality of another human being, his brain imprints. When you consume this drug, you’re endowed with someone else’s personality. In a world where nothing matters anymore, and as the protagonist of this issue says “we have no future.” This feels a need all previous ones before couldn’t.

Facing withdrawal, the hero of the story quickly becomes a junky thug for his pushers. His favourite drug, family, gives him a feeling of love and belonging. I like this comic book because it reinterpreted the theme of drugs using current science fiction and technological breakthroughs. In essence, this drug finally does what all aspires to. It makes you into a different person and allows you to live the life you want.

However the effects, as we see are as devastating as any drug. It’s also a wonder how that taking some of this could make you into a genius or feel like Elvis. Let’s hope future issues explore these themes as well. A good thing about this story it is not self serious. It reads very simply. Often books like this are overly serious with prose only the writer understands the meaning. This book is not self absorbed or snobbish.

The cover is a photograph of the protagonist. The main pusher also seems to be based on a real actor. The art inside is very realistic and dark at the same time. Although the inked lines are thin, the black and white contrasts are good. A good thing is that the artwork does not look to realistic to not function well with the comic book effects and layout. Everything looks good in this book.