I Breathed A Body #2

I Breathed A Body #2

Aftershock Comics 2021

Written by Zac Thompson

Illustrated by Andy MacDonald

Coloured by Triona Farrell

Lettered by Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou

A science fiction horror series about social media, big tech and influencer culture.

As the world reels from the most depraved livestream ever put online, Anne and her co-workers lean into the violence. Horrific appetites are revealed, death is made into spectacle, and the world changes in an instant. Step behind the curtain of online outrage to see the people pulling the strings. Become those who push the limits of what’s acceptable, deny responsibility and make billions in the process.

I have no idea what the heck is going on here and I absolutely love it! I see the influences and how dangerous they can be if left unchecked as well as how today’s insta-famous kids are and what they do to become so. It is a slippery slope where its chalked up to societal behaviour which when it happens online it’s okay but not when it happens in real life. That kind of dichotomy thinking is the real danger we see happening in today’s world and that Zac is able to take this kind of story and bring it to the extreme in such a way that’s it’s as entertaining as it is a profound look at today’s society.

I greatly appreciate the way that this is being told. The story & plot development that we see through how the sequence of events unfold as well as how the reader learns information is presented exquisitely well. While there are times we are baffled by what we see there is no mistaking the feelings and emotions that are recognisable through the dialogue as well as how the characters act and react to the situations and circumstances they encounter. This makes the character development a real joy to see unfold. The pacing here is superb and as it takes us through the pages and we see the layers within strengthen in momentum as well as new ones taking shape it really does take us to this crazy dark, weird and infinitely fascinating, see train wreck you can’t look away from, work.

I like how we see this being structured and how everything works together to create the story’s ebb & flow. The real testament to a well written story is that folks cannot stop talking about it and if you’ve read this than you know what I’m talking about. If you haven’t picked this up, well what’s stopping you?

One of the things that instantly struck me about the interiors here is that the remind me of George Perez. No greater compliment in my mind because that man is one of the reasons why I started my love affair with the medium. How we see the linework and it’s varying weights and techniques being utilised to create the attention to detail throughout is completely and utterly spectacular. The way that we see backgrounds being utilised within the composition within the panels bring us some great depth perception, sense of scale and the overall sense of size and scope to the story. The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels show a remarkably talented eye for storytelling. The colour work is smashing! The way we see the various hues and tones within the colours being utilised to create the shading, highlights and shadow work is done with such grace and beauty. The interiors showcase some incredible talent and a great understanding of their craft as well this amazing creativity and imagination.

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Since their debut i’ve been a firm believer and supporter of Aftershock Comics and they’ve come be synonymous with superior storytelling. This book continues to demonstrate how much that is true and I cannot recommend this story enough.