MASTERMINDS #1: IT’s All About the Game and How You Play It.

What if you could have everything you’ve ever wanted in life? No more boring and meaningless job for a soul sucking billionaire? Would you jump at the chance to take it? Masterminds is about to flip the gaming world on its head, and the only way to survive is to play the game!

Creative Team:

Zack Kaplan: WRITER

Stephen Thompson: ART and COVER

Thiago Rocha: COLORS

Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou: LETTERS

*SPOILERS AND PERHAPS A TRIGGER WARNING FOR GAME DEVELOPERS AHEAD*

The Story:

This issue needs a massive warning for game developers as Zack hits home all too well with the realities of modern day gaming. The story is kicking off with exposition about pay to play, influencers, and more all taking over gaming and sucking the life out of it and I have never felt more seen and heard in my entire life. That alone is worth the price of this book.

However, Zack is crafting some details and threads for the future and creating a very clever and ominous story as this issue took a turn I was not quite expecting right out of the gate. Max is someone we could potentially all see ourselves in, which immediately brought me into this book, and as it went further and further, I could not put it down. This may be Zack’s best story yet.

The Art:

Stephen and Thiago bring a vibrant scenery to this book, whether it is on the boat or the nightlife built into the background, full of ads and lights from the buildings. The setting and details within the setting make the reader feel at home instantly, as though it is a place we could find ourselves living in. There’s a realism to the way the characters are drawn that drew me into this book as well, and stood out, which is important to me when crafting a thriller-style story. Based off of the riddle in the end of the book I cannot help but feel there are some things hidden in the artwork throughout the book that will have me continuously revisiting this issue.

Final Thoughts:

Masterminds is preparing to take us to places I don’t think readers have been before. This first issue kicks off in a big way as we are met with twists and turns, setting up this mysterious crew known as the Masterminds. Fans of thrillers and action books or movies will need to put this issue at the top of their list as Zack, Dark Horse, and the whole team have something special cooking.

Overall Grade: 10/10

Make sure to catch more reviews from Matt of Hops ‘Geek’ News and their weekly episodes here: http://linktr.ee/hopsgeeknews

Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!