Comics

[Comic Book Review] “Memetic” #1 Weaponizes Memes To Create Genuine Terror

Zac Thompson · October 22, 2014

In three days, the world as we know it is going to shit. And, in “Memetic” #1 James Tynion IV and Eryk Donovan begin to take us on the three issue journey of how it happens.

WRITTEN BY: James Tynion IV
ART BY: Eryk Donovan
PUBLISHER: BOOM! Studios
PRICE: $3.99
RELEASE: October 22, 2014

Reviewed By Pablo Arriaga

The story begins with Aaron Summer, a young kid who is browsing the right Reddit page at the right time when the “Good Times Sloth” image pops up online, and people love the shit out of it. They obsess over it. It makes them feel good. It makes them feel euphoric and they can’t have enough of it. Yet Aaron’s odd eyesight and his inability to see most colors causes him to be unaffected by the image. As he sees the world go completely apeshit over the picture, we move over to Marcus Shaw, a former member of the military who’s career may be retired but his discipline and hunger for truth hasn’t. His desire to find out what’s happening is sparked when the meme phenomenon hits a little too close to home.

Our two main characters, although not completely in the forefront, become the vehicles to two different aspects of this world. Aaron is the man on the front lines – the one who will experience the clusterfuck that the world is becoming. We’re introduced to his childhood friend and another close one he tries to contact, but other than that he seems like a normal twenty something kid in college. Marcus on the other hand is completely detached from electronics, and being nearly blind he’s also immune to the effects of the meme, but is very interested in them. Marcus becomes our flashlight in the dark, trying to figure out what’s causing all the mayhem, and more importantly who might be behind it.

The real focus of this story is the event itself. The term “Memetic” is based off of the Richard Dawkins’ theory that an idea is passed along through cultural groups to further the species. Tynion IV flips this theory and merges it with the modern use of “memes” on the internet. From there he plays with the notion that a simple internet image that becomes a meme could bring about the destruction of the human race in three days. With all the ‘Gates’ and information leakages happening these days, an unbelievable amount of information at our fingertips all the time. Therefore, weaponizing a meme it’s something that’s viable enough to be terrifying.

Eryk Donovan’s art is set on everything that’s happening in this world and not missing an eye for detail. With an amazing flow from one panel to the next one, you’re not feeling like you’re missing any moments or are stuck, mirroring Memetic’s world to ours. Aaron’s “I should go to sleep” moment is all too familiar to all of us. Whether it’s trying to fall asleep but our phone is right there, or opening our laptops again to check something and have another four hours sucked out, everyone is on their cellphone, tweeting something, checking Facebook. Just when we’re settled into and feeling comfortable about what happened, it’s kicked into high gear and everything takes a massive dive. No one is sure what’s happening, all they know is that it’s got something to do with the Good Times Sloth.

I wish I’d gotten to know the characters a little bit more, but this being the first out of only three issues the focus is mainly on what is happening, and what our characters are going to do about it. By the looks of it, the next two issues are going to be non-stop action well worth your money.

—

Pablo Arriaga has been bringing the gospel of The Slacker Nerd to countless people the world over with Juatcast.com. He also writes the most metal rants on the web and knows a better recipe for tacos than you do. For more writings or to be baptized in the arms of Matthew McConaughey follow Pabby on Twitter and Facebook.