Killswitch is the all-new and exciting cyberpunk series by Jefferey and Susan Bridges from Action Lab: Danger Zone. Issue one introduces us to a future where Augurs, powerful telepaths, are feared and persecuted but brutally used for their powers. Major Regula, a woman who turned in her own brother for being an Augur and is revered by the masses, becomes disillusioned by what she sees and puts her career and life on the line to help the captive Auguers to escape from their confinement.

It should go without saying that the story is familiar, in that it seems to be inspired by current political machinations. That doesn’t take away – at all – from how fascinating and clean the issue is. Right off the bat, the dimensions of each character are understood without explicitly being told, the artwork is clean and receptive, and the story draws you in.

Yes, the story seems to be an allegory of our present times, but there’s nothing wrong with that. There are times where entertainment heavily reflects the modern reality that we’re in. The clear ways that the plot is outlined heavily reflects the current sociopolitical movement with internment camps and people deemed as “other.” Everything that Jeffery and Susan Bridges are presenting to us in Killswitch reflects our current climate.  What makes a great comic book is being able to convey a message while making sure that it doesn’t override the story. The Bridges succeed in that here. It may seem that the message is overt, but I promise it’s not.

Geovani’s artwork is excellent, and the backgrounds of every page are some of the most exciting cyberpunk landscapes I have seen.

And speaking of cyberpunk, there seems to be somewhat of a resurgence of the genre happening as of late, and I’m all here for it. Some of the best elements of the genre are littered throughout the issue – psychics, somewhat dystopian societies, tall and dark buildings with bright neon lights – this series has it all. You can see how the Bridges and Geovani were inspired by Blade Runner and Minority Report, including some of the best bits that both movies had to offer while making it their own.

The story itself has been set up in this issue, and there’s no telling where exactly it may go. Action Lab has been doing a fantastic job as of late with their works. Whether this series will stand the test of time has yet to be seen, but make no mistake: Killswitch is one insightful and fun ride right out of the gate.

Creative Team: Jefferey and Susan Bridges (writers), Walter Geovani (art), Brittany Peer (colors), Simon Bowland (letters)
Publisher: Action Lab: Danger Zone
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