Publisher's Weekly Review
Vaughan (Saga) and Martin (Batgirl: Year One) team up for a noirish SF adventure that's as absorbing as it is gorgeous. Decades after "the cloud" bursts, pushing everyone's secrets into the open and destroying all semblance of online security, the Internet is no more and people have become obsessed with privacy: all adults wear masks in public. The press and police have combined into the armed Fourth Estate. When P.I., a paparazzo, is hired by a woman who rapidly turns up dead, he and the client's sister dive headlong into a conspiracy that could threaten the privacy (and lives) of everyone they love. Vaughan and Martin's vision of the future is chilling in its realism, but fascinating in its hyperbole. Martin's art-accentuated beautifully by Vicente's colors-handles thrilling action and contemplative scenes equally well, allowing Vaughan's script to dig deep into identity, the balance between liberty and security, the role of technology in our lives, and the implicit trust we place in it. (Dec.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Library Journal Review
In 2076 United States, everyone has a secret identity. Decades earlier, Internet security was breached, and people's private information was shared with the world, ruining lives. So the World Wide Web was abolished, and privacy is society's paramount concern, with most wearing masks or costumes in public. A Los Angeles woman named Taj hires an outlaw private -detective code-named "P.I." to investigate her, to find out if her secrets are buried deep enough-but when Taj is murdered, P.I. is in the crosshairs of a powerful figure with an unthinkable plan. Vaughan's public -libraries unfortunately have circulation -records less privacy-sensitive than those at this -reviewer's current library (though Vaughan's -librarians protect their patrons' information with deadly force). On top of his -engaging thriller plotline, Vaughan presents many compelling (if sometimes outrageous) speculations about his projected future society: for instance, without the Internet to distract them, engineers and inventors started making actual practical advances in fields such as renewable energy and magno-cars. Martin's depiction of future L.A. is appropriately colorful but seedy. VERDICT A cool, satirical, thought-provoking futuristic noir for adults.-S.R. © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
