Crave, a mysterious app that promises to make your desires come true, spreads among the students of an elite university who use it as a hookup app. David, a top student, engages in a game of seduction with the unattainable Alexandra. But as requests to the app escalate and wreak havoc on campus, David and his friends’ only chance to stop this spiral is to find out what really lies behind Crave. Crave #1 feels like a relevant look at social media and technology and its the teased pleasures they promise us.
With art and story by Maria Llovet, Crave #1 introduces us to a new app that may be able to deliver whatever your desires are. Sort of. It’s a brutally honest app that’ll either help you achieve what you want or just bluntly tell you it’s not possible. Who’s behind it? We don’t know but the dopamine rush seems to be enough that no one really cares.
Llovet has an interesting concept in Crave but the first issue delivers an idea that beats its readers over the head. There’s outright discussions of the positives, negatives, and transactional aspects of social media. It feels like the character in the film saying the name of the film itself. It sets out the concepts and themes of the comic but it’s a little too blatant that’s what’s being done. Llovet also doesn’t get past the sexual needs of students. Everything seems to revolve around that. “Desires” is a pretty broad concept but the focus here is narrow.
The “I can’t quit tell” aspects of the series continues to LLovet’s art which features featureless faces. I’m not sure if that’s on purpose to emphasize the unknown behind technology, screens, and the other end of social media accounts, or just a style for the comic. It’s again an idea and detail that’s really interesting and makes the comic stand out. But, I’m not sure if it’s on purpose or stumbled upon and I’m reading too much into it. Like the concept overall, it’s something that feels smart but not sure if it’s intended.
Crave #1 delivers an idea I want to come back more for but with the debut, I’m not sure how much it’ll explore its relevant idea. It nails the issues with social media and technology head on, bluntly in some ways. Now a question is out there as to what it might do with it beyond getting characters laid.
Story: Maria Llovet Art: Marian Llovet
Story: 7.5 Art: 7.5 Overall: 7.5 Recommendation: Read
Image Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review
Purchase: TFAW – Kindle
