As a kid of the 80s, I grew up watching some very iconic movies. One of those movies was Tron. Watching it now, one would say the technology was very crude, and it was, but at the time, it was cutting edge. It showed a world where everything was connected to technology.

The sequel would capitalize on this very notion, utilizing today’s technological advances, giving viewers, a true view of the new world. How we were connected was not only clairvoyant but relevant. As we are approaching a world in which much of that is becoming very true. In the second issue of Walter Ostlie’s excellent Haxor, we find a new world, where technology blurs what is visceral

We find Iso at the beginning of the game where she is meeting up with the rest of her team, right before a game starts. One of her teammates, Verve, senses something is wrong with the lineup, giving them some cause for concern, but still ready to play. As they are watching where one team is getting obliterated by the game, often making moves that would otherwise have them on the winning side. By the issue’s end, the team in the game gets “deleted” but Iso remains vigilant despite what she just saw.

Overall, Haxor #2 is an excellent chapter that gets us deeper into the story. The story by Ostlie is exciting. The art by Ostlie is stunning. Altogether, a story that explores the possibilities of technology.

Story: Walter Ostlie Art: Walter Ostlie
Story: 9.0 Art: 9.0 Overall: 9.0 Recommendation: Buy

Isaac Asimov is one of the greatest architects of science fiction and his influence has grown exponentially. AS what he dreamt almost a century ago now, is so relevant today that you must be blind not draw the comparisons. His visions of the future are truly the present we live in now, and in some ways, our reality is much grimmer than he ever imagined. Where he saw robots go, the world saw it go further.

As the most recent in memory adaptation of his work, I, Robot, revisited some of those classic tropes, which only Asimov could evoke so hauntingly. Will Smith’s character represented the viewer, it showed how we struggle with technology, especially when we benefit from it. As it can be true that sometimes too much technology is too much. In Walter Ostlie’s excellent Haxor, we find a protagonist dealing with this very dilemma.

We meet our protagonist, Iso, who is being awakened by an alarm clock, which will not go off no matter what she does. As she lives in Shi-Bu City, where its inhabitants play games for a living, and where one corporation owns the game and practically all Shi Bu’s inhabitants. We also meet Wire, a grizzled veteran gamer whose disdain for the game and the corporation has made him cynical and reckless. By the issue’s end, Iso enters the game, where something already doesn’t seem right.

Overall, an interesting introduction to a world not so distant from ours, with a brand new protagonist whom we can cheer for. The story by Walter Ostlie is fun and engaging. The art by Ostlie is gorgeous. Altogether, a story that introduces a universe both familiar and still nascent.

Story: Walter Ostlie Art: Walter Ostlie
Story: 9.0 Art: 9.0 Overall: 9.0 Recommendation: Buy