Lyla’s still on vacation but it’s a grim one.
Creative Staff:
Story: Mathew Klickstein
Art: Evgeniy Bornyakov
Colors: Lauren Affe
Letterer: Simon Bowland
What They Say:
Death seems to be everywhere when, after arriving on a quaint but eerie Eastern European island, a disgraced journalist following up on a peculiar story meets the leader of a group of odd, tech-obsessed children who evidently have a strange power over the frightened adults of the village.
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
The opening installment of You Are Obsolete was definitely intriguing as we learned about Muhu and how the children there are essentially running the show, like right out of a horror film. Mathew Klickstein put together something intriguing with the area and how it was set up but gave us a character to view it through with Lyla that definitely worked as she was with few options and was taking whatever would get her work. And this one was certainly interesting. Evgeniy Bornyakov definitely won me over with the artwork and that continues through here as we deal with more of the children and residents of Muhu with how they have to act and present themselves. Combined with Lauren Affe’s colorwork, this is definitely a grim and oppressive place to live, though Lyla can find the beauty in it.
Lyla’s time with Kad served as a bit of a refuge from what she’s seen so far and things she’s been through but there’s a little … guilt? Or something close to that here as she leaves without waking him while struggling with it. Of course, she runs straight into Martina who seems to ostensibly be leading the children in their takeover of Muhu. It’s a fascinating piece to watch unfold as she shows how they manage a lot of things here without being all that explicit. There’s much said but it doesn’t go into depth with it in a way that you can really latch onto, making for a lot of fun to read. Lyla’s enticed by the potential of the story and questioning whether she really wants it but at the same time, Martina has made it clear that she will be doing the story and there’s no actual doubt about it on her part.
Taking it as a bit of a vacation day, Lyla definitely has a lot to grapple with since she’s learned just how much the children have been watching every intimate minute of her life for a bit now. That means some good drinking first before falling into a journalists role of paying attention to all the details of the city and the people in it. I love how everything feels like it’s closing in on her as she really does see just how bad it is for the adults as they put on the happy face for all while the children are occupied squarely by the screens. But we also see her seeking that refuge again in Kad, who is opening up to her in surprising ways that has me wary about him, all while waiting for the other shoe to drop. Klickstein builds up the tension pretty well across the board here and Lyla’s reactions are a lot of fun to watch.
In Summary:
You Are Obsolete had me hooked from the first issue and this builds well on it as we know just how trapped Lyla is in what the children are up to. We get a better look at the dynamic of life in Muhu and how both children and adults act which is definitely creepy in obvious ways. Lyla’s story is definitely a draw as we watch her deal with all that’s thrown at her while looking for something to latch onto as so much is coming out. Bornyakov’s artwork definitely fits the tone of this well and Affe’s coloring for it is so perfectly oppressive that it’s like another character itself. It’s a really interesting book and I’m excited to see what comes next with it.
Grade: B+
Age Rating: 15+
Released By: AfterShock Comics
Release Date: October 23rd, 2019
MSRP: $3.99
