Livestock

by Hannah Berry

Excitement is building for this year’s Twammies and Clementine Darling is hotly tipped to win Best Female Singer and Political Spokesperson! The government is embarrassed about the leak of a confidential email exchange, but have you heard about Clementine’s new beau Devon Ayre? Yes, human cloning appears to have been legalised, but wasn’t Devon once together with Clementine’s arch rival Coral Jerome? And does it really matter what dubious corporate connections helped get this bill into place while Clementine and Coral are locking horns in a violent feud?Livestock is a razor-sharp satire on our relationship with the media from critically acclaimed graphic novelist Hannah Berry. In the fight for the public’s attention, why let public interest get in the way?

Genres: Graphic Novels, Comics, Fiction, Science Fiction, Comedy, Graphic Novels Comics

96 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 25, 2017

Reviews

[Alex Sarll]

I've seen this compared to The Thick of It a couple of times, but if so it's that damp squib of a final episode which blew all those seasons of verisimilitude on cheap and obvious Sticking It To The Man, Yeah! The core idea could have worked - a PR firm that works on pop stars and politicians both, leveraging the potential for synergy and distraction - but the execution keeps foundering on the fact that people, newspapers, whatever, simply don't interact like this. Yes, sometimes it's dead on ("£350 MILLION PER WEEK: the money that could be saved by scrapping outdated Human Rights Act"; 'emailgate' may seem a stupidly generic name for a scandal, but between the creation of this comic and my reading it, that was a real thing), but elsewhere it's absurd - a pro-fracking charity single, for instance. Which could work if the absurdity dial were turned a little higher, but Livestock seems to be trying to have its cake and eat it, genre-wise - it's not quite now, but nor does it feel science fictional, or commit fully to being satire in the larger-than-life sense. Which means too many scenes just don't convince. Yes, you can make a case that celebrity culture distracts from serious issues and helps prop up the status quo; indeed, to some extent that's stating the bleeding obvious (quelle surprise that there's a jacket quote from Pat Mills). But having a chat show where a political figure being quizzed about a contentious policy is interrupted there and then by a singer announcing her pregnancy is not so much throwing that into stark relief as simply bludgeoning the reader over the head with it. Similarly, the scenes where said singer is pushing a human interest angle which happens to support a government/corporate policy: nice. But when she's on TV reeling off an explicit and pat endorsement of specific legislation? No. She sounds almost as implausible as Theresa May. And lets not even get into the whole cloning angle, and the heavy implication (mercifully never quite made explicit) that the celebrities are all clones themselves. Oh, except for one singer with a punky haircut, who is obviously dead radical and supporting the people, yeah? Not like all those plastic pop stars? Because, y'know, the Arctic Monkeys are way more radical than Beyonce, right?

[Mark Reece · Rating 5 out of 5]

Livestock is an absolute riot. The story has two connected plots, the first of which concerns a group of The Thick of It style political advisors, who are trying to help the government of the day draw attention from the problems caused by a law that has legalized human cloning. The dialogue has a strong air of realism, and is simultaneously harshly cynical. The tone is set in the first scene, where the advisors discuss ways to draw attention from a minster's missteps. They consider whether he should release a charity single or find religion, before agreeing that he will buy a three legged dog with a sad backstory.

The other plot involves Clem, an entirely vapid pop star who also works as a government spokesman, supplying soundbites about how cool cloning would be and how everyone should support her 'gas aid' concert. Berry has a fantastic sense of comedic timing. In one sequence, a minister on Newsnight is being berated by a representative of a civil society group that has researched the funding of a group benefiting from human cloning. Clem sits in silence as the minister becomes more and more flustered. Suddenly, without warning, she announces that she's pregnant, which makes the presenters forget about the cloning scandal and ask her about motherhood instead. It's a brilliant sequence.

Most pop stars are signed up to political parties. With heavy irony, the main opposition to the government comes from an independent singer, Nina Malick, who annoys the government advisors by not being willing to sign up.

There is a crudity about the characterization and the plot. In particular, Clem gives every indication of being precisely what she seems: an empty headed puppet. Also, the government advisors do not show the distorted idealism that made the characters of The Thick of It so interesting. For that reason, it is probably wise that the story is kept short.

I liked the drawings, which are often bright and gaudy, accurately reflecting the mood of the book. There seem to be a plethora of grinning faces on every page, which has a somewhat disturbing cumulative effect.

I strongly recommend this graphic novel. It has the two essential qualities of successful satire, being both funny and apt. It can be easily read in one sitting, but can be enjoyed many more times, which is what one might wish of any short book.

[Nial · Rating 1 out of 5]

This has not got a real plot at all and the drawing is very sub par. The faces in particular are very bad. Avoid at all costs!!

[Owen Townend · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another grimly compelling graphic novel from Hannah Berry. Livestock is concerned with the power of celebrity, political corruption and the abuse of cloning technology.

For the most part we follow the reprehensible characters, namely the suggestible and robotic popstar Clementine Darling and her vile PR puppetmaster Paul Roarke. As the story progresses and we learn more about the governmental 'Frankenstein Bill' and the possibility of human cloning being privatised before the public even know it's possible, we get an insight into why this all feels so grotty and unethical.

Berry uses news site webpages to punctuate key plot points which I thought was well done. It goes to show that this proposed nightmare could happen in our near future. After all, companies do hold sway over certain politicians and there are unethical monopolies in place that could use the media to divert public attention.

The real hero of Livestock is Nina Malick who actually uses her fame to draw attention to the manipulative system and yet she doesn't really appear till the last quarter of the book. Suffice to say, the overall focus is not on her success.

Livestock is a well-executed picturesque warning. It reminds the reader to question the leaks, feuds and other distraction techniques that are used when undesirable truth slips out. The science is a bit underdone but the politics are explored in great detail.

As such I recommend Livestock to fellow graphic novel readers who are sceptical about the influences of celebrity culture.

[David Allison · Rating 4 out of 5]

The obvious comparisons for this near future tale of political spin, pop star puppets, and corporate science - Black Mirror, The Thick of It, the occasional political cartoon that isn't a total insult to humanity - are ultimately shown to be timid and unconvinced of their own arguments here.

Everything in Livestock has the same texture, is somehow both glossy and meaty. This is not a mistake but a key part of the book's thesis, and so essential to its insistence on the fact that power's capacity to abuse goes deeper than bad eggs or worse behaviour, that it might be predicated on a view which sees us as somehow lacking in soul.

[Joe Decie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Worryingly current dystopian tale. Gorgeous artwork that you can spend hours gawping at... tonnes of stuff hidden in that backgrounds, I love that. Really good.

For fans of Black Mirror, Brass Eye, Buzzfeed, Celebrity Big Brother, 2000AD...

[Duncan · Rating 3 out of 5]

an interesting tale that takes a satirical look at the politics, media and celebrity culture of today.
it might not be to everyone's tastes but if you enjoy Charlie Brooker's "Black Mirror" then you will probably enjoy this.

[Elliot · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wickedly funny satirical comic.

[Rhiannon Grant · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick, clever read with some bitingly satirical political points to make.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super sharp and, like all the best satires, not so far away from reality.

[Wilde Sky · Rating 1 out of 5]

A graphic short story about media / politics.

The story was pretty pointless (or at least I couldn’t really follow any coherent plot) and the artwork was a bit ropey.

[Blair · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good political satire in the Black Mirror vein that plays on the exploitation of the public through the manipulation of popular culture.

[Susan · Rating 1 out of 5]

tl;dr: The fuck did I just read? Like, I get it's satire, but also... Wut?

[K.C. Murdarasi · Rating 3 out of 5]

A lot less subtle than Black Mirror, but the same kind of vibe. The magazine covers, which were perfectly on point while also advancing the plot, were the highlight. The obviousnesss of Clementine being a clone (right from the beginning) was a weak point. A more gradual realisation would have been better. The ending did take me but surprise, though.

The two "intersecting" plots are, of course, the same plot (and both of them are nefarious). A few reviewers have said this has no real plot, or has an underwhelming ending. I can't help thinking they weren't paying enough attention. Maybe read it again - especially the last page.

[Bruna Martini · Rating 3 out of 5]

From a story point of view, Livestock is an incredible graphic novel that blends sharp wit, deep political commentary and a unique narrative style. At first, I found it a bit dense and tough to get into, but as I continued, the story became more engaging and flowed more smoothly - yet not as smooth as to hook you fully. Berry’s storytelling is clever, and the book certainly makes you think about societal issues in a fresh, impactful way.

The artwork is unsettling in a way that works for the darker themes of the book, though at times it can feel jarring. Still, the overall impact of the story and the ideas it explores make it worth the read.

[Joe Raffell · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had high expectations after a recommendation from the guys at Page 45, however unfortunately this felt like a let down. The plot is a quasi scientific political satire about the the world of public relations, it felt at times like a rewrite of a thick of it episode, with a strong glug of black mirror. The two intersecting story-lines connected well and a late twist created some intrigue, but generally as i closed the book I felt the story was incomplete. The artwork is great and clearly the writer has some strong political points but sadly it just felt like it didn't deliver.

[Kelsey Williams · Rating 3 out of 5]

Extremely poignant and liked the premise but it was definitely lacking in story and the ending was super lacklustre. I was imagining a very sci-fi ending in my head and the actual ending was not great. Interesting and real points though.

[Lisa Macklem · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautifully drawn. In this case the story leaves you a bit intrigued rather than confused. I was a bit unsure how to categorize the story itself - it's not quite sf, fantasy, or horror...

[Tayla · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF @ 50%

[reni · Rating 3 out of 5]

alright as a quick read, art's nice, it's not that deep

comparisons to black mirror and the thick of it are greatly exaggerated

[Elena Duckworth · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick read that stays with you long after finishing it. Claustrophobic, uneasy, amazing!

[Neon · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was garbage, plot wise, in my opinion.

In saying this, i didn't have the worst time of it, though it was dry enough that i struggled to pick it back up each time. That doesn't usually happen with me when it comes to graphic novels. However, i doubt i will be reading this one again if given the chance.

[Jade · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.75 stars