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Friendo #1-5
Friendo
Leo wasn't allowed toys as a kid, but now that he's all grown up he's going to take yours. He used to play by the rules, but then governments and corporations set fire to the rules and still expected him to behave. He probably would have if it hadn't been for his new friend Jerry. See, Jerry isn't human; he's a personalised marketing VR... and he's malfunctioning. Unhinged ultraviolence from Alex Paknadel (Arcadia) and Martin Simmonds (Punks Not Dead).
Collects: Friendo #1-5
Collects: Friendo #1-5
144 pages, Paperback
First published May 22, 2019
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79 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
November 16, 2021
This starts off as a anti-corporation / advertising story in near-future Los Angeles. Leo gets a pair of glasses that has a virtual friend in them that constantly tries to sell him stuff. The second half becomes completely unhinged as he starts robbing a big box chain and turns it into an internet show. This hyper-violent satire was pretty solid overall.
I really liked Martin Simmonds clean, crisp art in this. It's much better than the more recent Bill Sienkiewicz style he's adopted for Dying Is Easy and Department of Truth.
I really liked Martin Simmonds clean, crisp art in this. It's much better than the more recent Bill Sienkiewicz style he's adopted for Dying Is Easy and Department of Truth.
July 5, 2019
Friendo is a bleak and cynical satirical story of a near-future Los Angeles completely overtaken by corporate overlords, advertising and social media and one dude who becomes the victim of the system. Kind of reminded me of Transmet (it's fitting that I first heard of this book from Warren Ellis's newsletter, who had very nice things to say about it) with its depiction of the world and the people who run it. The ending was a bit messy, but still satisfying and fitting with the rest of the book. I wouldn't necessarily call it an enjoyable read since it's really pretty dour, but it was a good one nonetheless.
October 20, 2021
This is a really cyclical take on product use, capitalism, and more.
It starts off simple enough. A guy gets a pair of glasses as a gift from his girlfriend and this pair of glasses has a A.I. that tell the user what they want to hear, become a friend, as long as they keep buying products. It's fucked up but sounds similar to other products we have now. Eventually the story takes a insane twist into the world of fame and corporate with a topping of a hired killer...killing.
Overall, it's fun and the art is great. Showcases some insane moments filled with horror in a world not TOO far from our own. It's a nice look into what consumerism can do to us. I thought second half got a bit TOO wild and crazy for its own good and lost me a bit but the ending landed. A 3 out of 5.
It starts off simple enough. A guy gets a pair of glasses as a gift from his girlfriend and this pair of glasses has a A.I. that tell the user what they want to hear, become a friend, as long as they keep buying products. It's fucked up but sounds similar to other products we have now. Eventually the story takes a insane twist into the world of fame and corporate with a topping of a hired killer...killing.
Overall, it's fun and the art is great. Showcases some insane moments filled with horror in a world not TOO far from our own. It's a nice look into what consumerism can do to us. I thought second half got a bit TOO wild and crazy for its own good and lost me a bit but the ending landed. A 3 out of 5.
November 11, 2019
Cleverly written sci-fi comic book. The page composition is to die for. I wasn’t too keen on the minimalist art, but that’s just my personal taste: make no mistake, this one sits in the top 5% of comic books ever written in terms of quality of the writing.
May 30, 2019
The first 2 issues were like a really great episode of 'Black Mirror'. After that it became too nuts and lost all suspension of disbelief. Still a fun, crazy read.
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January 2, 2020California burns, AR specs make the algorithms that know people so well into virtual chums (but they'll only hang out with you for as long as there's a chance to make a sale), and a new law indemnifies any crime which can be considered corporate promotional activity. In other words, this feels very like the news from a few months in the future, which is also to say it's very Black Mirror. Although the serial format means it can keep piling on fresh ramifications in a way a single episode seldom can, and the sensibility is more manic black humour than Brooker generally brings to that particular project. That said, few projects which veer this close to wackiness counterpoint that with quotes from Cioran. Worryingly timely, though at least the hopelessness of most online recommendations I get suggests I'd be safe for a while.
July 2, 2019
Since there's been a lot of good word about Vault Comics, I decided to try out a few of the trade paperbacks to see if they're truly "the next Vertigo" or "the next Image". In my opinion, Friendo is one of the best examples of what this company has to offer the modern comics landscape.
Alex Paknadel has crafted a near-future world filled with believable dialogue. He's taking ideas that are following us everywhere we look--virtual reality, advertising, big corp vs. mom n' pop stores--and tossing them into zany plots. Basically, he's writing great science-fiction.
Martin Simmonds provides some excellent clean linework reminiscent of Jamie McKelvie. He excels at selling characters through body language (in a static medium!) and facial expressions. I especially enjoyed seeing the passage of time displayed via Leo's growing beard and gut. Sometimes the backgrounds look a bit simplistic but the extra character work keeps the focus on the foreground.
I don't know what to say about Dee Cunniffe besides they are doing some of the best coloring work in comics between Friendo, Redneck, and the upcoming Tommy Gun Wizards.
The letters by Taylor Esposito are great. Placement of word balloons never gets in the way of the art and helps guide the reader's eye across the page.
Friendo is an excellent example of a creative team firing on all cylinders, working together to create a cohesive work of science-fiction like nothing else on the shelves (or screen!) right now.
Alex Paknadel has crafted a near-future world filled with believable dialogue. He's taking ideas that are following us everywhere we look--virtual reality, advertising, big corp vs. mom n' pop stores--and tossing them into zany plots. Basically, he's writing great science-fiction.
Martin Simmonds provides some excellent clean linework reminiscent of Jamie McKelvie. He excels at selling characters through body language (in a static medium!) and facial expressions. I especially enjoyed seeing the passage of time displayed via Leo's growing beard and gut. Sometimes the backgrounds look a bit simplistic but the extra character work keeps the focus on the foreground.
I don't know what to say about Dee Cunniffe besides they are doing some of the best coloring work in comics between Friendo, Redneck, and the upcoming Tommy Gun Wizards.
The letters by Taylor Esposito are great. Placement of word balloons never gets in the way of the art and helps guide the reader's eye across the page.
Friendo is an excellent example of a creative team firing on all cylinders, working together to create a cohesive work of science-fiction like nothing else on the shelves (or screen!) right now.
December 12, 2019
This story unravels like a colorful fever dream, posing intriguing questions about technology and a consumption-obsessed society. In a world where every website we browse is a new piece of information in our consumer profile, this dark sci-fi comic might make readers question how much time they spend plugged in.
Abandoned in childhood by a neurotically religious father with a crusade against material things, Leo has found his way to adulthood in an advertisement-obsessed future Los Angeles. Leo makes very little money for exploiting his body (in any way possible) and still harbors a few abandonment issues, but his life is changed dramatically by his new friendship with Jerry. Jerry is an artificially intelligent hologram created to fit Leo’s personality and to constantly advertise products that he might enjoy. Leo’s mental instability and dependence on Jerry increases after a brush with death in the Santa Ana winds. Taking his cues from the malfunctioning hologram, Leo begins a televised crime spree up the west coast, where his actions are free of legal consequences due to new marketing laws and loopholes. To the masses and his corporate sponsors, he may be a modern day Robin Hood, but Leo has also made some powerful enemies.
Fans of Black Mirror may enjoy this bizarre, sprawling tale of technology, materialism, and corporate influence gone shockingly haywire. Friendo is a little light on plot, but goes all in for careening action from one issue to the next. Wherever Leo and Jerry go, death, mayhem, and a rabbit-eared assassin are sure to follow.
For scenes of violence, gore, sex, and strong language, this title is suggested for adult readers.
Review copy provided by Diamond Comic Distributors.
Abandoned in childhood by a neurotically religious father with a crusade against material things, Leo has found his way to adulthood in an advertisement-obsessed future Los Angeles. Leo makes very little money for exploiting his body (in any way possible) and still harbors a few abandonment issues, but his life is changed dramatically by his new friendship with Jerry. Jerry is an artificially intelligent hologram created to fit Leo’s personality and to constantly advertise products that he might enjoy. Leo’s mental instability and dependence on Jerry increases after a brush with death in the Santa Ana winds. Taking his cues from the malfunctioning hologram, Leo begins a televised crime spree up the west coast, where his actions are free of legal consequences due to new marketing laws and loopholes. To the masses and his corporate sponsors, he may be a modern day Robin Hood, but Leo has also made some powerful enemies.
Fans of Black Mirror may enjoy this bizarre, sprawling tale of technology, materialism, and corporate influence gone shockingly haywire. Friendo is a little light on plot, but goes all in for careening action from one issue to the next. Wherever Leo and Jerry go, death, mayhem, and a rabbit-eared assassin are sure to follow.
For scenes of violence, gore, sex, and strong language, this title is suggested for adult readers.
Review copy provided by Diamond Comic Distributors.
August 11, 2019
Stanley Kubrick's AI combined with every other Stanley Kubrick movie, including all of the good old ultraviolence we need. Climate apocalypse combined with the old sci-fi parables about technology and it's effects on our humanity, Friendo doesn't disappoint. It is also, not a keeper, either. 3 stars and worth the read but won't see staying on my shelf at home.
April 23, 2020
Been checking out some more independent publishers. This is from Vault. Great colours, funny and gruesome scifi capitalism style story. Kinda like a blend of Transmet and I Robot. Really enjoyed this read
May 6, 2021
Premissa interessante, mas achei bagunçado
December 20, 2021
2.5 stars
Simmonds’s name is what drew my interest to this miniseries; his art on Dept of Truth is intriguing and virtuosic in its homage to early Vertigo artists, even if DoT as a whole doesn’t always work for me. The cover art to Friendo didn’t look anything like his DoT work, but it was striking and seemed worth checking out.
Ironically, his interior art in Friendo seems heavily borrowed from a much different, later era of 00s Vertigo comics like Y: The Last Man, with simpler figure drawing and lots of flatly colored, empty backgrounds. It’s surprisingly plain and a bit of a let down. Simple line art can be clean and beautiful, like in Love and Rockets, but it’s too sloppy here to achieve that and just looks like it’s missing detail.
The writing also feels like an overlooked 00s Vertigo series updated to reflect contemporary cultural anxieties. It’s very much going for subversive, thumb-in-the-eye gratuity aimed at failing power structures, and I appreciate its intent but it’s too goofy and half baked for its social satire to have much impact, and it’s too self-serious for its dystopian zaniness to be enjoyable on its own terms.
Simmonds’s name is what drew my interest to this miniseries; his art on Dept of Truth is intriguing and virtuosic in its homage to early Vertigo artists, even if DoT as a whole doesn’t always work for me. The cover art to Friendo didn’t look anything like his DoT work, but it was striking and seemed worth checking out.
Ironically, his interior art in Friendo seems heavily borrowed from a much different, later era of 00s Vertigo comics like Y: The Last Man, with simpler figure drawing and lots of flatly colored, empty backgrounds. It’s surprisingly plain and a bit of a let down. Simple line art can be clean and beautiful, like in Love and Rockets, but it’s too sloppy here to achieve that and just looks like it’s missing detail.
The writing also feels like an overlooked 00s Vertigo series updated to reflect contemporary cultural anxieties. It’s very much going for subversive, thumb-in-the-eye gratuity aimed at failing power structures, and I appreciate its intent but it’s too goofy and half baked for its social satire to have much impact, and it’s too self-serious for its dystopian zaniness to be enjoyable on its own terms.
March 28, 2021
This story of a humanoid manifestation of the internet is fully immersive and a cunning take on the excesses of social media. Friendo, like your Smartphone has everything you need. TREAT YOURSELF. There’s nothing to worry about.
You can read my reviews of the first four single issues here:
https://thebrazenbull.com/comics/2018/09/26/friendo-1-review/
https://thebrazenbull.com/comics/2018/11/13/friendo-2-advance-review/
https://thebrazenbull.com/comics/2018/12/18/friendo-3-advance-review/
https://thebrazenbull.com/comics/2019/02/13/friendo-4-review/
You can read my reviews of the first four single issues here:
https://thebrazenbull.com/comics/2018/09/26/friendo-1-review/
https://thebrazenbull.com/comics/2018/11/13/friendo-2-advance-review/
https://thebrazenbull.com/comics/2018/12/18/friendo-3-advance-review/
https://thebrazenbull.com/comics/2019/02/13/friendo-4-review/
October 23, 2020
I feel like some Friendo went over my head. I can't tell if that's because I haven't read the same philosophy and media texts it's quoting from or because there's too much happening to communicate effectively. I enjoyed what I did get, and there's no arguing that it's a wild ride. Martin Simmonds' art is a great choice for this. With Dee Cunniffe's colors, it has just the right plasticity to it to capture that techno-surrealness without being offputting.
The book reminds me of Mark Russell and Ben Caldwell's Prez series. I may like Prez a bit more, though. It had a little less pretense and a little more humor to it.
The book reminds me of Mark Russell and Ben Caldwell's Prez series. I may like Prez a bit more, though. It had a little less pretense and a little more humor to it.
April 7, 2019
Started out great. With it till the end. Worst ending.
October 30, 2021
Great combo of sci fi dystopia, corporate greed, personal avarice, and just plain murder.
January 1, 2022
3.5 stars
A really wild (but enjoyable) story
A really wild (but enjoyable) story
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews