Scan barcode
A review by willdrown
The New World by Aleš Kot
2.0
One day Ales Kot will stop devolving into a sentient puddle of self-cliche and lazy pitches about being open-minded and futuristic and anarchism and all that noise. For now, though, enter "The New World", the comic book version of a "Greatest Hits" album, except instead of hits it's largely garbage.
Basically, if you've read the majority of Kot's prior works, you'll be hard-pressed to spot a single new idea or beat here, except, perhaps, for the ill-advised inclusion of memes that were outdated even as the single issues of the story were being published. There's the rebellious offspring of a government person, there are the continued references to vivid tech and hacking, there's the running political commentary that comes with all the gentleness of a car fender, and there's, of course, the inclusion of polyamory and overly ironic dialogue. And yet there is a noticeable lack of other things that I loved Zero for. Every single would-be emotional moment is ruined by a poorly timed (and, predominantly, poorly executed) joke, thus adding this to an ever-growing list of media that seems to twist the concept of vulnerability and sincerity in characters into a punchline. Haha, having feelings is so lame, right?
And, god, where did the Ales Kot that wrote Zero go? The person that managed to write compelling dialogue and a mysterious story, how did that treasure of a writer turn into the Kot of Now that writes clumsy exposition for 10 pages, sprays in a smattering of cringy lines, and tops it off with literal "record scratch, freeze frame, yup, that's me" references?
And even Tradd Moore, the juggernaut of amazing art and cool action, drops the baton halfway through, resorting to panels that are simultaneously beautiful and incomprehensible. Not to mention the fact that it's just plain offensive to have someone that talented on drivel of this caliber.
Last but oh so very much not least, let me say a hearty "what the hell were you thinking?" to that joke of an ending twist. That is just... wow.
Ales Kot gets the generous award of "The Glow Down of 2018" and I get to, hopefully, never think about this awful comic again.
Basically, if you've read the majority of Kot's prior works, you'll be hard-pressed to spot a single new idea or beat here, except, perhaps, for the ill-advised inclusion of memes that were outdated even as the single issues of the story were being published. There's the rebellious offspring of a government person, there are the continued references to vivid tech and hacking, there's the running political commentary that comes with all the gentleness of a car fender, and there's, of course, the inclusion of polyamory and overly ironic dialogue. And yet there is a noticeable lack of other things that I loved Zero for. Every single would-be emotional moment is ruined by a poorly timed (and, predominantly, poorly executed) joke, thus adding this to an ever-growing list of media that seems to twist the concept of vulnerability and sincerity in characters into a punchline. Haha, having feelings is so lame, right?
And, god, where did the Ales Kot that wrote Zero go? The person that managed to write compelling dialogue and a mysterious story, how did that treasure of a writer turn into the Kot of Now that writes clumsy exposition for 10 pages, sprays in a smattering of cringy lines, and tops it off with literal "record scratch, freeze frame, yup, that's me" references?
And even Tradd Moore, the juggernaut of amazing art and cool action, drops the baton halfway through, resorting to panels that are simultaneously beautiful and incomprehensible. Not to mention the fact that it's just plain offensive to have someone that talented on drivel of this caliber.
Last but oh so very much not least, let me say a hearty "what the hell were you thinking?" to that joke of an ending twist. That is just... wow.
Ales Kot gets the generous award of "The Glow Down of 2018" and I get to, hopefully, never think about this awful comic again.