Much like a real life apocalypse might play out, BOOM! Studios’ Memetic is a quick three issue mini all about society crumbling under the power of a meme. What a way to go, considering memes seem to drive culture more than anything these days, but is it good?
Memetic #2 (BOOM! Studios)
An odd picture of a sloth was released last issue and viewers were given the must euphoric feeling imaginable. It was addictive and it drove them to share it with everyone they could find. Unfortunately after 12 hours it makes you a screaming lunatic who’ll do anything to kill those who aren’t already infected.
Madness!
This issue has a stronger plot than the previous, partly because there was so much exposition in the last issue, as things progress and the situation grows more dire. One of two protagonists named Ryan is a college aged kid who’s deaf and color blind. With his boyfriend in hand they rush to a local medical center to find respite and possibly a cure. What they find is far worse than they could possibly imagine. Writer James Tynion IV puts Ryan in a very sticky situation, made all the more tragic by issue’s end. The fact that there is only one issue left is a good thing. One might read this and think there are many more issues, but the fact there is only one means a lot needs to happen next issue or this ain’t gonna be a happy ending.
The second protagonist is follows Marcus. He’s an ex military gent and he’s trying to fix this. His portion of the story follows him as he pulls together a group of the best and brightest. This portion of the story is very by the numbers. They need to get from point A to point B and face threats and anger along the way. Part of the reason I loved the last issue so much was the concept of a meme bomb being explained, but also Marcus’ top notch characterization. This issue doesn’t’ allow him to do much in the way of being chased by screamers so that limits the total enjoyment.
The art by Eryk Donovan is good at the screamer/zombies, the lighter moments, and the cut always to the madness ensuing. I had a bit of a problem with a recap page that had a ton of dialogue to clue us in on what was going on so far. It was a bit boring and plain. Aside from that the issue trucks along at a good clip.
That kid might be screwed…
Is It Good?
A good second issue that has a strong character moment for one of its protagonists while the other is served a good helping of shuffle-the-character to the right place plot.
Join the AIPT Patreon
Want to take our relationship to the next level? Become a patron today to gain access to exclusive perks, such as:
- ❌ Remove all ads on the website
- 💬 Join our Discord community, where we chat about the latest news and releases from everything we cover on AIPT
- 📗 Access to our monthly book club
- 📦 Get a physical trade paperback shipped to you every month
- 💥 And more!
