TEMPLATE: NEW PARTITION #1, from Quinton Miles on April 5th, 2022, follows Beta, aka Nora Britt, as she hunts down black market cybernetics dealers using stolen plans from Oversight. She may find the leaker has ties to her past, Alpha’s whereabouts, and the death of her “father.”
The Details
- Written By: Quinton Miles
- Art By: Jarret Katz
- Colors By: Nathan Lumm
- Letters By: Ken Reynolds
- Cover Art By: Jarret Katz, Nathan Lumm
- Cover Price: $1.99 (digital)
- Release Date: April 5, 2022
Was It Good?
TEMPLATE: NEW PARTITION #1 is a smart, tight, engaging cyberpunk thriller in the same vain Cyberpunk 2020 and Blade Runner. The crime procedural elements are gritty, the sci-fi elements have a futuristic flavor without going too fantastical, and the personal drama is mature. In all, this is a winning combination.
The highlight of this comic is the writing, specifically the dialog and plot. Miles nails the cyberpunk aesthetic and the citizenry’s fascination with enhancing their bodies to gain a physical advantage. Teenagers have their legs replaced for greater speed and endurance. Limbs are a commodity, and the flesh is no longer a limitation. Miles organically weaves this feeling of humanity on the brink of technical evolution in little, subtle ways into the story that keeps the setting familiar while maintaining a sense of futurism.
The pacing is the second highlight of this issue. Names, places, and events are thrown at you in very short order, but you never feel bogged down with excessive exposition to pick up the bits and pieces needed for the story to progress. The dialog is delivered with pep and personality, and once the action gets going, it sprints.
The art is good but not great. Katz employs a sketchy artbook style in the character designs while making sure the character’s faces give you enough emotional acting and expression. Some may find the sketchy line style too sloppy and lacking in detail, but it doesn’t detract enough from the story to spoil the end product.
We like this issue. We like the style and mood of the story, and we like where it’s headed. If you’re looking for a cyberpunk crime thriller, this comic fits the bill.
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What’s It About?
[SPOILERS AHEAD – Click here if you just want the score without spoilers]
We begin with Beta, aka Nina Britt, pulling off a sting operation against an illegal cybernetics mechanic, Billy, who has been using stolen plans from Oversight to enhance anyone willing to pay. Nina is begrudgingly working with Oversight, America’s private security firm, because the stolen plans may also contain information on her own creation and could pose a serious threat to the public if she were to be reproduced.
News of Oversight’s breach gets out to the public, and Oversight director Bryce Lucas does his best to quell public concerns before panic sets in. Using information from Billy’s files, Nina and the Oversight forces begin raiding known hideouts of Billy’s unstable partner, Elias Sutton, to discover the source of the leak.
We conclude the issue with a surprising discovery, uncertainty over the mission, and the potential for a reunion.
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Final Thoughts
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TEMPLATE: NEW PARTITION #1 is a pitch-perfect cyberpunk crime thriller about a human-like android on the hunt for stolen cybernetic designs created by an unscrupulous scientist. The science-fiction elements are as strong as the personal drama, and the designs (setting and characters) present a strange yet familiar world.
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