THE GHOST SYSTEM #1, by David Wilburn on Kickstarter, weaves a cyberpunk tale about a man who gains the ability to see and manipulate the digital signals that affect the operation of everyday life.
The Details
- Written by: David Wilburn
- Art by: Rafael Romeo Magat
- Colors by: Scott Campbell
- Letters by: Tim West
- Cover art by: Clark Bint
- Comic Rating: Mature
- Cover price: $6.16 (estimated)
- Release date: December 2023 (estimated)
Is THE GHOST SYSTEM #1 Good?
David Wilburn takes a ride into the near future with a story about a man driven to become a vigilante after a freak accident gives him the ability to take revenge on the men who attacked him in a senseless act of violence. Steeped in future speak, an intriguing central premise, and actions with consequences, this just may be the fresh twist on the anti-hero superhero story you’ve been looking for.
The story centers on Soro, a white hat hacker who works for a security firm in Manchester in 2045. This version of the future commonly has people infusing themselves with cybernetic implants to make daily functions and access to online information as fast as possible. When Soro’s lab is broken into by a group of thieves while he’s testing out an experimental brain chip, the subsequent violence triggers a side effect, giving Soro the ability to see the digital signals that connect people and devices to the world. With practice, he can intercept and change those signals.
Soro begins a revenge quest to find and kill the men who attacked him and his cat. But once Soro’s capabilities become known, his world becomes a more dangerous place.
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What did we like about THE GHOST SYSTEM #1?
Wilburn’s concept of a cyberpunk future that makes Soro’s transformation possible feels lived in, fully realized, and believable. Soro’s actions may be ethically challenging, but we learn through a flashback that he isn’t above using his talents for revenge when he believes revenge is due. Plus, the concept of signal perception and manipulation is not one you see often, so bonus points for originality.
What didn’t we like about THE GHOST SYSTEM #1?
By far, the toughest obstacle for a new reader to get through is the profuse use of future speak, techno-slang. Yes, it’s reasonable to conclude that vernacular twenty years from now will be different than today, but the issue almost crosses the line into gibberish in a few spots. If you’re patient, you’ll eventually get the gist, but the conversation between Soros’s workmates is especially hard to get through.
How’s the Art?
Rafael Romeo Magat’s art style is clean, futuristic yet believable, and sharp. You get a strong sense of the future without feeling like it’s so far away that it borders on alien, which suits Wilburn’s story well.
Final Thoughts
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THE GHOST SYSTEM #1 is an interesting anti-hero cum superhero vigilante story set in a cyberpunk future. Wilburn’s world-building and central premise are strong, and Magat’s clean, Aeon Flux-ish art suits the script to a tee. That said, the profusion of future techno-slang may present a barrier for new readers.
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