UNDER THE INFLUENCE #1, from Mad Cave Studios on 7/5/23, ponders the secret power behind Internet fame when the FBI investigates a powerful influencer who may be a new breed of cult leader.
The Details
- Written by: Eliot Rahal
- Art by: Stefano Simeone
- Colors by: Stefano Simeone
- Letters by: Frank Cvetkovic
- Cover art by: Stefano Simeone
- Comic Rating: Mature
- Cover price: $4.99
- Release date: July 5th, 2023
Is It Good?
UNDER THE INFLUENCE #1 is thoroughly entertaining and worth your time. Set in the modern world of Internet culture and Influencers, Eliot Rahal’s story about an Internet celebrity who draws the attention of law enforcement holds up a mirror to the dark influences of social media and groupthink, couched in a potentially intriguing mystery.
Eliot Rahal’s script centers on Cara Cole, an FBI agent who receives an assignment to investigate a college-aged Influencer whose word can direct thousands of followers to commit crimes and scuttle corporations. However, the Influencer in question isn’t what he seems.
Before you decide this is just another story blaming older generations for being out of touch or younger generations for underappreciating their privilege, this comic is none of those things. Rahal takes believable, relatable aspects of Internet culture and leaves subtle clues that suggest nothing that’s viral is truly random. Rahal’s clever construction of the mystery will lead you to question what’s real, what’s fabricated, and what’s powered by something sinister. On multiple levels, this comic is the best kind of conspiracy mystery because it urges you to rethink what’s happening all around you.
How’s the art? Stefano Simeone’s style is slightly exaggerated, which undercuts the more serious moments, but Simeone’s panel composition is dynamic. Characters are in perpetual motion, even during the still moments, so the line work and colors may not be super clean, but the energy keeps you hooked.
Keep scrolling for a closer look at the covers, or Click Here to jump right to the story description with some spoilers.
What’s It About?
[SPOILERS AHEAD – Click here if you just want the score without spoilers]
We begin with a young man going viral for the latest Internet challenge – stealing Barnubus-brand hot dogs. When the young man gets hit by a car during his escape, news of the challenge and its architect begins to percolate up to national news.
Soon, the FBI begins to take notice when the challenge’s creator, Paul Kozac, has a growing follower community that bears a striking resemblance to cults. The FBI Director offers an undercover assignment to Agent Cara Cole to assess Paul Kovac’s intentions, how he manages to amass and direct such a huge following, and whether or not Kozac’s intentions are nefarious.
When Agent Cole uses the cover as a college T.A. to get within Kozac’s sphere, she soon learns the cult moniker may not be unwarranted, but Kozac may not be entirely to blame. We conclude the issue with tours, a party, and a cry for help.
Keep scrolling for a closer look at preview images of the internal pages, or Click Here to jump right to the score.
Final Thoughts
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UNDER THE INFLUENCE #1 is an unexpectedly clever mystery about an Internet Influencer who may or may not be turning into a cult leader. The examples of groupthink and collective behavior feel uncomfortably real, and the mystery leads to intriguingly dark places.
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