YOU’VE BEEN CANCELLED #3, from Mad Cave Studios on 8/9/23, finds Roland’s worldview challenged when he learns he’s just a pawn in Cancelled’s game of life.
The Details
- Written by: Curt Pires
- Art by: Kevin Castaniero
- Colors by: Jason Wordie
- Letters by: Micah Myers
- Cover art by: Kevin Castaniero
- Comic Rating: Mature
- Cover price: $3.99
- Release date: 8/9/23
Is It Good?
YOU’VE BEEN CANCELLED #3 marks Curt Pires’s penultimate issue in the electric series that takes Stephen King’s The Running Man and adds a social media twist. Filled with plenty of action, a few moments of black humor, and an expertly executed role reversal, YOU’VE BEEN CANCELLED #3 may be the most satisfying issue yet.
When last we left Roland, he found out he became Cancelled’s target after the algorithm was hacked by a little girl. Now, we learn why the girl hacked Cancelled and the horrible truth behind Roland’s role as the game’s top hunter. Confronted by his participation in years of wrongdoing, Roland vows to take Cancelled down.
What’s great about this issue? There’s a lot to like about this issue, but the standouts are Pires’s character work and Kevin Castaniero’s action choreography. Pires opens Roland’s eyes to the truth behind all the killings he’s done over the years, hitting him with an almost mind-snapping assault of guilt and regret. For a hard-edged hunter to break so emphatically and make it look believable is a nice bit of work.
When Roland resolves to make things right, just in time for a new wave of hunters to arrive, Castaniero employs fight choreography that mixes hand-to-hand grappling, bladed weapons, and grounded, gritty techniques to make the fighting as believable as possible. It looks great, and Castaniero’s stylized character designs sell the emotional beats with excellent facial acting.
What’s not so great about this issue? Yes, this is a modern twist on The Running Man, but Pires’s story is following The Running Man a little too close, making it predictable. Twist the names and faces, and it’s practically the same plot as the film (Not the novella. The novella is VERY different from the film). Inspiration is good, but Pires gets uncomfortably close to the line of a clone in spots.
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What’s It About?
[SPOILERS AHEAD – Click here if you just want the score without spoilers]
Check out our YOU’VE BEEN CANCELLED #2 review to find out how Roland found his young hacker.
We begin with Roland escorting his hacker nemesis and her mother to the safe house. With a brief moment to rest, Roland insists on an explanation, and she obliges.
Her brother worked at Cancelled as an elite programmer. He discovered the executives had a manual backdoor that allowed competitors and enemies to be listed as targets, rather than letting the people’s votes be the true decider. In short, Roland has been playing corporate hitman for years and didn’t know it. When her brother confronted the executives, he was quietly placed on the Cancelled hit list.
We conclude the issue with a change of heart, old competitors in new fights, and worldwide promise.
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Final Thoughts
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YOU’VE BEEN CANCELLED #3 delivers a hard-hitting, penultimate issue that re-imagines The Running Man with a social media twist. Pires’s character work is outstanding, and Castaniero’s emotional acting and action choreography work equally well.
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