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REVIEW: New Think #3
Book Title: New Think #3
Book Description: “New Think” #3 begins by telling us vampires are real. Compared to other birds of prey, the vampire finch appears to be harmless. The vampire finch will land on the back of a booby bird and peck until it breaks the skin. Then the finch feeds. This story makes a similar comparison about our phones and how they feed on our souls in a chilling explanation of exactly how this transpires.
Publisher Logo:
Summary
Rating if the Book Were a Movie: PG-13
Creative Team:
Writer: Gregg Hurwitz
Artist: Keron Grant
Letters: Andworld Design
Cover: Rahzzah
Editor: Michael Coast
Publisher: AWA Studios/Upshot Studios
Ratings:
Story: 4.1 Stars
Interior Artwork: 3.4 Stars
Cover Artwork: 4.2 Stars
Dialogue: N/A
Mechanics: 3.5 Stars
Editing: 3.4 Stars
“New Think” didn’t get onto my radar until I saw this issue on the shelf at my local comic book store. The cover caught my attention because my buddy, Lug Nut, used to be a huge Marilyn Monroe fan. I picked up this issue with the intention of passing it on to him once I read it.
You can imagine my surprise when I discovered this was the 3rd installment in the series. I apologize for the delay. Usually I’m up to speed on everything that comes from AWA/Upshot and quick to let people know about it.
I loved how the narrator describes themselves as being akin to the vampire finch. Very unassuming in demeanor and appearance, but just as dangerous. It’s so fitting.
This is a perfect way to describe America’s (if not a great deal of the world’s) obsession with screens. It starts out harmlessly enough. People get a social media account to stay connected/reconnect with old friends and family. An app gets installed and the tracking begins.
Before you know it you’re seeing advertisements aimed just at you through an algorithm based on your internet search history. It doesn’t stop there. As paranoid as it sounds, your phone is listening to you.
I made a comment to a friend one time about wanting to get gutters for the side of my house. I never researched it on the internet. The next day I was seeing advertisements all over my social media page for contractors that do gutter work.
Additionally, we make sure our phones know everything about us. With our fitbits and smart watches our phones know our heart rate, breathing rate, when we’re sleeping and when we’re exercising. My phone has gotten to the point that every Wednesday it alerts me when my local comic book store is open for new comic book day. I never programmed it to do that.
This cover is an homage to one of the most classic scenes in pop culture history and it works! I got a kick out of when the light went on and noticed Marilyn was standing on a phone.
There are pages that are very busy. It makes the narrative harder to follow; but it is manageable. We don’t get many clear illustrations, which is be design. We’re meant to see everything from the phone’s perspective.
As a geek on a budget I believe “New Think” #3 is a MUST READ book. It’s a tremendous cautionary tale of how much we allow technology to become an integral part of our lives.
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