Tokyo Ghost: Atomic Garden | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Review

---

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Tokyo Ghost: Atomic Garden

Written by Rick Remender

Art by Sean Gordon Murphy

Published March 2016 by Image Comics

#Comic, #GraphicNovel, #ScienceFiction, #Dystopian, #Technology

---

If you have been following my comic reviews you probably saw this one coming.  I am a huge fan of Remender, I think with each comic of his that I have read I have seen him develop and really build on himself.  This is no exception, but I do want to talk about the few little issues I had with it.

If you don't know, this series takes place in a particular future where technology has advanced so far that it has become an actual addiction for people.  They don't have to think about the real world, they can escape into any number of shows, hovering right before their eyes.  Too weak, get enhanced, take shots or pills with particular tech in them to improve yourself.  Masturbating too hard?  There's some tech for that.

Our protagonists are lovers who are on opposite sides of this technological spectrum.  A spunky little lady who has never taken part in any of this tech stuff and her best friend and lover who was so embarrassed by his weak nature that he enlisted into a sort of back alley police force in order to gain the tech necessary to make him large and strong and powerful.

At first I had a little bit of trouble with this comic because it seemed like such a cliche plot.  A story telling of the woes of technology (a theme that I honestly am bothered by most of the time) however it quickly turned into something else.  This is a story about guilt, addiction, and sacrifice.  This isn't a story about love conquering all, at least so far it isn't.  It did end on a bit of a cliff hanger, and I picked it up in the trade so I have no idea what happens next.  I appreciate it for that.  Remender is moving it somewhere unique and I think he is exploring interesting themes.  He is able to create so many interesting and unique worlds with issues stemming from so many places and I honestly applaud that ability.

How about the art?  I always like talking about the art when it is relevant.  I honestly found the way this comic was illustrated incredibly beautiful.  There are large spaces of black filled with pops of really vibrant color and fast moving actions.  There were panels that actually hit me really hard either in how incredibly poignant they were, or in how disturbing they were underneath all of that color.  It was an interesting experience.

My only problem was that I felt the female lead was a little bit too scantily clad.  Now, I have nothing against ladies wearing what they want and what they are comfortable with, I do however have a problem with designs being meant for the male audience to lust after or ogle those females.  Did it bother me enough to put down the book, no.  She isn't often in risque poses or anything so I will forgive it that.  She looks cool, and that's important, I just wish she could be cool, with a little bit more clothes.  Personal taste probably.

All in all I really enjoyed this comic.  I still think Low is a better story, but I have been invested in it longer.  I will be picking up the next trade of this one when it comes out because I am still interested which is not something I could say about Black Science.  We shall see where the story goes.