Death Ratio’d – A One-Shot To Enjoy Like Your Life Depended On It

Throughout the history of the industry, comics have been used to address social issues and reflect them on the colored page,  Death Ratio’d, a dark look at what might happen if society and social media were to go unchecked mixed with the tale of Rip Van Winkle and a dash of Shirley Jackson’s The Lottery, is no different and in the wheelhouse of writer Mark Russell, who is no stranger to addressing and reflecting society in his works.

Set in the not-too-distant future the story begins with the protagonist waking up from a coma and finding him in a world driven by social media likes /dislikes as a result of the Social Media Wars. The protagonist Arnold, is an everyman who lapses into a coma after an incident at Applebee’s where he plans to propose to his girlfriend. The next thing Arnold knows he is waking up,v told that he has been in a coma, and informed that social media is now in control of society. After leaving the hospital after his rehabilitation, Arnold must adapt to the new world he finds himself in whether he likes it or not. He attempts to navigate through this new life trying not to reach that critical rating that will cause his head to explode, all the while questioning whether it is worth living in the long run.

Russell expertly weaves in social media tropes, such as clothing with ads and the taking of ones nude photos mandatory into the story in a way that while humorous on the surface, could seen as where social media could eventually trend. Using broad strokes, story provides a snapshot of the different kinds of social media cliques that exist as Arnold is presented with the different clans/protection gangs: The Validators, The Upworthy Clan, The Troll Farm, and Christian Mingle, who describe themselves as more of a dating site, but will mingle the S@%! out of anyone who messes with them. Along with talk on hot topics such as algorithms and artificial intelligence, the dry, sarcastic, and dark humor shine through providing an emotional release needed to  enjoy the series without it becoming too dark.

The artwork and colors add to the dystopian feeling of the sorry using a muted palette to convey the unhappy and fake place the world has become. The art team deserve high praise for bringing the words to the page in dark, but riveting form.

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Overall, this one-shot continues to the socially-progressive writing style  Russell has demonstrated throughout his career in series such as The Flintstone, Snagglepuss, Second Coming, and Billionsiare Island. What sets Death Ratio’d apart from many of these is the creative license that AWA Studios gave him to not hold back on, taking the chance that