Cryptocracy #1, written by Van Jensen with art provided by Pete Woods, is a story about the Nine Families that secretly pull the strings of high-profiled individuals and orchestrate events around the world to where they see fit. Focusing on territorial power, conspiracy and coercion, the first issue of Cryptocracy introduces readers to two of the Nine Families: Mars and Jupiter.
Following the story of Mars’ main character, Senior Grahame, we are able to witness the behind-the-scenes planning and orchestration of averting a potentially dangerous and revolutionary scientific discovery. Grahame can be described as power-driven, calculating and devious, making him an ideal comic book protagonist.
THE GOOD
The plot is straightforward as the pacing jumps from scene to scene, demonstrating the lengths of how far it takes for a Family to cover up their own tracks. Playing with grand themes like territorial power, conspiracy and coercion, one might believe that it can be too complex to put them all into one story. However, writer Van Jensen deftly combines them all into a story that is entertaining and simple enough to follow.
The winning quality of Cryptocracy #1 is its interior artwork. Artist Pete Woods is able to beautifully illustrate and bring to life a grounded-in-reality world where the aliens, sci-fi technology and highly advanced Illuminati-like groups exist. Woods’ character drawings are crisp, beautiful and animated which makes the issue a pleasurable read. Each scene differentiates itself from one another through gorgeous color work and lighting. The colors are consistent, vibrant and bold as it energizes the panels on every page.
THE BAD
We are introduced to many supporting characters from both the Mars Family and their enemies, however they are not memorable or likeable enough for readers to become attached to. These characters are very archetypal with dialogue we’ve seen before:
• A competitive female rival of Grahame who is vying for her father’s love and approval
• An anthropomorphic character who is crude, angry and violent
• A short, cute alien character who has broken English and tends to repeat phrases
• A gothic punk female teenager whose rebellious cause is to unveil the truth and expose lies
• A band of unsophisticated white supremacists who use guns to enforce their entitled brand of justice
• An old tribal prophet who uses a magical staff and is prone to quote vague prophecies
The writing for these characters is effortless and formulaic which, in return, makes them uninteresting and unimaginative for readers to appreciate.
Overall, Cryptocracy #1 has a very convincing and fascinating plot and direction but is led with a set of unoriginal and uninspiring characters that are not strong enough for readers to become attached to. With gorgeous interior artwork, Cryptocracy has the potential of becoming an exceptional comic book that is able to tie in interesting themes, however its characters need to stray away from their typical archetype and differentiate themselves with more unique characteristics and inspiring dialogue.
