The Nightly News.

Reading the Nightly News, one gets a sense of madness, insanity. Cold, calculated, well thought out, soundly structured madness. Not the kind you find in an asylum. This is more than being a little bit off the beaten path. This is faith we're discussing. It's a beautifully designed/illustrated finger to the media conglomerate, peppered with spreadsheets, factoids, graphs and feels feels brutally honest, despite the creator's frequent attempts(in and out of the book) to distance himself from the views represented(misrepresented?) in the book.

But let's back up. This is a graphic novel, written and drawn by Johnathan Hickman. It's a one and done story told in six issues. We follow John Guyton, failed art critic, homeless, who gets recruited into becoming "the HAND of the VOICE". The leader of a cult with one goal in mind. The complete obliteration of the modern journalistic system. Indoctrination disguised as education, the essence of truth, the power of faith and how dangerous it can be a just a few themes the book tries to explore. It's heady, confusing stuff. Even though it feels somewhat didactic at times, the central plot line grabs on to you like a mad dog humping your leg. Never letting go and giving you only the slightest room for breath.

The visual styling of the book deserves special mention. A mash-up of graphic design and comic illustration, it's arresting, layered and powerful. Never before has design been so tightly intertwined with the story in a graphic novel. Every page is painstakingly designed, little visual cues and easter eggs dotted all over, most of which won't be apparent until at least a second reading. Or the annotations, which are awesomely insightful.

It's rather dense, but never feels hard to follow. It leaves you feeling a little bit smarter than before, as all good work should. It's unapologetic demonizing of the media seems increasingly relevant in our age of information. Perhaps it's distasteful to some, but for everyone else, it's a great looking ride, with insanely brilliant cult-speak, explosions, political intrigue, and everything you'd want from an excellent conspiracy story.