Being a very big fan of The Killer, writer Matz and artist Luc Jacamon’s near-flawless crime opus, I was damn excited to hear they were teaming up again for a series. When I then heard it’d be a sci-fi war story with a commentary on our nation’s obsession with violent news as entertainment, I started to drool uncontrollably. And now that I’ve read the first issue of Cyclops, I’m already starting to get the addict's itch for the next issue. This is every bit a worthy successor to The Killer.

The year is 2054 and peacekeeping operations have been outsourced to large corporations. These operations are also broadcast almost live to millions of homes, where the feeds have become the new “must see television”, and the revenue made is so lucrative that everyone wants a piece of the pie. One corporation that’s recently acquired a contract is Multicorps Security, and Douglas Pistoia, just married and in desperate need of a job, has just answered one of their ads. While being on the frontlines of a war wasn’t in the job description, Douglas needs the cash, and the requirement of being in the field for a year to test his merit as a man before being able to take any position in the company that he wants seems like an okay tradeoff. And with all of this being broadcast around the world, surely they wouldn’t put a rookie in too dangerous of a situation, right?

If you’re wondering why the series has the moniker Cyclops, something that evokes images of giant beasts rather than war for entertainment, the title refers to the camera that is in the helmet of all of the soldiers on the field. While the idea of cameras on the battlefield isn’t exactly original, with Full Metal Jacket jumping immediately to mind, the view being right inside soldier’s helmets and being broadcast like something of a sporting event surely is, especially when taking into account that while the series takes place in a future world with high-tech, the war itself looks startlingly like what we’re seeing every day on our nightly newscasts. Add in TV execs that are more worried about whether the soldiers have a “face for TV” than actual ability and quietly hoping for things to get hairy to jack up advertiser dollars, and you have a pretty searing commentary on our nation's current obsession with all things tragic and the emotional detachment of “it’s only on TV” that comes with it.

The writing and dialogue in this opening act (that features a full 30 pages of story) is excellent, and Matz manages to not only set up a story that has the potential to go into a ton of interesting directions, but he also establishes a main character with a solid back-story and believable life that already has the reader, in only one issue, invested in wanting to see what happens to him. Likewise, the art is incredible. If you’ve read The Killer, you already know what to expect out of Jacamon’s artwork. It’s cartoony, but also based in reality and drawn with emotion. His color usage is a bit more vibrant this time around, with the scenes involving Douglas and his wife taking on an almost pastel, watercolor-influenced look.

The first issue of Cyclops (the first four-issue story arc being titled “The Recruit”) sets up a story that looks to be a politically charged, caustic commentary on the fascination with conflict that features likeable characters and a deep, rich world in which to play. If this inaugural issue is any indication, the possibilities are big, and looking at Matz and Jacamon’s track record, it’s more inevitable than not. Cyclops is a winner.

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