Comic Review: Liberty Deception: Vol 1

Liberty Deception: Volume 1

John Dossinger Publishing

Writer: Travis Vengroff

Artist: Raymund Bermudez & Art Shaft Team

Sadly, there are simply too many people who worked on this for me to list in the credits above. Suffice it to say, it’s in the mid-20s, and I want to acknowledge the fact that a ton of people put work into this piece. There, done. Let’s get to the review.

First off, Liberty Deception is a multimedia story. In this, it may be unique in terms of its comic form. While not part of the direct plotline of Liberty Deception, the comic is based in a world that is at once a tabletop RPG, which has been made into a podcast-play-through, as well as standalone audio fiction. While I haven’t listened to all the podcasts provided, I can only guess that they will make the world within this comic more immersive, the story more contextualized. I think it’s a really cool idea, though how the execution of this world-building works remains to be seen.

Plot:

Liberty Deception takes place on a far-flung planet, where the government controls the way people think through constant propaganda. It’s a familiar world for anyone who has read. . . basically any dystopian fiction. The titular character, suspectly named, Tertulius Justus, or TJ, for short, is a propaganda actor whose services are no longer of use to the state. Instead of paying him off to shut up, the antagonist decides to dispose of him.

Character:

This is, perhaps, the most suspect aspect of this volume. Luckily, the comic is just self-aware enough to point out its own tropes and short-comings. However, it still falls flat at times with crude, and seemingly out of place misogynistic comments by some of the rougher characters. The reason these comments fall flat is that the comic establishes its own self-awareness against this type of tropish genre angst, then uses it regardless in an edgy attempt at world-building and character distinction. Overall, while some of the characters work in their roles, others feel forced or contrived.

Art:

The art isn’t pedestrian, but neither is it breathtaking. It fits the story and world well, but at times the dialogue and noted facial expressions don’t match. The art is at its best when atmospheric in tone. When the panels are shaded for tone rather than attempting to depict the literal is when I found myself most immersed. Another positive for art is the periodical advertisements, i.e. propaganda from the state of Atrius. It’s a clever way to scene change, and add context to the world.