Ministry of Compliance #1

by John Ridley, Stefano Raffaele (Artist)

Academy Award–winning filmmaker and critically acclaimed comic book writer John Ridley (The Other History of the DC Universe, I Am Batman) delivers a bold, new vision of science fiction with MINISTRY OF COMPLIANCE. Thirty-seven years ago, Earth was secretly invaded by an alien force known as the Devolution, and they have been shaping the direction humanity has been going in ever since to prepare us to be assimilated into their empire. The Devolution has thirteen ministries, each responsible for manipulating a different aspect of human life. The Ministry of Compliance, the most feared of all the ministries, led by the fierce Avigail Senna, makes sure all the ministries stay in line and remain focused on the Devolution’s mission. As it appears the Ministry’s mission is on the verge of being completed and Earth will be assimilated, things begin to go terribly wrong, and a conspiracy among the ministries breaks out that Avigail must deal with head-on. The beginning of comics’ next sci-fi epic in this oversized debut issue from John Ridley and acclaimed artist Stefano Rafael (The Joker, The Blue Wall)!

Genres: Comics

66 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 15, 2023

About the author

John Ridley IV (born October 1965)[2] is an American screenwriter, television director, novelist, and showrunner, known for 12 Years a Slave, for which he won an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. He is also the creator and showrunner of the critically acclaimed anthology series American Crime. His most recent work is the documentary film Let It Fall: Los Angeles 1982–1992.


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Reviews

[Kim Lockhart · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is really good, and definitely worth your time. I actually wrote a full review:

First things first: "put in compliance" turns out to be a more extreme measure than perhaps anticipated. I was surprised, but strangely gratified that this role is fulfilled by a non-hesitant powerful woman. I immediately liked that. The writing is also very crisp and very smart.

There is a meta awareness of how over-the-top the storyline is. Therefore, we are not surprised to learn that the full title of the lead is "Minister of Compliance of the Greater Devolution of the Homeworld." As a quick aside, the way the artist renders eyes is remarkable. The irises shine, giving life to the characters . . . well, as long as they stay alive, anyway. The emphasis on the eyes must be intentional. It vaguely recalls the importance of eyes re: the replicants of Blade Runner.

So, yes, there is a lot of violence, but as Arnold Schwarzenegger quips in the movie True Lies, "Yeah, but they were all bad."

Very quickly, the characters lay out the character, purpose, and duration of the mission of the ministries, using a literary device I like to call "Let's discuss details that we already know, for the express benefit of the reader." It's like when villains tell the protagonist all about their evil plans.

The otherworldly talk between the otherworldlies is kind of hilariously uptight, but this is softened by the appearance of anomalies that threaten their neat and structured plans. I like that this story ignores the more obvious differences among characters, and instead opts for a different kind of bigotry and prejudice. It's kind of refreshing. And we get our conflict and tension in this story early on. I love it. I don't need a lot of preamble in graphic novels, and these authors understand that.

There is so much to love about this, and I'm confident that this will be a kickass series.

[Michael J. Brooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm greatly enjoying this story! I've actually read issues one and two. In this story, there is an alien race in human form plotting to take over Earth. They are supposedly a race that brings peace to other worlds, so, at least to them, their forthcoming invasion is rooted in a noble cause. This race has different government-style ministries on Earth, such as the Ministry of Transport, Ministry of Finance, and so on. The Ministry of Compliance is like the enforcer of them all that keeps them in check and punishes corruption or betrayal. Also, you have half-breeds, beings who are part human and part alien. It seems like a war might be brewing between the aliens, half-breeds, and a human militia who has caught wind of the alien invaders existence. This is a solid science fiction comic book for adults (language and gruesome violence). The artwork drew me in as well as the storytelling. Reading this literally feels like watching a great movie and would probably make a great streaming series. I recommend this to anyone who loves sci-fi.

[Robby Goodwin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book, but it’s story is very similar to the plot in Marvel’s Secret Invasion. (Book & TV show)

[Aron · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.25 Stars. This was interesting, really great first issue. Looking forward to this series.