Death Sentence

Death Sentence #1

by Monty Nero (Contributor), Mike Dowling (Contributor)

Que feriez-vous si vous aviez des superpouvoirs et seulement six mois a vivre ? Le Virus G+ est un agent infectieux qui se transmet par voie sexuelle et qui donne des pouvoirs extraordinaires, puis vous tue. Verity, Monty et Weasel l'ont tous les trois contracte. Vont-ils crever dans leur coin ou mourir aureoles de gloire ? Et s'ils decident de se battre, que restera-t-il de la Terre ?

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Science Fiction, Superheroes, Fiction, Dystopia, War

160 pages, Paperback

First published May 13, 2014

Reviews

[Anna (Bananas)]

The mysogynistic tone is preventing me from enjoying this more. :/
It's too bad since I love the original concept - 3 characters contract an incurable, sexually transmitted superhero virus. So, they gain superpowers BUT they only have 6 months to live. Bummer.
I just found the representation of women throughout this first issue to be disgusting. Women are disrespected, used, and/or tossed aside in no less than four scenes. And yes I realize the male characters aren't much better. That doesn't excuse the nastiness.
Are they trying for edgy? Hardcore? Because it's not working.

[Alex Sarll]

Wow. A comic based around an STD which gives people superpowers and an enhanced libido for six months, then kills them, was never likely to be subtle*. And this isn't, but it packs a Hell of a punch. The three leads are all creatives, in a sense - essentially Russell Brand, Pete Doherty, and a frustrated artist working in a design agency. And on one level, like its live fast/die young peer The Wicked + the Divine, they live in a story which uses fantasy as a magnifying glass for the human condition - the urge to create versus the scant time in which to do so, the grand and inchoate vision versus the compromised result when you get it down on the page or canvas. But Death Sentence is also the work of creators raised on 2000AD and the Mark Millar school of outrage. At times it's practically the Thlyds in comics form - but it always feels urgent, never hampered by that sense of laziness which renders Millar's worst work so infuriating. Reading the introduction and commentary, Monty** in particular seems to have regarded this book as a last chance to do something which mattered, placing him very much in the same position as his leads. Which sometimes means the influences loom large as he grabs frantically from everything he loves (I got particularly strong flavours of Strikeforce: Morituri, Zenith and Miracleman) - but it's easy to forgive an excess of borrowings when they're paired with that sense of someone getting it all out, now, while he still can. And the end result, particularly for a debut, feels assured more often that not. A very impressive calling card.

*Yes, I know Disch's Camp Concentration could be claimed as a counter-example in some senses, but come on, it's still quite sturm und drang, isn't it?
**It's infuriatingly unclear whether Montynero is one word or two; he seems to use both interchangeably, which makes me twitchy.
------------
A rare reread, because I've finally got hold of the sequel, and there was always going to be a certain uncomfortable echo on a book about carpe diem and six-month life expectancies revisited nearly a decade on. But how much more so when it was about London devastated by the knock-on effects of a virus, and the villain is a barely disguised Russell Brand getting away with sex crimes in plain sight (while a not even that disguised Westwood is on the radio, too). Beyond two follow-ups to this and an odd couple of Marvel issues, Montynero has been pretty quiet since, which is surprising given the urgency radiating from every page of this, the foot in the door you'd think it would have given him. But maybe he really did just want to do one thing he could be proud of; gods know that's more than many manage.

[Scott]

Solid 3.5.
Interesting having a full commentary section at the end and by full I mean they comment on every page of all 6 issues which made up this book.

[David Lipely]

I wanted so so badly to like this book because i LOVED the premise behind it, and yet, it did not live up to that hype.
The premise is that there is a virus, called the g-virus, and if you get it then you receive super powers. The downfall... you die in around six months! Pretty freaking sweet, and original, idea if you ask me. And yet... they found a way to not delve into much of that and for most of the book focus on the one crazy side effect of the virus... an increased sex drive. In doing so, almost every page was covered in scenes from this, including even a grotesque rape scene where this guy holds his girlfriends head in a poop filled toilet underwater... while doing her from behind... SERIOUSLY!? Who comes up with this...
Remove these things, and some other plot let downs, and focus on the awesome and promised premise and it may have been a good read, but with all this other stuff... i just can’t justify it greatly

[James]

A lot is going on with this one, and I kept considering between a three- and a four-star review. The story pops along nicely, zings here and there, and summons forth some of the chaos one might expect from works such as The Boys, Volume 1: The Name of the Game—which is to the benefit of the narrative. These are realized heroes and villains in that the villains see themselves as necessary and that their goals are of benefit (even if just to themselves), and the heroes are not as heroic as one might hope. Still, despite art that pops and a sense of characters in tragic and beautiful decay that makes sense, often, things happen too quickly to consider the ramifications of the movements. These are not X-Men or superheroes of the classical mode; they are characters who know their time limits are coming, and that drives them to try to do as much of the actions that they see of being of value - whether that is to squeeze as much power out of their remaining days or try to write one more song that matters... or trying to discover who they are. There is much to consider here - the idea of illness and power, gender bias and identities, and more.

There is much to consider here, and it is a world worth revisiting. If one wanted to find another series to adapt to a film like Watchmen or The Boys, then maybe this one would work as a limited series or premium streaming series on one of the streaming services - and maybe that would also allow a structure that would allow a little more pausing on the characters.

In short, it is worth reading for its creativity, but if you are like me, you will wonder what more could be said about these characters - perhaps a testament in its own right to the strength of this work as a concept.

[Sydney]

So, 4.5 stars. Definitely loved this.
The art was perfectly made and the variation between the typical content art and the chapter art was a nice variation. The story was something unique, an STD that means death but also a better life until death. It beckons the age old question of whether we would shorten our life-span if it means the chance to have a better or more interesting life.
The unlikeable characters were made perfectly. I hated them enough without me wanting to put down the book but also wanting to see one's downfall while hoping to see the other one better themselves.
It was quite easy to follow even though it switched point-of-views frequently.
The chapter separations were even nice and helped to flesh out the story.
The only reason that I took off a half star is because sometimes the internal monologues were a little hard to follow, especially if there were multiple main characters in the same page.

I'm unsure if I will reread or keep this one. I do want to continue in the series though and see where it goes.

[Soobie has fog in her brain]

I backed one of Monty Nero's kickstarter because I loved the cover of one of the single issues. Then I bought the this one and the sequel because I wanted to know what I had backed.

I finally read it and I'm not satisfied. It was terrible.

The idea was so good but the execution was more than poor. It's impossible to feel any sympathy for the three main characters. Monty was too over the top, Verity didn't have that much personality to begin with and the third one... Jeez, the only thing he can do he drugs. The authors tried to make him likeable by using his love for his son but it really didn't work for me.

The bad guy was too bad and I don't like it when the villain is way too powerful. In addition, I have to admit that the scene about the Queen was rather unsettling. I don't live in the UK, I don't care about the Family's gossip but those few pages were... terrible.

I already have the second volume and I'll make an effort to read that as well.

[Tony Calder]

This graphic novel collects all six issues of the first series of Death Sentence. It includes a cover gallery and an extensive interview with the author.

The G+ virus is a sexually transmitted disease that gives the recipient superpowers, but only 6 months to live. An interesting premise, and one that does some deconstruction on the superhero trope, same as The Boys did, although this is much darker than The Boys. The story told is very dark and dystopian in a Lord of the Flies manner.

I have seen that other reviewers have called this misogynistic, and I can see why, although I'm not convinced that it really is. Women are certainly treated as objects for personal gratification by the two leading male characters, but their treatment of men is the same. This is not a graphic novel for readers who are squeamish or easily shocked - this is a sex, drugs and rock'n'roll story with plenty of violence thrown in. While the art never gets too graphic, it is on full display.

[Roberto Diaz]

An interesting concept that became a chore to read, more so because of the misogynistic (at times) it felt (even with a female lead in the trio of main characters). Two of the leads were really despicable, tying into de deconstruction of the "selflessness" of super powered characters, but struck a nerve in many times while reading to the point that reading this became a duty (because I can't let a book unfinished) rather than a fun pass time.

[Chad]

Definitely channeling some elements of Strikeforce: Morituri here, just without the aliens with balls on their chins. Three people get an STD that gives them superpowers along with a death sentence in 6 months. But what happens when 2 of the 3 people are a barely disguised Russell Brand and Pete Doherty? Well, we get one guy who goes completely out of control, a fuckup drug addict rockstar and an artistic girl with acid sweat. It's cool stuff. It is also very adult.

[Sebastien]

I like the art and it's hard to not see Kurt Cobain and Jim Morisson in those characters , the story was interesting but it took a while put everything together and the bing,bang it ended and was resolved suddenly.

[Robert Marsh]

Wow! Fun and thought-provoking. Beyond Brilliant.

[Thomas Zubrzycki]

So THAT'S how the Queen passed. I never knew.

Fun read, good artwork. Would have liked it to be longer, but I appreciate it for what it is. No regrets, would buy again.

[D.J. Desmond]

A little over the top, but really fun read

[Chris Bertenshaw]

Graphic Novel Review - Death Sentence - Montynero (Author) & Mike Dowling (Illustrator)
Recommended for 18+


Well, that escalated quickly!

A sexually transmitted virus, the G+, gives the victim incredible powers with the downside of only six months of life left to live. When rogue media icon Monty develops powers more powerful than anyone else and threatens an apocalypse, it's up to frustrated artist Verity and fallen rock idol Weasel to put a stop to him. But, with Monty as powerful as he is, do they have any hope?

If I was to sum Death Sentence up in one word, it would probably have to be 'holy-shitting-WTF'; seriously, there are several moments here where you won't quite believe what you're seeing - and I mean that in a positive, keeps-you-gripped, way. Without wanting to spoil the surprises, there are some deaths that you wouldn't dream anyone would ever try and portray in any form of media, that left me literally open-jawed as I double-checked that what I thought had happened had actually happened. Talk about pushing boundaries! And far from being gratuitous and only there to shock, it only serves to enhance the sense of despair and peril that the world finds itself in.

Story- and visual-wise, this is firmly an adults-only story, with none of it holding anything back. From boobs and bums to exploding heads and bodies sliced in half, you're not going to want anyone squeamish seeing this, which is a shame because I was utterly transfixed throughout. It's a nice change having a graphic novel of this calibre set mainly in the UK, and I'm feeling uber-excited having learnt that there's a Volume 2 on its way.

Having a superpowered-STI is an original take on the superpower/mutant staple, and having lotharios such as Weasel and Monty spreading it is sure to come into play in Volume 2, with more and more people affected by the disease. It's truly a graphic novel that I wish hadn't ended, yet I was completely satisfied with the way it did, and looking forward to seeing where the creative team take it in the next volume.

Buzzfeed called this the 'best British comic in years' - they're absolutely, 100%, correct. I'm loving nearly everything that Image Comics are throwing at me at the moment, but Titan Comics have thrown out something that's right up there with the best.

Essential.

5/5

[Tom]

In this interesting concept, an incurable viral STD gives its victims six months to live...and a range of potential superpowers. The book follows around three such victims over the period of about a month. Frustrated artist Verity has a decent conscience and wants to leave a positive impact on the world through her art. Weasel is all about sex, drugs, and rock'n'roll, but he's not very good at that last one. And then there's Monty. Monty is referred to as a "media personality," but calls himself a comedian. His humor is of the awful and dark variety, and he decides, since he's managed to get all kinds of nasty mental powers ranging from mind control to telekinesis to do whatever it is he wants in the time he has left, starting with taking over London and the British government.

I'd never heard of publisher Titan Comics before, but they're a British publisher, so that may be why. This is not a kid's book. There's lots of swearing, sex, and extreme violence. All three of the main characters kill people when their powers manifest. The only difference is for Monty it was entirely intentional.

[Jimmy Brown]

I wish I enjoyed this more than I did, the concept is good but the worrying misogynistic tone and unlikeable characters ruined it slightly for me. There is one character I liked, the girl on the cover but she isn't really the main focus. We spend more time with the thoroughly annoying 'Weasel' and Russell Brand-esque villain 'Monty'. By the time Verity and 'Weasel' rise to the call of action, I was past caring and the amount of nude women on the pages got monotonous. Ok, part of the virus makes them more sexually active but almost every time we see 'Monty', he is surrounded by naked females. It may be part of the character, we get it pretty early on, it wasn't needed as much as it was used. And the way women are written is pretty shoddy too, sure the men are dics too but the women are all basically there for sex. Even, eventually, the female lead.

It does have its moments, though and the art is pretty good but after I finished, I was largely disappointed.

[Alex]

I decided to read Death Sentence after meeting Monty Nero in a comic book shop in Aberdeen, Scotland promoting his new "season" Death Sentence London. After I purchased a signed version of London issue 1 I decided to start from the beginning and purchase Death Sentence. This book was very adult in its themes of violence, sexuality and drug use all of which kinda made the story better rather than worse. In a normal world excessive use of the above would ruin a good story with over the top egoism, however like the tale of a rock star (literary and metaphorically) this story shows that not all heroes are full of joy, ego and shiny white toothy smiles and that not all villains have a plan and a hidden volcano base. In the words of Micheal Caine in The Dark Knight "some men just like to watch the world burn"
For its unique boldness to go where most comics try to veer from, this book got my curiosity and kept it!

[Whitney]

While the concept of Death Sentence is interesting - a terminal STI that will kill people within six months and gives them unique superpowers as a trade off - the book falls a bit flat. Personally, the art style is not to my liking, which usually kills any interest I have in reading a graphic novel. In this case, the story kept me going beyond the headache-inducing artwork, but was dragged down by the characters. Unfortunately there isn't a single likable character in the entire book. The book also appears to be shocking just for the sake of being shocking, and this drowns out and confuses what is actually important to the story. What the book is successful in portraying is the bleak and disheartened atmosphere of a society where anyone could be infected, and where some people are willing to do anything - even give up their lifespan - for a taste of power.

[Helen]

Interesting premise, nice drawings, very poor dialogue. I kid you not, the first half of the book has either sex scenes or graphic sexual language (or both) on every page, the vast majority of which is totally irrelevant and pretty misogynistic. It gets better towards the latter half of the story but had already lost me by that point.

I did laugh out loud when Verity wakes up with a strange man, panics because she can't find her crucifix which apparently is 'inside' herself. A large, wooden crucifix. As if any woman wouldn't notice that. Scenes like that show this was written by a man with pretty much no clue about women. And given the numbers of women in this (however expendable they are), thats a big weakness.

[Mike]

This entry in the 'let's look at superheroes in a contemporary sociological context' sub-genre does at least offer an original concept, but I thought its flaw was in the fact that there was very little time spent on introducing any of the main characters and on explaining why the virus suddenly infected them.

While there did seem to be a deeper message about society scratching at the surface, and some very Alan Moore like moments, I didn't get invested in any of it and the plot just boiled down to "what if Russell Brand was a super villain?"

It was ok, but I agree with a previous reviewer who said it could've been a whole lot better.

[Ben Mariner]

This book was pretty interesting. A deadly STD gives anyone infected badass super powers. Definitely an original take on the whole superhero thing. There was a fair amount of sex, drugs, and rock and roll in this book which isn't necessarily a bad thing. I think the thing I like the most was the fact that the powers could be controlled with drug use. Not exactly an anti-drug commercial, but still. The art was gritty and excellent. The story line was a little generic, but not really in a bad way. Overall, I think it was a pretty unique take on superheroes, especially since they were all British which isn't very common in general. A pretty good read for anyone who likes graphic novels.

[Norman Van Der Linde]

If you took a large dose of Mark Millar & added a dollop of Alan Moore then sprinkled lightly with Garth Ennis (pre-Crossed era), this is what I imagine you would get.

The plot is simple & relevant even intriguing: What would happen if there was a STD which gave you superpowers but six months to live? Now what would ensue if three talented people tested the highest ever on the G-Plus(the disease) scale and two of those people where already celebrities? This comic will answer all those questions and more in a thoroughly enjoyable way. Just strap yourself in and enjoy the ride.

[David Musto]

There is a new sexually transmitted disease called the G-Plus virus. It has no known cure and is inevitably fatal. This doesn't exactly sound like a comic book premise until the fact that the virus unlocks superhuman abilities in those that contract it, as if to use up the body's potential of an entire lifetime, shortened and intensified into only months.

The rest of my review at this link.

[Mónica]

No estoy muy segura de cómo llegué a esta novela gráfica. La trama me llamó mucho la atención. Gente que está muriendo por una enfermedad de transmisión sexual pero el truco es que, a pesar de tener sólo 6 meses de vida, pueden llegar a vivir de una manera "plena" (entre comillas pero no digo por qué ya que es spoiler) debido a que desarrollan poderes que los convierte en seres extraordinarios.
En teoría una buena idea. En práctica, ño.

[Blake Petit]

An inventive new take on superpowers -- in this book we see a world where an STD grants people superpowers, but leaves them with only about six months to live. This first volume follows three people who deal with having the G+ virus in very different ways, including one with plans for domination. A clever idea that's well-executed. I'll certainly follow future volumes in this series.

[John]

I was caught off-guard by this punk-rock twist on superpowers. There's lots of sex, drugs, and rock and roll in this dark but witty tale featuring three young people who contract the G+ virus, an STD that gives you enhanced powers but kills you in six months. Gory, gritty and full of sly social commentary, this is a really pleasant surprise with great art.

[Anna]

Interesting concept, weird direction, enjoyed it a lot. I think it has unfulfilled potential. I don't get why Verity is naked on the covers, as she's never naked or consistently sexual in the story. If anything, Monty's naked a lot. Felt a bit like page 3 gubbins.

[Chad]

So close to being really great, but it just didn't pull it off. There's a lot of good things about this graphic novel and I will probably check out what this creative team does next.

[Rel]

great one off, great art.