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Tokyo Ghost
Токийский Призрак. Том 1. Атомный сад
Острова Лос-Анджелеса, 2089 год. Человечество впало в зависимость от технологий, пытаясь сбежать от пропитанной радиацией всеобщей разрухи. Ради цифровых улучшений безработное население готово воровать, грабить и убивать. Виртуальные наслаждения - их единственный наркотик и смысл жизни, и этой весьма прибыльной сферой заправляют бандиты. А к кому обращаются эти бандиты, когда им нужно показать, кто здесь главный? О да, к констеблям Леду Денту и Дебби Декэй... Эта работенка приведет нашу парочку из нищего Лос-Анджелеса в последнюю свободную от технологий страну Земли: Токийскую Нацию Сада.
136 pages, Hardcover
First published March 9, 2016
91 people are currently reading
2155 people want to read
About the author
Rick Remender
1,246 books1,425 followersRick Remender is an American comic book writer and artist who resides in Los Angeles, California. He is the writer/co-creator of many independent comic books like Black Science, Deadly Class, LOW, Fear Agent and Seven to Eternity. Previously, he wrote The Punisher, Uncanny X-Force, Captain America and Uncanny Avengers for Marvel Comics.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 350 reviews
April 28, 2022
(A) 85% | Extraordinary
Notes: Review pending re-read. Collected review for volumes 1-2 can be found here: Tokyo Ghost: Complete Edition
Notes: Review pending re-read. Collected review for volumes 1-2 can be found here: Tokyo Ghost: Complete Edition
October 20, 2024
Let me start by saying the artwork in this book is amazing. Sean Murphy's influences are pretty detectable; there's some Bill Sienkiewicz in there, some Ashley Wood and even some Frank Miller. This adds up to one heck of a sum. Murphy's work is highly kinetic, highly detailed (in places) and shows that this guy knows how to steer a line. Equally impressive is the colour art by Matt Hollingsworth, which is absolutely breathtaking at times. It is safe to say this book would be worth reading for the artwork alone.
What about the story, though? Well, I'll begin by saying I'm a fan of Rick Remender's work, particularly on Black Science, which is currently one of my favourite monthlies. This one, though, feels a little heavy-handed message-wise. It's pretty much a standard 'technology is bad, let's all go back to nature' schtick and I'm really not a huge fan of those.
One of the problems I have with anti-technology stories is that they tend to be pretty arbitrary with the dividing line between what counts as 'good' technology and what counts as 'bad' technology. In this book, pretty much anything that a thirty-something comicbook writer can be nostalgic about (record players, for example) is permissable, but anything post-1980 is eeeeeeevilllll and corrupting. What a load of old bollocks. It's not technology that's bad, it's some of the uses it can be put to that are bad, and that's true of every technology from the stick onwards. Nobody's seriously suggestion we should go back to being a pre-tool using species, surely?
Another thing that irked me was a scene mocking superheroes. I have no problem with people mocking superheroes (they are pretty ridiculous, to be fair) unless the writer in question is being a big ol' hypocrite, as in this case. The protagonists of this book are essentially superheroes in everything but name. Let's take the standard superheros-are-bad test, shall we?
1. Superheroes dress in ridiculous costumes. Tokyo Ghost protagonists dress in ridiculous costumes.
2. Superheroes represent an unrealistic ideal of physical perfection. Tokyo Ghost protagonists represent an unrealistic ideal of physical perfection.
3. Superheroes operate under an overly simplistic moral code. Tokyo Ghost protagonists operate under an overly simplistic moral code.
4. Superheroes represent an adolescent male power fantasy. Tokyo Ghost protagonists represent an adolescent male power fantasy.
5. Superheroes have abilities far beyond those of normal humans. Tokyo Ghost protagonists have abilities far beyond those of normal humans.
I could go on, but I'm boring myself. Let's just refer back to the old people in glass houses shouldn't throw stones thing and leave it at that.
Don't get me wrong; the story wasn't terrible; it just annoyed me in places.
Overall, I'd give this 3 stars for the story and 5 stars for the artwork.
What about the story, though? Well, I'll begin by saying I'm a fan of Rick Remender's work, particularly on Black Science, which is currently one of my favourite monthlies. This one, though, feels a little heavy-handed message-wise. It's pretty much a standard 'technology is bad, let's all go back to nature' schtick and I'm really not a huge fan of those.
One of the problems I have with anti-technology stories is that they tend to be pretty arbitrary with the dividing line between what counts as 'good' technology and what counts as 'bad' technology. In this book, pretty much anything that a thirty-something comicbook writer can be nostalgic about (record players, for example) is permissable, but anything post-1980 is eeeeeeevilllll and corrupting. What a load of old bollocks. It's not technology that's bad, it's some of the uses it can be put to that are bad, and that's true of every technology from the stick onwards. Nobody's seriously suggestion we should go back to being a pre-tool using species, surely?
Another thing that irked me was a scene mocking superheroes. I have no problem with people mocking superheroes (they are pretty ridiculous, to be fair) unless the writer in question is being a big ol' hypocrite, as in this case. The protagonists of this book are essentially superheroes in everything but name. Let's take the standard superheros-are-bad test, shall we?
1. Superheroes dress in ridiculous costumes. Tokyo Ghost protagonists dress in ridiculous costumes.
2. Superheroes represent an unrealistic ideal of physical perfection. Tokyo Ghost protagonists represent an unrealistic ideal of physical perfection.
3. Superheroes operate under an overly simplistic moral code. Tokyo Ghost protagonists operate under an overly simplistic moral code.
4. Superheroes represent an adolescent male power fantasy. Tokyo Ghost protagonists represent an adolescent male power fantasy.
5. Superheroes have abilities far beyond those of normal humans. Tokyo Ghost protagonists have abilities far beyond those of normal humans.
I could go on, but I'm boring myself. Let's just refer back to the old people in glass houses shouldn't throw stones thing and leave it at that.
Don't get me wrong; the story wasn't terrible; it just annoyed me in places.
Overall, I'd give this 3 stars for the story and 5 stars for the artwork.
October 21, 2018
Wow... reading this one was a real blast.
Like Pat Mills and Frank Miller writing Marshall Law meets Ronin after watching a Masamune Shirow anime marathon and drinking a fully loaded wagon of beers.
Not bad at all for being a random purchase, I got it after visiting a manga exhibit here in Rome and I was just in the mood... found this in the museum bookstore and the artworks hooked me for good.
If you like anime about cyberpunk dystopic settings filled with ultraviolence and an anti-technology message this is just the graphic novel for you
June 23, 2025
"Consumption gives human life meaning."
Tokyo ghost is a beautifully illustrated dystopian tale of action, romance, and severe social allegory. And damn it, even on my second read this is Rick Remender's most ambitious work to date.
Constables Led Dent and Debbie "Decay" Jacobs are trying to quit their employer and multimedia conglomerate Flak to escape Los Angeles, now a toxic, murderous, debauched city-state you can scarcely imagine. Somehow it is beautiful in its horror.
"Once upon a time there was a girl named Debbie Jacobs and a boy named Teddy Dennis."
The real story is Led and Deb: a kind boy turned tech-catatonic musclehead, cared for by a lovely but codependent, heartbroken woman. On their last constabulary mission they head to distant Tokyo, not knowing if it's even real, only to have a spiritual paradise waiting for them.
Led and Deb are very much a twisted beast and beauty, yin and yang. Led's is a tale of weakness, revenge, and addiction. A fragile teenage boy who makes the wrong choice with the best intention. While Deb's is a tale of purity, pity and loneliness. A lovely girl who falls in love with an irreparably damaged man.
Needless to say, characterization is incredible. I absolutely loved these believably human characters. My one criticism, though, as Remender is sometimes known to do, is the dialog can feel forced. Davey Trauma alone, with his hipster douchebag profanity, is beyond absurd. But the thing is this world is totally absurd, especially L.A. And in contrast to the calm and timeless Tokyo, it sort of makes sense. Other times the dialog is very self-aware. But incredibly well written. So I let it slide.
I could talk about this book all day long, but I want to touch briefly on the general tone and impression. When not about Led and Deb, this world is a pretty crazy and bleak but reasonable exaggeration of the world we know. Remender is scathingly allegorical, he's a dark cynic who sees the world of fast food, porn, pop ups and reality TV as a representation of the worst of modern culture. But the writing, while dark, somehow enlightens you to these truths and shows you there is light and transcendence beyond all this bullshit, that we're better than this, exposing the weak psychology of humans while affirming the inherent strength and good of our inner spiritual selves. That after all the hate and violence and debauchery we've still got love and willpower.
This book wouldn't be a quarter of what it is without Sean Murphy and Matt Hollingsworth. The artwork is fucking stunning. I'm not great with art history, but I can tell that Murphy "draws" inspiration from anime and classic Japanese artwork. It just has that look. And Hollingsworth is a god with colors. It's mystical the way he transforms pencils and inks. And the world building that's accomplished here is incomparable, involving so much planning and refining to capture the unique essence of a hyper-detailed super future.
So if dystopian allegory, hyperviolence, sex, technology, samurai, and tank motorcycles appeal to you, pick up this wonderfully different comic. Probably the best I've ever read from Remender, Murphy and Hollingsworth. Period.
April 21, 2016
Art: 4.5
Story: 1.0
Edit: On further reflection I downgraded this from two stars to one. The art fails to redeem the story enough.
I'll start with what's strong about Tokyo Ghost, and that's the art. This is the second comic I have read that is drawn and colored by Murphy and Hollingsworth and their work is just incredible. The world building they conceptualized and character designs are brilliant. If you are going to read Tokyo Ghost, pick it up for the art, because the story is trash.
I don't know where to begin with the story, this is the worst thing I have read written by Remender. I don't get how people think the writing is so great? Remender could not write a good piece of dialogue to save his life, the Davey character being the most egregious example.
Very hip Remender, that will connect to those cool young readers.
What the hell am I even reading?
And the tons of boring exposition seemed lazy. And why are they going to Japan? There seemed no reason at all to set half the book in Tokyo or even title it "Tokyo Ghost," it just seemed like Remender wanted to set something in Japan and use all that cool samurai and ninja imagery while not giving a shit about being thoughtful and respectful to the culture. It's interesting how there was literally only one Japanese character that I could discern. And everyone in Tokyo speaks only English magically, although I guess that makes sense actually since they are all white. Then But then Remender seems to be aware of how dumb it is that Tokyo is full of white people because he refers to them later as "samurai cosplayers." It is just another example of the oblivious racism we have seen for decades from American media when it comes to Japan.
Also, when does an author cross the line from referencing other stories to honor them to just plain stealing? Because I think Remender crossed the line into stealing. The Constable police figures are pretty much Judge Dredd, Led's bike design and all the motorcycle violence, as well as are 100% Akira, the way people plug-in to the web (which I guess is just TV?? that's dumb) while moving through reality/the web-drug idea/the nation of Los Angeles are all Snow Crash. There's more I'm sure but everyone is praising Tokyo Ghost as being incredibly original but I have the opposite opinion.
And what was up with all the gratuitous sex? I don't mind sex if it advances the story but none of this was necessary. And I think Remender had Murphy draw a bunch of dicks as well as tits so he wouldn't be called a misogynist. I liked that the narrator was a woman but with Remender it always sounds like a man trying to sound like a woman. And you can tell that is was a guy who designed her character...
All in all, I liked the art lot but the story was bad, borderline offensive shit. It is one of the stories that if I find out one of my friends likes it, I will need to sit down and explain to them why it is so problematic. And dumb, so goddamn dumb. This is one of those comics that is now a standard for how I determine if I can respect someone's literary taste.
Story: 1.0
Edit: On further reflection I downgraded this from two stars to one. The art fails to redeem the story enough.
I'll start with what's strong about Tokyo Ghost, and that's the art. This is the second comic I have read that is drawn and colored by Murphy and Hollingsworth and their work is just incredible. The world building they conceptualized and character designs are brilliant. If you are going to read Tokyo Ghost, pick it up for the art, because the story is trash.
I don't know where to begin with the story, this is the worst thing I have read written by Remender. I don't get how people think the writing is so great? Remender could not write a good piece of dialogue to save his life, the Davey character being the most egregious example.
I ain't no noob, I don't use cheat codes
Very hip Remender, that will connect to those cool young readers.
-YOLO BITCHES! You slags see that shit?
-That was killer, boss!
-Well thank you, Paulie Q, you cunty bootlicker.
What the hell am I even reading?
And the tons of boring exposition seemed lazy. And why are they going to Japan? There seemed no reason at all to set half the book in Tokyo or even title it "Tokyo Ghost," it just seemed like Remender wanted to set something in Japan and use all that cool samurai and ninja imagery while not giving a shit about being thoughtful and respectful to the culture. It's interesting how there was literally only one Japanese character that I could discern. And everyone in Tokyo speaks only English magically, although I guess that makes sense actually since they are all white. Then But then Remender seems to be aware of how dumb it is that Tokyo is full of white people because he refers to them later as "samurai cosplayers." It is just another example of the oblivious racism we have seen for decades from American media when it comes to Japan.
Also, when does an author cross the line from referencing other stories to honor them to just plain stealing? Because I think Remender crossed the line into stealing. The Constable police figures are pretty much Judge Dredd, Led's bike design and all the motorcycle violence, as well as are 100% Akira, the way people plug-in to the web (which I guess is just TV?? that's dumb) while moving through reality/the web-drug idea/the nation of Los Angeles are all Snow Crash. There's more I'm sure but everyone is praising Tokyo Ghost as being incredibly original but I have the opposite opinion.
And what was up with all the gratuitous sex? I don't mind sex if it advances the story but none of this was necessary. And I think Remender had Murphy draw a bunch of dicks as well as tits so he wouldn't be called a misogynist. I liked that the narrator was a woman but with Remender it always sounds like a man trying to sound like a woman. And you can tell that is was a guy who designed her character...
All in all, I liked the art lot but the story was bad, borderline offensive shit. It is one of the stories that if I find out one of my friends likes it, I will need to sit down and explain to them why it is so problematic. And dumb, so goddamn dumb. This is one of those comics that is now a standard for how I determine if I can respect someone's literary taste.
January 13, 2019
Just how many post-apocalyptic future stories is Rick Remender planning on writing? Basically "Low" at sea level, the series is saved by Sean Murphy's dynamic art. No one does tripped out, dystopian futures like Murphy. Remender doesn't create very likable characters here (or anywhere else for that matter). Debbie is really the only character to root for.
Received an advance copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Received an advance copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
October 22, 2017
So when I first started reading this I wasn't sure I'd like it. Semmed like a rip-off of Judge Dredd and I am not a Judge Dredd fan. I am happy to say I stand corrected. Tokyo Ghost is a very interesting sci-fi story. Remender does a great job with any sci-fi world and his gradual world building for future LA is very well done. The two constables are a good team and their exploration of humanity without the need for the tech is a very interesting statement.
The story really takes off when they enter the Japanese Garden. Very interesting world they built. All in all, while the art isn't top notch, the story does drag you in. What the art fails to do with small detail, it does well with large scenes. I will be glad to read more of this dystopian action comic. Remender is quite talented when it comes to sci-fi.
The story really takes off when they enter the Japanese Garden. Very interesting world they built. All in all, while the art isn't top notch, the story does drag you in. What the art fails to do with small detail, it does well with large scenes. I will be glad to read more of this dystopian action comic. Remender is quite talented when it comes to sci-fi.
October 21, 2016
Actual Rating: 4.5 Stars
“We eat together. No one distracted by phones, no one politicking for money or stature. No loud egos. No one more important than anyone else…how sweet the simplicity is.”
I grabbed this first volume of Tokyo Ghost on a whim while attending Fan Expo Canada at the end of the summer. I had heard of it previously because (if you don’t know this yet, where have you been?) Deadly Class, also written by Rick Remender, happens to be my favourite comic series of all time. While exploring the other works of Remender, I came across Tokyo Ghost and knew I needed to pick it up as soon as I could. Well, I finally did…and even though it took me forever to finally read it, I’m super glad that I did.
—
What I Liked
The writing. Rick Remender just never disappoints. The first time I read anything by him was Deadly Class, and the writing was so instantly relatable, it hooked me right in. It was no different with Tokyo Ghost. The writing is phenomenal and I absolutely fell in love with it.
The art. Tokyo Ghost contains some of the most intricate and detailed artwork I have ever seen. Not only is the art style beautiful in itself, but the colouring is unlike anything I’ve seen in a comic before. There were moments where it may have felt a little too busy, but for the most part, Tokyo Ghost is visually stunning.
The creative storyline. I mean, how unique is this. A futuristic setting in which the drug of choice is technology. Honestly, this doesn’t seem very far off from a possible future reality.
The characters. I won’t lie, at first I wasn’t really connecting with either Debbie or Led, but then we got to learn more about their back stories. That’s when I fell in love. Their story is just perfect and I was not expecting that at all from this comic. Not only were our two main characters fantastic, but we also got to meet quite a few memorable side characters.
—
What I Didn’t Like
The slow start. It took a little while before I really started feeling the story and the characters. Tokyo Ghost starts with a very action packed scene and it took me a while to understand everything that was happening. I’m glad I stuck with it though, because things definitely got interesting.
—
While Tokyo Ghost was slow to start, and maybe slightly confusing at first, it definitely picks up and is just as action packed, well written and beautiful as I expected. I have already ordered volume two because Rick Remender is the master of the cliffhanger.
--
Initial post reading thoughts:
Rick Remender wrote it...so I bought it. It took a while to get started and I'll admit I was a little confused at first, but once the story got going, I was totally into it. I loved the writing, the art, the story and the creativity of it. This one is definitely worth checking out!
I read this as part of #SPOOKATHON 2016!
March 3, 2017
This is very much a paint-by-numbers cyberpunk story. It's basically just a remix of tropes and ideas we've seen from other sources, both in terms of story and art. Maybe cyberpunk has fallen out of fashion enough for people to think this is original, I don't know, but I've seen all of this before, and done better.
Our main villain is a "Millennialist" who spouts internet catchphrases and slang that have already fallen out of favor. YOLO, slag, roflcopter, etc. He takes over people's bodies and computer systems, Matrix-style annnd I'm already bored. I haven't even gotten to the bog-standard protagonists, who are cardboard cutouts.
I have no idea why this is titled Tokyo Ghost, or why it's set partially in Tokyo (or if that even was Tokyo). Nor can I muster up the energy to care. Other than the retro slang, I can't think of a single thing in this story I haven't seen elsewhere.
The thing is, there's a potentially interesting story about addiction and bullying and cycles of violence struggling to get out, but it ends up feeling like shallow plot motivation from a screenwriting book.
I'm always down for sci-fi comics, but this one just doesn't work.
Our main villain is a "Millennialist" who spouts internet catchphrases and slang that have already fallen out of favor. YOLO, slag, roflcopter, etc. He takes over people's bodies and computer systems, Matrix-style annnd I'm already bored. I haven't even gotten to the bog-standard protagonists, who are cardboard cutouts.
I have no idea why this is titled Tokyo Ghost, or why it's set partially in Tokyo (or if that even was Tokyo). Nor can I muster up the energy to care. Other than the retro slang, I can't think of a single thing in this story I haven't seen elsewhere.
The thing is, there's a potentially interesting story about addiction and bullying and cycles of violence struggling to get out, but it ends up feeling like shallow plot motivation from a screenwriting book.
I'm always down for sci-fi comics, but this one just doesn't work.
May 22, 2016
I have appreciated some of Remenders work, but I have never absolutely enjoyed any of it. He can bring you interesting concepts and make you think about the current state of humanity, but his dialogue and character development needs work. I don't know if I would pick up another Remender book after this nonsense.
Reviewed with honesty for Netgalley
(Honestly)
Reviewed with honesty for Netgalley
(Honestly)
December 15, 2018
I liked the storyline, but I just couldn't get over some of the cringey dialogue. Also, I felt like the story was kind of depressing. I'm not normally opposed to depressing storylines, but this was unsettling because elements of the "tech-obsession" reminded me of real life. There was something else I wanted to mention, but I can't remember what it is now. More later...possibly.
January 1, 2020
I opened the file, started reading…. and during the first few pages I wasn’t sure if I even wanted to finish this comic. There’s just…so much going on, it’s overwhelming. Its Masamune Shirow’s Ghost in the Shell mixed with a little Judge Dredd and a sprinkle of Sin City, all dipped in harsh 80’s neon coloring and tripping on a whole lot of A grade acid. There is sex and drugs and ultra-violence.
You can practically hear the soundtrack of Escape from New York or Blade Runner blaring off the pages while you’re trying to make sense of what is happening and who it’s happening to.
And when I finished chapter one, I fucking loved it and read the whole thing with Kavinsky playing in the background, and it was glorious!
There’s Debbie Decay, who narrates Tokyo Ghost and introduces herself as the only non-augmented human in the goddamn mess that’s 2089 LA. She’s working with her main man, the boy she once fell in love with, her partner in crime; Led Dent AKA Teddy. A chip the size of a house on his shoulder, he’s permanently plugged in, addicted to everything the digital world has to offer, working on constant sensory overload. Fed with canned emotions, instant adrenaline within reach – he’s Debbie’s personal Berserker. He rides a bike like Kaneda and has the bulk of Bane, but with him permanently jacked in, there’s not much left of the boy she once promised to stay forever non-tech with.
“My shows” is all he says when she takes off his helmet and pants, kisses him and straddles him gently. She leaves him drooling on the floor, pants around his knees, her Teddy long gone and she’s asking herself what makes her stay; hope or abandonment issues?
When we meet them, they’re going after Davey Trauma, a scooter-wielding man who’s able to hack into the brain of anyone who’s connected to the internet (I told you – Ghost in the Shell) and uses that skill to go on murder sprees for plain ol’ fun. There’s no reason, only mindless killing. Debbie and Led need to catch him. Not because of public safety per se, but their boss wants the precious intel that’s stuffed in that upgraded noggin of his.
Their boss, the only real villain in this Technicolor tale, his name is Flak and you’ll hate his guts. He’s a better looking Trump on steroids, with servants literally tripping over each other to drink his bathwater once he’s done peeing in it. And he’s promising Debbie the one thing she’s been wishing for – freedom. Her boyfriend no longer addicted, both tech-free and able to go and do as they please. Live life where there are real trees.
All it takes it that one last job.
It’s painfully obvious that Flak has been promising her that for a while, but this time it feels real and she bites hard. Tokyo it is. I won’t spoil it, but it won’t be what you expected! You’ve read Akira, Vol. 1, watched enough anime to know that the future of Tokyo is supposed to be a Cyberpunk Hell, a dystopian wasteland! At least, that’s what I expected. Instead we get salvation, temptation and a whole lotta demons.
Tokyo Ghost is a wonderful and sad ride, I loved it. The story gets thin at times, but the art by Sean Murphy more than makes up for it. If you love cyberpunk, you’ll also love this.
I received this from Netgalley and Image Comics in exchange for an honest review.
You can practically hear the soundtrack of Escape from New York or Blade Runner blaring off the pages while you’re trying to make sense of what is happening and who it’s happening to.
And when I finished chapter one, I fucking loved it and read the whole thing with Kavinsky playing in the background, and it was glorious!
There’s Debbie Decay, who narrates Tokyo Ghost and introduces herself as the only non-augmented human in the goddamn mess that’s 2089 LA. She’s working with her main man, the boy she once fell in love with, her partner in crime; Led Dent AKA Teddy. A chip the size of a house on his shoulder, he’s permanently plugged in, addicted to everything the digital world has to offer, working on constant sensory overload. Fed with canned emotions, instant adrenaline within reach – he’s Debbie’s personal Berserker. He rides a bike like Kaneda and has the bulk of Bane, but with him permanently jacked in, there’s not much left of the boy she once promised to stay forever non-tech with.
“My shows” is all he says when she takes off his helmet and pants, kisses him and straddles him gently. She leaves him drooling on the floor, pants around his knees, her Teddy long gone and she’s asking herself what makes her stay; hope or abandonment issues?
When we meet them, they’re going after Davey Trauma, a scooter-wielding man who’s able to hack into the brain of anyone who’s connected to the internet (I told you – Ghost in the Shell) and uses that skill to go on murder sprees for plain ol’ fun. There’s no reason, only mindless killing. Debbie and Led need to catch him. Not because of public safety per se, but their boss wants the precious intel that’s stuffed in that upgraded noggin of his.
Their boss, the only real villain in this Technicolor tale, his name is Flak and you’ll hate his guts. He’s a better looking Trump on steroids, with servants literally tripping over each other to drink his bathwater once he’s done peeing in it. And he’s promising Debbie the one thing she’s been wishing for – freedom. Her boyfriend no longer addicted, both tech-free and able to go and do as they please. Live life where there are real trees.
All it takes it that one last job.
It’s painfully obvious that Flak has been promising her that for a while, but this time it feels real and she bites hard. Tokyo it is. I won’t spoil it, but it won’t be what you expected! You’ve read Akira, Vol. 1, watched enough anime to know that the future of Tokyo is supposed to be a Cyberpunk Hell, a dystopian wasteland! At least, that’s what I expected. Instead we get salvation, temptation and a whole lotta demons.
Tokyo Ghost is a wonderful and sad ride, I loved it. The story gets thin at times, but the art by Sean Murphy more than makes up for it. If you love cyberpunk, you’ll also love this.
I received this from Netgalley and Image Comics in exchange for an honest review.
August 1, 2018
Plot: 2* - Art: 4*
An interesting idea- as often with Remender- but awkwardly handled - as often with Remender.
The critic of the pop-porn culture we dwell in sounds good but is heavily handed while the zen japanese garden stuff is boring to hell. Most dialogues are painfully lame, with a special mention to Davey's irritating verbal diarrhea.
On the other hand Deb and Ted are quite good characters, strong and very weak at the same time and clearly drive the reader's interest. If only they existed through a better managed plot.
The Murphy/Hollingsworth team does wonders, in furious and violent action scenes as well as in more peaceful vignettes.
An interesting idea- as often with Remender- but awkwardly handled - as often with Remender.
The critic of the pop-porn culture we dwell in sounds good but is heavily handed while the zen japanese garden stuff is boring to hell. Most dialogues are painfully lame, with a special mention to Davey's irritating verbal diarrhea.
On the other hand Deb and Ted are quite good characters, strong and very weak at the same time and clearly drive the reader's interest. If only they existed through a better managed plot.
The Murphy/Hollingsworth team does wonders, in furious and violent action scenes as well as in more peaceful vignettes.
February 29, 2020
I'm reminded why I don't like the punk genre: no laws, no morals, no logic. Too much chaos and too many psychos for anything to be fun. The artwork is a perfect match, so if you like the story, you'll like the artwork. Both are completely wasted on me, but I did enjoy the artwork more than the crappy setting and definitely more than the story, let alone the novel-length script. The relative calm of the story mid-way through was not enough to rise above one star. Hell, I would give it less if I could.
In a decadent LA in 2089, society has taken a turn for the worse. Everyone is addicted to drugs and augments. Nanopacks are used by everyone and a guy named Davey Trauma can take control over its users. Led Dent and his sidechick Debbie Decay get to Davey through one of his goons. Their fight is... I don't know. It's a fight... apparently. I couldn't follow a damned thing. I think they won, but the drugs Led uses to gain his superstrength alienates him from Debbie who loves him and wants to take him away from LA. He is pretty far gone by the end of the first almost-never-ending issue.
Flak, Led's employer and the man who owns the media, sends Led and Debbie to Tokyo to take care of a warlord that is stockpiling resources even from his own people. Tokio is protected by an EMP device, so Flak can't send his troops. The resources are vital for LA's very survival. Debbie intends to take advantage of the trip to leave everything behind, get Led off the nanopacks and live happily ever after.
In a decadent LA in 2089, society has taken a turn for the worse. Everyone is addicted to drugs and augments. Nanopacks are used by everyone and a guy named Davey Trauma can take control over its users. Led Dent and his sidechick Debbie Decay get to Davey through one of his goons. Their fight is... I don't know. It's a fight... apparently. I couldn't follow a damned thing. I think they won, but the drugs Led uses to gain his superstrength alienates him from Debbie who loves him and wants to take him away from LA. He is pretty far gone by the end of the first almost-never-ending issue.
Flak, Led's employer and the man who owns the media, sends Led and Debbie to Tokyo to take care of a warlord that is stockpiling resources even from his own people. Tokio is protected by an EMP device, so Flak can't send his troops. The resources are vital for LA's very survival. Debbie intends to take advantage of the trip to leave everything behind, get Led off the nanopacks and live happily ever after.
March 18, 2016
I received this from Netgalley and Image Comics in exchange for an honest review.
I was hesitant to grab this one, which was an automatic download on Netgalley. I've been snared a few times by Rick Remender, and it was the old "fool me once..." scenario.
Surprisingly, I really, REALLY dug this one. The storyline, the artwork, it all merged into a bang-up volume.
From the insanity of the tech-heavy LA to the peaceful tech-free Tokyo, this story of trying to escape one's past and build a new life was really quite good.
I'll definitely book looking for more volumes in this series!
I was hesitant to grab this one, which was an automatic download on Netgalley. I've been snared a few times by Rick Remender, and it was the old "fool me once..." scenario.
Surprisingly, I really, REALLY dug this one. The storyline, the artwork, it all merged into a bang-up volume.
From the insanity of the tech-heavy LA to the peaceful tech-free Tokyo, this story of trying to escape one's past and build a new life was really quite good.
I'll definitely book looking for more volumes in this series!
September 6, 2020
3.5 stars
April 27, 2016
I keep buying post-Deadly Class Rick Remender comics, hoping they'll be as good as some of his earlier stories, but it just isn't. His books have become so didactic that the stories aren't stories so much as morality plays about such topics as "hope and optimism make the world better" and (for Tokyo Ghost) "technology is scary damn kids on their cellphones". I keep hoping he'll produce another Uncanny X-Force or Deadly Class, but alas. Yet, at least with Black Science and Low, there's enough good ideas to latch onto to maybe justify buying more volumes of the series.
Tokyo Ghost doesn't have that. Or, at least, the book's flaws so heavily outweigh the few strong ideas present that I highly doubt I'll be returning for volume 2.
The character's generally are bland stereotypes, and the female protagonist is treated in both script and art as eye-candy. Teddy is also a self-absorbed jerk with tons of Man Pain ("You beat me up in front of my girl!") like a bunch of recent Remender characters, but it lacks the self-awareness of Deadly Class or Black Science in that regard. The dialogue is generally meh, and sometimes awful. Tokyo is full of white people (there's literally two Asian people in the whole of Tokyo that we see). The script reeks of weird fetishization of Japan and the Bushido era. The role of addiction in relationships was a very strong idea the series could've really anchored itself on, but it felt mildly undercooked and undervalued to make room for bloody fights and explosions (which, to be fair, are cool, but not at the expense of actual character development). Many of the good ideas work that way: mentioned or are partially developed but cast aside. It tries to include a bunch of "edgy" content with little finesse or skill, and in the end comes off more as an adolescent cis boy's dream than an adult narrative. All of the story rests on more cliches than I can document fully in a review.
The art's pretty good though. Remender keeps working with some really good artists. And the end of the book holds some potential to it, though there's a high likelihood it will involve some 80s cliches on how to get Angsty Man Hero to do Hero-y Action Things against Bad Guys. The action itself is also overall well written/drawn, but it's not enough to really make Tokyo Ghost worthwhile.
I want to like this book. I wanted to like it like I wanted to like Black Science and Low. And at least with the latter two, I kind've do like them. But Tokyo Ghost just doesn't work on almost any level.
Tokyo Ghost doesn't have that. Or, at least, the book's flaws so heavily outweigh the few strong ideas present that I highly doubt I'll be returning for volume 2.
The character's generally are bland stereotypes, and the female protagonist is treated in both script and art as eye-candy. Teddy is also a self-absorbed jerk with tons of Man Pain ("You beat me up in front of my girl!") like a bunch of recent Remender characters, but it lacks the self-awareness of Deadly Class or Black Science in that regard. The dialogue is generally meh, and sometimes awful. Tokyo is full of white people (there's literally two Asian people in the whole of Tokyo that we see). The script reeks of weird fetishization of Japan and the Bushido era. The role of addiction in relationships was a very strong idea the series could've really anchored itself on, but it felt mildly undercooked and undervalued to make room for bloody fights and explosions (which, to be fair, are cool, but not at the expense of actual character development). Many of the good ideas work that way: mentioned or are partially developed but cast aside. It tries to include a bunch of "edgy" content with little finesse or skill, and in the end comes off more as an adolescent cis boy's dream than an adult narrative. All of the story rests on more cliches than I can document fully in a review.
The art's pretty good though. Remender keeps working with some really good artists. And the end of the book holds some potential to it, though there's a high likelihood it will involve some 80s cliches on how to get Angsty Man Hero to do Hero-y Action Things against Bad Guys. The action itself is also overall well written/drawn, but it's not enough to really make Tokyo Ghost worthwhile.
I want to like this book. I wanted to like it like I wanted to like Black Science and Low. And at least with the latter two, I kind've do like them. But Tokyo Ghost just doesn't work on almost any level.
September 12, 2016
5 stars
Remember that Jude Law movie Repo Men? This takes a bit of that idea and runs with it.
Absolute masterpiece dystopian sci-fi story here by Remender and Murphy.
Remember that Jude Law movie Repo Men? This takes a bit of that idea and runs with it.
Absolute masterpiece dystopian sci-fi story here by Remender and Murphy.
June 28, 2016
This one of this graphic novels in which you need to take your time because the firsts pages you don't have any freaking idea about what's happening, the images and the dialoges start give you some clues but there's so much to procced...the Jesus of Killer, the technological society, the girl who kick ass but you don't know why is here, the robot-human-big guy or something like that...but as the pages carry on everything start to have sense and even more the plot start be really interesting. And i don't even had to change the issue, in the first one this turn of events happen.
But honestly the really interesting part start when our characters made their dreams come true...how manny problems you can get when this happen is the real deal of this story
and is show made great.
If you like manga maybe this wold like you better than me, because i feel this have that style.
A digital copy of this book was provided by NetGalley
But honestly the really interesting part start when our characters made their dreams come true...how manny problems you can get when this happen is the real deal of this story
and is show made great.
If you like manga maybe this wold like you better than me, because i feel this have that style.
A digital copy of this book was provided by NetGalley
November 22, 2020
This feels like it was written for 12-year-old-boys that shotgun malt liquor before passing out in front of the TV to dream about samurai sex adventures. This does of course include the range of eye-roll-inducing profanity to be expected from such a juvenile dreamscape. Very specific target audience here. I am not that audience.
*The artwork was nice, but doesn’t make up for the story enough to even make this 2 stars for me.
*The artwork was nice, but doesn’t make up for the story enough to even make this 2 stars for me.
April 20, 2016
A little too edgy at times but damn, when it's good it's great. The art is truly wonderful and pacing is spot on. The fights are meaningful and just like most of Rick work, super depressing. Can't wait for more. 24 minutes ago
January 1, 2017
Was OK, but not very original and is kind of typical Remender where he tries to shock but dosent do anything new.
Will read the next volume as this has promise but was overall disappointing.
Will read the next volume as this has promise but was overall disappointing.
August 24, 2017
Outstanding art with a clever and bizarre story that I maybe didn't like very much. Still not sure what to make of the story. 3.5 stars.
June 8, 2022
Tokyo Ghost (not to be confused with Tokyo Ghoul) is a twisted dystopian science fiction series that takes place in a world where everyone is addicted to technology to the point of trapping themselves in self-made delusions. Any fantasy can be brought to life. Any fetish can be pleased. You can set your body on autopilot to take care of the more trivial things in life while your mind is free to wander elsewhere. The horrors of reality can easily be escaped at any moment with the push of a button. Unsurprisingly, this makes it quite simple for the evil people of the world to control the masses and rule with tyranny with little opposition.
Debbie and her partner Led work together to fight cyber criminals from the shadows. Debbie is one of the last few people in the world that still has freedom of love and thought. Her partner on the other hand is a recovering addict struggling to regain his humanity. When the two of them are sent to a little paradise somewhere in Tokyo where technology hasn’t taken full control, it might be just the place they need to reignite their romance and escape from the depressing nightmare that’s taken over every second of their miserable lives.
The first chapter is a little messy and doesn’t do a great job setting up the story, but everything that comes after the rough start is a phenomenal exploration of two severely broken protagonists, their journey of recovery and the philosophy of a seemingly hopeless battle against oppressive technological rule.
Debbie is an awesome protagonist and I got emotionally attached to her tragic relationship with Led really quickly. I have a feeling the second volume will be even better.
Tokyo Ghost: Vol. 1
My Rating: 4/5
***
If you're looking for ambient music that's perfect for reading fantasy, horror, sci-fi, comics, manga and other books like this one, then be sure to check out my YouTube Channel called Nightmarish Compositions: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPPs...
Debbie and her partner Led work together to fight cyber criminals from the shadows. Debbie is one of the last few people in the world that still has freedom of love and thought. Her partner on the other hand is a recovering addict struggling to regain his humanity. When the two of them are sent to a little paradise somewhere in Tokyo where technology hasn’t taken full control, it might be just the place they need to reignite their romance and escape from the depressing nightmare that’s taken over every second of their miserable lives.
The first chapter is a little messy and doesn’t do a great job setting up the story, but everything that comes after the rough start is a phenomenal exploration of two severely broken protagonists, their journey of recovery and the philosophy of a seemingly hopeless battle against oppressive technological rule.
Debbie is an awesome protagonist and I got emotionally attached to her tragic relationship with Led really quickly. I have a feeling the second volume will be even better.
Tokyo Ghost: Vol. 1
My Rating: 4/5
***
If you're looking for ambient music that's perfect for reading fantasy, horror, sci-fi, comics, manga and other books like this one, then be sure to check out my YouTube Channel called Nightmarish Compositions: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPPs...
June 8, 2022
A not-too-distant future in which unemployment is sky high due to automation, resources are dwindling, and the masses are pacified with drugs and entertainment. Oh, and murdered for sport. Every sick kink imaginable is cheap for the taking, including "body pirating, clone incest, snuff prostitutes, Hong Kong suicide slots, clown torture." And more.
If you look REAL CLOSE you can get just a hint of Remender's politics. eg "Frak News" has 98% of the residents of the motherloving LOS ANGELES ISLAND CHAIN convinced that global warming is a Chinese hoax. Heh.
Against this backdrop, a roided-up tech zombie and his tech-free (which is rare) girlfriend work as bounty hunters. They're hired to infiltrate the last resource-rich utopia on the planet, the Tokyo garden-state, which is protected from invasion by a permanent, stable EMP. The justification, of course, is that the peaceful, productive, tech-free socially conscious residents of Tokyo are "hoarding food and water" and that the shrieking, frothing residents of America "deserve" them.
I can never work up any enthusiasm for Remender titles. He does great world building but his storytelling and I do not get along. He builds smart, thoughtful worlds and then populates them with characters that simultaneously are R rated and belong in Saturday morning cartoons.
Remender's fight scenes are frenetic, dumb, and endless (which, hmm, kind of makes the reader equivalent to the violence-addicted mouth-breathers cheering the blood sports in Tokyo Ghost .) Characters babble nonstop while they fight. A little cool banter I'd be down with, but they just brag a lot or bicker dumbly about who has the moral high ground. It's lame and it goes on forever.
Favorite line: "I, uh...I can't seem to talk, sorry. You're so beautiful I want to shit."
If you look REAL CLOSE you can get just a hint of Remender's politics. eg "Frak News" has 98% of the residents of the motherloving LOS ANGELES ISLAND CHAIN convinced that global warming is a Chinese hoax. Heh.
Against this backdrop, a roided-up tech zombie and his tech-free (which is rare) girlfriend work as bounty hunters. They're hired to infiltrate the last resource-rich utopia on the planet, the Tokyo garden-state, which is protected from invasion by a permanent, stable EMP. The justification, of course, is that the peaceful, productive, tech-free socially conscious residents of Tokyo are "hoarding food and water" and that the shrieking, frothing residents of America "deserve" them.
I can never work up any enthusiasm for Remender titles. He does great world building but his storytelling and I do not get along. He builds smart, thoughtful worlds and then populates them with characters that simultaneously are R rated and belong in Saturday morning cartoons.
Remender's fight scenes are frenetic, dumb, and endless (which, hmm, kind of makes the reader equivalent to the violence-addicted mouth-breathers cheering the blood sports in Tokyo Ghost .) Characters babble nonstop while they fight. A little cool banter I'd be down with, but they just brag a lot or bicker dumbly about who has the moral high ground. It's lame and it goes on forever.
Favorite line: "I, uh...I can't seem to talk, sorry. You're so beautiful I want to shit."
November 1, 2016
Led Mella y Debbie Declive forman una pareja de alguaciles de la Corporación Flak que se dedican a proteger a sus clientes de los abusos de los hackers, tras resolver su último caso el Sr Flak les encarga una nueva misión, viajar desde los Ángeles a la nación jardín de Tokyo, el último lugar libre de tecnología de la tierra, para acabar con el cacique que está en el poder y conseguir acceso a los recursos (agua limpia y comida) necesarios para mejorar la vida en el estado de Los Ángeles.
Debbie ve esta misión como una oportunidad única para desenganchar a Led de las dosis de información y vita (nanobots que liberan agentes químicos varios en el organismo) que le alejan del mundo real, para recuperar al chico de quién se enamoró.
Fuerte crítica al abuso de la tecnología y la destrucción de la naturaleza en un cómic con una historia bastante original, una espectacular ambientación cyberpunk, un dibujo genial de Sean Murphy, que consigue modular el ritmo de la narración (vertiginoso en unos pasajes, pausado en otros) y un color esplendoroso de Hollingsworth que recrea a la perfección todos los ambientes, desde la megametropolis de Los Ángeles a los preciosos pueblos en harmonía con la naturaleza de la nación jardín de Tokyo.
El final queda un poco en el aire a la espera de continuación y por eso no le pongo un 5, pero es posiblemente lo mejor que he leído en cómic este año.
Debbie ve esta misión como una oportunidad única para desenganchar a Led de las dosis de información y vita (nanobots que liberan agentes químicos varios en el organismo) que le alejan del mundo real, para recuperar al chico de quién se enamoró.
Fuerte crítica al abuso de la tecnología y la destrucción de la naturaleza en un cómic con una historia bastante original, una espectacular ambientación cyberpunk, un dibujo genial de Sean Murphy, que consigue modular el ritmo de la narración (vertiginoso en unos pasajes, pausado en otros) y un color esplendoroso de Hollingsworth que recrea a la perfección todos los ambientes, desde la megametropolis de Los Ángeles a los preciosos pueblos en harmonía con la naturaleza de la nación jardín de Tokyo.
El final queda un poco en el aire a la espera de continuación y por eso no le pongo un 5, pero es posiblemente lo mejor que he leído en cómic este año.
June 25, 2018
It’s year 2089 in Los Angeles and humans are addicted to technology. They have implants in their heads that live streams reality tv shows directly to them. A world of unemployment, obesity, toxic contamination and no one cares because we are addicted to our next digital fix.
In this graphic book we follow Constables Led Dent and Debbie Decay. Debbie Decay is desperate to get her partner and her love, Dent off his digital fix. There is only one place on the world that could help, the last tech-free haven- The Garden Nation of Tokyo.
The concept of this graphic novel is so eerie because in today’s world so many are fixated with reality shows, denial on climate change, interested in virtual fixes, watching media that only shows what we want to hear and the fact world media is no longer interested in honest, unbiased news but have political agendas (Fox News).
This was seriously good and cannot wait to get the next volume.
4 stars
In this graphic book we follow Constables Led Dent and Debbie Decay. Debbie Decay is desperate to get her partner and her love, Dent off his digital fix. There is only one place on the world that could help, the last tech-free haven- The Garden Nation of Tokyo.
The concept of this graphic novel is so eerie because in today’s world so many are fixated with reality shows, denial on climate change, interested in virtual fixes, watching media that only shows what we want to hear and the fact world media is no longer interested in honest, unbiased news but have political agendas (Fox News).
This was seriously good and cannot wait to get the next volume.
4 stars
May 20, 2017
So this was one of Remender's earlier gems of another dystopian future.
As we all know Remender goes on and on about his mental health and in this one it really shows in his comics. I think he must have been going through therapy when writing this and this would have been a great outlet of his creativity. He uses physiological meanings and words, to the point when he's shoe horning them in like "I'm not codependent on you babe". It shows his immaturity and holds the characters back.
Nonetheless a really good story but I'm just not that interested in it.
As we all know Remender goes on and on about his mental health and in this one it really shows in his comics. I think he must have been going through therapy when writing this and this would have been a great outlet of his creativity. He uses physiological meanings and words, to the point when he's shoe horning them in like "I'm not codependent on you babe". It shows his immaturity and holds the characters back.
Nonetheless a really good story but I'm just not that interested in it.
September 12, 2018
3.5 / 4
Phenomenal art. Cool story.
I found that it started off not slow, but a little too off-the-rails, which made it a bit more of a challenge to get into the world. I think this crazy start was probably a intentional narrative choice to show us the world the characters are in. Once the storyline got a little less frenetic, I begin to groove on the story more.
For me personally, I probably won't move onto past the first volume, even though the world was pretty cool, and the characters fairly engaging.
Phenomenal art. Cool story.
I found that it started off not slow, but a little too off-the-rails, which made it a bit more of a challenge to get into the world. I think this crazy start was probably a intentional narrative choice to show us the world the characters are in. Once the storyline got a little less frenetic, I begin to groove on the story more.
For me personally, I probably won't move onto past the first volume, even though the world was pretty cool, and the characters fairly engaging.
January 13, 2021
This book is absolutely incredible. I got this book only because I have recently grown slightly obsessed with Sean Murphy, but wow, Rick Remender is a fantastic writer. There is humor and love built into this sad, dark story, causing your feelings to go crazy now and then trying to find a way to cope. And Murphy's art is just fabulous. The characters all speak to you in some way or another, and the scenery makes you want to be there to see it, particularly the Tokyo scenery.
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