When former TOKYOPOP editor Mark Paniccia handed Psy-Comm off to me, he was running out of time to get his affairs in order before his last day at the office. Mark hurriedly shoved some notes and sample art at me, then rattled off the high-concept line to describe the book—"it's kinda like X-Men meets Rollerball meets Logan's Run."

Well, high-concept lines can only convey so much, and in this case, the total definitely exceeds the sum of the parts.

Writers Jason Henderson and Tony Salvaggio, along with artist Shane Granger, have created their own dystopian world with Psy-Comm. It is a future vision influenced by, but not beholden to, the aforementioned stories as well other various anime, manga and even a 70's heavy metal song.

One of the things that make this book so compelling to me is that while certain fun sci-fi elements require the requisite leap of faith, there is also the nagging suspicion that the depersonalized, corporate-controlled future realized by Henderson, Salvaggio and Granger may not be not be as far-fetched as one might first imagine. And then there's the fact that Psy-Comm is simply a kick-ass action/adventure romp, with a spritz of romance thrown in for good measure.

~Bryce P. Coleman, Editor

In the not-too-distant future, sovereign nations have been replaced by corporate city-states. War is entertainment—scheduled, televised and rated. It is the new opiate for the masses and its stars are the elite Psychic Commandos.

Trained from an early age, these gifted Psy-Comms have honed their various special abilities to lethal perfection. Though equal parts soldier and celebrity, they are little more than servants, shackled to the wills of their masters and the fickle whims of the fans.

In the corp-state of Electromedia, no star shines brighter than that of young Mark Leit. Using a psychic ability known as "capillarity," Mark can predict the near future based on the evidence around him. Destined to possibly become the greatest of all the Psy-Comms, the tragic events of his first mission will set in motion an uncertain future that even he could not have predicted.

Jason Henderson:
Co-writer Jason Henderson has published five novels and is currently the writer on a slew of modern horror / adventure comics. Among them are the commandos-versus-vampires comic SWORD Of Dracula, and the witchcraft-romance Sylvia Faust (both published by Image).

Tony Salvaggio
Co-writer Tony Salvaggio is a computer animator, a writer, a musician, and a videogame, anime and manga junkie. His past credits include lead animator on Spongebob Squarepants: Revenge of the Flying Dutchman for PS2 and Gamecube.

The article Manga, American Style includes a mini-interview with Tony.

Shane Granger
Volume 1 Artist Shane Granger was a runner-up in TOKYOPOP's 2nd Rising Stars of Manga competition with his entry Possessions. Shane recently graduated from the University of Washington, Tacoma with a degree in Business Administration.

Ramanda Karmaga
Like a superhero, Volume 2 artist Ramanda holds a regular job during the day and draws comics at night. An avid gamer, he divides his free time between his wife and his PSP. His previous works include inks for GI Joe: Sigma Six (Devil's Due), art for Bristol Board Jungle (NBM) and more. He graduated from the Savannah College of Art & Design and is a certified sequential artist.

Mark Leit:
Potentially the greatest of Electromedia's Psy-Comms, Mark possesses the power of "capillarity," allowing him glimpses into the future. Haunted by the tragic events of his first mission, Mark becomes increasingly disillusioned, eventually making a decision that will irrevocably change the course of his life.

David Jerold:
A star Psy-Comm for Electromedia Corp. He is Mark's partner and best friend. A force to be reckoned with, David possesses both telekinetic and limited camouflaging abilities. David is fiercely loyal to the corporation he serves, never suspecting the depths of Mark's internal struggle.

Raven Sol:
A beautiful young Psy-Comm and gifted pyrokinetic, Raven accompanies Mark and David on their first mission. Mark harbors a secret affection for Raven, something he has never expressed to her.

From Ain't It Cool News

Corporate warfare—It's all in your mind

War is horrible, for any halfway-sane person. How much more horrible would it be if you could see a short time, just seconds even, into the future? Enough to save yourself and people around you—but you couldn't save everyone; someone, eventually, would slip through your protection. And the guilt would eat you up inside.

Meet Mark Leit, a Psychic Commando in a future where corporations rule and fight televised wars for ratings. Mark is a pre-cognitive haunted by the loss of his friend Raven years before. Partnered with telekinetic David Jerold, he is a superstar—until they infiltrate an enemy Psy-Comm school and he meets Snow Lucente, who reminds him of Raven and ignites in him a need to escape the war and everything it's done to him. Problem is, Snow isn't very cooperative...

Henderson and Salvaggio have a great story on their hands here, a commentary on corporations, the media, war, and relationships, all wrapped in an interesting action manga with a driving plot and compelling characters. The artwork is also strong, particularly the military vehicles and battle armor, which are interesting but still look like they would actually see use on a battlefield. Granger and Freeman do great battlefield scenes as well, never leaving me wondering as to what was happening, though they did tend to focus more on small squad shots than larger ones, which tended to give the impressions that the battles were smaller in scope. The number of vehicles shown seemed to imply that wasn't the case. The facial expressions are done quite well; Mark has a haunted look, David a cocky smirk, and Snow an angry indignation that really brings their characters home.

Overall, I'm very impressed, and looking forward to another volume.

~Scott Green

Copyright © Harry Knowles