In a very near future, surveillance is everywhere, yet it is not enough. Ben Fischer has helped design Golden Shield, which can be everywhere. Golden Shield has one problem: it still needs a human mind because you still need human intuition to do surveillance well (otherwise you end up sending a S.W.A.T. team to kill a bunch of kids playing cops and robbers instead of killing real robbers).

If you like dystopian reading, this may be for you.


Read the rest of my review over on my blog. ( )

The concept of City: Mind in the Machine is one that's been done before, but still continues to fascinate me. When can we say that technology has gone to far? Where do we draw the line between advancement and privacy? This graphic novel toes that line, and it did a pretty fair job of it. The idea of using terrorism as an excuse for spying on the general public? Well, let's just say that hits a bit close to home.

Starting with illustrations, they reminded me slightly of an anime. Just without the overly large eyes and over the top facial expressions. It made for a read that pulled me along, from brightly colored panel to brightly colored panel. I think my favorite part of the illustrations was seeing through the eyes of our main character. Once he became a part of the machine, looking through his eyes was like seeing through a computer screen. Random facts, the ability to zoom in, it was absolutely fascinating.

Story wise, I hovered between loving this and just following along. On the one hand, the idea of creating a surveillance system linked to a human mind is amazing. It takes into account the fact that humans have a natural ability to reason and prioritize. It also explores what happens when one person is given too much power. On the other hand, this first part of the story just didn't quite capture me as much as I was hoping for. I felt like there should have been more forward movement, more action. The ending made me hopeful though, so I'll keep reading on.

Overall? I'd say City: Mind in the Machine starts off this series strongly enough. Although I wasn't completely sold, it intrigued me enough to keep me wanting to read more. ( )

Surveillance and privacy in the modern city state. I wanted to like this more than I did, mostly because this is a trope that, for me, is played out. I get it, I agree, we're happily sacrificing our rights for so-called security. This tries to put a human face on it, with Ben--who was injured in a terrorist attack--becoming the eyes and mind of the security oversight force of the city. This followed a predictable path, with Ben at first embracing his new powers, then realizing they're too much, that this is wrong, and taking steps to stop it. We saw Ben's friends react to him and I think that would have been the more powerful story, at least for me. Still and all, it was an entertaining comic with colorful and clear art. I liked it. (Provided by publisher)
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This collection deals with how we are watched by security cameras wherever we go and the power that it gives – and therefore can be abused. Our hero, Ben, becomes part of the security system and the comics show how it takes over his life. He realises that he is part of a larger conspiracy but fights to overcome it.

The writing style is interesting and the artwork well-executed. It is particularly engaging and I recommend this comic collection to all comic lovers.
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