This reads more like a movie screenplay. I didn't care for the characters but the action looked interesting. Very Hollywood in its approach and execution. ( )

In a not too distant future economics rule the world. The haves and the have nots are bigger than ever before. Buying is a way of showing power. And the economy is governed by the Yakuza and Porno Swede crime families. One day Pella Suzuki is caught in the middle of the warring factions as they hunt for the fortune Pella is heir too. Pella must navigate her way through the City and avoid both factions who are coming for her. At the same time she must solve the clues to why her parents were murdered and the secrets they've left for her to discover.

The first thing that you notice when you open this book is the absolutely fantastic artwork by Kristian Donaldson. It's a a heavily manga influenced/pop art/modern feel to it that is quite unique. Kristian's art work fits the story perfectly conveying a futuristic/hedonistic type world where everything seems to move at sharp angles to each other. The colors really help set the mood of the story, darkening in the most tense moments, but mostly having a pale sketchy type feel. The story draws from elements of "Rome & Juliet" and "Bladerunner" to create a unique entertaining story that holds your attention and makes you want to know more.

Overall an excellent edition to anyone's bookshelf. ( )

Why are indie comic book guys always so behind the times? Like, there's a world of culture being born every minute--a world of innovative graphic culture, even, although it all seems to be online (why I sometimes review internet comics on LibraryThing)--and in sequential print the majors are producing some fantastic work, although less now than a few years ago, but you get down to this '90s sludge so quickly, of pseudo-hip hop manga and panty shots. Like, it's 2009 and I should really not even have the word "panty" available anymore, but look at our heroine "Della" here--you can't call 'em underwear. Actually, just the fact that her name is Della is progress--if this were the '90s for real she'd be called, like, "miko" or "kyoki" (not real names, FYI!). And I want to like this more than I do--there is an anticapitalist undercurrent to it that is congenial to me, and I like that dude obviously just desperately wanted to write a story where yakuza fight porn stars, and went for it. But on the other hand--it's yakuza fighting porn stars. And the anticapitalist thing comes across way too ranty, like Brian was raised by Chuck Palahniuk and Denis Leary, and what could be kind of a cool near-future pre-apocalyptic tension-world where a hot teen sticks it to the man and finds out who she is falls because the writer actually seems to misrecognize his sarcastic pastiche as awesomely sincere. ( )

I want to like this more than I do. It's too short for the material - Brian Wood could have done a lot more with this concept. It feels too rushed, and doesn't really seem to have a point. ( )