GVN Talking Comics Review: Mad Cave Studios ‘You’ve Been Cancelled’ Issue 2

Last Time on “You’ve Been Cancelled”

“You’ve Been Cancelled” has been one of the most popular shows in recent memory. Who wouldn’t like to see someone you despise be hunted down and “cancelled.” Especially by the No. 1 player in YBC, Roland Endo. Of course, being number one means everyone else is gunning for you. All of those players who aspire to be number one, have only one way to get there. Take out the top dog. So that means that Roland has to not only find and take out that week’s target, but he also has to watch his back for his fellow Cancellers. What fun.

That got to be more complicated when at the end of the first Issue, someone hacked into the system. Now Roland Endo has been put on the Cancelled list. Talk about going the frying pan into the fire. Good thing Roland is used to being the center of attention. Because now, he’s on EVERYONE’s Hit list.

Ratings are Ratings

Normally, having your television show being hacked would be a bad thing. And at first, Sterling Kraft, CEO of Cancelled would have thought so too. But you can’t argue with results, and for Cancelled, that means ratings. Apparently, this sudden unexpected plot twist has peaked the viewing audience’s interest. The fact that Roland Endo wasn’t on their “Dukie” list, doesn’t seem to matter. What they want is a challenging confrontation between well matched opponents. Not to mention the bloody carnage that battle will surely put on display. It’s a win, WIN! Except maybe for Roland.

First Group of Wannabe Cancellers

Speaking of Roland, he is trying to distance himself from his pursuers while trying to find out who is behind the hack. That means contacting his handler and finding out what he has discovered. However, he first has to handle the first posse of the aforementioned Pursuers. It certainly didn’t take them long to locate him. Not that he should be THAT surprised. With 100 million on the line, anyone with a death wish might find it worth it.  Fortunately for Endo, this group is not as good at fighting as he is. Not that he didn’t get bloody in the process. Par for the course in his line of work. At least they didn’t seem to be professional cancellers…yet.

A Trip to the Stacks

Later, Endo met with his contact, who was just finishing up after a liaison of his own. After excusing his paramour, he examined Endo’s armor to rid it of possible bugs and tracking devices. Not only that, but he was also able to track the source of the hack. Surprisingly, it was close by in the “Stacks.” (Anyone familiar with Ready Player One would recognize this type of living domicile.) With land at a premium, residences started being built up in “Stacks,” going upward instead of outward. It was in one of the upper-level buildings that was the home for the hacker. Needless to say, Endo would be paying this person a visit.

Meet the Archipelago Bros.

However, once he reached the “address” his handler had given him, what he found was not what he expected. Instead of some high-strung nerd type, he found a mother and her young daughter in the middle of breakfast. Although, it became apparent that the daughter was INDEED responsible for the hack. But before Endo could find out why, another pair of his competitors had followed him to the residence. In this case, the Archipelago Bros. Presently ranked #15 but looking to move up in the ranks and in the ratings. Endo yelled for the daughter and mother to duck for cover as the bullets started flying.

Frying Pans are Good Weapons

As the fight progressed, Endo took advantage of what was there. A frying pan makes for a nice weapon. Who knew? (Besides Rapunzel and Flynn Rider in Tangled). An elbow smash to the face was soon followed by showing one the Archipelago Bros. to the door. Which led unfortunately to the outside and a major fall to his death. Oops. What your step in THIS building folks. Naturally, this didn’t sit well with the other brother. He immediately shot Endo taking him down… or so he thought.

Lessons from GOT

However, not learning anything from Oberyn Martell in Game of Thrones, he walked too close to Endo’s supposed dead body and got leg swept, just like Oberyn. Fortunately for the brother, he just got beaten down, not getting his skull crushed like Martell did. However, after the battle, Endo STILL had some questions for his young hacker.

Good News

Back at the Cancelled Studio, the news was still good. With all the buzz about Endo’s sudden change to Cancelled target, their ratings are higher than they have ever been. So, perhaps this hack was the best thing to happen to the show. However, having Endo walk through his pursuers like a swinging door was not. They needed someone to provide a real challenge for their current and soon to be former #1. This meant bringing someone out of retirement. Edge Maverick, their former number two. He retired after losing a battle with Endo for number one and also losing his arm. He had since had the arm replaced with a cybernetic replacement, but he had lost more than his arm.

Coming Out of Retirement

Sterling Kraft knew this about Edge, but he had some armor made that should prove to be an equalizer against Endo. It seemed to be fair to Kraft, Endo took his arm, Edge can take his life. And the ratings will soar through the roof. All he has to do is agree to accept the challenge. After looking at the armor, Edge had only one response. Let’s do this.

Thoughts

I had mentioned in my first issue review about the similarities between The Running Man and You’ve been Cancelled. That similarity is mirrored in the end of this issue with a retired “Canceller” being called into duty. In the Running Man, it was Captain Freedom making his return in the hopes that he could bring Ben Richards down. Since not only was Richard’s mowing through the Stalkers, but he was also beginning to gather the favor of the audience.

A Change is Welcome

However, in You’ve Been Cancelled, Endo was more than likely already popular as the best of their cadre of Cancellers. With the ratings going up, it is more likely that the viewers are ready for a change and to see at least the possibility of the Cancelled coming out on top. Although, I’m not sure what that says about his other players that Kraft is already pulling people off the bench. They need to step up their game.

While the circumstances behind the hack have not yet been revealed, at least in this scenario, the result of the “Cancelled” Endo surviving is at least a possibility. Fans (and readers) love drama and a plot twist. And creators Spires and Castaniero are giving it to them. Still imbuing each panel with rough and tumble, gritty action. Should make for some interesting future episodes for the show and issues for the book.

Mad Cave Studios You’ve Been Cancelled, Issue 2 by Curt Pires, Kevin Castaniero, Jason Wordie, and letterer Micah Myers is available now at Mad Cave’s Subscription site or where great digital comics are sold.