"Under the Influence" is a story that never stops moving, for better or for worse. Even when it leans into its sillier aspirations, the story contains a non-stop sense of urgency and forward momentum. This can lead to some truly memorable sequences, but this can also leave you feeling a bit overwhelmed at times. The artwork (perfectly fitting for the story) is an explosion of images practically bursting off the page. Between the story and the art, this comic could've really benefited from a bit of breathing room.

A very surface level, meta critique of social media culture and “chronically online” people who blindly follow influencers. I don’t see the FBI being called in after one accidental death from an Internet prank. I thought the hotdog mascot was cute, and it was an easy, quick read. It was better than AHS: Cult so there’s that.

A slight Black Mirror-y look at influencer culture/cults gone awry. The characters are intriguing enough but could have been deeper.

Interesting but confusing. This is all about the world and power of influencers and their followers. A hotdog eating internet star become a danger when he starts to wield his power and influence. He becomes an FBI target and is assigned a shadowy agent to bring him down. The artwork was ok, but the story could sometimes be confusing.

All in all a good story.

Book provided via Netgalley, in exchange for an unbiased review.

I’m conflicted here. On one hand I really liked all the social topics touched on and the overall concept. On the other hand, I felt like the execution was lacking in areas. Where I wanted it to take its time and flesh things out, it rushed at a breakneck pace and gave me characters whose motivations I never felt like I understood. I really enjoyed the art style and some of the twists though.

Thanks to Mad Cave for sending an ARC through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review!

FBI Agent Cara Cole goes undercover at a university to infiltrate an alleged Internet-based cult called Hot Dog Party, which is led by a teenage influencer who had his fifteen minutes of fame as a meme.

I enjoy bizarre horror, I have always liked a good story about cults, and the phenomenon of parasocial relationships is a subject I’ve been hearing more about lately. I also really do not like the taste of hots dogs. As such, this graphic novel sounded right up my alley.

Alas, this was not to be. Though I enjoyed the muddy, comic noir art style, nothing else really worked for me. While there was a lot of potential in the premise – a FBI agent who was once a cult member herself investigating a strange new cult that may have gotten catastrophically out of the control of the cult leader – the execution left a lot to be desired.

The plot was seriously underbaked and the story escalated way too fast, to the point that I found myself having trouble understanding what was going on. I could not get interested in any of the characters, because none of them ever really came alive, and whatever flashes of interesting backstory that was hinted at were never explored. I felt like I was more reading a basic storyboard than a completed graphic novel.

Do not recommend.

Mad Cave Studios provided an early galley for review.

This was a really interesting story. The volume collects Under the Influence issues 1 through 5, quickly establishing a world that intersects the FBI with internet culture. If the story seems almost too real, it is because it easily could have been ripped from today's headlines. It does a wonderful job at mirroring the influences of social media, the quickly-out-of-control aspects of mob mentality, and the fragile nature of individuals seeking a sense of purpose and belonging.

The artwork is a bit different from what I usually gravitate towards in a graphic novel. It has a more muddied, slightly out of focus take. The colors are blurred and blotched. But, that actually works in tandem to the story itself. I think the impact would have been different if the art was clean, crisp and bright.

I am not sure if the creators plan to let this one stand on its own, or if they plan to continue the adventures Agent Cara Cole in another arc. Time will tell.

Exploring parasocial relationships and how influencers can be idolized could be interesting, but Under the Influence feels like a VERY oversimplified depiction of very complex phenomena. A social media cult could happen for sure, but the way it's portrayed here is far too surface-level. Cults are serious and victims often have lasting trauma, if they even get out. Under the Influence gives grumpy uncle sitting in the corner at the Christmas party complaining about the youths with their social medias and their crop tops.
The ending was kinda...nothing. Plus, this is not volume one as advertised; the whole story concludes in this single volume, at least according to what I saw on Mad Cave's website, so I'm not sure why it's marketed as "Vol. 1".
To end on a good note, I thought the art style was nice and worked well and the overall idea is cool - it's just the execution/writing that needed more work.

- ARC provided by NetGalley -

Eliot Rahal tells a fascinating story. Under the Influence is an entertaining blend of fantasy and realism, and the art is equally polished and compelling.

Under The Influence is a fast paced first issue, with a lot of action and over-saturated colorfull illustrations, like a trip on acid (or an instagram filter).

As an older Gen Z, I can see what the author wanted to point out in "Under The Influence". About how we, the Gen Zs, have our own codes and our own way of idealising random people on the internet, until it becomes like a cult. Yes, we are more in danger than other generations, but as Charlotte said "I'm not the only one". I believe we are in this era where everybody can be an influencer, and being one is becoming normalised, mundane. We're not idealising anymore, as influencers come and go and disappear as others take their places.

BUT, the ending got me. To be heard is to be listened. Cara, and Paul, and all the others who want to do their own version of whats right for the world need to be heard. And for this, they understand that they need to play the online game. This is why the FBI never got what they wanted. Like Paul's app, and like Cara's live.

I received a copy of this from NetGalley.

This was a fun one to read. I liked the main character, and the story went by quickly. I didn't quite understand why the deaths happened, but I guess it's was just to show that the the influencer was selfish and social media is bad? Maybe I'm too old to fully grasp the hold such an internet group would have on the youth.

Interesting story, interestingly drawn, but overall it felt unsatisfying. I could tell that there was intention behind it, but it fell short in a lot of ways, and ended with room for a sequel that I didn't find myself wanting.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!

3.5
This graphic novel had several new and interesting concepts, and I found myself drawn in while reading. But unfortunately, it stumbled a bit on the landing. I understand this is the first volume, so the ending was meant to be more like a cliffhanger. Some of the concepts I really liked and wished the story had delved into them more. Such as influencers with huge followings can attain power on the level of powerful cult leaders and how dangerous that power can be in certain hands. How companies can use and abuse people for their marketing, especially children. Plus several other concepts. But this only managed to touch on and briefly mention those concepts and never went any deeper. I really don't know if the Influencer kid was meant to be a villain or just someone who left the fame get to his head. It was hard to tell what was genuine or what was meant to be a manipulation tactic by him. A lot of his actions seemed erratic and lacked sense, and I can't tell if that was on purpose or just accidental bad storytelling. I did like some of the other characters, but again, the story doesn't go too deep into their personalities. Hopefully, this smooths out in a second volume. I did actually enjoy the art. It was fun to look at while being simple to read.

Didn't like looking at the art and the story felt a little too close to another graphic novel I habe read. This is probably for someone out there but it would definitely be for someone who hasn't read Memetic and can handle the art a bit better, definitely not me.

Here is a comic that on the surface looks like it's About Now, but it never becomes clear what it actually and specifically is about, and it ends up not saying much at all About Now. Something about being extremely online, about mobs of youths blindly following an influencer? Your guess is as good as mine.

So there's an influencer, who attained online fame through a silly viral video, and now he has all this power over a group of young people. And he's a psychopath. Except he isn't..? He never really comes across as being a bad guy, or being in control of anything much? It's hard to feel anything about him.

Things suddenly escalate much too quickly and unconvincingly, and again made me wonder what the point was. The whole thing is basically a shrug.

Stefano Simeone's art comes across as a sketchy, scratchy version of Matteo Scalera (of Black Science fame), and then as if everything has been drawn under great time pressure.