The Karman Line is an original graphic novel from Mad Cave in stores March 14, 2023. In this sociopolitical thriller we see how reality TV can exploit people better than politics ever could. Combine this with the suspense of being in space with a narrow escape window and you get an unforgettable experience.
Summary
The Karman Line follows five astronauts on a live-streaming show to support a mission on developing a Mars exploration ship. Partly because Earth may become inhabitable. But because trying to leave Earth has become an unpopular topic, everybody’s ready to stop it. Even the governments behind the 5 space agencies are ready to pull the plug. That is unless the live show gets better; something that the Social Media Consultant Diya Khatri does by adding drama. Everything from sabotaging a flight simulation with a real bomb and streaming 24/7 including the private moments. Worst part is, nobody but Diya and NASA knew.
But now, all of that is up and smoke. When the mission is aborted, every crew member is ordered to return home alone. Why? Because it looks like WWIII has started.
The Karman Line On Ambiguity
The writer Dennis Hopeless is no stranger to challenging his characters, especially against the modern world. In this case it’s where true crime and sensationalist live-streaming collide. When reading the first pages, I wasn’t really excited to see astronauts in some kind of love triangle. It just felt like bad reality TV, IN SPACE! But rereading everything, I realized that’s the point of this intro; live-streaming is the new reality TV, complete with political influence. And what’s more political than a war where everyone is ordered to come home alone?
Hopeless presents a dire situation that could’ve really happened. Because if Hopeless can convince you that WWE pro-wrestling skits are real how can he not fool his characters? Not only that, he tries to make characters more than just representatives of their cultures.
Why Are The Ones From Dictatorships More Interesting?
One of the only characters I can recall by memory is Captain Yuki Kanai. So she’s from JAXA? No, she’s from China’s space agency. I think she’s married to a Chinese man and has a son with him. But that’s not the only thing that makes her stand out. Out of all of the crew she’s the least interested in the stream, preferring her privacy. This can make her look coldly vindictive especially in a character defining scene.
But readers come to learn that Yuki is under pressure from China’s ruling party to obey orders. Something that Commander Alexei Sverchkov knows all too well when his friend paid the price for morality. Plus his and Yuki’s families are threatened by their respective governments forces to follow through on looking like strong sociopaths. This makes the (seemingly) private moments where Alexei is vulnerable to people feel heavy. With ears always on them, these two have to use emotional vulnerability as a backstabbing tactic. Yet they still try to do the moral thing by using subtle and silent tactics to get around their masters. It makes them the best characters.
Unlike the European astronaut who tried to cut and run to save himself. All while leaving people he was chummy with a while ago without a second thought.
The Karman Line Between Reality and the Real
Spoiler warning! Censors inbound!
The ending of The Karman Line reveals just how insidious this rabbit hole can get. Because it turns out, the war messages were deepfakes! NASA’s staff claims that it was hackers but it’s not hard to call this is a lie. But it’s not like anyone cares since the public isn’t rioting anymore and NASA has the backing for Mars.
Plus, with how the comments are reacting this ending was planned to make the USA look good. The American astronaut is practically squeaky clean compared to Yuki and Alexei who have blood on their hands. It doesn’t hurt that their sympathetic qualities were on display so that they can be used as propaganda.
This is a very well written intrigue plot with the impression it leaves. After this, people will be left thinking about a lot of things.
The Karman Line Art
For artwork, The Karman Line features some solid art by Piotr Kowalski. Zero gravity, body language, and line work create eye-catching moments easy enough for readers to follow. One of my favorite moments comes from a scene combining SFX by Chas! Pangburn. Captain Yuki is stoically standing at a door cross-armed while Diya gets beat up over the private footage she showed everyone. But Yuki with a change in eyesight and bolder lines reveals that she’s listening closely to the noises being made. This prompts her to investigate, since they aren’t hits.
As for the colors by Brad Simpson, they work in conjunction with Kowalski’s lines. They make the characters stand out against the cold and sterile space station. But one of the best instances is showing the bloodshot eyes of a dead astronaut. It shows the deadly effect of being in space and what the other astronauts are facing in their environment.
Is The Karman Line Worth Crossing?
The Karman Line features one of the most surprising and thought provoking intrigue plots in recent times. By putting the effects of live-streaming and political commentary together, readers get an empathetic look at authenticity’s exploitation.
But there are a couple of small problems. I can barely remember the names of half of these characters after reading through. Because in my opinion, they don’t really have much nuance to their personalities. Even when rereading through everything I’m left with questions that feel irritating. Like that European astronaut (Dash I think), was he some kind of a spy; he acted like one.
So a good plot for socio-political commentary for this era, but with forgettable characters gets this 8/10.