There's a lot of hype surrounding this series. Archaia Black Label's (a subsidiary of BOOM! Studios) “Hacktivist” #1 is a self-explanatory title, but some of you may not know the players. There's Ed Hiccox, a genius programmer and a big fan of finding patterns in the workings of reality. There's Nate Graft; gritty, bad boy genius programmer fond of the f-bomb. These guys are co-founders of the world's most revolutionary social networking site called YourLife. The idea behind it has been batted around since social networking evolved into the monster it is today, and is a thing in constant evolution. Ed and Nate have found a way to connect possibility with reality using YourLife. Business with capital, revolutions with believers, etc. YourLife allows an individual to network like never before, and is as revolutionary as the revolutions Ed and Nate are inspired by.

The idea behind “Hacktivist” was contrived by actress/producer Alyssa Milano (Charmed, Who's The Boss). As a philanthropist she has a vision of technology as a tool to better mankind. In the official press release for the comic Milano is quoted, “I’m very involved with in global activism and philanthropy. I like the idea of everyday people doing good. My inspiration for Hacktivist is actually Jack Dorsey, the creator of Twitter and Square. I picture him leaving the office at night and going home, where he locks himself in his room and starts hacking to change the world.” Conclusively she put the idea into a story, and with creative minds and a potent, mega award-winning publisher, created a comic worth reading.

In their off hours Ed and Nate together compose the black-hat hacker whose handle is SVE_URS3LF. They want to influence humanity to evolve back into a community where we take care of one another, and they spurn, and assist the revolutions they see as a step in the process.

“Hacktivist” is praiseworthy, in that it is tightly written by Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly. Artist Marcus To (Cyborg 009, Red Robin) brings the story to life, and Eisner Award-nominated colorist Ian Herring (Jim Henson’s Tale of Sand, Cyborg 009), and Eisner Award-nominated letterer Deron Bennett (Jim Henson’s Tale of Sand, Jim Henson’s The Dark Crystal: Creation Myths) also lend their talents. There is a tension from the first panel that flows through every page to the very last. Archaia's creative team move seamlessly together, bringing a very real concept to fruition. The idea behind “Hacktivist” holds potency, and the comic has a convincing (and scary) realism even though it could quickly turn cliche.

“Hacktivist” is written, and executed by Hollywood talents who rarely get concepts like this right. The end of the issue will leave you wondering if the next chapter will fall into the trap of being just another pseudo-expression. What does that mean? Reality vs. entertainment, idea vs. pop culture. Hollywood rarely gets it right. However, if the story stays tight, the characters continue to yield their mysteries, and the idea becomes either realized or destroyed, this reader will be satisfied with it. Check out “Hacktivist” and jump on the bandwagon. You will be left thirsty for more.