YOU'VE BEEN CANCELLED

In Pires’ graphic novel, a near-future game show features the bloody executions of those deemed society’s worst offenders.

In mid-21st-century Los Angeles, murder is always available for streaming. The show Cancelled encourages its audience to vote on which people in the world they’d like to see die. Heavily armed assassins, including Roland Endo, who’s ranked first among the Cancellers, then track down the chosen and end their lives. One serial sexual harasser and assaulter, for example, meets an especially brutal end. For Roland, it’s just a job, but things take a disturbing turn when he learns Cancelled has been hacked, and now he’s set to be canceled. The show’s CEO anticipates a ratings boost and sees no need to stop other Cancellers from targeting Roland. Meanwhile, Roland scours the city for the hacker, and what he discovers is alarming—not only the hacker’s identity, but also what the hacker has to tell him. Although Pires’ blunt graphic novel has its share of humor, it takes itself seriously just as often. The story unfolds in a dystopian L.A. where the government has all but abandoned the working class. The taut narrative ultimately centers on the question of who among the public revels most in the violence that Cancelled delivers. Similarly, Roland isn’t the apathetic killing machine he appears to be, and his backstory hints at trauma suffered when he was a soldier. Still, the highlight of this graphic novel is its action. Castaniero’s stylized, full-color illustrations showcase Roland in battle mode as he floors opponents with fists, cookware, and what looks suspiciously like a lightsaber. The artwork is at its best in glorious full-page tableaux, whether they feature Roland calmly awaiting attackers or a collage of the show’s viewers cheering on the show’s barbarity.

An action-laden tale with vigor and cultural insight.