Review: Eight Billion Genies ....one wish to ruin us all
When everyone loves a comic so much, can it possibly be that good?
Eight Billion Genies was one of the most highly hyped and recommended comic book by comic book retailers and reviewers. Everyone could not stop mentioning it. It was hyped enough to encourage a visit to my local comic book store to get a first issue. Only to have the store clerk eagerly encourage me to wait for the graphic novel because #1 the first issue was sold out and would not be restocked due to the upcoming graphic novel release and that #2 it was good enough to wait and collect the novel. So I did. The store clerk was familiar with my pull history.
After a short time later, the novel was released. I dutifully grabbed it, and then continued to hold off on reading it.
When the hype has built up the anticipation so steeply , it’s daunting to hope that the work can meet that high of an expectation. Heels are dragged, ears are plugged until the I feel like reading it. It was when everything just seemed bleak and fires of all kinds were burning in the world that it seemed like the perfect time to read Eight Billion Genies, a epic story of an apocalypse generated by the wishes of humans.
Gosh darn-it, everyone was right. Eight Billion Genies is really good.
The Story
Population on earth has reached eight billion people. Then one day the genies appeared. Every single person on earth had a genie appear in front of them ready to grant them one single wish. Now what do you think would happen if everyone is granted such cosmic power? At the same time? Correct. Chaos.
In mere milliseconds, the world is overrun with the shallow desires of people around the world. The earth is bombarded by the greed for power and strength as populations are transformed into super heroes, villains, monsters, and other imaginative vehicles. These transformations are quickly followed by explosions, destruction, and fatalities. Within a day, the population on earth has massively decreased. With each issue, that number does not decreasing as humans now grapple with the reality and consequences of having a genie.
As all of that is happening, a small unit of strangers are forced to surviving it all together . Thanks to the quick thinking wish of a bartender, this bar and the patrons inside are saved from getting pulverized, poisoned, and other kind of dangers from outside. They survive despite the devastating chaos outside. As long as they stay inside. How long can they stay inside together?
Why is so good?
For anyone who loves a good apocalypse story, this hits all of the right buttons. Utter destruction, chances to start anew, recreating society, and moving on. Eight Billion Genies takes the reader through a journey that explores multitudes of what if? possibilities of surviving such a catastrophic event while also dealing with the re-gular nuances of life. There are so many pockets of relationships in the story that really highlights that humans will still be humans no matter what. Even if there are massive kaiju’s and radioactive wastes waiting outside, the need to rock and be the best band will still overcome common sense.
It’s just also that kind of story that keeps fueling enough of the curiosity to keep turning the pages. The initial destruction and chaos is cathartic enough but how human kind survive after that is absolutely fascinating. It really reminds me of the early days of reading Walking Dead series and the novelty of wondering what would happen next. Thankfully Eight Billion Genies does close it’s story arc and has a very interesting ending.
Funny enough. this is a great story for the holidays. Reading about the end can give such a strange optimistic hope about today. Since tomorrow can end in so many unexpected ways, experiencing whatever today brings isn’t too bad.
““Back in 2017, Ryan Browne and I launched our epic mega-series Curse Words through Image Comics...We didn’t think we’d ever do anything wilder or bigger or with as many possibilities for the story to go absolutely anywhere. Now, almost exactly five years later... we’ve gone and done it! Eight Billion Genies is both of us working at the top of our games, using everything we’ve learned about making comics to execute the craziest premise we could think of. Eight Billion Genies is a high-wire act for us as creators all the way through—literally on any page the whole thing could unravel. But it doesn’t—it just gets better, with every single issue. This is a thoughtful book about all of us, our lives and desires, and this particular moment in history—but it’s absolutely drowning in genies, too. And jokes! Lots of great jokes. It’ll make you laugh, cry, think... and wish. It’ll definitely make you wish. Can’t wait for everyone to see it.””
About the Creators (from Image Comics):
CHARLES SOULE
Charles Soule is a bestselling novelist and comics writer based in New York. His work for Image Comics includes the hits Curse Words and Undiscovered Country. In addition, he wrote some of the most prominent comic stories of the last decade for Marvel, DC and Lucasfilm, the novels The Oracle Year, Anyone and the #1 New York Times bestselling Light of the Jedi, and is the writer of the award winning Letter 44 series from Oni Press. He is also a lawyer who no longer practices, and a musician who practices a lot.
ABOUT RYAN BROWNE
Ryan Browne is a Chicago-based writer and artist most known for being the creator of GOD HATES ASTRONAUTS (Image Comics), the co-creator of CURSE WORDS (again, Image Comics), and art dude on QUANTUM AND WOODY (not Image Comics). He sometimes has good jokes—or at least, that's what his mom say
