Brian Wood's earliest published work is very iconic: a black and white cyberpunk diatribe against oppression and control by government and media. Covered from head to toe in tattoos, Jennie 2.5 opposes the system, including the 'Clean Act' which enforces a particular morality on the the populace. Also in this volume is Jennie One, a prequel by Becky Cloonan, which has more narrative meat than the original.

The style is bold black and white with many sillhouettes and use of negative space, interspersed with street signs and advertisements. The whole thing is very late-90s. There are floppy disks, phone booths and hand-held video cameras, with a hacktivist vibe. ( )

I first read this over a year ago, but only very recently purchased it. I definitely didn't guess when I originally read it that it first had been published in 1997. Jenny 2.5 is a performance artist/student in New York who fights against the heavily censored mainstream media and works to rouse people from their apathy and cynicism. She is earnestly anti-establishment but as her popularity grows her views are challenged and become more complex. I can see how that would come off as a bit trite if you're reading this, but the book really isn't cliche at all. Wood exploits what the black and white medium offers very well (line drawings, photo-realism, etc.) and it makes me wonder why he doesn't illustrate more of his own work. Lots of propaganda drawings with slogans like "progress backwards" and "your mind is a weapon. use it!" Channel Zero has been referred to as a comic for people who don't read comics (like, Maus, Sandman, et. al.), but I really object to that. It holds appeal for readers who aren't totally into the spandex is a far better way of putting it. ( )

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