Cryptocracy #1 is not a perfect book. There are some moments that are confusing, some art that looks a little off, some dialogue that comes off as forced, but that doesnt matter because overall this is the perfect way to start up a series. It sets up likable main characters, dislikeable villains and a world so crazy, that you cant help but fall in love with it. Cryptocracy does not play it safe, it takes risks and it succeeds. Read Full Review

A must read for fans of conspiracy theories and science fiction. A solid injection of humor keeps the story from getting overly serious and the visuals are absolutely sumptuous. The perfect blend of action, humor, and conspiracy. Highly enjoyable. Read Full Review

Cryptocracy is bound to be confusing at times, perhaps even priding itself on that like a season of LOST. It's a deep-running rabbit hole, and if you're into that sort of thing, it's worth jumping in. Read Full Review

Van Jensen kicks off his new series by giving the readers a ton of great characters, dense world building and an intriguing mystery. Pete Woods does a great job of bringing everything to life and by the end, I was totally immersed in what him and Jensen were selling. It's a lot to digest, but it's a meal well worth sitting down to enjoy. If you believe in things like the Illuminati and know that the "Truth is Out There", I think you will really enjoy this book. Recommended. Read Full Review

The art by Pete Woods is clear cut and shows a great degree of realism which is impressive considering the concept. Some of the stranger sights in this comic are actually better for it and don't feel out of place. I won't reveal what they are but, they are surprising, to say the least. Read Full Review

Van Jensen brings a high level of skill to the writing of this pilot issue, deftly building a folklore that is mystic and easy to understand simultaneously. I love the work on the content of the title, but I can't express enough gratitude when a writer provides to the reader a prologue explaining what the heck families and circles mean, coupled with an epilogue that dives deeper into the backstory. Wood's art is well defines but I actually enjoy the most on the panels with the alien life and hybrids. The colors pop and made me feel like I was playing a video game and this was a cut scene. Issue 1 is a wrap and the issue leaves you curious to see where it goes from here. Read Full Review

Cryptocracy #1 is a good first issue that not only stands up on its on but also offers up multiple ways the series can play out. Follow Read Full Review

Superlative Sci-fi that uses its medium perfectly. This is the kind of ridiculousness that comic books are made for. Read Full Review

Cryptocracy #1 is the start of something fun and adventurous for people who are virtually gods now feeling as though their whole way of life is about to crumble beneath them. Just what can go wrong when your ultimate power is secrecy, And that is the one thing being used against you? That is what we aim to explore and much more. Read Full Review

Cryptocracy sets up a grand stage that will play out for years, and creates enough questions that it leaves the reader enthralled after the last panel. It earns a solid 8 out of 10. Read Full Review

Its a challenge for a first issue of an independent book to build a world and introduce characters plus add a hook all in 20 some pages. This issue does it well, and the world built is very robust. Its nice to see something so unique in tone and temperment on the stands; this story could easily have been very dour and dark, but thanks to the art and the dialogue, theres quite a bit of life on each page, and more than a few laugh-out-loud moments. Hopefully in the coming issues, the story has a little more room to breath, with a little less exposition and a little more show not tell. Read Full Review

This story has a unique take on your traditional sci-fi and government conspiracy stories. Although a little heavy with the information in the beginning it was not overwhelming. I enjoyed all the twists, loveable characters and fantastic artwork. It made every page fun and exciting to read. Van Jensen and Pete Woods have a winner on their hands here with a great start to the series. Read Full Review

Van Jensen and Pete Woods are creating a solid story among some very fantastic ideas and time will tell if they keep the balance they've struck in the first issue. If they do, then readers are in for a ride. Read Full Review

What will become of the Nine Families, and those that try to eradicate their secrecy? One thing is for sure: this will either be a conspiracy theorist's dream come true or their worst nightmare. Read Full Review

Cryptocracy #1 is a pretty fun read especially if you're a fan of Sci Fi, and conspiracies. You're transferred right into a world full of action, mystery, and most of all excellent art thanks to Pete Woods. Jenson's writing is strong, and pretty fast paced.. Though I feel that this might not be for everyone, I believe most comic book readers will enjoy this issue, and even some others might develop an appreciation for the Sci Fi world. Read Full Review

Cryptocracy is off to a good start. Jensen worked in an interesting premise with a solid lead in Grahame. Woods' artistic take with the series will keep many people coming to the series. If the pacing can adjust itself for the next volumes, we can see a strong comic series that will surely gain fans. Read Full Review

Ultimately I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would. It does a great job of setting up the premise, shows you what the future conflicts are likely to be, and introduces you to several interesting characters. One of the most important things that this book does, in my opinion, is that it portrays the “evil families running the world” as something more than just moustache twirling villains. It is still unclear exactly what their motives are, but clearly these people aren't pure evil as these types of organizations are normally portrayed. They prevent the possible destruction of the world, and they regret unnecessary loss of life. The implication is that they are evil for the greater good, and it will be interesting to see how future issues play with this idea and further humanize them while also humanizing those fighting against them. A fairly solid start, and I'm interested to see where it goes from here. Read Full Review

There's a lot to take in, and this first issue could potentially lose marks for the exposition-heavy nature of its world-building, but when it moves at such a swift pace and is so incredibly well-realised as this it becomes more intriguing than intrusive – for me personally, at least. It aims big and promises much, but it has all the hallmarks of a classic series in the making. Read Full Review

If you're a fan of The X-Files, you're going to love this series. If the rest of it is anything like this issue, I'm already addicted. Read Full Review

The opening issue of Cryptocracy is a big undertaking, delivering a whole lot of world-building within one issue. However, it feels like a labor of love and the creative team is having a fun time. The key to the first issue is that there's a ton of potential for an amazing series. While the first issue dumps a lot onto the reader, the comedic tone is the driving force which will keep readers coming back. It feels like Van Jensen and Pete Woods are both in their element. The first issue is good, and it feels like it's about to get a whole lot better. Read Full Review

The X-Files fans, get ready to do some reading, because you’re going to drool over this new Dark Horse series. I’m really excited to see how Mars is going to deal with the attacker. I actually really want to learn more about him, too. Does he hate the government, too? How did he find out about the Shadow Government? Is he attacking anyone in particular? Why is he attacking—does he want anarchy, or is he just expressing frustration? This series is going to be good, so make sure to keep up with it as the cryptocracy unravels! If you've never experienced paranoia, get ready. Read Full Review

Cryptocracy holds a lot of promise. It's beautifully written and doesn't hold back, with a creative story that is familiar but not like reading the same thing for the millionth time. It makes itself out to be different by fusing elements across genres and taking a look into the lifestyles of the rich and famous" but not the Hollywood type. These rich and famous are as deadly as they are, well, rich and famous, and given that the whole point of Cryptocracy is that there's some serious tensions that are growing between the nine families that control the world, it's probably not going to go well" or end well. Read Full Review

Cryptocracy #1 is flawed, but also wildly entertaining. There is an obvious urge to get the plot into a certain narrative place in order for not only the next issue, but also the entire series to take off. While that is sloppy, the places that the plot hints at going, especially with the letter that is included at the end alluding to the Tunguska event, are unique. It's clear that Jensen has a lot of really interesting ideas, and Woods' art matches him in terms of developing and maintaining something original. The series has a lot of potential, and with most of the exposition out of the way, I'm looking forward to learning more about the characters that Jensen has written. Read Full Review

Cryptocracy is hardly the first comic to make the mistake of prioritizing world-building and exposition over providing a clean, easy gateway for readers. Even so, this issue showcases an interesting, complex new sci-i universe, one that clearly won't be guilty of taking itself too seriously. That certainly warrants sticking with the book for now. Read Full Review

All in all, Cryptocracy #1 is a very dense storyline involving a maze of conspiracies. The art serves the story well yet the plot can be a little too heavy to follow at times. This book has a lot of interesting ideas but the overly complexity of the story can weigh down on the reader. Hopefully now that this puzzling world is established, the next issue can concentrate more on character development and dramatic action. A universe is very vast and full of wonders, yet it can't all fit into 30 pages. Read Full Review

Is this book perfect? Absolutely not, it's positively eye-roll worthy at times. I read the first couple of pages and wanted to hate it, but like a fine wine it improved with time. I don't know if this trend will continue in the future and I've certainly read stronger first issues, but is it OK for me to just want to see more of the huge talking bear and pop guzzling alien? I think so but you'll have to decide for yourselves. Read Full Review

Somewhere around the middle of the first issue of Cryptocracy, I was hit with such a nostalgic feeling that took me until the aliens showed up to place: Men in Black. Between the talking Bugbear companion, the snappy dialogue, and the working class aliens, there was a tone to the series that was reminiscent of the movie. Which worked in the series' favor, because as much as I was rolling my eyes at the start, I really began to enjoy the cliches from that point on. Read Full Review