High Level #1

Writer: Rob Sheridan Artist: Barnaby Bagenda, Romulo Fajardo Publisher: Vertigo Release Date: February 20, 2019 Cover Price: $3.99 Critic Reviews: 17 User Reviews: 12
8.5Critic Rating
6.7User Rating

Hundreds of years after the world ended and human society was rebuilt from scratch, a self-interested smuggler is forced to traverse a new continent of danger and mystery to deliver a child messiah to High Level, a mythical city at the top of the world from which no one has ever returned. Don't miss the start of a new series from writer Rob Sheridan, co-creator of Nine Inch Nails' groundbreaking Year Zero alternate-reality game!
MATURE READERS

  • 10
    But Why Tho? - Kate Sanchez Feb 20, 2019

    Overall,High Level #1is the perfect set up for this science fiction cyberpunk adventure and I'm hooked. I'm hooked on thirteen, the art, and the creature design of a baddie in the latter half of the comic. I am intrigued to see what other monstrous creations the team will pull into a both a beautiful and scary world. The one thing I know for sure is that this is set up to be an expansive adventure apathetic protagonist and it's right up my ally. Read Full Review

  • 10
    Sirens of Sequentials - CJ Pendragon Feb 22, 2019

    High Level has everything you need for the perfect story; a badass main character who also gets to be a woman, beautiful aesthetics, stellar writing, interesting characters, mystery and an intriguing journey thats going to take Thirteen, her new cargo and readers on a trip that will make them question everything that theyve ever known. Ill be addingHigh Level to my pull, and unless you want Thirteen busting you across the face with a shattered bottle, Id suggest you do the same. Read Full Review

  • 9.8
    The Brazen Bull - Jaimee Nadzan Feb 20, 2019

    High Level (2019-) #1 is a visually stunning, storytelling masterpiece! Rob Sheridan crafts a thoughtful, well written debut issue certain to captivate readers from the first page. Read Full Review

  • 9.7
    Sequential Planet - Danilo To Feb 21, 2019

    High Level comes in its first issue with a lot of information, but every single piece of it makes the reader excited to learn more about this world as it comes accompanied with magnificent artwork and through tremendously talented storytelling. Read Full Review

  • 9.0
    AIPT - David Brooke Jan 31, 2019

    High Level is a vividly rendered punk look at fighting the plastic and artificial artifice of society. Counter culture, cool and captivating. Read Full Review

  • 8.5
    Graphic Policy - Brett Feb 20, 2019

    The story is subtle in its politics to start, instead focusing on the world building and in many ways feels like Sheridan's previous ARG work. It sucks you in and then layers on the deeper meaning. The first issue touches upon it but it's focus is the hook and story and to build a world we want to see more of. Read Full Review

  • 8.5
    Comic Watch - Trey Campbell Feb 28, 2019

    A somewhat slow issue that sets up what should be a fascinating and insightful story. Read Full Review

  • 8.0
    GWW - Lee Gough Feb 19, 2019

    The issue talks about high level being a place for salvation and to ascend. Witthe tones playing out already regarding gods and myths I feel this Is only the beginning of the runs undertone. It's well crafted first issue and although the last page is somewhat cliche, the character of thirteen has Hooked for issue two. Read Full Review

  • 8.0
    Newsarama - Richard Gray Feb 20, 2019

    Leaving the reader on a cliffhanger, Sheridan, Bagenda and Fajardo point us in the direction the series will take without spoiling the fun of getting us there. There's still so many mysteries left after this first issue, from the idyllic family scene in the opening pages to the truth behind High Level, that keeping us on the hook should be a breeze. Read Full Review

  • 8.0
    Geek Dad - Ray Goldfield Feb 20, 2019

    The latest Vertigo launch, Rob Sheridan and Barnaby Bagenda's High Level #1 is a sci-fi dystopia filled with enticing visuals that do their best to mask a fairly pedestrian story. Read Full Review

  • 8.0
    Kabooooom - Matt Morrison Feb 20, 2019

    While those who aren't fans of dystopian fiction will have little reason to give High Level a try, there is enough in this first issue to encourage genre enthusiasts to stick around. I suspect this may read better in the trade, but the characters and story so far suggest this could develop into the next Saga. Read Full Review

  • 8.0
    Black Nerd Problems - Jon-Carlos Evans Feb 22, 2019

    DC's Vertigo imprint continues to release nich and mature offerings from both fan-favorite creators and those outside the established names in the industry. With offerings of powerful stories ranging from American Carnage and The Sandman revival to High Level, one would be easy to forget their superhero line even exists (No disrespect to the Bat). Read Full Review

  • 8.0
    DC Comics News - Ari Bard Feb 22, 2019

    High Level #1is a natural evolution to dystopian sci-fi that existentially ponders the limits of human existence and the balance of practicality versus philosophy. Read Full Review

  • 8.0
    ComicBook.com - Jamie Lovett Feb 20, 2019

    High Level #1 is an introductory issue at its core, but it's introducing readers to a world that is worth investigating. The themes here are rich, reflecting the tension inherent in consumerist society. Read Full Review

  • 8.0
    Doom Rocket - Brendan Hodgdon Feb 22, 2019

    When you consider Rob Sheridan's background as the NIN creative director, and Barnaby Bagenda's work with Omega Men, it's not surprising that a series like High Level would be the end result of their collaboration. They've built a bleak, but no less colorful, world around a hard-nosed hero, and have planted the seeds for some timely and pointed ideas about the current state of our world. I look forward to seeing those seeds grow. Read Full Review

  • 7.5
    Multiversity Comics - Jonathan O'Neal Feb 21, 2019

    For now, "High Level" gets relatively high marks for its beautiful artwork and willingness to throw ideas at readers. Whether the series has legs may depend on a more focused narrative thread, however. Luckily the final pages of this first issue provide that source of focus. Read Full Review

  • 7.0
    Big Comic Page - Mark Scott Feb 20, 2019

    Ive really enjoyed this first issue, and while its always hard to see the shape of a story from such a brief first glimpse, I think this is going to become a truly great series. Read Full Review

  • 10
    Bigpoppa393 Feb 22, 2019

    It's rare that we get dense and beautiful sci fi comics like this. A terrific first issue.

  • 9.0
    Wolf Warner Feb 20, 2019

    Good #1 !!

  • 8.0
    SloboSOY Feb 22, 2019

    I don't know what to think of this. The first part is original, I feared a battle in the bar.
    Second part is nicely done with her fellow cleaner and the woman giving her the next gig. Or how she send the drone in a opposite area (but I wonder how the group of cyborg succeed to pass them).
    It's the following part I not understand correctly. So it was a trap, but Why. And she didn't even try to fight her way out want she's alone against only one man. And then suddently rescue coming for her, how convinient.

    Cover - I take the beautyful variant. A little in link to one scene. 1.5/2
    Writing - Not bad. The univers is interesting, but the end is not as good as the first and second part of this story. 2.5/3
    Arts - Lo more

  • 7.0
    Amazing Psycamorean Feb 22, 2019

    This was alright. There's some interesting things here, but there's also some very unoriginal and cliched things. Most explicitly, the ending. So I'm not too excited for issue two. I may not even read it.

    + LikeComments (2)
  • 6.5
    Valiant Son Feb 27, 2019

    Rob Sheridan pre-empted this first issue by announcing that it was hard on Christianity, as if that made him some kind of hero. The truth is that it labours a very thin metaphor about all religion (although cites The Bible). The critique of religion barely deserves that epithet: it is heavy handed and uninspired. You don't have to be religious to find the comments tedious, you just have to have a brain and an open mind. These childish comments almost destroy the comic, but it is saved in the last few pages by the emergence of an actual story that promises to deliver an epic quest - if the writer can get over his childish ranting.

    The art is very strong, except for the scene where Thirteen nearly has her arm cut off, and seems com more

  • 5.5
    Spacey Medicine Mar 3, 2019

    This has some neat ideas but also some really boring and cliché ideas and I dunno if I really care yet.

  • 8.0

  • 7.5
    truffaz Apr 21, 2019

  • 7.0
    Soos X Feb 22, 2019

  • 6.0
    batman_forever Sep 27, 2020

  • 4.0
    DarloMan Mar 10, 2019

  • 2.0
    KnM Oct 8, 2019

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