Dark Horse; $4.99 

Edward Hale is a video game programmer who wanted to ditch the cubicle life to design his own games. When the fabled Masterminds issued a challenge to join their venerable ranks, Edward saw his opportunity to make his dreams come true. Instead, he was spun into a web of lies and manipulation.  

The Masterminds targeted Edward because they knew he was desperate and pliable. They tricked him and guided him into a game of violence and theft for their own gains. Now, Edward must decide if he can trust Angie, figure out who is leading the Masterminds, and try to win the game without being arrested or dying in the process.  

This is the final issue in the Masterminds limited series, and, wow, does it deliver. Writer Zack Kaplan, artist Stephen Thompson, and colorist Thiago Rocha have weaved one heck of a twisty story in which it's hard to decipher what is real from what is a fabrication or a trick. Kaplan wrote a cat and mouse suspense tale with Edward and Angie stumbling to keep up with the game's fast pacing. Thompson and Rocha utilize video game elements by designing panels and whole pages to look like game puzzles and challenges. 

It's a fun to read techno-thriller and I'm hoping that the creators are hard at work building the next level.  

–Amanda Sheriff