Imperium 13 Review: A Trap or Not?

What happens when you grow up knowing that the world and its inhabitants are all just made up of codes? How do you go through an everyday life? The truth is you don’t. A black girl with little resources, Amanda McKee becomes Toyo Harada’s greatest tool. Perhaps Amanda (best known as Livewire) saw a kindred spirit in the powerful psiot. After all Harada also saw the world as a series of codes to be manipulated. But what Harada saw as his purpose, Livewire saw as a threat to humanity.

In issue 13 of “Imperium” Joshua Dysart has constructed a conundrum for his readers. Why would Harada willingly allow Livewire to access vital information? It seems to be a trap to eradicate his enemies, but is there a bigger plan being laid out? Harada’s vision of a peaceful world seems more like a despot fortifying control of his power base while his enemies scramble to stop him. Throughout the comic artist Khari Evans shows a serene Harada, slowly taking his time and unencumbered by the potential disasters falling down around him. Harada’s calmness is juxtaposed with Livewire’s surety slowly revealing that Harada is in control of everything.

Being trained by the most powerful psiot one would think that Livewire would anticipate potential traps. In a sense Harada is the closest thing to a father figure and that can sometimes blind a person. We want to believe the best in people, that people have the right to choose and that they will essentially do the right thing. But Harada believes that he should be everyone’s free will because he knows better. He can, through his abilities save the world.

Still it’s a myopic, destructive view that robs people of living their own lives. You can’t control everything and Harada believes that is the only way to save people from themselves. As a result you have splinter cells that either want Harada’s power or try to stop him. In essence there are some serious daddy/daughter issues happening that are being played out on a world stage.

For the most part, people don’t change. They can either become the best or worst of who they are, but the core will remain the same. This may be why Harada does not destroy Livewire outright. Perhaps she does act as his conscience, or she may be a way of reminding him of his humanity. More likely he may be thinking of a way to utilize her abilities to succeed in his world vision. Whatever the reason Harada and Amanda are playing out an intimate, family drama and taking the fate of the world along for the journey.

About Donna-Lyn Washington 642 Articles
Donna-lyn Washington has a M.A. in English from Brooklyn College. She is currently teaching at Kingsborough Community College where her love of comics and pop culture play key parts in helping her students move forward in their academic careers. As a senior writer for ReviewFix she has been able to explore a variety of worlds through comics, film and television and has met some interesting writers and artists along the way. Donna-lyn does a weekly podcast reviewing indie comics and has also contributed entries to the 'Encyclopedia of Black Comics,’ the academic anthology ‘Critical Insights: Frank Yerby’ and is the editor for the upcoming book, ‘Conversations With: John Jennings.’

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