ATU Chronicles Vol 1: Chaos is Bleeding by Cynthia Fridsma is a graphic novel that blends political intrigue with supernatural horror. Former Anti-Terrorism Unit (ATU) agent Sybil Crewes is drawn out of her isolation in Boston to confront the chaos unfolding in America during the COVID-19 pandemic. With violent attacks on the U.S. Capitol and a plot involving a zombie army orchestrated by Dr. Carl Hayes, Sybil must decide whether to step back into the fray to protect democracy. This gripping narrative explores political manipulation, personal resilience, and the dangers threatening a fractured society.

Author Cynthia Fridsma combines real-world political tension with supernatural horror to take readers on a rocketing ride through a dangerous society on the brink of chaos. This uniquely pitched novel offers a lot of atmosphere and a dark world where an eerily realistic zombie threat is growing. The central hero Sybil Crewes is compellingly portrayed, balancing vulnerability with a fierce determination to protect her country against the horrors that await her. The dialogue is sharp and effective, cinematic but layered with realistic emotion, and the narrative viewpoint keeps us close to Sybil so that we feel her every struggle and triumph. Fridsma’s artwork enhances the tension and mood, making this graphic novel visually and emotionally immersive and creating a uniquely thrilling narrative that offers sudden visual impacts to keep the story alive and fresh in the reader’s mind. The integration of contemporary problems like disinformation and domestic terrorism also gives the story an urgent, thought-provoking relevance that readers can relate back to today’s world. Overall, I would certainly recommend ATU Chronicles Vol 1: Chaos as a brilliant start to an action-packed series, and I can’t wait to see what comes next.

ATU Chronicles volume one is a graphic novel, a suspenseful, action-packed story of chaos and intrigue by Cynthia Fridsma. It all began when US President Donald Trent refused to acknowledge that he lost the election to Joe Brighton. He claims the results were rigged and is counting on his supporters to take back what is his. This results in a bloody uprising in the streets of Washington while an evil doctor, who aims to support Trent, experiments with a vaccine to create an army that feeds on human flesh. Meanwhile, a few agents make an effort to resist. Agent Jack Hunter contacts Sybil and tries to convince her to return to work, but she has not left home and worked for the ATU (Counter-Terrorism Unit) since the COVID-19 outbreak. Will there be a way to persuade Sybil and stop Donald Trent?

Since ATU Chronicles is a graphic novel, the story and pictures are equally important, and I am glad to say that both impressed me. Cynthia Fridsma does a great job of depicting the scenes and characters. She presents the events vividly and portrays the characters so well that you think you are looking at photographs, especially in close-ups. The story is exciting, and besides the intrigue and suspense, I am impressed by how the author managed so many characters and a very complex plot. You cannot miss this book if you love engaging stories, and since this is the first volume, I have great expectations for the sequel and hope to read it soon.