The Stringer

March 22, 2021
Taking a break from lefty manifestos and biographies, Rall (Snowden) presents a what-if fictional take featuring Mark Scribner, a disillusioned freelance journalist who flips to the dark side, as a “cautionary tale” and backhanded homage to jaded reporting vets. Believing journalism’s been gutted by corporate consolidation and the internet, and struggling to make ends meet, Mark employs his battle-zone-honed knowledge to stir up trouble by faking a Twitter fight between two Afghan warlords that sends the rockets flying. Perfectly situated to cover the battle that follows his “wag the dog”–style fakery, he revels in getting a big CNN check: “My first bonafide scoop, which I made happen... funded my divorce.” After fomenting a few more camera-ready conflicts, it’s a short hop, morality-wise, for Mark to indulge in arms dealing, convincing himself he’s just “sparking wars that would have happened anyway.” Mark’s swift success in these nefarious schemes can be hard to swallow, a stretch Rall acknowledges when an FBI agent snorts, “TV journalist turns warlord? Ridiculous.” The art by Callejo (the Bluesman series) lends a more polished and dramatic sweep than Rall’s usual solo shaggier style. The climax—layering deep-fake video deception, a stolen nuke, and a last-minute crisis of conscience—is well-crafted overkill. This biting, hard-boiled—if somewhat two-dimensional—character study delivers satire with bile to spare.

April 1, 2021

Relegated to working as a freelance war correspondent for low pay, after the internet and new media render nearly impossible the type of hard-hitting journalism he favors, Marc Scribner begins using his rudimentary hacking skills to stoke rivalries between Afghan warlords in order to deliver exclusive reporting on the ensuing conflicts. The scheme wins Marc fame, fortune, and a pair of Pulitzers. Before long, he moves into arms dealing and begins escalating and provoking conflicts worldwide so that he can sell weaponry to both sides. When Russian intelligence stumbles across his scheme, their U.S. counterparts rebuff the findings, thinking the report is disinformation; Marc feels unstoppable. But when he falls in love and decides to settle down, he'll discover that taking advantage of the 24-hour news cycle's hunger for content may have created a monster not even he can outmaneuver. VERDICT Marc proves to be a charismatic protagonist, reminiscent of Breaking Bad's Walter White, but he remains slightly underdeveloped. Rall's (Political Suicide: The Fight for the Soul of the Democratic Party) real interest seems to be using international intrigue to deliver a pointed critique of how technological advancement has destroyed journalistic integrity.

Copyright 2021 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.