Review of "The Prisoner Book B: By Hook or By Crook," by Dean Motter, Mark Askwith and David Hornung

 Review of

The Prisoner Book B: By Hook or By Crook, by Dean Motter, Mark Askwith and David Hornung

Five out of five stars

Continuation of the cult classic TV show

 Even though only seventeen episodes were filmed, the British TV series “The Prisoner” has maintained a significant place in the history of television. It starred Patrick McGoohan as a British agent that abruptly resigns his position. In response, his former handlers drug him and put him in what is called “The Village.” He is prevented from ever leaving the village, no matter how hard he tries. Their goal is to find out why he quit and to prevent him from exposing any state secrets without having to kill him.  The series has maintained a major cult following, the best way to describe it is to call it a social science fiction/fantasy.

 This comic is a continuation of that story. In this case, the newest resident is a woman that is trying to find herself, to use a phrase common to pop psychology. She was sailing alone in the ocean when she suddenly appeared in the village, after having placed her daughter in boarding school and saying goodbye to her husband.

 She has a bearded mentor of sorts in the village, the previous main character known as number six is referenced in several ways, along with a significant amount of ambiguity. Readers need to have some familiarity with the television series in order to understand the fundamental premises of the comic.

 In the manner of the series, the circumstances are only barely explained and then only in sometimes misleading and ambiguous forms. It is a good basis for a story that keeps the reader thinking and speculating about what is really happening.