ATTACK OF THE BOTS

Players of a popular online game are hot off a win at the Affinity Invitational Tournament in this second series entry.

Hannah, Larkin, Josh, and Wheatley have gone pro and are playing together under the team name The Weird Ones. Making money playing video games might seem like a dream come true, but the pressure that comes with their new celebrity status is taking a toll. Hannah and Larkin are livestreaming their gameplay, and other users aren’t always kind. Hannah isn’t sure that she wants to continue but doesn’t want to let her friend down. Josh is struggling with feeling left out as his parents restrict his participation, and Wheatley—an AI persona who has taken on a mind of his own—has been missing under suspicious circumstances since the last game of the tournament. The Weird Ones are taking an upcoming gaming conference as the opportunity to confront the game creators and demand they bring Wheatley back. Roadblocks abound as Josh’s anti-gaming parents forbid him from attending and malicious Wheatley wannabees are flooding the Affinity gameplay. The friends need to put aside their personal struggles to find Wheatley and win more matches. The realistic portrayals of racism and inappropriate behavior toward girls and women in the gaming world are commendable. Hannah and Larkin are White, and they are mentored by Glitz, a prominent Black gamer; the previous volume established Josh as Chinese American. Final art not seen.

A fast-paced gaming story with substance.