The Ratings War

Grayman chronicles a daring and disturbing experiment to decisively end the tenacious threat of global terrorism. A group of powerful corporate and political players lever a desperate world to create a multinational force of "surgical" strike teams, authorized to cross borders and pursue targets with impunity; armed with advanced weapons, technology and armor; and directed by a cutting-edge artificial intelligence. But more than simply employing high-tech military might, this new army is designed to fight a true "information war" by operating completely in the public eye, their missions crafted for maximum marketability, their operatives shaped into Hollywood-style action heroes.

The series focuses on the man being groomed to be the wired public's greatest hero: Given the "stage name" Mike Ram, he's charismatic, talented and damaged unknown, pushed by circumstance to become a merciless predator. Initially little more than a trauma-driven serial killer, he's given a new identity and is re-programmed to kill on cue to satisfy the media's thirst for violent and visible retribution against an equally vicious enemy. Ram quickly rises from being a murderer on the run to being an untouchably popular celebrity and global leader, as his every action plays out on the public stage.

In Book Two: The Ratings War, the newly-activated multinational counter-terror force begins global operations, and Mike Ram's fame grows with every staged act of violence. Initially a stunning success, "Operation: Safe for Democracy" is soon challenged by a new terrorist leader who rises to resist them in spectacular fashion.