The series is set in 2076, a time after "the cloud has burst", revealing everyone's secrets. As a result, there is no more Internet, and people are excessively guarded about their identity, to the point of appearing only masked in public. The story followed an unlicensed journalist, a "paparazzo", who is involved in a mysterious plot.[3]
The Private Eye, which lasted 10 issues, was self-published by its creators digitally through their website, Panel Syndicate, in DRM-free formats. Readers were allowed to determine how much they wanted to pay per issue.[3] To date Panel Syndicate has published comics in English, Spanish, Catalan, Portuguese and French.[4]The Private Eye and Panel Syndicate have received critical acclaim and media attention for its role as one of the first DRM-free, pay what you want comics.[5][6] In December 2015, the series was published in hardcover by Image Comics.[7]