not all robots #03

Not All Robots #03

AWA Upshot Studios 2021

Written by Mark Russell

Illustrated by Mike Deodato Jr.

Coloured by Lee Loughridge

In the year 2056, robots have replaced human beings in the workforce. An uneasy coexistence develops between the newly intelligent robots and the ten billion humans living on Earth. Every human family is assigned a robot upon whom they are completely reliant. What could possibly go wrong? Meet the Walters, a human family whose robot, Razorball, ominously spends his free time in the garage working on machines which they're pretty sure are designed to kill them.

I am all for a good science fiction story and this one is so far beyond good it isn’t even funny. Between the words and visuals this takes us on one of those journeys that blurs the line of reality and fiction and preys upon the fears of mankind as we move closer and closer to an age where robots aren’t a thing in stories but an everyday reality. Of course in our present we’re seeing lifelike robots being created, companions mainly, and this makes you wonder that in our rush to see if we can should we. It's the question that applies to so many different instances and in our hurry to advance science we’re getting further and further away from each other and could this be the next step in that distancing?

I am absolutely thrilled with the way that this is being told. The story & plot development that we see through how the sequence of events unfold as well as how the reader learns information is presented exceptionally well. The character development we see through the narration, the dialogue, the character interaction as well as how we see them act and react to the situations and circumstances does a magnificent job in bringing their personalities to life. The pacing is excellent and as it takes us through the pages revealing more and more of the story the more it builds this anticipation and tension within the reader.

I’m a huge fan of the way that this is being structured and how the layers within the story continue to emerge, grow, evolve and strengthen. The layers open up new avenues to be explored, such as the Mandroids and the council, and what this does is add this fantastic depth, dimension and complexity to the story. How we see everything working together to create the story’s ebb & flow as well as how it moves the story forward is impeccably rendered.

The interiors here are mindbogglingly brilliant to see. The linework is exquisite and how we see the varying weights and techniques being utilised to create this level & quality of work in the attention to detail is staggering to see. How backgrounds are being utilised to not only enhance and expand the moments but also how they work within the composition of the panels to bring out the depth perception, sense of scale and the overall sense of size and scope to the story is utterly brilliant. The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels show a masters eye for storytelling. The various hues and tones within the colours being utilised to create the shading, highlights and shadow work shows a masterful eye for how colour works, how to apply it and how to maximise their effects.

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When I opened this review I talked about my thoughts regarding the story and how it relates to the real world and this is because of how engaged in this story that I am. It really does blend horror, science fiction and science fact in ways that make it seem frighteningly realistic and possible at some point in time of our lives. With such strong, powerful writing and eerily accurate characterization alongside these brilliantly rendered interiors this should be atop everyone's reading list.