Davidson, Joe – Robot Bildungsroman #1

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Robot Bildungsroman #1

Who out there is looking for a great comic science fiction story?  It’s way too early after one issue to call this great, but all the potential is there.  This starts off with an advertisement for a new process that allows you to transfer the consciousness to robot bodies after they die… more or less.  It relies on interviews from loved ones, diaries and personal records (which actually sounds like it would still leave quite a bit out) and sends them back into the world.  In this case a young high school girl gets killed, then gets brought back in a robot body.  Still, with her classmates unwilling to provide any information, her school life is a bit of a blank slate.  She begins to make new friends, but is attacked by a gang on her way home… and learns that there’s more to her than she thought.  I thought this issue had everything a first issue needs: teasers, bits of information, character introduction (the cops aren’t given much time, but at least they got in the comic), mystery (some sort of spy who blends into the brick wall) and all sorts of confusion.  Why is the robot company so interested in Marci?  Why are violent street gangs so common?  Exactly how much of Marci is in this robot body?  All sorts of things to keep you coming back for more.  I do think the backgrounds could use a little work, as there’s barely anything there, but Joe has plenty of time to work on that.  He seems to have this writing stuff down pat, and if he sticks with it this could turn out to be a really impressive series.  $3