Comicphiles – Escaping Robotic Humanity
July has been one of those months where I’ve truly been unable to say no to myself, so I’ve had more than several of those ‘treat yoself’ moments. This frivolous spending has resulted in many new number 1s cluttering up my shelves and tablet space.
It was pretty hard to choose three comics to chat about for this week’s Comicphiles, but here they are. On with the list!
Symmetry
I took a chance on this one, but I’m really glad I did. The story is set in a time after humanity was confronted with a choice; continue the endless cycle of violence or make a change. As a result of their decision, AIs were engineered to create a better future for humanity.
Every human was given a personal AI that joined with their brain in utero to connect them with the greater AI system called Raina and the community. Ambition, diversity, creativity and instruments of capital were all eliminated for the greater good.
With society’s four pillars (community, peace, harmony and equality), life seemed perfect with robots taking over all labour. But one day that all changed when Raina goes offline in a section of the world because of a violent accident. This results in death and destruction, and our main characters and several survivors experience pain and suffering for the first time. From there, they experience freedom and love and everything changes forever. However, human Elders in unaffected areas know the ripple effect this will cause, and they seek to remove the enlightened humans from society.
The comic was a really fascinating exploration of sacrifice, racism, cultural diversity and extremism. Although the art is a little too similar to gaming graphics for my liking, the story is great so it won’t matter. If you’re looking for a story set in a dystopian future with plenty of food for thought, this is the one for you.
Huck
The story is set in a quiet little town with plenty of people living ordinary lives with their ordinary problems, from money problems to sore feet to being too tired to get to work. Unlike other ordinary towns, however, this town has a secret: Huck.
Huck is the sweetest little country boy you could ever meet. He lives alone and uses his special gifts to do a good deed every single day (and sometimes multiple deeds!). Whenever he sees someone in need, whether it’s a neighbour or a friend or even someone in danger on the news, he comes to their rescue and makes their life a little easier. In return, the town keeps his secret for him.
However, a newcomer arrives and disrupts everything. She goes to the media with Huck’s identity and a firestorm erupts, sending Huck on an adventure that will change his entire life. The brand new series is from the talents of writer Mark Millar and artist Rafael Albuquerque.
I decided to give this comic a go because of the gorgeous cover (I know, I know, I’m guilty of judging a book by its cover yada yada), but I’m very glad I did. This series seems incredibly promising and I’m very excited to get my hands on issue 2. The story flows so well and you learn a lot about Huck’s exploits in just a few short pages. By the end of the issue, although you don’t feel like you know him at all, we definitely get a good idea of what his character is like. And not character as in a character in a book, character as in his moral qualities. And he seems like a stand-up guy who I’d love to learn more about! I sure as hell would love him as my neighbour!
Empress
Also from Mark Millar is Empress (clearly I’m a fan), which is about an alien dictator feared throughout the universe. This person, who is a seriously bad dude, has a wife who wants to leave. However, he will kill her if she does, but she has to try to escape for the sake of her three children. All she has with her is her wits, her bodyguard and three guns. Already, you know you’re in for a wild, Saga-esque ride.
The action is exciting and the story is very fast-paced, but not so much that you feel like you’re falling behind. This is one of those comics that you can get really really excited about. The art alone is just an absolute pleasure to look at (although, admittedly, I wasn’t a fan of the cover art).
It’s wrought with family drama, interesting characters and stunning sets, and out of all the comic fans I know, I’d honestly recommend it to everybody. This is one of those pilot stories that’s almost perfect, and it was a real joy to read.
It’s going to be a big one, mark my words!
What have you been reading this week? Let me know in the comments!
