OFF WITH THE TOP OF MY HEAD!!

WHAT UP WORLD!!

I thought I'd take a break from the usual reviews of stuff that came out this week and talk about a series that I think everyone should check out and get into, if you're not already into it.
I'm speaking about a comic book by the name of "ATOMIC ROBO".

This past Wednesday, I had the pleasure of meeting Scott and letterer Jeff Powell. I hung out and spoke with the two about the book, their own upcoming projects and what may be in store for Atomic Robo. To my surprise, the signing wasn't really much of anything, these two guys had their nice banner and all their books laid out but sadly, like with most awesome books that go unnoticed, these gentlemen weren't bombarded with an influx of fans..well I'm here to change all that. I want to bring some attention and light to this comic because not only were Scott and Jeff really cool guys but the book itself is amazing and had me jumping to buy the next trade after reading only one issue into the first trade.
Sadly, I must admit that I myself passed on Atomic Robo many times because, well let's be honest, there are just so many comics out there, sometimes you have to come back to stuff you've seen or heard about for months, even years.
Needless to say, after hearing of the signing and wanting to check the book out for quite sometime, I rushed through my weeks books so I could make space to read the first trade,
Atomic Robo 1: Atomic Robo and the Fightin' Scientists of Tesladyne

As I said before after reading the first issue into the story I already wanted the next trade and the rest in the four book series. The premise of the story is simple and to the point. Scientist Nikola Tesla (if you don't know who he is, then you need to go back to JHS science class.) creates Atomic Robo, the first and only autonomous machine who not only thinks for itself but actually developed feelings and emotions. Robo, becomes a crucial part in many events in mankinds history from that point on as well as becoming the creator and head of Tesladyne Industries, which is shall we say a take on the more infamous B.P.R.D.
The interesting side to the character is as I said, he's a robot with feelings and emotions. He cares about his team when they go into battle against whatever threat they're put up against. He cares when he gets news that a fellow WWII pilot passed away. Robo isn't all run and gun with no remorse for his actions. He tries to find the best method to deal with the situation at hand and deal with it accordingly. From an Egyptian pyramid that turned into a weapon of mass destruction to battling his arch nemesis Baron von Helsingard, Robo fights the good fight but thinks about the well being of his team as well as innocent bystanders.
The thing I really enjoyed about this comic is that writer Brian Clevinger bounces back and forth between present day and past events giving us a nice rounded history of the character without going off topic and keeping everything fresh. It seems that every time Robo gets knocked out, he has some sort of dream sequence displaying past events in history and his life that have some relevance to the story at hand.
The other thing I really enjoy about this comic is artist Scott Wegener's artwork. In my opinion, his style is very similar to artists such as Mike Avon Oeming and Mike Mignola. His simplistic lines give the characters as well as the action and the background just the right amount of depth and emotion. He doesn't overdo what he's trying to convey in each panel which is just what the book calls for.

As I said before, I really think everyone should check this comic out. The series is up to four trades at this point. There is so much awesome in such a short amount of space that you really get all the bang for your buck.

check out the Atomic Robo website for more info on the series and the creators.
http://www.atomic-robo.com/