The premise of this comic is almost laughable but at the same time intriguing. I love comedy and I love a one-shot, but how do the two meet to make a story that is both amusing and memorable? Is it good?
That’s Because You’re A Robot (One-Shot) (Image Comics)
This is one of, if not the, only comic I have read in my several years as a comic fanatic that I have gone through without ever once having the smile fade from my face. It’s just so…amusing. The offbeat premise of the book mixed with some wonky artwork and kooky characters make for a little bit of a lighthearted 21 Jump Street. It’s a cop drama in the sense that there’s a cast of characters (most cops and robbers) to follow and root for, but the comic also allows for a whole helping of straight-up weirdness.
That’s where the amusement comes in. I know that this writing isn’t the most clever writing to have ever been put on a page, but it is a contender for the most creative. There are all sorts of weird touches and finesses that contribute to an overall silly and fun feeling. In particular, I loved the splash page where all of the ridiculous villains leap onto the scene. The sight of an evil leprechaun and a Hulk-like Frankenstein is just too much, especially when it is immediately proceeded by a randomly placed pin-up page.
While I do love the fun of this comic, the direction of the story really threw me through a loop. The whole time while reading I was expecting the conclusion to be that neither of the cops were actually robots and that all of it was just so they would learn to coexist. However, the ending was sort of a non-ending. Nothing really changed or came out of this comic. Sure, the Sarge died, and sure the Ager melted or whatever, but there’s no real message or takeaway. And as much as that disappointed me, it also charmed me a little bit as well. The comic was so random, so zany, that it didn’t need anything to be derived from it; it could just end with the two cops going right back to bickering. Still, a little bit of something to make the experience worthwhile would have been nice.
Like the story, I have mixed feelings about the artwork. There’s a part of me that was thrilled and charmed by the bombastic colors and simple line-work of the comic but another part of me that thought it was too clunky for its own good. Overall, I’d say I enjoyed it, but wouldn’t go looking after this artist’s previous works. And it’s not really for me to critique. This artist is bringing a heavily risky and stylistic look to the table and just for that deserves kudos. The fact that it’s a little bit rough around the edges making it a little harder to read, should probably just be ignored as nitpickiness.
Is It Good?
I liked it quite a bit. Although it may not be the most elavating comic out there, the kookiness of That’s Because You’re A Robot charmed the hell out of me.
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