Comic Review: Atomic Robo - The Ghost of Station X #2
If you’re desperate to start reading Atomic Robo and having trouble finding #1 in your local comic book shop but find #2 fresh on the stands, trust me when I say how shockingly accessible this and every book in the series is.
Book: Atomic Robo - The Ghost of Station X #2Written By: Brian ClevingerPencils By Scott WegenerPublisher: Red 5 ComicsPrice: $3.50Pages: 32Release Date: OUT NOW IN STORES & DIGITAL DOWNLOAD (VIA COMIXOLOGY) After the explosive climax at the end of last issue, we quickly find ourselves thrown back into the deep end as we watch a highly damaged Robo falls back into the Earths atmosphere and barley survive. The scene is a real treat to witness and is exciting as the book can get. Art by Scott Wegener shines through this issue. Writer Brian Clevinger made a smart move to bring dialogue to a minimum during the issues explosive opening and various scenes throughout, giving Wegeners art full reigns of the scene to breathe and let the visuals tell the story. Once Robo is rescued the books pace thankfully slows to a crawl as he makes his recovery. It gives the characters and the audience much-needed room to breathe with some great character moments scattered throughout while keeping the books classic humor intact. One of my favorite scenes in this issue has to be when Robo discovers the remains of his revolver, you feel for Robo and the fondness he has for such a relic piece of tech. The nice and subtle parallel between how old Robo and his gun have become was a nice touch to the issue and for such a small plot thread I hope it is expanded on in a later issue. There is a nice level of build and progression to a majority of the plot threads set up in #1 of the series, that leave a satisfying feeling once youve finished. Louis and Martins missing house investigation expand in a very satisfying manner and help the B plot keep a steady momentum alongside Robos story. On a side note, as both Louis & Martin are visually based on the books creators its always a fun Meta moment when the two characters sit down and try to understand the books current mystery like the rest of us. Thankfully the issues cliffhanger is a subtler beat than the previous issues explosive climax. Hitting that note two issues in a row would make the tension fall flat for me. The developments made throughout this issue lead us effectively to the issues cliffhanger and easily sets the stage for the storys second act with a single clear and precise sentence. The solicits for this issue claim, Don't want to start 'in the middle?' Shut up, you can start with any volume. Hell, you can start with this issue. For a majority of comic readers, if its not #1 or the start of a new arc, new readers wont touch it. Surprisingly without any previous knowledge of the arc or even the series this issue holds up on its own two legs. If youre desperate to start reading Atomic Robo and having trouble finding #1 in your local comic book shop but find #2 fresh on the stands, trust me when I say how shockingly accessible this and every book in the series is. Grab it and enjoy. This issue is without a doubt a real treat to behold.
rating: 4.0
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