Publisher: Image Comics
Story By: Jonathan Luna, Sarah Vaughn
Art By: Jonathan Luna
Release Date: 12th November 2014

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There’s something really very special about this continually heart-warming and insightful look into the ‘what could be’ of artificial intelligence. I don’t know if it’s the almost Kaufman-esque (that’s Charlie, for the record) vibe to the dialogue and story, the gorgeous, detailed simplicity of the artwork, or maybe that just fundamentally I like the idea of creating a machine with a soul, but whatever it is, this book finds itself on my pull list month after month, and November is no different.

This particular issue draws the story’s second arc to a close, with the issue commencing right where #9 left off, with Ada having burst in on Alex’s friends when she had nowhere else to turn to, and Alex himself coming face to face with the ex who caused him so much pain.

Comparatively, this is a very talky issue, as there’s a fair amount of character tension to get resolved before they can crack on with a new arc. Vaughn’s dialogue continues to retain its deeply humanist edge as our heroes stumble through these new experiences, and then, about half-way through the issue, it happens – the moment that’s been skirted about and driven towards since issue #1. I won’t spoil, but suffice to say it’s beautifully, deftly handled by writer and artist both.

It’s still not one that’s going to appeal to every comic fan – the lack of action, and the slow, cerebral nature of the story-telling may well be off-putting to a lot of people who’re after a little bit more escapism from their comics. But if you’re patient with it, and are up not just for compelling drama, but highly grounded, humanist science fiction, there’s few better books out there right now. Exceptional stuff.

Rating 4/5.

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The Writer of this piece was: Ross Sweeney
Ross tweets from @Rostopher24

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