Review – Bludwire #1 (Mad Cave Studios)

Publisher: Mad Cave Studios
Writer: Paul Allor
Artist: Ermitis Blanco
Colourist: Brittany Peer
Letterer: Paul Allor
Release Date: 24th June 2026

On sale this week from Mad Cave Studios, Bludwire sees acclaimed writer Paul Allor delivering a love story with a twist, centred on two sexbots who find themselves on the run, torn between exacting vengeance on the people who have abused them for years and securing freedom for the other self‑aware robots still trapped in a toxic system. Think Thelma & Louise meets Terminator.

Allor and co. hit an absolutely blistering pace in this opening chapter, barely giving the reader time to breathe as they launch us headlong into a daring rescue attempt, a kinetic vehicle chase, and a violent showdown – all within twenty‑two pages. The exposition is handled deftly, establishing the premise cleanly as a pair of redneck truckers transporting robot parts casually reveal their disdain for the machines, only for karma to arrive instantly and violently in the form of Ace, shotgun in hand, as she storms in to rescue her girlfriend Zora.

It’s clear there’s a lot more plot, relationship texture, and creative reframing of real‑world dehumanisation of women and/or sex workers to come. But for now, this first issue is all about making a splashy impact and grabbing the reader’s attention from the very first page – and in that regard, Bludwire absolutely succeeds.

I love Blanco’s art style – all jagged edges and dynamic movement – and his layouts do a great job of keeping the action flowing smoothly from panel to panel and page to page. From a design perspective, I’m a big fan of Ace being “customised” (i.e., looking human) while Zora is not, as it ensures we never stray too far from the robotic premise. This isn’t a particularly colourful first issue, but the colour that is used really helps establish the mood. Brittany Peer’s flat twilight hues of purple and pink make Blanco’s art pop, beautifully demonstrated in the “motorcycle off the cliff” splash below.

All in all, this is a strong, eye‑catching opening issue that lays out the backbone of the story, introduces us to two intriguing protagonists, and gives us several potential narrative threads to tug on as the series unfolds. Are we heading toward a tragic romance? A blood‑and‑guts revenge caper? A poignant look at two marginalised ‘people’ reclaiming their autonomy? More than likely, it’ll be a little bit of all three – and you can absolutely count me in to see where Allor and co. take this story next.

Rating: 4/5.

[PREVIEW ARTWORK – CLICK TO ENLARGE]