Atomic Robo Review

I love comic books with subjects that can only, or best, exist and be explored in comics. I love pulpy genre, bright and bombastic superheroes, and, y’know, random-assed crazy shit. Atomic Robo, written by Brian Clevinger with art from Scott Wegner, satiated my comic book hunger pangs this week.

Michael Avon Oeming delivers a cover that soars off the stands due to the brilliant, iconic design. The story that balances historical fiction, solid cartooning, a lead with a strong visual hook, and irreverent humor. The character of Atomic Robo himself is something of a mash-up that looks like the Iron Giant but sounds like Hellboy with lines like, “Know what they should call you? Baron Von Blabs-about-his-only-weakness.” Direct without being simple, this book has fun in and of itself, and invited you to come along.

We get a robot. We get art that evocative of Oeming’s animated sensibility, with a good handle on charactization, along with clean storytelling. We get a strong pin-up section. Oh, and we see extra-normal Nazis get their asses handed to them by a robot with a knack for timely quips. So, y’know, you’re going to want to read this.

Red 5 Comics seems to have a solid property on its hands. Fans of Mignola’s Hellboy, or Matt Fraction’s Cassanova should fall right in line with the sensibilities of this book. This series is slated for a six issue run, but if the creators can continue to deliver a book that reads this well, in respect to both art and dialogue, audiences should expect to become familiar with Robo as well as his creators.