Image Comics 2014
Written by Jeff Lemire
Illustrated by Dustin Nguyen
Lettered & Designed by Steve Wands
One robot who survived is a life-like young robot named TIM-21. TIM is the last survivor of a distant mining colony, with only his small pet-bot, BANDIT and the lumbering mining-bot DRILLER to keep him company. But the UGC has learned of TIM-21’s existence and thinks that he may in fact hold the secrets of The Harvesters in his unique machine DNA.
The UGC has dispatched a science team that includes TIM-21’s creator, the brilliant Dr. QUON, to recover the robot. But a team of brutal robot-hunting Scrappers arrived first and attacked, seemingly destroying TIM-21.
TIM was saved by Quon, but the young robot claims to have dreamt about all the other robots who died in the robot culls, an impossibility since robots don’t dream…
I really am a fan of this story Tim-21 is a great character and Quon may not realize it yet but he’s so much more than he was ever intended to be. So while he’s being repaired as best as can be on this ship with the tools on hand, which by the way surprises me why wasn’t Quon better prepared for something like this as he should have been, his story to human ears defies what they believe and are too dismissive of it. Tesla however is playing too dangerous a game here she needs to be more careful with what she says and does and again I’m a tad surprised by her actions this issue, it seems this mission isn't’ something she’s taking that seriously.
On the other hand the Driller bot being awakened and his and Bandit’s reunion with Tim-21 does warm the heart. Tim may be an artificial boy but he is a boy regardless and his way of communicating with these bots and his ability to gain their trust while making him more dangerous than he appears has more nobility in him than those humans around him including his creator.
The writing really is fascinating because we see how each of the main characters are dealing with what’s happening around them and the history they’ve lived through. So many different points of view that conflict with one another in such drastic ways that swirl through the story that makes me as a reader question motives and the direction things are heading in. The appearance of this new vessel and the consequences of what happens here will help to define these characters more and show us what exactly they really think and feel.
Dustin’s interiors are a mixed bag for me. There are moments where we see space with it’s swirling colours that are dynamic and then there are the white moments inside the ship that seem to wash it all out blurring the line between background and characters. Tim remains the focus and he looks very much like the young optimistic boy he should be but around him there’s so much difference that makes it hard for your eye to focus on what’s there. While I’m really involved in the story it’s Dustin’s interiors that occasionally lose me.
It’s a great take on what a person is and regardless of how one’s born what it means to be alive. Unique, creative and innovative storytelling in this futuristic world make it worth being in monthly reading.