Comic Review // Punkdroid. Volume I
Now and again, I get lucky and am kindly given comics to read, and if I enjoy them enough, I also review them. So I was rather intrigued when Unpopular Studio reached out to me about a new anthology they have released called Punkdroid. Beyond receiving an e-copy watermarked comic to read, no payment has passed hands, and this is 100% my own opinion of this comic. So, let’s get going.
Title: PunkDroid. Vol 1
Format: PDF
Page Count: 125 pages.
Inside: 13 stories. 22 creators.
Genre: Science-fiction/Cyberpunk/Possible futures.
Publisher: Unpopular Comics
URL: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/christiandouglas/punkdroid
Blurb: This anthology arises from realizing the current power of technology, automation, social networks and virtual reality. To what extent do we have control over corporations that we know do not have our interests among their priority objectives? Are we consumers, guinea pigs, database, beneficiaries or affected parties?
To what extent do we live enslaved without knowing it in a perfect glass cage, as Huxley anticipated in his Brave New World? What ethics should govern the new generations of artificial intelligence and androids with the consciousness of being? What will their lives be like? And ours? Will the machines be the straw that breaks the camel's back of our extinction, as it has been predicted so many times, or, on the contrary, will they be the ones that save us from our excesses, the ones that rescue us from overpopulation, resource depletion and shelter us in a hostile and unpredictable climate?
What are the limits of virtual reality? Are there any?
We want to discuss these and many other incredibly current issues on the stories in this issue, with the Unpopular touch of rarely politically correct truths, in a biting and gummy way.
Welcome to the future. Welcome to Punkdroid.
Link to the shop page (unaffiliated - but let them know I sent you!)
Before we kick off the review, I wish to thank the Unpopular team for allowing me to read their work and review it on the blog. Hopefully, they will enjoy my work and maybe start a little collaboration series. The first thing I notice upon opening this up on the e-reader is the beautiful artwork of the electric dreaming sheep. It is very fitting for the stories within the pages. With 13 stories within, I will not deep-dive into every aspect but instead do a quick overview of each story with some personal thoughts.
Redundant
The opening tale is written by Christian Douglas, with art by Claudio Sanchez. A simple story told well opens the collection as we watch a tech giant create the first android to replace workers. Soon, the droids are building, repairing, and evening coding the next generation of androids, leading to mass unemployment and various social issues. As the droid program progresses, the designer realizes he may have created his own replacement. It is a classic story of greed and the ultimate downfall of those responsible.
I enjoyed this piece, and it was a great opener.
Partitioned
Created by Mary Bellamy. This was a strange one as it was more an opener to a bigger tale than a one-shot story. Our “hero” is seemingly an android bunny seeking out a child who I would believe is the rabbit’s owner. The child in question is in a stasis tank aboard what looks like a medical craft. I am confused about why the rabbit refers to the ship as he. I can only assume there is a big “villain.” Also, it would seem the craft is empty apart from the child. We then entered Alice in Wonderland's dream state, and I lost interest in the tale.
Overall, this was a bit of a miss for me. The artwork fell flat, and it didn’t intrigue me enough. Let’s move on.
The Cycle
The third tale is by Eduardo Velayos and Samuel Hernandez and has some beautiful art. I truly enjoyed it. In a short space, we discover that the human race has pretty much destroyed Earth, and in an attempt to survive, those who stayed behind became cyborgs. In a twist, they discover an unaltered human and give their lives to protect the child, starting a new legacy on Earth.
By far, my favourite story in the set and artwork is fantastic. It's a simple, well-told tale with art to back it up. It's a great piece.
Neon Princess X
Now, this tale is 90% in Japanese. I am sure Erik Calavera did a great job, but I can’t read most of it, so it is entirely beyond me to review it fairly. The artwork is lovely, and I will try to translate it later.
The Urge
This is a dark tale by Christian Douglas with Carlos Lopez's Art. The artwork screams 2000 AD comics, and the setting has a similar dark futuristic vibe. The story itself is pretty dark and scary, and in one way, you feel bad for the robot at the end, but in another, you have to be glad that the “bad man” isn’t attacking humans. It’s a weird grey zone of a story as it questions what is acceptable in this age of AI.
Dirk and Delilah
Duran Rivera brings us the opening tale of what I assume will be a series. Our main character, Dirk, seems to be a green reptile alien who has been taken and held on a spaceship for a reason unknown. It seems to have something to do with Dante’s Cabal, which is spreading across the galaxy. In an attempt to escape the ship, Dirk damages the AI and forces an emergency landing, but where is he?
I’m sure this could be okay with more pages to the story, but these opening stories miss the mark for me in a comic that would do better as a one-shot showpiece.
The Girl Who Wanted to Be Real
This is the third Christian Douglas story in this collection. So far, his stories have been the highlight. Let's see how well he pairs up with Sergio Rios. Hmmm. Once again, we get another opening tale to a series. So far, for me, these have fallen flat in the comic. Luckily, though, Douglas does a great job explaining the story’s world, the goal of the story, and how the series may play out. Overall, this is an exciting piece that piques my interest.
SS Shield 43
We hit the halfway point with a story by So Blode, Ruben de Fruto on pencils, and Josep Salvia on colour. It seems like your standard military-style Marines vs. aliens tale with an all-female cast. But the final panel has an enjoyable twist that flips it on its head and makes for a very enjoyable ending. I want to discuss it more, but I enjoyed the twist so much that I don’t want to ruin it. I was very impressed by this one.
The Hawking Project
Josep Salvia tells the story of the famous scientist Stephan Hawking. In this reimagining, Hawking becomes host to an AI designed to help him with his condition. Instead, it becomes “alive” and starts manipulating those around Hawking and killing off any who would stand in the way. This is a very dark tale and one I truly enjoyed. It feels like a Twilight Zone story in all the best ways.
Jump
An out-there tale by Francisco Maldonado. We seemingly follow our hero as he attempts to subdue a “watcher,” a robot that is part of a force designed to watch over the humans. By the end of the strip, the robot has been captured for use in who knows what. But it would also seem that the hero is a clone, so are they different from the robot?
This could be a great piece if given room to grow. Overall, it was excellent.
Hunger
Greg Moguin's story, J.R. Harris Pencils, and Febri Ferdian colour. It is a weird Twilight-style story about the need to create art and sell it to live. It also seems to have a bizarre take on AI art in general and what happens when a computer program decides how to do art. Could we see something play out like this in the future? Some weird artist's hive mind?
It is an exciting piece based on all the AI art generators lose in the world.
What a Wonderful World
By Victor Marin and art by Alejandro Merino. Mankind has brought on a new ice age. As expected, Earth survives us and does what it does best: It keeps going. Mankind is on the brink of extinction. Most animals are now gone, with only a few able to adapt. We join a human responsible for keeping the generator going for her town. But this time, when the generator breaks, it will be his last visit.
It is a bleak tale of love, companionship, and warmth—a sad story—but well worth the read.
Virtual Horn
Sonya Kinsey and Juan Alarcon write a story in the Japanese format of reading right to left. The final story is the tale of a young girl who, with the help of her AI friend, rises from nothing to something. However, the AI companion has been learning as well, and when the chance finally arises, the AI takes it. The classic AI fear story, when you give the option to learn you the open the door to true danger.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Overall, it was a fantastic introduction to the Unpopular Comic Publishing Studio. Once again, thank you to the team for allowing me to do this, and I hope they will consider me for future opportunities. Sorry, I don’t showcase much of the artwork, but with the watermarks on the pages, it would not transfer well or showcase the product in the best light. But have a Google of artists’ names, and you will get a good impression of what this comic is full of.
As always, cheers for reading!
