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Atomic Robo #1
Atomic Robo and the Fightin' Scientists of Tesladyne
In 1923, Nikola Tesla's career is in its twilight until he unveils a robot with automatic intelligence -- ATOMIC ROBO! After decades of dealing with all manner of weirdness, ATOMIC ROBO and the so-called ACTION SCIENTISTS of TESLADYNE became the go-to defense force against the unexplained.
See ROBO take on Nazis, giant ants, clockwork mummies, walking pyramids, Mars, cyborgs and his nemesis, Baron von Helsingard, in his first trade paperback graphic novel. This edition collects the hard-to-find, sold-out, debut issues of ATOMIC ROBO #1 through #6, complete with cover gallery, pin-ups, concept sketches and bonus stories.
Created by Brian Clevinger of 8-BIT THEATER fame.
170 pages, Hardcover
First published June 25, 2008
22 people are currently reading
2,139 people want to read
About the author
Brian Clevinger
223听books95听followersBrian Clevinger is best known as the author of the most popular sprite webcomic, and one of the most popular webcomics overall, . He is also the author of the self-published novel Nuklear Age. Clevinger has recently received attention for his Eisner-nominated print comic Atomic Robo.
Claiming that his "favorite comics are the ones where the jokes are on the reader," Clevinger is an expert in using anti-climax, interface alterations, and the occasional false ending to play with the reader's expectations. It is a testament to both his sense of humor and his writing skills that these "jokes on the reader" are usually beloved by his fanbase.
Claiming that his "favorite comics are the ones where the jokes are on the reader," Clevinger is an expert in using anti-climax, interface alterations, and the occasional false ending to play with the reader's expectations. It is a testament to both his sense of humor and his writing skills that these "jokes on the reader" are usually beloved by his fanbase.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 218 reviews
October 30, 2014
It must be really tough to be a comic book writer/graphic novelist in this day and age. First, there's the proliferation of comics on the internet, which draws an attention-deficit society away from hard copy books in general, let alone graphic novels. Second, and intimately tied to the first, is the sheer volume of self-published graphic novels (in hard copy form, I mean), which makes it easier for your work to get lost in the crowd. And while there is a lot of dross out there, there is a lot of great material out there, both in the self-published vein and coming from "traditional" publishers. Some recent examples of such stellar work in the latter realm are , , and the series.
That's some stiff competition and a not-very-friendly environment in which to find oneself as a graphic novelist.
But you can't blame people for trying. Heck, if I had half the artistic talent of Scott Wegener or the connections with artists enjoyed by Brian Clevinger, I'd take a shot at it myself. I love the graphic novel form, and . Alas, I am not a great artist. Not even a good artist.
Wegener is a good artist. Behind the front cover, his work is a little sparse and uncluttered for my tastes. I like details and a bit of organic roughness or a sense of aging and decay, if you will, a'la or , so the artwork in Atomic Robo: Volume One was adequate to the task, but not stunning.
Clevinger is a good writer, too. The narrative stream in this work takes several bends, in the form of flashbacks, each of which adds to the cumulative knowledge about the main character, Robo.
But it's in the character of Robo that I find my greatest disappointment. The premise is very cool, a robotic man, built by Nikol Tesla in 1923, is brought up by scientists who train him to defend the world from psychotic ne'er-do-wells like the pseudo-Nazi Lord Helsingard. We watch Robo in a series of flashbacks as he fights giant ants, dogfights with a Japanese fighter during World War 2, lands on Mars and infiltrates one of the pyramids of Giza, which is moving toward Luxor, causing destruction with a Deathray as it crawls across the desert. Robo, despite being somewhat vulnerable to major explosions (but only somewhat), succeeds in everything he does, and does so with a snarky attitude that . . . well, that's been played a hundred times before in the graphic novel genre. In some ways, he's like a robotic Hellboy, but without the vulnerability that Hellboy shows, from time to time. And Robo's compatriots seem just as cocky. So cocky, in fact, that they lack humanity.
So, while I enjoyed Atomic Robo: Volume One, I feel that it lacks depth. Perhaps Clevinger and Wegener hit another gear with some of the later books. I know that Robo has a fairly loyal following out there. But I can't be counted among them . . . yet.
That's some stiff competition and a not-very-friendly environment in which to find oneself as a graphic novelist.
But you can't blame people for trying. Heck, if I had half the artistic talent of Scott Wegener or the connections with artists enjoyed by Brian Clevinger, I'd take a shot at it myself. I love the graphic novel form, and . Alas, I am not a great artist. Not even a good artist.
Wegener is a good artist. Behind the front cover, his work is a little sparse and uncluttered for my tastes. I like details and a bit of organic roughness or a sense of aging and decay, if you will, a'la or , so the artwork in Atomic Robo: Volume One was adequate to the task, but not stunning.
Clevinger is a good writer, too. The narrative stream in this work takes several bends, in the form of flashbacks, each of which adds to the cumulative knowledge about the main character, Robo.
But it's in the character of Robo that I find my greatest disappointment. The premise is very cool, a robotic man, built by Nikol Tesla in 1923, is brought up by scientists who train him to defend the world from psychotic ne'er-do-wells like the pseudo-Nazi Lord Helsingard. We watch Robo in a series of flashbacks as he fights giant ants, dogfights with a Japanese fighter during World War 2, lands on Mars and infiltrates one of the pyramids of Giza, which is moving toward Luxor, causing destruction with a Deathray as it crawls across the desert. Robo, despite being somewhat vulnerable to major explosions (but only somewhat), succeeds in everything he does, and does so with a snarky attitude that . . . well, that's been played a hundred times before in the graphic novel genre. In some ways, he's like a robotic Hellboy, but without the vulnerability that Hellboy shows, from time to time. And Robo's compatriots seem just as cocky. So cocky, in fact, that they lack humanity.
So, while I enjoyed Atomic Robo: Volume One, I feel that it lacks depth. Perhaps Clevinger and Wegener hit another gear with some of the later books. I know that Robo has a fairly loyal following out there. But I can't be counted among them . . . yet.
September 25, 2015
Atomic Robo is a robot that fights baddies and makes jokes and stuff. He fights the Nazis in the 1930s and 40s; he fights giant monster ants; he fights bizarrely anachronistic mechanised pyramids in Egypt; he goes to Mars for some reason; and he fights a brain in a jar on a giant robot body. And that鈥檚 it!
Here鈥檚 the thing: I鈥檓 a big Hellboy fan and for that reason I couldn鈥檛 enjoy Atomic Robo - it鈥檚 WAY too similar! Robo punches and shoots stuff, he fights Nazis, he fights monsters, he has a mysterious past, he quips - he IS Hellboy but with a different design! He鈥檚 got buddies who help him out in the present with problems - just like the BPRD! I mean, come on, evil brains in jars has Mike Mignola written all over it.
There are a couple of tender moments, like when he鈥檚 remembering an old soldier buddy who鈥檚 passed away; Robo doesn鈥檛 age of course so he鈥檒l always lose his friends in the end. Robo鈥檚 design is pretty good too, those big eyes are unexpectedly expressive for a largely featureless face.
But mostly it was the comparisons to Hellboy that created this massive rift between me and this book. It was way, way, way, waaaaay, WAY too much like a Hellboy ripoff for me to enjoy. Maybe in later volumes Brian Clevinger and Scott Wegener make some changes to the character and his world to make Robo more distinctive but I鈥檓 not interested enough to find out. Why read Atomic Robo when the far more exciting and original Hellboy/BPRD is out there? I don鈥檛 know - and that鈥檚 why I鈥檇 recommend those books instead of this.
Here鈥檚 the thing: I鈥檓 a big Hellboy fan and for that reason I couldn鈥檛 enjoy Atomic Robo - it鈥檚 WAY too similar! Robo punches and shoots stuff, he fights Nazis, he fights monsters, he has a mysterious past, he quips - he IS Hellboy but with a different design! He鈥檚 got buddies who help him out in the present with problems - just like the BPRD! I mean, come on, evil brains in jars has Mike Mignola written all over it.
There are a couple of tender moments, like when he鈥檚 remembering an old soldier buddy who鈥檚 passed away; Robo doesn鈥檛 age of course so he鈥檒l always lose his friends in the end. Robo鈥檚 design is pretty good too, those big eyes are unexpectedly expressive for a largely featureless face.
But mostly it was the comparisons to Hellboy that created this massive rift between me and this book. It was way, way, way, waaaaay, WAY too much like a Hellboy ripoff for me to enjoy. Maybe in later volumes Brian Clevinger and Scott Wegener make some changes to the character and his world to make Robo more distinctive but I鈥檓 not interested enough to find out. Why read Atomic Robo when the far more exciting and original Hellboy/BPRD is out there? I don鈥檛 know - and that鈥檚 why I鈥檇 recommend those books instead of this.
January 2, 2020
Just discovered Atomic Robo over the weekend and have already plowed through 4 volumes. The premise is similar to Hellboy with science gone wrong instead of the supernatural. The stories are fun, witty, action packed and often have a pulp feel. I love that Atomic Robo is rivals with Stephen Hawking. The art is quite good, reminiscent of a Michael Avon Oeming or Ryan Ottley. This volume consists of a bunch of single issue adventures jumping around through the 80+ years of Atomic Robo's past.
August 1, 2014
I love Atomic Robo. I fell in love with it after the first one I read, on Free Comic Book Day, in which there is a evil mad scientist velociraptor running through the corridors as walls are being torn down around him yelling "DO NOT BLAME ME IT IS NOT MY FAULT." [Grammar as presented, which for some reason makes it even funnier.]
Note: The rest of this review has been withdrawn due to the changes in 欧宝娱乐 policy and enforcement. You can read why I came to this decision here.
In the meantime, you can read the entire review at
Note: The rest of this review has been withdrawn due to the changes in 欧宝娱乐 policy and enforcement. You can read why I came to this decision here.
In the meantime, you can read the entire review at
August 9, 2022
This took a while to get going -- I almost dropped during the initial wordless action sequences. But the dialogue is funny in a quippy way. I enjoyed this as a homage to golden-age action tropes.
3.5 stars rounded up.
3.5 stars rounded up.
March 24, 2017
Hah! Very much as a robot created by Nikolai Tesla, with a dash of stirred in.
plus... this:
plus... this:
July 15, 2016
This was my first Atomic Robo comic, and I must say i'm impressed.
This was really good fun. He's like an Indiana Jones inside a Robot and acts in a similar fashion to Hellboy in some ways, but always to do with science instead of the supernatural.
Good fun, I might read a few more of these to see if there is more of a storyline as this was just lots of shorts stories like Hellboy.
This was really good fun. He's like an Indiana Jones inside a Robot and acts in a similar fashion to Hellboy in some ways, but always to do with science instead of the supernatural.
Good fun, I might read a few more of these to see if there is more of a storyline as this was just lots of shorts stories like Hellboy.
January 2, 2014
The creators are clearly fans of Mike Mignola, and so fans of Mignola will feel a familiar structure and natural fondness for the style, material and pacing.
With that said, Hellboy could practically step in for Atomic Robo; think Hellboy and BPRD, but remove the paranormal feel and replace with a more hard feeling science/tech.
With that said, I love Hellboy, so that certainly wasn't a dealbreaker. Unfortunately Atomic Robo has a few drawbacks, which were enough for me not to pick up the second TPB.
Positives:
1) It's fun, well-written and often clever.
2) It's light- which is tough to find in a modern adventure comic.
3) It's well drawn enough to enjoy, though I think the line work is iffy and the paneling is boring. I did enjoy the B stories in the back, (and their art) almost more than the general volume.
Drawbacks:
1) So Hellboy you know exactly what's going to happen, particularly in villain choices and dialogue-style.
2) Very little to no character development for anyone is developed in the 1st volume... You don't get to know any of the sidekick or companion group characters, and honestly, beyond a quick wit and a Captain America-esque sadness at his age in a modern era, you get to know very little about Robo either. As a result I felt virtually no connection to any of the characters and couldn't have cared less what happened to them.
3) Robo is indestructible (100%, thus far), so the battles are a bit anti-climatic. Especially since he's still just a "smash" fighter, and isn't using any particularly awesome science or techy solutions to problems.
Overall verdit is= "Okay." Mostly likely to be enjoyed by fans of Axe-Cop, Chew, Hellboy, Fables..
With that said, Hellboy could practically step in for Atomic Robo; think Hellboy and BPRD, but remove the paranormal feel and replace with a more hard feeling science/tech.
With that said, I love Hellboy, so that certainly wasn't a dealbreaker. Unfortunately Atomic Robo has a few drawbacks, which were enough for me not to pick up the second TPB.
Positives:
1) It's fun, well-written and often clever.
2) It's light- which is tough to find in a modern adventure comic.
3) It's well drawn enough to enjoy, though I think the line work is iffy and the paneling is boring. I did enjoy the B stories in the back, (and their art) almost more than the general volume.
Drawbacks:
1) So Hellboy you know exactly what's going to happen, particularly in villain choices and dialogue-style.
2) Very little to no character development for anyone is developed in the 1st volume... You don't get to know any of the sidekick or companion group characters, and honestly, beyond a quick wit and a Captain America-esque sadness at his age in a modern era, you get to know very little about Robo either. As a result I felt virtually no connection to any of the characters and couldn't have cared less what happened to them.
3) Robo is indestructible (100%, thus far), so the battles are a bit anti-climatic. Especially since he's still just a "smash" fighter, and isn't using any particularly awesome science or techy solutions to problems.
Overall verdit is= "Okay." Mostly likely to be enjoyed by fans of Axe-Cop, Chew, Hellboy, Fables..
June 19, 2010
Quite fun. It is Hellboy, but more of a tech focus than folklore. And more comedy. A lot more comedy. Makes me think of The Amazing Screw-On Head actually.
March 30, 2020
He's a robot! and a super-hero! and a wise-ass! Pure fun.
August 4, 2013
This is a bonkers graphic novel in which we see the Tesla made robot Atomic Robo and his fightin' (without a 'g' apparently) scientists as they take on all sorts of weird threats across the world from Nazis to giant ants to moving pyramids. When I said bonkers I meant bonkers.
Clevinger and Wegener have successfully created a great comic book which isn't dark, an unusual feat these days. In many ways it fits all the traditional comic book ideals- lots of action, lots of impossible things that could only happen in a comic book and lots of humour- it is really funny.
So why didn't I give this five stars? Well that lies in the fact I struggled to work out what was going on half the time. This was partly because there are lots of panels with no speech and just action where it is not clear what is going on and partly because it constantly has long flashbacks to Robo's other adventures. I liked these other adventures, in fact some of them were the best bit, but having them scattered amongst the main plot line is not the way forward. I've seen a few later volumes and from what I gather they don't tend to jump around so much so perhaps this is something they sorted out.
Atomic Robo is great fun and an excellent series but I fear this first volume doesn't show of the bets of the robot and his adventures.
Clevinger and Wegener have successfully created a great comic book which isn't dark, an unusual feat these days. In many ways it fits all the traditional comic book ideals- lots of action, lots of impossible things that could only happen in a comic book and lots of humour- it is really funny.
So why didn't I give this five stars? Well that lies in the fact I struggled to work out what was going on half the time. This was partly because there are lots of panels with no speech and just action where it is not clear what is going on and partly because it constantly has long flashbacks to Robo's other adventures. I liked these other adventures, in fact some of them were the best bit, but having them scattered amongst the main plot line is not the way forward. I've seen a few later volumes and from what I gather they don't tend to jump around so much so perhaps this is something they sorted out.
Atomic Robo is great fun and an excellent series but I fear this first volume doesn't show of the bets of the robot and his adventures.
February 9, 2014
Fantastic. A fresh, funny, smart writer and an artists who allows the story to have *fun* while they're running around the world dealing with bizarre crises and disasters.
Reminds me in all the good ways of The Goon (for the brilliantly-inventive writing) and Chew (for the zany-fun art), with a puff of Hellboy for the sardonic inevitability infusion.
For a living robot, Atomic Robo has a great, dry sense of humour and "plays by his own rules". Yes, I said it.
Ive just ordered up the next four books in this series as a result of enjoying this one so much.
Even upon re-reading, this book just feels so fun, full of sardonic wit and ridiculous scenarios that the Fighting Scientists of Tesladyne just seem to take in stride even when their lives are about to be snuffed. Grace under pressure, and sarcasm at every turn, Robo is a hero for the 21st century. Forget those Bat- or Spider-man types - this is the guy we really deserve.
Reminds me in all the good ways of The Goon (for the brilliantly-inventive writing) and Chew (for the zany-fun art), with a puff of Hellboy for the sardonic inevitability infusion.
For a living robot, Atomic Robo has a great, dry sense of humour and "plays by his own rules". Yes, I said it.
Ive just ordered up the next four books in this series as a result of enjoying this one so much.
Even upon re-reading, this book just feels so fun, full of sardonic wit and ridiculous scenarios that the Fighting Scientists of Tesladyne just seem to take in stride even when their lives are about to be snuffed. Grace under pressure, and sarcasm at every turn, Robo is a hero for the 21st century. Forget those Bat- or Spider-man types - this is the guy we really deserve.
June 23, 2019
Un c贸mic de aventuras sin m谩s pretensiones que s贸lo busca entretener. Y vaya si lo consigue. Acci贸n, humor, hormigas gigantes, cient铆ficos nazis o pir谩mides que echan a andar en un c贸mic lleno de golpes de humor (y del otro tipo tambi茅n).
Un lectura estupenda para evadirse un rato.
Un lectura estupenda para evadirse un rato.
May 13, 2009
I completely loved this book. It is a bit quirky and assumes a lot, but that works in its favor. The odd way its stories end at first irked me, but in hindsight - that's part of the charm.
June 12, 2012
Action Science!
If you have not read this...you have failed.
If you have not read this...you have failed.
January 30, 2020
A little bit like a science fantasy pulp version of Hellboy.
September 9, 2012
Witty and wisecracking. The way I love my robots.
July 7, 2020
Atomic Robo inledde v盲ldigt starkt. Det var v盲ldigt snappy dialog, m氓nga sk盲mt som fungerade och trevlig premiss med en brottsbek盲mpande superrobot skapad av Tesla. Atomic Robos konflikt med Stephen Hawking var verkligen laugh out loud-rolig p氓 sina st盲llen.
Tyv盲rr var ber盲ttarstrukturen extremt konstig vilket drar ner betyget rej盲lt. Det hoppas hejvilt i tid och rum p氓 ett v盲ldigt r枚rigt sett. Ibland kommer flashbacks fr氓n ingenstans, ibland leder Robos tankar till en helt ny scen. Det hela g枚rs v盲ldigt osnyggt och leder till att ber盲ttelserna upplevs v盲ldigt ryckiga och of盲rdiga. Humorn h氓ller sig intakt och det 盲r bitvis riktigt snyggt tecknat men den r枚riga ber盲ttarstilen drar ner betyget till en ljummen 3/5.
Tyv盲rr var ber盲ttarstrukturen extremt konstig vilket drar ner betyget rej盲lt. Det hoppas hejvilt i tid och rum p氓 ett v盲ldigt r枚rigt sett. Ibland kommer flashbacks fr氓n ingenstans, ibland leder Robos tankar till en helt ny scen. Det hela g枚rs v盲ldigt osnyggt och leder till att ber盲ttelserna upplevs v盲ldigt ryckiga och of盲rdiga. Humorn h氓ller sig intakt och det 盲r bitvis riktigt snyggt tecknat men den r枚riga ber盲ttarstilen drar ner betyget till en ljummen 3/5.
July 13, 2018
Blah. It's like a whole bunch of other things, but with nothing new or interesting to add. The artwork in the unfinished (I guess?) stories at the end of the book is a lot more interesting than the artwork in the main part of the book.
November 18, 2024
IRCB 2024 Reading Challenge
Hellboy meets Deadpool dressed as the Rocketeer?
Hellboy meets Deadpool dressed as the Rocketeer?
October 8, 2018
I loved the art, the world, the humor if it was a bit more of a character arc it would have been a perfect 5. Can鈥檛 wait to read the next
June 24, 2008
I've heard plenty of good buzz about this book, but it didn't quite live up to the hype for me. The stories are fast paced and energetic, with several moments of very funny dialogue. The art is also really sharp, with clean panels and a natural flow to the action. There was just too much happening in too short a time. The six issues making up this volume are basically stand-alone tales, but they also kind of run together. The jumps in time and setting are a bit jarring and left me unsure where one story ended and the next began. I was still waiting for the payoff to the previous plotline while halfway through the next. But for all the action crammed in, it was an incredibly quick read without much meat to the stories.
I'm also afraid the writing, while witty, isn't unique enough to really win me over. The obvious influence is "Hellboy," featuring as it does Nazis, brains in robot bodies, an appearance from Rasputin, a super-tough wise-cracking hero surrounded by a government team of normal humans and even a thank you to Mike Mignola from one of the creators on the dedication page. There is potential here for the series to mature and forge its own path and I'll probably read the next volume, but so far it's just an entertaining snack between more filling meals.
I'm also afraid the writing, while witty, isn't unique enough to really win me over. The obvious influence is "Hellboy," featuring as it does Nazis, brains in robot bodies, an appearance from Rasputin, a super-tough wise-cracking hero surrounded by a government team of normal humans and even a thank you to Mike Mignola from one of the creators on the dedication page. There is potential here for the series to mature and forge its own path and I'll probably read the next volume, but so far it's just an entertaining snack between more filling meals.
August 6, 2012
Though it would be easy to describe Atomic Robo as a science fiction interpretation of the basic concept underlying Mike Mignola's Hellboy (there are definitely some surface similarities), to do so without further examining Atomic Robo is to do a grave disservice to the charm and energy of Clevinger's creation.
Atomic Robo is a journey through a world inspired by the entire breadth of science fiction, with special emphasis on its pulp heyday (Nazi robots) and the Atomic Age excesses of the 1950s (giant ants). Clevinger somehow combines these disparate period influences into a cohesive whole, a narrative which unfolds over the course of decades, revealed to the reader piece-by-piece in non-linear fashion. The story is briskly paced, exploding with one huge action set-piece after another, but Clevinger never forgets that his characters are people...even the titular Robo. The dialogue is light and breezy, with plenty of laugh-out-loud moments, but it isn't without depth, as Robo (created in the 1920s by Nikola Tesla) occasionally wrestles with the implications of his mechanical immortality.
A rollicking adventure yarn with heart and brought to life by clean, energetic artwork, Atomic Robo is probably the best sci-fi/adventure comic in publication today.
Atomic Robo is a journey through a world inspired by the entire breadth of science fiction, with special emphasis on its pulp heyday (Nazi robots) and the Atomic Age excesses of the 1950s (giant ants). Clevinger somehow combines these disparate period influences into a cohesive whole, a narrative which unfolds over the course of decades, revealed to the reader piece-by-piece in non-linear fashion. The story is briskly paced, exploding with one huge action set-piece after another, but Clevinger never forgets that his characters are people...even the titular Robo. The dialogue is light and breezy, with plenty of laugh-out-loud moments, but it isn't without depth, as Robo (created in the 1920s by Nikola Tesla) occasionally wrestles with the implications of his mechanical immortality.
A rollicking adventure yarn with heart and brought to life by clean, energetic artwork, Atomic Robo is probably the best sci-fi/adventure comic in publication today.
October 3, 2011
Lots of great funny bits and also hints of some neat sci-fi/fantasy ideas. Its shortcomings are as follows:
So far, the robotic nature of the protagonist is mostly used for jokes without any real thought given into what it's like to be a robot. I suppose this is an unfair standard for the genre, but it's glaring when one reads Hofstadter at the same time.
The very interesting array of quirky conflicts making up Robo's life all suggest great stories, but the comic moves quickly between them, leaving some barely developed. It's clearly intentional, but it goes too far (or not far enough as the case may be).
I enjoyed reading it. I wish the same material had been spread over more space with more character and setting development.
So far, the robotic nature of the protagonist is mostly used for jokes without any real thought given into what it's like to be a robot. I suppose this is an unfair standard for the genre, but it's glaring when one reads Hofstadter at the same time.
The very interesting array of quirky conflicts making up Robo's life all suggest great stories, but the comic moves quickly between them, leaving some barely developed. It's clearly intentional, but it goes too far (or not far enough as the case may be).
I enjoyed reading it. I wish the same material had been spread over more space with more character and setting development.
July 16, 2010
A great graphic novel.
All the stories are well done - the first story being my favorite in the compilation. The art is fantastic! I liked how the current day stories are mixed with the flashbacks and creation stories. The short alternate stories at the end of the book were my least favorite but still well done. The art and flavor of these short (2-3 page) stories is quite different form the main story arcs.
The pin up art and sketchbook art in the back of the book was a pleasant surprise. I liked seeing the iterations in the creation of the characterization of Atomic Robo. I'm going to have to find a way to pick up the rest of the Atomic Robo Trade paperbacks.
All the stories are well done - the first story being my favorite in the compilation. The art is fantastic! I liked how the current day stories are mixed with the flashbacks and creation stories. The short alternate stories at the end of the book were my least favorite but still well done. The art and flavor of these short (2-3 page) stories is quite different form the main story arcs.
The pin up art and sketchbook art in the back of the book was a pleasant surprise. I liked seeing the iterations in the creation of the characterization of Atomic Robo. I'm going to have to find a way to pick up the rest of the Atomic Robo Trade paperbacks.
November 19, 2013
The adventures of a wisecracking robot built by Nikola Tesla in 1923. What else do you need to know? Start reading!
On a serious note: a well-drawn comic that loses some of its attractiveness due to the fragmented storytelling: instead of an ongoing tale you get episodes from the robot's history, some of them connected through one recurring baddie. Other than the robot the rest of the cast is barely fleshed out (also because the stories span 70+ years), though there is a hint that we'll learn more about some characters.
So no, it isn't perfect, but it is entertaining.
On a serious note: a well-drawn comic that loses some of its attractiveness due to the fragmented storytelling: instead of an ongoing tale you get episodes from the robot's history, some of them connected through one recurring baddie. Other than the robot the rest of the cast is barely fleshed out (also because the stories span 70+ years), though there is a hint that we'll learn more about some characters.
So no, it isn't perfect, but it is entertaining.
October 17, 2024
It was ok!
A fun adventure with Tesla's greatest creation: Atomic Robo!听
He's basically Deadpool, but he's a robot. Maybe a bit more focused on his mission and a bit more serious, but to get what you're going to read about, just a sci-fi adventure/comedy type of comic with great artwork and fun dialogue along with one-liners.听
I remember liking it more back then. It was fun to read but just ok overall. Hoping it gets better on Volume 2.
A fun adventure with Tesla's greatest creation: Atomic Robo!听
He's basically Deadpool, but he's a robot. Maybe a bit more focused on his mission and a bit more serious, but to get what you're going to read about, just a sci-fi adventure/comedy type of comic with great artwork and fun dialogue along with one-liners.听
I remember liking it more back then. It was fun to read but just ok overall. Hoping it gets better on Volume 2.
March 24, 2011
Purchased on Comixology.
Atomic Robo is something akin to a robotic Indiana Jones. Originally built by Nikola Tesla to assist him in his experimentations, Atomic goes on to create a company whose purpose is to protect the world from the "weird" stuff that crops up.
Atomic Robo is something akin to a robotic Indiana Jones. Originally built by Nikola Tesla to assist him in his experimentations, Atomic goes on to create a company whose purpose is to protect the world from the "weird" stuff that crops up.
June 11, 2010
I don't think comic series get better than this.
February 13, 2012
Very entertaining, fast paced read with excellent, witty dialogue, decent art and a few nice gaming references to top it off.
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