The beginning pages of Robot 13 #2 are the strongest in the issue: they capture the raw imagination and creativity that writer Thomas Hall and artist Daniel Bradford bring to the table in their creator-owned title. The pages reveal a richly illustrated and colored flashback of ancient Greece; heroes rise and fall before the terrible might of the gorgon Medusa. In response, the world’s brightest intellects pooled their knowledge in an effort to assemble a champion of the people, a champion who appears to be a prototype of the comic book’s namesake.
The flashback snaps to a sudden close and the story returns to the present, picking up where the last issue ended. Robot 13 is traveling aboard the ship that originally dredged him up from the bottom of the sea, and his presence raises a troubling question in the minds of the crew: why are the open waters no longer safe and peaceful, but dangerous and violent? But little time is left to explore the question, as the ship is soon attacked again by another monster attracted to the gentile presence of the robot. The battle that follows tosses the mechanical hero farther along on his chaotic journey for the truth, as well as revealing a motherly beast that will hunt him down at all costs.
Robot 13 continues to trek forward with the same original vigor and excitement that was set into motion in the first issue. Hall and Bradford allow themselves full liberty in borrowing from Greek mythology, providing a buffet for the imagination. Full disclosure: I’ve been in love with ancient legends since my youngest years. I adored Clash of the Titans when I was a kid, and to say that I was once obsessed with Xena: Warrior Princess and Hercules: The Legendary Series is an understatement. Robot 13 manages to not only rekindle all of that long-forgotten passion, but it also injects a new flavor into the pleasure of remembrance.
As with the first issue, I can’t shower enough praise on Bradford’s artwork. His hands and eyes filter the pristine visions of his own imagination, making Robot 13 an absolute joy to turn page after page. In fact, this book demonstrates why I hate reading comics in general as monthly issues: they’re all one big tease, never offering me enough and always leaving me wanting more. Hopefully when the first story arc is finished, Robot 13 will be collected as a trade paperback, but for now I’ll simply have to wait until the next issue to find out what happens next.
This comic book review originally appeared on Comic News on 13 October 2009.
