Broken Frontier

From the creator of 8-Bit Theater meet Atomic Robo, an 83-year-old, hyper intelligent robot who battles not only gigantic, mutant ants but World War II era Japanese soldiers.

The problem with many humor centric superhero books is that the protagonist usually devolves into an over-the-top caricature with little or no traces of humanity. Anyone actively reading the current iteration of Howard the Duck will agree me with there. But this trend’s recently been bucked by Robert Kirkman’s phenomenal Irredeemable Ant-Man series. And in this regard Atomic Robo is a success. By the end of the second issue, creator Brian Clevinger has shaped his 83-year-old robot into a sympathetic, although derivative, character. He has all the standard man out of his time hangs ups just like Captain America and Booster Gold.

Unfortunately, he’s just not that funny.

As a fan of Clevinger’s hysterical webcomic, 8 Bit Theater , I had high hopes coming into his first attempt at a print comic. The concept is brilliant. Built in 1923, Atomic Robo is the only machine in the world to possess not only automatic intelligence but a strikingly powerful weapons system. Prompted by the American government, he founds a scientific inquiry team and gets himself into 80 years worth of hi-jinks. Clevinger uses this setup to allow Atomic Robo to engage in increasingly ridiculous confrontations. In this issue alone he goes toe to toe with an army of humongous mutant ants and a squadron of WWII era Japanese fighter pilots.

However, this setup is one of the book’s biggest drawbacks. The issue starts out in present day with a reporter interviewing Atomic Robo about his life. He then flashbacks to a few weeks earlier during the fight with the monster ants, during which he receives a letter causing him to remember his crusade against the Axis powers. Confused? Me too.

Structural problems aside, there just aren’t many jokes here. Atomic Robo lets loose with a couple of one liners but they’re never good enough to be funny or even lame enough to be ironic. Unless your idea of humor is a robot shouting, “Aw, nuts,” a few times. And if the humor isn’t what’s pulling the reader along then it’s certainly not the action. The few set pieces we’re treated to are standard at best.

Scott Wegener’s pencils do mesh fairly well with this series. While his faces could use a bit of improvement the rest of the art evokes a lighthearted sensibility that hearkens back to the best of the 70s Saturday morning cartoons. This works rather well and enhances Clevinger’s quasi-goofy tone.

Considering that it’s so early in the run I would usually recommend a series with a premise this promising in hopes that it would heat up in the next couple of issues. But unfortunately, Atomic Robo is a miniseries with only four issues to go. It’s unlikely the book will reach its full potential, but if you’re a fan of 8 Bit Theater or sympathetic robots in general, this may be a title to keep an eye out for.