Atomic Robo #6
Written by Brian Clevinger
Art by Scott Wegener, Nic Klein
Colors by Ronda Pattison
Letters by Jeff Powell
Red 5 Comics
Cover price: $2.95; On sale: Mar. 12, 2008

And so we bring and end to volume one of Atomic Robo, and what a ride it’s been. We’ve met Action Scientists, Steam-punk mummies, brains in jars, and we found out that Stephen Hawking is kind of a jerk. I know this book kind of came out of nowhere and has become a bit of a hit, and I’m glad to see it happen. We really do need more purely fun adventure books these days, and that’s what you get when you read Atomic Robo.

This sixth issue of the series brings us a knock-down drag-out fight between Robo and his would-be arch nemesis, Helsingard. That’s about all there is to the plot. The two fight it out in Helsingard’s lair and I won’t spoil much by saying that Robo pulls victory from the hands of defeat, but not before we see some mysteries laid down for future stories. It ties into the plot from the first issue and makes for a nice closing to the first volume. Having read the whole series, I can see how writer Brian Clevinger thought out the whole thing and has made some nice themes to run through the whole thing, and more than that, has created a universe for his stories, and a nice group of characters to explore. You can really see his writing style develop from the first issue to this one, and I’ll be eagerly awaiting volume two when it comes out.

And as much as Clevinger has grown as a writer, artist Scott Wegener has developed as well. His characters have become more detailed and his storytelling has definitely improved. The action scenes are flowing very smoothly, which is important in this issue, as the whole thing is fight scenes. This issue also shows off his design sense, with not only the great look of Robo, but also Helsingard, his army of atomic supermen, and just the look of Helsingard’s lab. The colors by Ronda Pattison also help the art, with some nice shadow work, but really just making the art stand out that little bit extra. It’s not big flashy computer coloring, but it improves the book without bringing attention to itself.

And then we get a nice backup story from Clevinger, with guest art by Nic Klein. Talk about a vast departure from the regular art. That’s what I’ve loved most about the backup stories in the last few issues. They show a different style, but keep the same level of fun, and I always enjoy a good extra included in a regular issue. It just feels like you get a little more for the money you’re spending. I hope these get included with the eventual trade.

So I’m on board for this series. I figured it would be pretty good when I started hearing about it, but it turned out to be quite a bit different. I was expecting more of a straight comedy, but this is action in the vein of Indiana Jones. Fun, action-packed, humorous at times, but also serious at times. If you’ve missed out on this series, do yourself a favor and pick up the trade when it comes out. This is one to give to friends and loved ones, and I have to give it my highest recommendation. It’s comics that don’t rely on cheap death and “grittiness” to tell the story, and we always need more of that. Free Comic Book Day can’t come soon enough, because I want me another Robo fix. Join the wise folks who love this book.