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ROBO DOJO #1
Recommended (7/10)
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DC Comics/Wildstorm Productions
"Robo Dojo, Part 1"
Writer: Marv Wolfman
Pencils: Greg Lane
Inks: Richard Bennett
Colors: Dreamwave
Nanobotz: "Buggin' Out"
Writers: Conor Libby & J. Torres
Pencils: Dario Brizuela
Inks: Vince Russell
Colors: Wildstorm FX
Letters: Sergio Garcia
Editor: Jeff Mariotte
Price: $3.50 US/$5.75 CAN |
Robo Dojo: Giant robots, implausible academies for teenage, would-be heroes... there are plenty of manga/anime conventions at play in this story. Usually, that would add up to a disappointing read for yours truly, who's never really saw the appeal of similar animated concepts, like Gundam or Pokemon. To my surprise, though, Wolfman offers up a fun story that really draws the reader into the unlikely world of a school for robot engineers.
Five young people arrive at the Robo Dojo, each bringing their miniature robot designs for full-scale construction, competition and assessment. As conflict arises among them, they discover they are not competing with one another, but with another group of five designers... a group willing to do anything to win.
Lane and Bennett's anime-inspired art captures the youth of the main characters nicely. They bring an unbelievable level of detail to bear in the setting as well as in the designs of the various "'Jin" robots. Dreamwave's rich colors add to the complexity of the visuals, which offsets the simplicity of plot and character.
Wolfman's characters and the premise are far from the most complex or sophisticated ideas he's put to paper (or to monitor, I suppose), but they are a lot of fun. One can't help but drawn to these (mostly) innocent characters. They do need to be developed, but I found myself enjoying them and the story despite myself.
Nanobotz: Imagine if the Metal Men weren't morphing robots, but rather miniature, mechanical super-heroes, each with powers based on a different theme. That's what we get with Libby & Torres's "Nanobotz." The Brizuela/Russell art even reminds me of the style of Joe Staton, who illustrated the ongoing Metal Men series in the 1970s. This is a light romp with a lot of personality, but the brevity of the piece keeps it from connecting as well as the main feature.
The villain in this piece is more than a little over the top, and I honestly don't know what his motives are here. Again, though, the lack of clarity in the story may simply stem from the confined space that the creators have to work with.
Overall, both features in this book strike me as pitches for something more, for other-media adaptations. It is a little distracting, but then again, moving onto TV, video or film may not be the aim here. I have no way of knowing for sure, but that's the sense I got from reading this comic book.
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