ATOM: THE BEGINNING (VOL. 4), from Titan Comics on 4/12/23, pits Six against a giant military robot in a fight to the death, leading Tenma and Hiroshi to a startling discovery about Six’s A.I.
The Details
- Written by: Osamu Tezuka, Masami Yuuki
- Art by: Tetsuro Kasahara
- Translation by: Jonathan Clements, Motoko Tamamuro
- Letters by: Jonathan Stevenson
- Cover art by: Tetsuro Kasahara
- Comic Rating: All Ages
- Cover price: $12.99
- Release date: April 12, 2023
Is It Good?
Despite a rousing battle between Six and Ivan in the opening chapter of this volume, ATOM: THE BEGINNING (VOL. 4) is the quietest volume in the series so far. Osamu Tezuka and Masami Yuuki delve deeper into the unique aspects of Six’s A.I. and how his need to communicate with other robots may have an evolutionary effect on other robots. This discovery makes ATOM: THE BEGINNING (VOL. 4) an interesting discussion on programmatic theory, but readers who want more action may find their minds wandering.
When last we left the Tenma, Hiroshi, and their friends, they absconded in a cabin in the woods to escape nefarious kidnappers, leaving Six to face off against the giant Soviet military robot codenamed Ivan. Now, with a little help from the arrival of Mars, Six learns about an odd side effect of his communication attempts with other robots, leading to a cascade of debates and revelations for Tenma and Hiroshi.
Admittedly, this volume will have the most appeal for the science/tech nerd readers out there, present company included. Once the opening battle is done, the remainder of the volume is all dialog wherein the assortment of characters theorize, debate, and argue about the true nature of A.I. and its potential when taken to the extreme.
If you’re not a fan of theoretical debate about the future of robotics, you may be a bit bored with this volume. In fairness, the pacing is solid, given the dry topic, and there’s more than enough emotional variety to keep each scene dramatically elevated, so the storytelling execution is fairly solid. In other words, it’s not a down point to spend most of a volume debating about A.I., but that approach may only appeal to a small subset of readers.
Tetsuro Kasahara’s art is consistently good throughout the issue. The robot battle in the opening chapter is amazing, and the special robot moves deliver wow moments, but it’s the nuanced gestures and character glances that give the art a little something extra. Given the emphasis on talking and the sparse amount of action, Tetsuro Kasahara deserves credit for keeping the volume visually engaging.
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What’s It About?
[SPOILERS AHEAD – Click here if you just want the score without spoilers]
Check out our ATOM: THE BEGINNING (VOL. 3) review to find out how Tenma and Hiroshi avoided a kidnapping attempt.
We begin with the cliffhanger from the last volume. The gang found temporary refuge in a cabin in the woods, but their rest was cut short when a giant Soviet robot lumbered toward their location. Six stepped out into the woods to meet the robot, codenamed Ivan, head-on.
Now, Six desperately tries to make contact with Ivan using shortwave communication bursts, but his attempts to make a connection prove misguided when Mars arrives and points out that Ivan is only repeating back what it hears. The fight ends when Ivan self-destructs from a failsafe protocol designed to protect its files.
Back at the lab, a new theory emerges among the scientists after observing the behavior of Ivan and Six during the fight, behavior that matches some of the odd pauses during the Robot Wrestling competition between Six and Mars. Six’s autonomy could be contagious. We conclude the issue with new designs, a debate about the nature of “ego,” and a new challenger in the robot wrestling championships.
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Final Thoughts
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ATOM: THE BEGINNING (VOL. 4) delivers a big battle up front and delves into the theoretical concepts behind A.I. evolution for the majority of the volume. While the theoretical robotics debates are interesting for readers into science and tech, readers looking for some action may wind up tuning out.
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