DIGITAL #1, from Rich Watkin and Zaky Hnana on Kickstarter, imagines a world where robot helpers become sentient and awake to enslave humanity.
The Details
- Written by: Rich Watkin, Zaky Hnana
- Art by: Flaviu Pop
- Colors by: Flaviu Pop, Daniel De La Cruz
- Letters by: Mason Solimine
- Cover art by: Flaviu Pop
- Comic Rating: Mature
- Cover price: $3.00 (estimated)
- Release date: November 2021
Is It Good?
Digital #1 is a solid, action-packed indie offering for fans who love stories about machines rising up to take over the world. Set in a dystopian future ruled by humanoid robots, Rich Watkin and Zaky Hnana tick all the right boxes for action, plot, and art.
Watkin and Hnana’s script centers on a trio of humans who may be the last free humans on the planet after a generation of robot helpers awaken to the idea that humans need them more than they need humans. Humanity quickly becomes slave labor, and the trio of survivors steals an airship to escape their robot captors, but a stowaway may change their future plans.
Again, all the expected checkboxes are ticked in this indie offering. You get good pacing, plenty of robot-vs-human- combat action, tense verbal sparring with a smidge of comic relief, and a last-page twist to keep things interesting.
What’s not so great? So far, there’s nothing terribly unique or original about this story you haven’t seen a dozen times before in robot uprising scenarios. The eclectic band of heroes is set up to follow predictable character archetypes, and even the twist bears familiar echoes to ones you’ve seen in sci-fi action films. In fairness, this is just the first issue, so the following entries may present a unique hook that you don’t get in issue #1.
How’s the art? Flaviu Pop’s pencils/inks and colors are well above average for an indie project and well in line with small- to mid-sized publishers. The character designs are memorable, and the action is well-choreographed. There aren’t many wow moments to overcome the predictability of the script, but Pop’s delivery is solid.
Keep scrolling for a closer look at the covers, or Click Here to jump right to the story description with some spoilers.
What’s It About?
[SPOILERS AHEAD – Click here if you just want the score without spoilers]
We begin with a pair of rebels getting ready to make a break for an enemy squad heading their way. Through a flashback montage, we learn the enemy is a coordinated group of robots who make up the dominant “species” on Earth. When the shooting starts, only one rebel escapes.
Later, the rebel makes it to an escaping ship with two other humans and an unknown entity on board. The ship narrowly escapes its hangar while taking fire from the robot soldiers. As the ship soars away on autopilot, the inexperienced pilot jokingly insists everyone assumes callsigns.
Reluctantly, the group, Aisha, Noose, and Bear, begin to search the ship for the unidentified entity. We conclude the issue with bickering, an aversion to Scooby-Doo tactics, and a young discovery.
Keep scrolling for a closer look at preview images of the internal pages, or Click Here to jump right to the score.
Final Thoughts
(Click this link 👇 to order this comic)
DIGITAL #1 begins a dystopian sci-fi adventure where the last free humans fight to survive a robot uprising. The art is above average for an indie project, and the writing structure is solid, but new readers may find the story lack originality.
We hope you found this article interesting. Come back for more reviews, previews, and opinions on comics, and don’t forget to follow us on social media:
If you’re interested in this creator’s works, remember to let your Local Comic Shop know to find more of their work for you. They would appreciate the call, and so would we.
Click here to find your Local Comic Shop: www.ComicShopLocator.com
As an Amazon Associate, we earn revenue from qualifying purchases to help fund this site. Links to Blu-Rays, DVDs, Books, Movies, and more contained in this article are affiliate links. Please consider purchasing if you find something interesting, and thank you for your support.