GRIT ‘N GEARS #1, from Blood Moon Comics on 5/17/23, re-imagines the Old West with a steampunk twist, centering on a robot designed for law and order, but with any program, law and order is open to interpretation.
The Details
- Written by: Angel Fuentes
- Art by: Nahuel Sb
- Colors by: Nahuel Sb
- Letters by: Carlos M. Mangual
- Cover art by: Nahuel Sb
- Comic Rating: Teen+
- Cover price: $3.99
- Release date: May 17, 2023
Is It Good?
Intriguing. GRIT ‘N GEARS #1 is an intriguing steampunk fable about a robot built to protect an Old West town and the downward spiral that happens when orders are taken too literally. Angel Fuentes’s story hits all the right notes for a drama about a good “man” trying to do the right thing who suddenly finds himself on the wrong side of a conflict.
Steampunk stories can be a mixed bag, depending on the writer. Sometimes, the writers lean so far into capturing the whimsical elements and alternate-timeline technology, they forget to tell the human conflict at the center of their story. Thankfully, Angel Fuentes focuses on Range ONE as a living, breathing person who understands his place and finds himself trapped in a moral conflict, not of his making. Ranger ONE, despite being a machine, is a fully-realized, relatable character, so Fuentes instantly gets the reader invested in his troubles and puts the reader on Ranger ONE’s side when the conflict escalates.
The second, big positive of this issue is the twist concerning Ranger ONE’s creator, Gloriana, and her daughter, Maple. Something happens to Maple, but readers don’t get the full picture in this first issue. No spoilers here, but it’s fair to say Maple goes through a traumatic event that forms the foundation of an interesting mystery to explore and sets up a key adventure for Ranger ONE in the future.
How’s the art? If you recognize the name Nahuel Sb, that’s because Nahuel is the lead creator for the other Blood Moon title we review – Hoan of Orcs. Between the two series, This issue is the best work we’ve seen from Nahuel to date. The brush strokes are tighter and more defined. Plus, the coloring work helps provides more definition to Nahuel’s inks that you don’t see in Hoan of Orcs. Overall, nice job.
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 the Old West town of Steam’s Eddy in 1885. A weathered automaton, with the nickname of Screw Driver, attempts to steal some oil from the local livery. Screw Driver gets caught but manages to hightail it out of town before he gets captured.
Later, Screw Driver is found by his creator, Gloriana, with a special request. Gloriana asks Ranger ONE, aka Screw Driver, to look after a small robot called Maple. Screw Driver refuses, and what follows is a long flashback depicting how and why Ranger ONE was created. Ranger ONE was the first of many protectors designed to stop criminals and quell all crime.
When one of Ranger ONE’s soldiers interprets the directive to eliminate crime too literally, innocent lives are lost. We conclude the issue with a one-armed Preacher, culling raids, and a mother’s love.
Keep scrolling for a closer look at preview images of the internal pages, or Click Here to jump right to the score.
Final Thoughts
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GRIT ‘N GEARS #1 takes the Old West sheriff story and gives it a steampunk robot twist, with satisfying results. The sci-fi elements work effectively, but the heart of this issue gets to the heart of a very human moral dilemma that makes for an engaging read.
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