GRIT N GEARS #2, from Blood Moon Comics on 6/28/23, fills in the backstory behind One’s exile and how a Pastor’s crusade led to death and destruction.
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: June 28, 2023
Is It Good?
We were generally positive on issue #1 because it set the foundation for a steampunk Western focused on an automaton as the protagonist rather than relying on steampunk tropes as gift wrapping around a human story. In GRIT N GEARS #2, Angel Fuentes merges the human and the machine for a wholly unique turn in the story with plenty of flashbacks to bring readers up to speed and set the pace moving forward.
When last we left our gunslinging, automaton protagonist, he was left to scrounge for parts in town and keep a low profile when he was approached by his inventor to help care for a child-sized automaton named Maggie. Now, we learn how Razorneck’s betrayal set the human population against sentient automatons, and we learned Maggie’s tragic origin.
Despite the steampunk aesthetic and robotic aspects of this story, Fuentes slathers the issue with authentic emotion and very human pain. One’s rejection by its maker is exactly the stuff that robot classics are made of, even bearing some resemblance to Frankenstein in its themes of sentience and creator responsibility. The raw emotion goes even deeper when you learn the tragic turn that leads to Maggie’s creation. We regularly state that readers remember a comic that makes them feel, so this issue sets the right example to be remembered.
That said, the minor down point is a mild lack of smoothness in the narrative flow. The transitions between flashbacks and the present are placed in seemingly random locations, so the transitions are more jarring than they ought to be.
How’s the art? It’s very good, and a far sight better in this issue than Nahuel Sb’s work on the Hoan of Orcs series. Nahuel Sb’s trademark character designs are still obvious, but the pencils/inks are tighter and cleaner, and the coloring increases the art clarity considerably with pop and contrast.
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]
Check out our GRIT N GEARS #1 review to find out how Razorneck became a threat.
We begin with a flashback to Pastor Baker after Razorneck and his automaton outlaws burned down the Pastor’s church. Filled the righteous rage, Pastor Baker began a crusade to stop all production of sentient automatons and force the government to outlaw them permanently.
One soon found himself on the run and in need of repairs, so he sought out the help of his maker, Bullinger. Fearing the mobs of automaton hunters would harm her family, she orders One to leave. Not long after, her daughter is diagnosed with terminal cancer, forcing Bollinger to take a drastic step to save her daughter, Maggie.
We conclude the issue with a reverse rejection, deadly bandits, and a reason to live.
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 #2 fills in the lingering questions from issue #1 and gives One a new reason to survive after a series of tragedies turn the world against sentient automatons. The sci-fi story has a genuine, human heart at its center, struggling against authentic pain, and the art is excellent.
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