Exo-1 and the Rock Solid Steel Botsby Sheena McNeilReviews may contain information that could be considered 'spoilers'. Readers should proceed at their own risk. Publisher
Credits Grade: 5 Daniel is haunted by the ghost of his grandfather who died in battle — a battle with supernatural elements, giant robots and sophisticated weapons and armor. The bad guys get their hands on one of two keys needed to revive / free their leader, forcing Daniel's grandfather to take drastic actions. Now Daniel, his assistant Vanessa, an archeologist and a random couple in the midst of a break-up, find themselves the unwitting soldiers (Exo-1 through Exo-5), equipped with smart armor and giant robots (the Rock Solid Steel Bots), in a battle to save the world.Overall, it's a pretty entertaining read. I really like the mix of genders, races and species in the characters. For the most part, they are treated pretty equally, too, which makes for a better and more realistic read. Plus, the good guys may have robots, but the bad guys have werewolves! Yeah, it's that kind of awesome. Spoiler warning: I was a little confused how Daniel's grandfather's ghost took on a physical form at the end, right before he died ... again. I understand how he can interact with others and affect energy sources, but the physical form and second death are more than a little weird. The art is occasionally stiff, but for the most part it's well done, with nice action sequences, great expressions and good designs. The art really sells the story, especially the fear, shock and disbelief the characters go through as they are attacked and their smart armor powers up to protect and arm them. One small flaw in the story is that they accept all these changes pretty quickly — some more than others — and then are willing to keep fighting the fight at the end. Not terribly realistic, which fights with the realism the comic is trying to portray in their emotions and reactions. The art, for its part, keeps pace appropriately with the story. The coloring is all done with shades of gray, and it works well. Part of me wishes I could see the 80s fashion in all its garish glory, but it actually appears quite tame, so I'm not missing anything. For my money, it's a middle-of-the-road comic. Definitely worth the read if you happen upon it, but not so stellar that I feel a need to seek it out. Written: April 10, 2012
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