Harlan Phoenix writes...

ANDROIDOLOGY
ACT ONE: FIRST BELL

WORD UP: There be spoilers in this review. So everyone should read with caution. Also, go buy Mecha Nation.

SUMMARY: After a superheroic battle that didn't go too great, the identity of the "Second Wave", five teens with superpowered robotic forms, seems closer to being compromised. As the kids try to live out their high school lives as normal, they're more than a little worried about the new teacher who seems a little...alien.

REVIEW: So, I'll admit upfront that this was pretty goddamn rad. I'm actually kind of upset that this property has had to sit dormant for so long because even this one issue shows what kind of potential this really has. It's a LOT of fun.

I'm not gonna give a play by play of what happened in the story. Rather, I'm just going to explain how much I liked a bunch of out of context things that will make people buy this so they know what I'm talking about.

So I'll do that.

OUT OF CONTEXT THINGS THAT ARE AWESOME AND WILL MAKE PEOPLE BUY THIS COMIC:

-I adore The Factory. I don't care if we've barely seen them; I sincerely believe they're among the better villains you've written (and you've written numerous characters who hold honorable titles as great villains, most notably David Xanatos and Demona but more personally my all time favorite Thailog). So this is saying something. But The Factory accomplishes two villainous extremes in the span of one comic book issue and does so with an inner genius. We start with a battle atop the bowling alley that ends in a First Wave Tag that could compromise the identities of the Second Wave with little effort. And then we see the "mysterious" Professor Gear, who is more than a little blatantly not human. But that, in of itself, is kind of genius: the public doesn't know about Mecha Sapiens, so at most the students are just going to mock Gear outside of class. The few people who'd actually take this weirdo seriously and not joke about him are probably the Second Wave. The Factory used Saturday morning 80's villainy as a PROACTIVE STEALTH MECHANISM. THAT IS WONDERFUL AND I LOVE YOU.
-I like that Marcus is pretty upfront about his geek pride. I always thought that was a tad more realistic than the shy nerd. I know I never hid my sexynerdiness.
-I love that Ray isn't the Broadway homage I idiotically assumed he would be; the little we see of him show he's pretty different from the big lug.
-My favorite character, so far (besides Professor Gear, who is a God among men) has to be Susie/Fahrenheit. She'll fight crime with the rest of the Second Wave, but she doesn't really seem to actually SPEND TIME with them. Don't answer this question, but how exactly does she go about getting grouped into fighting with the rest? WHY would she? There's a lot about her I want to know.
-The chalk drawings are cute.
-As is Kevin's lab partner. She's nerdydorable. I bet she's a robot.
-A nerdydorable robot.
-Sexuality plays a big part in this story, and I like that you're fairly classy with it. It ranges from the admittedly blatant but fun (a buncha kids pent up for not "metalling out" in days...WHAT COULD THIS MEAN?!) to the much more subtle (Using Romeo and Juliet as part of a free will/fate discussion-I LOVE Romeo and Juliet, largely because it is essentially a story of two impulsive, hormonal teenagers doing things and making stuff go nuts as a result. It's a very classy, subtle allusion that both sets up what I assume is a main, existential plight of a Mecha-Sapien but also very concisely serves as a push/foreshadow for the most sexual undercurrent of the story's theme). It's an element of teenage sexuality that manages to actually serve a point and not just be there for the sake of being there. Stuff like this is one of many reasons why you're my favorite writer. Well done.
-On the opposite side of the spectrum, I adore the art. Campo and de Payevsky did a great job. Looks like it'd really lend well to animation.
-Just saying.
-Zehra's family life should prove pretty interesting. I immediately liked it because it'd seem like the opposite of what you'd expect, but with a bit of reflection I realized I liked it because it actually makes perfect sense even in theory.
-I'm amused that the character profiles mention that Marcus is a fan of Dragonball. X-Men and Star Trek make sense as mainstays of their genre, but I would've expected Dragonball to be replaced by something either a little more current (Bleach, Naruto) or something a bit more franchise-y and bluntly sci fi (Gundam). I'm not really a fan of Dragonball (or any of those other shows I rattled off, though Gundam's alright), but I liked this little detail. It has a fascinating nuance.
-I like the normal guy (the blond kid who was bowling) and his significance or lack there of intrigues me.

OVERALL OPINION: This was a really cool start, and I like this comic a lot. I wish this property a lot of prosperity in the future and I sure as hell know I'm going to count myself in as a fan. Thank you for this.

SOME QUESTIONS, IF YOU DON'T MIND:

1. So the title intrigues me. "Androidology-First Bell." Spectacular Spider-Man, also run by you and Mr. Cook, used similar academic titles for both arc names and individual story names. But, as I understand it, that evolved out of the marching orders that required arc based storytelling. My question: was the academic title scheme something that evolved out of the Mecha-Nation development and was fitted onto Spectacular Spider-Man when you saw that it seemed to fit, or was Mecha Nation's faux-academic titles borrowed from Spectacular Spider-Man?

2. Does...Kizoic have any kind of standards and practices department? I mean, the themes regarding sexuality are subtle enough that I could see that not being a big deal. But I thought Kizoic was an all ages line and...there're a few damns in here. Not to mention the blond kid's reference to certain substances.

Thanks again for a great comic and I look forward to it continuing!

Laura 'ad astra' Sack writes...

You wrote that the first issue of MechaNation came out in July. I saw the solicitation, but my comic book shop, (Midtown Comics in Manhattan- they tend to get everything), never got it. Their computers don't show it having ever arrived. Did the book go out on time to regular shops or is it just available through the publisher?

J.V. cuellar writes...

if you do another comic book which one will it be and when will it be out and why it would be a spin off

Jason Aiken writes...

Hey Greg,

Wanted to write in and say that I'm looking forward to reading your new comic work in the coming year.

I think you are getting the Red Tornado at a great time after what Brad Meltzer and Dwayne McDuffie have been doing with him in JLA. I am interested in seeing where you take one of the most unique characters in comics. Reading your latest responses Chuck Logan asked about when DC announces when books will be published. The best answer I can give him is to keep up with the solicits every month. DC solicits three months ahead, as I write this it is the end of August and they have previews up for November on their site. Every month, usually the 3rd Monday they release new solicits. So check their website - http://www.dccomics.com/dcu/comics/ or www.newsarama.com for the latest and look for Red Tornado :)

I am also very interested in Mecha Nation and Progeny (or is it Prodigy.. I've seen it spelled both on various sites). I'm always interested in new characters from my favorite creators.

Also, just read Gargoyles: Bad Guys #4... wow the hang em high aftermath of the jailbreak... you couldn't get away with that in any cartoon. Very solid issue though, I'm enjoying all of the Gargoyles comics. Sad to see that #12 of the series and #6 of Bad Guys may be the last, but I have high hopes... Kingdom Comics was just formed so i doubt they would let an established comics property like Gargoyles go to waste.

I have to confess I haven't seen Spectacular Spider-Man yet... but I have all 13 episodes on my DVR... thank goodness for that invention. I plan on sitting down and checking them out soon though as I have heard nothing but good things.

Keep up the great work, you keep writing I'll keep buying.

Jason