Atomic Robo Vol 2 #5 (Red 5 – Clevinger / Wegener / Pattison / Powell / Nguyen)
June 1944 – Five long years of endless combat have taken their toll on the once invincible German war machine. The Red Army is on a year long offensive in the East while Allied forces amass in Britain for the largest amphibious assault in history. But Germany’s greatest superweapon threatens to turn the tide of battle once and for all: the dreaded Electric Cannon can rain unparalleled destruction across all of Britain, the English Channel, and the Eastern Front. Sounds like a job for ATOMIC ROBO! But is that exactly what the Nazis were hoping for?
At the end of his second story arc, with the help of his Red 5 Creative team, Atomic Robo is still the best modern day pulp hero around!
This second volume is a World War II story of Robo and his impact on both the Allied and Axis forces. Having a force like Atomic Robo on your side would certainly give you the technological / weapon advantage in the war… unless of course your very presence inspires the enemy to work harder and better. The conclusion of Volume 2 finds Robo captured by the Nazis and being the energy source for their new “Weather Canon”, yes Robo made fun of the name too. But as with any good war pulp story, nothing can stop the good guys… not even taking away his legs. The issue’s follow-up story and closure finds Robo across the table from his Nazi enemy, Dr. Skorzeny, thirty years later. I don’t think even Robo could predict what he would do when he is given a unique opportunity by the good, or not so good, Doctor.
This series is the best parts of G.I. Joe, Indiana Jones, Doc Savage and the Iron Giant all wrapped into one. Ten issues later, the writing is still excellent! Brian Clevinger creates a perfect pacing of action and sci-fi with veins of drama and comedy throughout. As an artist, Scott Wegener keeps it solid with frames that flow into one another, keeping pace with the plot and never seeming cartoony or to take itself too seriously. In short, this book is Brilliant!
This trade comes out in February… never too early to be thinking about Valentine’s Day.
Issue Grade: Big Juicy A
