Popbot

    (IDW, 2002-2004)
™ and © Idea + Design Works LLC

Popbot declares “story + art + design (by) Ashley Wood, script (by) Sam Kieth.” The art and design are fine, even exceptional, but the pace of the story leaves much to be desired.

The bizarre tale deals with Kitty, an ex-rock star who happens to be a cat, his robot roadie—and Sherlock Holmes, who has traveled to the future to escape himself. Comics fans can handle weird, so that’s OK. The first, and most interesting, vignette suffers from being nothing but expository dialogue over (beautiful) full-page art. The second vignette helps the story progress nicely, but the next four have tenuous, occasionally non-apparent, connections to the main story. There are too many threads too soon in too low a page count.

Popbot (the robot) is essentially Paul Pope’s THB character without a brain. Alan Moore already did the Andy Warhol clones, and better, in Miracleman. Holmes’ dialogue is particularly well written, with occasional snippets of acquired modern slang.

The art ranges from elaborate paintings to sketches, but Wood’s ability to do the former helps the reader view the latter in context. The concept is clever, and it’s pretty to look at, but they’re going to need to tighten up the storyline.

— Jack Abramowitz
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#2


Cover Price: $7.99
1 copy available for $69.99 		  
#3


Cover Price: $7.99
1 copy available for $17.15