Lets go too this all too familiar scenario. Your in a candy store when all of a sudden Ronald McDonald comes out of nowhere speaking gibberish and threatening to use his demonic hand blast on you if you don't give him your lunch money. Then before you can say "Santa took it already." a robot wearing a pair of coveralls and brandishing a large revolver jumps in through the window and proceeds too punch the old clowns lights out, do a cartwheel and give you a lollypop before running off into the sunset. What you just experienced is a typical moment in Atomic Robo. The place where pyramids go mobile and imaginary physics are just around the corner.118
The magic in this larger than life adventure begins with our sarcastic hero of the hour Atomic Robo. Designed by Nicola Tesla, Robo is the founder of a private military organization designed to tackle all things sci-fi and then blow it up if it's still moving. Whether it be giant ants or a mass producing android factory nothing is too big for these people to handle. But this comic isn't about a secret sub-division of the military. Oh no. It's as the name implies about Atomic Robo and his adventures throughout time. Like when he goes to mars or his time spent in the second world war. Or outside of time as that may be the case.117
If you where looking for a complex story with a surprising resolution you certainly aren't going to find it here. Actually your probably looking in the other direction because saving the world pretty much sums it up when it comes to the story department. But story isn't exactly what Atomic Robo is all about. See what makes Atomic Robo great fun to read is not it's conflict resolution or the conflict at all. It' everything else. Whenever Mr. Robo is out on the town with the giant monstrosity of the moment every attempt is made to make it as funny as possible. For example when the Atomic Robo goes to mars Stephen Hawking fakes a psychiatric evaluation on Robo so that for an entire 335 day trip all Robo has to do for fun is read three magazines. Speaking of Stephen Hawking, take any historical figure in the field of science and chances are they play some roll in this comic book. It's amazing how the bombing of Tesla's lab came to be because Tomas Edison thought it might be a bit easier to just kill off the competition.
As far as artwork is concerned it's more of a work in progress for the first compilation. After that test period though art is excellent and far exceeds most artists work in the field. Cartoony in presentation, lines are well inked and give definition to the characters body structure. Which I noticed is an uncommon practise in comics that have more than one volume in trade paperback. All things accounted art freaks should be satisfied with what Atomic Robo has to offer.
Upon writing this all I could think of for the most part was Mad Science. This comic is filled to the brim with mad science. To the point where the phrase "standard issue railguns" doesn't even register as being strange. As a matter of fact Atomic Robo presents so much strange shit that if each issue cost me 20 bucks I'd still buy it and demand more. I recommend this for all comic book lovers. Except Tom Hanks. I want him to suffer.