In the new Top Cow series Metal Society, by writer Zack Kaplan and artist Guilherme Balbi, humankind has finally met its demise. Machines have evolved and run the world, and humans are born and bred by robots for manual labor purposes like harvesting metal. The last remaining hope for mankind is a woman named Rosa Gunthree, who has had it with her metal counterparts. Metal Society #1 begins a five-issue miniseries that will show if Rosa has what it takes to determine the true rulers of the earth: human beings or machines?
To name a few, Metal Society #1 feels like a mashup of Real Steel, Rocky, and Blade Runner. The story centers around Rosa Gunthree, a human created in a lab by machines. The first issue gives us a fantastic origin on Rosa and shows us how she goes from manual labor work to the squared circle against her metal adversary. Through Rosa, writer Zack Kaplan talks about relevant real-world issues like human rights, advancement, and gender equality. It’s a creative first issue that challenges what the world would possibly look like if machines did, in fact, replace humans.
Guilherme Balbi’s illustrations add a larger-than-life spectator feel from the very first page. You’ll instantly notice the amount of sharp-edged pencil work Balbi puts into every panel and the amount of detail he adds to each robot regarding their gears, wires, and distinct looks. Colorist Marko Lester provides an excellent assortment of color choices that make each panel stand out above the last, and letterer Troy Peteri hits the mark with his placement of word bubbles and captions.
Metal Society #1 combines the right amount of sci-fi drama and engaging storytelling to make it a series you’ll want to read. The underlining discussion topics keep the material relatable and garner enough attention to keep readers coming back to check out the next issue.
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