The entire concept of Dawnrunner #1 feels built, if you’ll pardon the pun, for mecha and science fiction fans (including this humble writer). It has giant robots, giant monsters, and it’s set in the far future, which would be more than enough. However, the story takes things one step further: the robots in this story are known as the Iron Kings, whose battles with the towering titans known as the Tetza are broadcast to the world. Iron King pilot Anita Marr is selected to pilot the titular Dawnrunner, which goes south when she’s bombarded with memories of its former pilot.
Those touches come courtesy of writer Ram V. V’s become known for taking bold swings with his comic book work; his Detective Comics run kicked off with a literally operatic take on Batman, his Carnage run saw the sinister symbiote start down a path to godhood, and The Many Deaths of Laila Starr literally humanized Death itself. With Dawnrunner, he takes the mecha concept to its ultimate form by making it a sport. After all, people pay money for major football and boxing events; why not do the same for giant robots? But there’s also layers to the story, including a scientist who’s trying to communicate with the Tetza as well as the mystery of the Dawnrunner’s first pilot.
The book is a visual delight thanks to Evan Cagle’s artwork. He dedicates entire panels to setting up the world of Dawnrunner. A large, towering metal wall separates mankind from the Tetza. Said wall is peppered with circular pods overlooking the ruins of old cities. The real star of the comic, however, is the Dawnrunner itself. It doesn’t look like any mecha that’s come before it; it’s vaguely humanoid, but the way Cagle constructs its limbs and overall shape feels extremely otherworldly. The Dawnrunner’s battle against a Tetza is full of metallic limbs and weaponry slamming into gray alien flesh with the speed of a runaway train, delivering imagery that’s brutal yet beautiful.
The other factor in shaping this world is Dave Stewart. Stewart’s been a rather stalwart colorist in the comic industry, and here he brings his his veritable talents to bear. The Dawnrunner is a cold cobalt with splashes of red and orange, a sharp contrast to the pale grey flesh of the Tetza, for example. Aditya Bidikar also deserves a fair amount of praise for the lettering throughout Dawnrunner; the title sequence is displayed in a format that wouldn’t be out of place in a big blockbuster movie.
Dawnrunner #1 takes the idea of the mecha anime and transforms it into part sports match, part sci-fi odyssey. This comic is basically the bouncing badass baby of Pacific Rim and Real Steel, which should be all the words needed to sell it to new readers.
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