A recurring theme in science fiction is the question of humanity, and how it can either be gained or lost via technology or other changes. Blade Runner explored questions of humanity through its replicant characters. Star Trek: The Next Generation saw Data striving to understand humanity, and embracing humanity despite his mechanical nature. The X-Men struggle with living in a world where their mutant powers make them hated and feared. Now with Synthetics Volume One #1, J. Michael Straczynski and Tony Parker attempt to put their own stamp on the idea of trans-humanity, with mixed results.
Like its title suggests, Synthetics takes place in a future where certain humans are crafted from synthetic material. They look like us and talk like us, but they’ve been grown in test tubes. And for good reason: the Earth is teetering on the edge of destruction, with less than 20 years before it becomes totally uninhabitable. Synthetic beings are our last, best hope for survival…but a dark secret lies at the heart of their creation.
This is the type of high-concept idea that Straczynski thrives in. From Midnight Nation, which saw a detective literally fighting for his soul, to The Resistance, which saw the superpowered survivors of a deadly disease fight against fascism, he’s delivered comics that thrill readers while also making them think. But Synthetics is lacking that spark for two reasons.
The first is that it throws way too many ideas at the reader. There’s digitally transferring your consciousness into the web, which is hinted to be addictive. There’s uploading other people’s memories into your head, which could prove to be potentially fatal. There’s swarms of robotic bees that double as cameras. And all of this is on top of the artificial humans! It feels like Straczynski had too many ideas and threw them all on the page, rather than letting them breathe.
Dark Horse
Secondly is the fact that the characters feel fairly flat. Protagonist Nick Ellis is a cop…and there’s not much more to him than that. The same goes for a crusading reporter who owns the swarm of robo-camera-bees, or the oligarchs who control the synthetics. Straczynski’s gift for character work is what makes him a great writer, yet here it feels like he slapped down the first draft of a story rather than the complex work this comic is hinting at.
If nothing else, Synthetics looks pretty gorgeous thanks to Parker’s artwork. The very first pages feature Ellis surfing the web, which is represented by a glowing blue figure shifting in and out of a collection of tendrils. Likewise, the future setting is a mix of gleaming hi-tech aesthetics and grim, gritty alleys, making it feel visually distinct. That extends to the synthetics, who are shown to be physically perfect human specimens.
Carrie Strachan adds her own kind of contrast via her color art, mixing antiseptic whites with earthier tones to complement Parker’s work. Steve Dutro also plays with different lettering styles, depending on the setting; the Internet speak is bright green and softly inviting, providing a deep difference to Ellis’ harder-edged, golden laced text.
Synthetics Volume One #1 has the beginnings of a great story, yet it lacks the character work or the focus to stand out among other sci-fi tales. I know Straczynski is capable of much more, and I hope the rest of the series lives up to the promise inherent in the premise.
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