Blüdwire is a new series launching from Mad Cave Studio about the rescue of a sex bot by her girlfriend in a world that sees no value in robots made for sex. These robots have full personalities, and based on the risks taken in the opening issue, they can also love. It’s an action comic first, with excellent art by Ermitis Blanco.
Blüdwire #1 opens on robot heads lining shelves. Captions read from the driver of a transport truck in which the heads are sitting. Writer Paul Allor does a great job efficiently setting up the human take on these robots, all the while Ace prepares an attack to free her girlfriend. This leads to a striking car flip and shots being fired. While Ace looks quite human, her girlfriend Zora is one of those heads that were lining a shelf. A bit odd, but it’s a recurring element of the issue as Zora’s humanity is somewhat called into question.
Allor delves a bit into Zora’s humanity through Ace, who initially questions whether Zora needs a specific body when they’re all the same. Certainly a main element of the series, it’ll be interesting to see these characters unpack the complications of romance when they don’t look the same. Regardless, the notion of a person being used like a commodity isn’t lost, and should be intriguing to follow.
I love how casual Zora looks standing.
Credit: Mad Cave
Art by Blanco with colors by Brittany Peer does well to add kinetic energy and weight to the action. As a continuous rescue-and-chase sequence, the tension in each moment never skips a beat. Blanco isn’t afraid to draw the eye with striking detail against flat color backgrounds. It adds a little punch to a panel when backgrounds are rendered here and there. The color palette really pops with purples and pinks as the sunsets in the issue. Peer makes it clear how time is shifting thanks to the backgrounds shifting over the issue.
On the reverse side, with an entire issue devoted to a single sequence, it ends up feeling a bit quick and thin on plot and story. Allor does plenty to get character wrinkles in there, though, and the action keeps your interest up.
Props should go to Allor for his lettering, which is top-notch. Not only do I enjoy the tails that end with a flat edge, but there’s nice emphasis and also words pushing the word balloons out here and there that add a nice dimension.
Blüdwire #1 makes a strong first impression by combining a thrilling rescue mission with intriguing questions about love, identity, and what it means to be human. Paul Allor wastes little time throwing readers into the action, while gradually introducing a world where sentient robots are treated as disposable commodities. The relationship between Ace and Zora gives the story an emotional core that stands out amid the gunfire and chase sequences. Visually, Ermitis Blanco and Brittany Peer bring tremendous energy and style to every page, creating a debut that feels vibrant and alive. While the issue leaves plenty of mysteries for future installments, it does more than enough to make readers curious about where this story is headed next.
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