Alex + Ada Volume 1 - Essay Example

Alex + Ada, Volume Jonathan Luna and Sara Vaughn Artist: Jonathan Luna Publisher: Image Comics Summary of the Comic: Alex+ Ada is a science fiction romance comic. The series is about Alex, a troubled young man who is still undergoing suffering after his fiancée breaks up with him. He is evidently really unhappy, spends most of his time wallowing in his sorrows and goes through the same routines every day, making no effort whatsoever to change his situation. Tired of his constant sadness and in an attempt to make things better for Alex, his grandmother sends him a Tanaka X-5 Android, the latest and most advanced form of companion robot that also has capabilities for all forms of human interaction. It not only looks and a function like a human being, but it also has sexual capabilities. The robot is, however, incapable of self-awareness initially, because each Android face and with a program to block any potential free thought or consciousness. Alex is reluctant about Ada, the Android, at first. He is uninterested in a partner who is unresponsive and cannot truly interact with him and have free will. He later starts to warm up to Ada however. Color to his decision to find aware of making Ada self-conscious. He settles on removing the program that restricts Adas sense of self-awareness in a bid to grant her freedom of the mind. At the time, it is illegal to remove the program according to the law and discovery that Alex has done it could have serious consequences for both him and Ada. They, therefore, have to keep it a secret and keep pretending that Ada is not self-aware. This, however, does not go on for too long as a jealous lady, in love with Alex, reports Ada as a sentient to the authorities. Alex and Ada get to know of this and attempt to flee the country. They are unfortunately caught up with and intercepted by the FBI. The police shoot Ada and Alex is arrested. He is then tried and convicted to a 25-year jail term. The authorities are however unable to prove whether Ada is sentient or not. While Alex is serving his time in jail, laws that give rights to sentient robots are passed. Alex eventually completes his 25-year term, and Ada is given back to him. At the time, Ada still plays non-sentient. Alex finds out that the reason Ada locked her conscience away was to prevent herself from being used as incriminating evidence against him. Alex unlocks her, and they start to build a life together. Review: While the storyline of humans and aliens is interacting, falling in love has been addressed a lot of times in science fiction works, as you read Alex + Ada you immediately notice that it is different in a captivating way. It may begin with a tried and tested story, but its plot thickens as you proceed. Volume 1 is basically about Alex, who has an extremely likeable persona. Theres a lot about him that is so endearing, and this keeps the reader glued to the book. At the end of the book, Ada is still a mystery, and this keeps the readers eagerly anticipating to find out more. Jonathan Lunas work of art does not disappoint. He does the two characters great justice using a simple style that focuses greatly on expression and body language. The art cover, for instance, is a masterpiece. It packs a lot of information and emotion into a rather simple image. Adas face is covered by a plastic veil with lots of industrial symbols, and shes dressed all in white. Alex, on the other hand, is dressed in office attire and is gazing sadly at Ada. The veil particular gives the scene a wedding-like feel. This is enhanced further by the fact that the Two characters are standing opposite each other and are drawn in profile. The expression on Alexs face indicates that this is not one of his happiest moments in life. His gaze rests on Adas veiled face and from that the reader can get the impression that the veil (probably to symbolize that Ada has been sold & is now kept in the dark) brings Alex such sadness. Though having read reviews before reading the book gave me worries about Alex + Ada, this cover gave me assurance that it could turn out to be my kind of story, which later came to be anyway. The cover, in terms of physical shelf marketing, was also intelligently done. It is something that could catch your eye, even from a huge collection of books on display. Luna shows such professionalism and skill in his illustrations of Alex and Adas world by using a clean and simple style with a cool color palette. This is especially very clear when he wants to bring to attention a certain aspect, say a ray of sunlight or the piercing blue of Adas eyes. The art of the panels inside also has wonderful color themes though the style is very different from that of the cover. The human bodies in the panel art were not really appealing in my opinion. The figures on the cover look three-dimensional. Also, the figures in the panel have more pronounced facial lines while the figures on The cover has smoother faces with less defined expression lines. Also worth mentioning is that the panels in Alex + Ada feel kind of claustrophobic and crowded as compared with the big cover spread. This could be attributed to the difference in size between the cover and individual panels. It could also be probably because the comic wants to portray through its artwork how confined, and small Alexs life is and how much he needs something to bring color into his rather dull life. The pacing in Alex + Ada is quite commendable. The way some scenes are just slow goes a long way in making the reader enter the world of the writer. It enhances key issues in the comic such as Alexs lonely state, the boredom that is his life after the breakup, the sheer plainness of his life as he goes through the motions of living. Though he doesnt narrate his plight or complain at any instance in the comic, it is pretty obvious to readers (and to the characters such as his grandmother) that Alex is not really okay, but he seems to have accepted the eventuality of circumstances in his life. The idea to bring in the character of Ada to change the state of life of Alex is such a prudent idea by Luna and Vaughan to say the least. It further intensifies the plot in the comic. Alex + Ada is a comic that is rich and heavy on a variety of themes. Such themes include: invasion of the public into our private lives, whether or not artificial intelligence is real and what the role of technology is in our lives as we make advancements In civilization. While all these are interesting issues addressed in the comic, the most enduring underlying theme in this series is that of love. Ada is a robot whose sentence was unlocked and led to her discovery of what love was while Alex was seemingly unlucky in love being that as the comic begins he is seen to be really unhappy after his fiancée breaks up with him. In both cases, it seemed like love between these two characters was a near impossibility but in the end they fall in love. To Alex, it is proof that he can be happy again while Ada learns what love was after being born as a human-like android woman with no self-awareness but later being "unlocked." Alexs action of changing the software to grant Ada freedom is reported by a lady, who is allegedly in love with him. Alex decision to flee the country with Ada for their safety from FBI is an act of love. When Alex goes to jail, Ada locks her sentience to avoid being used as incriminating evidence in Alexs case. This is the ultimate sacrifice of love. This comic depicts what happens in the modern society. There is a general expectation to conform to what society deems as okay, and those who defy are judged harshly. Alex+Ada, from the start clearly shows that it supports that sentient aliens are humans and should have civil rights. This is as opposed to other works that most of the time depict aliens as evil or threatening. I feel that as a narrative, the comic has resolved the question of whether or not robots have civil rights. In conclusion, Alex + Ada is a great science fiction romance comic that would be appealing to any audience. It has a captivating storyline that will leave you in anticipation for the next volume. Its artwork is done to perfection making the comic even more captivating. It is also rich in themes, with love being the dominant theme. It also gives the societal attitude towards robots. All these make it an outstanding comic, and indeed worth the read. References Jonathan Luna & Sara Vaughn (2013), Alex+ Ada Volume 1. Image Comics Read More