“Is this about the dent in your car? We have good insurance.”
Isaac Asimov’s I-Bots #6
Tekno Comix (April, 1996)
“Fist Of Kindness” WRITER: Steven Grant LAYOUTS: George Pérez FINISHED PENCILS: Art Nichols INKER: Joe Rubinstein COLORING: Prismacolor LETTERING: Richard Starkings & Comicraft EDITOR: James Chambers CONCEPT: Isaac Asimov DEVELOPER: Howard Chaykin
Kevin has been searching for Annabelle for months, hiding her disappearance to protect Worldtech stock. Meanwhile, Radiant, Fen, and Yagara are trying to find Black Triangle, so they decide to help each other. Colin (Annabelle’s deadish grandfather and the “man” secretly behind Black Triangle) wants to use I-Bot bodies to control the Cabal and they arrive to get their new bodies. However, Colin implanted something in the bodies that forces the Cabal to obey him. He then plans to launch a missile to keep the heroic I-Bots busy. Killaine sacrifices herself to stop the missile, but Zac (released from where he is stored when Radiant, Fen, and Yagara attack the Black Triangle’s base) knew something none of them didn’t, that I-Bot bodies also have a failsafe that shuts them down if they try to kill, which Colin just did by trying to kill with the missile and/or killing Killaine, and so he dies, which both Fen and Yagara plan to have happen to the Cabal. The I-Bots plead their case before the government and morn the loss of their friend.
What they got right: This was a satisfying end to the first story arc. Considering the concept of the I-Bots comes from Isaac Asimov it’s no surprise that the Three Laws Of Robotics he created for his stories would exists in one form or another. While they have free will the “don’t harm others”, the main rule of the Laws (basically “thou shalt not kill”) would be in there. It’s almost a shame the Cabal won’t appear again.
What they got wrong: The very next page teases both Killiane’s return and a connection to Lady Justice. I’ll get more into Lady Justice next week when I review the next issue. It kind of kills the surprise that she isn’t dead.
Recommendation: This was a great first storyline and if it had ended there (and I’m glad it didn’t) it would have been a good story to end on. Seriously pick up these issues.
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