“Yesterday’s” Comic> Isaac Asimov’s I-Bots Vol. 2 #3

This is how serious Russian Idol is taken is Russia.

Isaac Asimov’s I-Bots Vol. 2 #3

Big Entertainment (August, 1996)

In Russia Stonewall has vanished and Itazura and Radiant captured by a computer expert creating a giant computer run using humans as the processor. Psy-4 escapes and finds the computer, using his powers to take the system down as Stonewall arrives to rescue them. Back in America, the boy hacker’s employer has decided to take Worldtech by force using the bandaged assassins we saw last issue called Silencii and Killaine opens her cell door to see what the commotion is about and finds monsterous anthropomorphic animals on the attack!

What they got right: We see Russia is in bad shape after the collapse, which leads to an interesting threat in the form of a computer using the human brain as a processor. But what I really like is how Grant delves into Psy-4’s persona, how he is secretly afraid of failure, of letting the team down, and the UN’s decision. The fact that he rises above that to attempt to be a good leader (whatever the other officially think he is) and how he handled himself on his own is why he became my favorite of the I-Bots. That and he’s the most superhero-like of the group.

What they got wrong: Unless the monsters in the prison (and I wish I knew why they have a mad science lab in a prison) have some connection to Essen, the man behind the hacker and the Silencii, what is the point of having this subplot? Even then I don’t get it, but hopefully by the end of the arc it will make sense.

Recommendation: I don’t see too many mentions of I-Bots and that’s a shame. I’d like to think I’m not the only one who knows about this series because people should really check it out.

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