“Yesterday’s” Comic> Samara & The Rangers Of Centaria

Technically this should be a Today’s Comic given how new it is, but the heck with it. Let’s keep the current branding going.

“Look, I’m allowed to like Terminator: Salvation if I want!”

Samara And The Rangers Of Centaria #1 preview

Snowyworks (2014)

WRITER/LETTERER: Drew D. Lenhart

ARTIST: Dell Barras

COVER COLORIST: Nestor Redulla, Jr.

CONCEPT ARTWORK: Rowel Roque & (colorist) David Aravena

Our title heroine is a teacher, telling her students about how the robots suddenly revolted without warning. Humanity managed to win that war, but the rich (because of course it was) wanted to negotiate, being the ones who built and sold robots. When they didn’t get their way, they left for Alpha Centauri, renaming the world they found Centauria. Earth decided to ditch all technology, save for a beacon warning when the Centauria returned for a visit. Guess what happens today…but are they here on friendly terms or conquest?

This has not been a good week for the format, but I have competing biases here. The concept art seems to indicate that the latest bunch are more conquest-happy robots, and they don’t know what set off the original Earth bots. 150 years ago. It’s a better spin on the “Terminator” idea than others I’ve seen, at least in concept. I’ve seen it done well and poorly in the past. The comic doesn’t come out until next year, and it looks pretty good. The full comic may be in color instead of black and white like this, but it looks fine in black and white. I’m curious to see how our teacher becomes Mangus: Robot Fighter.

On the other hand, it’s post-apocalypses in a sense, humans abandoning all technology (except the beacon) feels like the same overkill as the Echidnas in the Knuckles comics I’m reviewing alongside Archie Sonic, and you’re trying to fight a robot with a sword, plus the robots in the concept art also carry melee weapons instead of laser guns. This has the potential to be really good or really bad. That’s why the usual “got right/got wrong” doesn’t apply here. Everything we see is balanced and what we don’t know for sure yet is part of the preview. Also, the rich are all jerks again, even if they aren’t the main antagonists. I mean as a group. Having money does not give you all the same worldview and response. That’s not how groups work.

Overall, I am curious about this series, but also concerned. It has potential either way, but I’m willing to give this the benefit of the doubt if I actually do get to read it somehow.