Alex + Ada #1 Review

Alex + Ada #1

Alex + Ada #1 is the first part of the first story from Jonathan Luna in three years (though I have to admit this is the first thing of his I've read) which, upon reading the solicit for it back in September, I found myself inexplicably drawn because of it's cover and very unique synopsis. Here, Luna (along with help from Sarah Vaughan) looked to create a scif-fi Romeo and Juliet story that I, for some unknown reason. wanted to check out.

The premise is a simple one; Alex is a young man with a good life; nice job, good friends, loving family. But his life is also a very lonely one as he lives alone and avoids the company of others. But on his birthday he receives, as a present, an X5, the most realistic android on the market.

Now, I've read this issue three times since I've got it and I've gotta admit, though it took me some time, I really enjoyed it. I suspect my biggest problem was this is not a normal comic book as I usually buy; there are no superheroes, no action set pieces, this is just a story about a guy living his life after losing love. I think that's what has appealed to me after getting over the difficult transition from what I normally read to this, this is a character that everyone can relate to at some point in their lives.


A match made in (silicon) heaven??

Jonathan Luna has put together a well thought out start to this story and I think he has executed it flawlessly. The story is fantastically realistic (being a guy whose previously suffered depression, every aspect of Alex's social interations ran true with me) but it's the art that really makes this book great.

This book is so light and crisp. Some might say it's simple art, but for me that's its draw. Alex+Ada doesn't try to be complicated, but instead gives everything needed to tell the story, and boy does it. Every panel tells this story greater than the words that accompany them. The wordless panels in fact put across Alex's isolated nature to a T and just brings out my sympathy for him.

I was concerned after the first read through that this title wouldn't amount to much, but after looking at it again I'm glad I looked again. This was a beautiful issue and if the rest of the series is like this then it's gonna be one hell of a story.