Model A

Comic zine, issue 2, Jef Bambas, slgcomic.com  

The professional look and clean layout  of this half-size comic zine quickly  drew me in to 24 pages of this almost  wordless robot story. It’s clear from  these pages that Jef Bambas is talented.  The artwork is crisp, and it’s a bit  surprising how successfully he conveys  emotion through his robotic characters.  The inking is fluid, with solid lines and  good shading, and the panel structure,  though basic, is very intuitive keeping  the story flowing seamlessly. The story in Model A is a bit simple, but  considering the scarcity of words that’s  probably a good thing. The charismatic  protagonist Model A has been snatched  up and placed into storage by a newer- looking nemesis robot. Unlike his  passive duplicate brethren, Model A is  not interested in standing around, and  trouble ensues. The plot is a tad juvenile,  with some cartoonish antics and double  takes, and the narration near the end  is surprisingly distracting and feels like  a bit of a cheat. The story wraps itself  up fairly quickly, ending with a clichéd cliffhanger pitching to the next issue. If you do pick up Model A, stock up on  a few issues for a more substantial read.  (Rodney Dickinson)

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