Robotika Vol. 1

“Robotika” is a self-described “far future” tale that features killer sci-fi samurai, cybernetic gunslinger action, and goal-driven RPG-like group adventure, in violent, ironic tales, peppered with fantastical creatures and bad guys. Niko is a non-speaking, pain-sensor deprived swordsman and a major badass. CG is a bald, weapon-wielding beauty, and a badass. Bronski is a one-normal-eye one-cyber-eye pistol-packing cowboy, and a badass. Lets hear it for badasses, including the writer and artist, Alex Sheikman.

Sheikman has put significant thought into his “Robotika” world here, and for the added benefit of the reader, he takes great care to dampen the shock of “Robotika”’s in-your-face wonder, way-obvious abnormalities, and not-so-implied massiveness. Sheikman pulls this kindness off through sufficient back story, serene and fluid imagery, goal-based stories, and colorful, unique, characters you can quickly start rooting for. Much appreciated. Dialogue is a bit inconsistent; it feels forced and awkward in some places, yet natural and spot-on in others. Niko doesn’t speak, and doesn’t need to, so no complaints there. And there’s an obvious excuse for CG’s poor verbal timing. Pop-up antagonists, however, really throw things off with their dialogue. The gunslinger Bronski is Sheikman’s dialogue ace, though. Yay for Bronski! And as mentioned, you really do root for the three yojimbos. Sheikman does a wonderful job of introducing the heroes, challenging them individually and as a group, and keeping the reader interested AS they gel. Niko’s moments of introspection, either externally coerced, during virtual training, or during meditation, are placed well throughout by Sheikman; giving us a way to connect to a character we’d otherwise think of as just a talented killer.

“Robotika” is artsy! A welcome detour from simple sequential storytelling. Alex Sheikman has a solid command of anatomy, motion, and fight kinetics. Niko’s silly shoes fall off at the beginning of a brawl, just like I thought they would. heh. Throughout “Robotika”, I was always eager for a fight scene to pop up—they were SO good. Zooms, symmetry, and symbolism are used extensively in “Robotika”, but in a thoughtful manner. While there’s a lot of posing throughout “Robotika”, it’s not gratuitous or unnatural. Instead, the placement of characters, in sword-swinging flight or in pensive pause, is for significant effect. There’s not much fore-shortening, as Sheikman opts for near-vs-far proximity placement of characters to create depth extremes, but I didn’t mind that. Sheikman’s style and attention to detail trumps tradition. For many an example of attention to detail, Sheikman does not appear at all afraid to draw HANDS, in all manner of poses and grips, which I TOTALLY appreciate… and immediately envy. While the rare scenery or establishing shot feels a bit cobbled together, I truly enjoyed those frames as well. A bit of a personal nag here, Sheikman leaves a great deal of space unused, and it appears as if that’s intentional, as if to tease the viewer into begging for more. Grr, I say. But what we are blessed with, contrasting those open spaces, is just wonderful.

Sheikman’s wonderful art is also rather unique, in my opinion. I can’t really put his art in a cubby of classification or artist comparison. I’ve seen bits of commentary with comparisons to Tony Harris, and I think those moments in Sheikman’s art are fleeting at best. If this hadn’t come out before “The Dark Tower”, I’d swear Sheikman was heavily influenced by Jae Lee’s recent work. Now I’m wondering if Lee soaked up some Sheikman. “Robotika” art feels very RPG-ish, and that’s very consistent with the writing, and that’s quite alright by me. Enough with the comparison, inspection, and disassembly—”Robotika”, all on its own, is just really damned good, and so is Alex Sheikman.