Alex + Ada
| Alex + Ada | |
|---|---|
|
Issue one cover | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Image Comics |
| Format | Limited series |
| Genre | Science fiction |
| Publication date | November 2013 |
| Number of issues | 15 |
| Creative team | |
| Writer(s) |
Jonathan Luna Sarah Vaughn |
| Artist(s) | Jonathan Luna |
| Creator(s) |
Jonathan Luna Sarah Vaughn |
| Collected editions | |
| Vol 1 (#1-#5) | ISBN 1632150069 |
| Vol 2 (#6-#10) | ISBN 1632151952 |
| Vol 3 (#11-#15) | ISBN 1632154048 |
Alex + Ada is an American comic book series by Jonathan Luna and Sarah Vaughn.[1][2] Fifteen issues were published by Image Comics between November 2013 and June 2015, and the series has been collected into three trade paperbacks.
Alex + Ada centers upon the relationship between a lonely man and an intelligent android.[3]
Publication history
Development
Jonathan Luna had previously created comics with his brother Joshua, but was exhausted after six straight years of work. Inspired by a TED Talk, he decided to take a sabbatical. During his two years away from comics, he painted Star Bright and the Looking Glass, a fairy tale picture book that was proofread by his friend Sarah Vaughn.[4]
While working on the picture book, Luna realized he missed telling a story panel by panel and decided to return to comics.[5] He and his brother had decided to work on separate projects, so Luna pitched the idea of a young man who falls in love with a female android to Vaughn over dinner.[4] Vaughn, who began writing and drawing romance comics in her youth,[6] jumped at the opportunity.[4]
Beginning January 2013, they discussed the project for three or four months and created an outline for the whole story.[4][7] The original outline was for 12 issues,[6] but it left room for improvisation and a few points were removed as the story progressed.[7] They looked at past and present rights movements for inspiration for how one would progress and how people might respond to a movement for android rights.[7] Luna wrote the first draft of issue one, then the two worked together on rewrites.[7]
Luna began drawing around April.[4] Alex + Ada is the first comic Luna drew completely digitally.[7] Because Luna needed to focus on art, Vaughn wrote the first draft of the remaining issues. She and Luna would discuss the draft, then she would rewrite it.[7]
Publication
The first issue of Alex + Ada was released November 6, 2013,[8] and was Vaughn's first published comic work.[4] It was the 141st best selling issue of the month with estimated sales around 15,000,[9] which is the highest number of orders for any book Luna had done to date.[5] During the course of publication, the series length was increased from 12 issues to 15 issues.[4] Each issue was released approximately six weeks apart, with the final issue available June 18, 2015.[10] Issue 15 was the 206th best selling issue of the month with estimated orders around 8,250.[11] The series has been collected into three trade paperbacks, each containing five issues.
Story
The series follows Alex, a young man that is still suffering after his fiancée breaks up with him. He spends much of his time being depressed and going through the same routines without making much effort to change. Tired of seeing him unhappy, Alex's grandmother sends him Ada, a Tanaka X-5 android which is the latest and most advanced form of companion robot, capable of intelligent human interaction. The robot is initially incapable of self-awareness, as each android has a program that blocks any potential free thought or consciousness.
As the series progresses Alex decides to remove this program and grant Ada her own mental freedom, as he is uninterested in a partner that cannot truly interact with him and have free will. As removing the program is illegal and discovery can lead to harsh consequences for both Ada and Alex, they have to pretend Ada is not self-aware. A jealous love-interest of Alex reports Ada as sentient to the FBI. Alex and Ada attempt to flee the country, but are intercepted by the FBI. Ada gets shot by the police, and Alex is arrested and convicted to 25 years of prison, but Ada is not found to be sentient.
During his time in prison, laws are passed that give rights to sentient robots. On Alex's release 25 years later he receives Ada back, who appears to be completely non-sentient. Alex finds Ada has locked her consciousness away to prevent her from being able to incriminate Alex and is re-united with her after unlocking her again.
Reception
According to review aggregator Comic Book Round Up, critics gave the first issue an average 8.0/10[12] and the series as a whole 8.5/10.[13] Customer reviews have also been favorable, with scores of 4.22/5[14] and 4.4/5[15] according to Goodreads and Amazon respectively. During its publication, Alex + Ada appeared on many "best of" lists created by comic news websites.[16]
Reviewing for Bleeding Cool, Zac Thompson and David Dissanayake made favorable comparisons to the 1982 film Blade Runner and the 2013 film Her.[17][18] Dissanayake also noted the entertaining realism, as it "feels like our world, full of technologies that...will [exist] very soon."[18] Comic Book Resources' Sonia Harris also praised the series for its realism, writing the "metaphor of artificially intelligent beings living out their secret lives, unsafe and insecure, yet potentially stronger and smarter than humans is potent."[3] Dean Stell, a reviewer for Weekly Comic Book Review, said Luna and Vaughn created "a wonderful and classically-themed science-fiction story."[19] Writing for Bloody Disgusting, Lonnie Nadler said Luna's work on facial expressions was the "major highlight" of his illustrations.[20]
Luna's simplistic artwork is a frequent point of criticism among reviewers,[21][22] although some call it appropriate for the setting.[4][7][23] In addition to Luna's "painfully plain" illustrations, Newsarama's David Pepose also criticized the story's pace.[21]
References
- ↑ "AICN COMICS Reviews: UNWRITTEN: APOCALYPSE! HARBINGER! DAREDEVIL! ALEX+ADA! & MORE!". AICN. Retrieved 20 December 2014.
- ↑ "Comic Review: Alex + Ada #7". Geeks of Doom. Retrieved 20 December 2014.
- 1 2 Harris, Sonia. "Committed: The Unfolding Layers of Alex + Ada". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved 20 December 2014.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Reese, Nathan (December 17, 2014), "Dystopian Dream Girl: Sarah Vaughn and Jonathan Luna Talk Their Android Love Story, "Alex + Ada"," Complex (accessed March 12, 2016)
- 1 2 BigJ (November 7, 2013), "Jonathan Luna and Sarah Vaughn Talk Robots & Love In ‘Alex + Ada’," Bloody Disgusting (accessed March 12, 2016)
- 1 2 Dietsch, TJ (August 12, 2013), "JONATHAN LUNA RETURNS TO MONTLY COMICS WITH "ALEX + ADA"," Comic Book Resources (accessed March 12, 2016)
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Harper, David (June 25, 2015), "Luna and Vaughn Talk the Star Crossed Lovers of Alex + Ada," SKTCHD (accessed March 12, 2016)
- ↑ (November 7, 2013), "Review: Alex + Ada #1," Comic Book Resources (accessed April 1, 2016)
- ↑ "[www.comichron.com/monthlycomicssales/2013/2013-11.html Comic Book Sales Figures for November 2013]," Comichron (accessed April 1, 2016)
- ↑ "Alex + Ada Series Release Archive," Image Comics (accessed April 1, 2016)
- ↑ "[www.comichron.com/monthlycomicssales/2015/2015-06.html Comic Book Sales Figures for June 2015]," Comichron (accessed April 1, 2016)
- ↑ based on 21 reviews, "Alex + Ada #1 on Comic Book Round Up," Comic Book Round Up (accessed March 12, 2016)
- ↑ based on 134 reviews, "Alex + Ada on Comic Book Round Up," Comic Book Round Up (accessed March 12, 2016)
- ↑ As of March 12, 2016, based on 129 ratings, Alex + Ada on Goodreads.com, Goodreads (accessed March 12, 2016)
- ↑ As of March 12, 2016, based on 56 ratings, on Amazon.com, Amazon.com (accessed March 12, 2016)
- ↑
- O'Neil, Tim and Sava, Oliver (December 9, 2014), "The best comics of 2014: Ongoing and special series," The A.V. Club (accessed March 12, 2016)
- Simons, Kyle (February 5, 2015), "The Best Comics of 2014," Pop Mythology (accessed March 12, 2015)
- CBR New Team (December 29, 2014), "CBR's top 100 comics of 2014: #75-51," Comic Book Resources (accessed March 12, 2016)
- Deadshirt Staff (December 15, 2014), "Deadshirt's Top Ten Comics of 2014," Deadshirt (accessed March 12, 2016)
- (December 15, 2014), "Best of 2014," Grayhaven Comics (accessed March 12, 2015)
- Long, Aaron (December 30, 2014), "Best of 2014: Best Series," Comicosity (accessed March 12, 2016)
- Rodriguez, Peter (January 15, 2015), "Best Ongoing Comics of 2014," Geek Sushi (accessed March 12, 2016)
- Multiversity Staff (December 19, 2014), "2014 in Review: Best Ongoing Series," Multiversity Comics (accessed March 12, 2016)
- ↑ Thompson, Zac. "Review: "Alex + Ada" #7". Bloody Disgusting. Retrieved 20 December 2014.
- 1 2 Dissanayake, David. "Image Watch: On Alex+Ada Being The Most Underrated Series Being Published". Bleeding Cool. Retrieved 20 December 2014.
- ↑ Stell, Dean (November 7, 2013), "Alex + Ada #1 Review," Weekly Comic Book Review (accessed March 12, 2016)
- ↑ Nadler, Lonnie (November 8, 2013), "Review: Alex + Ada #1," Bloody Disgusting (accessed March 12, 2015)
- 1 2 Pepose, David (November 5, 2013), "Best Shots Advance Reviews: Trio of Image First Issues: UMBRAL, DRUMHELLAR, ALEX & ADA," Newsarama (accessed March 12, 2015)
- ↑ Grey, Melissa. "Alex + Ada #1 Review". IGN. Retrieved 20 December 2014.
- ↑ Thompson, Kelly. "ALEX + ADA #1 (review)". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved 20 December 2014.