By Benjamin Morin — In a comics landscape that is continually flooded with new indie sci-fi books, it can be difficult to stand out. Books like Tartarus, Ascender, We Only Find Them When They’re Dead, and many more tend to occupy the frontrunners for the genre, which unfortunately leaves titles like X-Ray Robot in the more niche categories. X-Ray Robot is the kind of book that seems written for a very particular audience yet should be widely read and experienced. I personally went in with no expectations other than a passing acknowledgement of the name Mike Allred and came out pleasantly surprised.

X-Ray Robot #3 follows our heroes on their quest to stop the multiversal hemorrhaging caused by the Ultra-Nihilist. This leads to Max, Marnie, and Dr. Osamu hopping through different worlds that might have been and provides some fun moments. After a rather exposition heavy previous issue, Issue #3 delivers a much more action packed romp through the multiverse.

The art here really shines as our heroes travel through surreality. Colors warp and bloom off the pages in fantastic fashion. Laura Allred’s colors craft vibrant scenes and flesh out the artwork even further. Mike Allred’s fantastic linework paired with the popping colors crafts a visually dynamic issue. This is especially prevalent in the battle between Max and the villainous Ultra-Nihilist.

Their brief battle was the one portion of the book that really captured my interest. Max’s struggle against the impending doom the Ultra-Nihilist seeks for the multiverse reminded me a lot of classic Silver Age comics. From Max’s cheesy dialogue to the Nihilist’s nefarious bravado, the whole issue read as a fun riff off the sci-fi comics of the 1960s. The central conflict even serves as an updated form of the classic battle between hope and despair. Allred combines all of this and adds his own unique flair to create a delightfully fun book.

One can easily see Mike Allred flexing his unique creative vision throughout every panel in this book. From the multiverse hopping narrative, to the more intimate emotional beats between characters, X-Ray Robot delivers a fresh and pleasant science fiction adventure. The book’s sincerity and lighthearted tone makes it stand out from the rest and harkens back to the Silver Age wackiness of comics.

Overall: X-Ray Robot #3 continues to deliver the series’ signature charm and makes it one of the most absurdly unique titles currently out. 8.5/10

REVIEW: X-Ray Robot #3

X-Ray Robot #3
Writer/Artist: Mike Allred
Colorist: Laura Allred
Letterer: Nate Peikos
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Price: $3.99
Max Wilding, super scientist, travels through another dimension before the Ultimate Nihilist can put an end to both Max and reality itself, while his coworkers are thrown into strange timelines that threaten their safety and sanity--and Max discovers the true identity of the ultimate villain.
Buy It Digitally: X-Ray Robot #3

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Ben is a comic buff and film fanatic. A journalism major by day and a comic reviewer by night, he ardently consumes all forms of sequential art. On Twitter, he goes by @BiglikeBen.