Written by: Raffaele Ienco
Art by: Raffaele Ienco
Publisher: Image Comics
I can’t imagine how hard it is to write the first issue to a comic book. You have between 20 and 30 pages to introduce readers to characters, setting, and plot, and if you don’t do a good enough job, said readers won’t pick up your second issue. It’s an absurd kind of balancing act, and one that falls short in Mechanism #1.
Mechanism #1 posits four major story ideas: The world is some kind of dystopian wreck because it’s been invaded by aliens called “geckos;” big cities are apparently off limits, but one of our main characters likes to sneak in with his dog to hunt for food; there’s a duo cop team of good cop/bad cop, though neither are likeable characters; and there’s a new, prototype AI in town that just might be able to turn the war against the aforementioned aliens.
That’s a lot to take in, and the comic simply doesn’t manage it all. I can’t really fault it though. It’s trying to do so much with one issue, and honestly, does the best it can. Exposition doesn’t run from corner to corner, and the characters do feel genuine, even if I don’t like half of them. The writing is good. It’s just too jam-packed with stuff, and because of that, I found it hard to latch onto any one thing.
I’d say the big flaw comes from our two police officer characters, who take up the most page space. One is a full-stop asshole, though not in a funny way. He honestly just comes off as bitter and a bit stupid. The other is his partner, and she’s more annoying than anything else. I have no attachment to either, so when they are put in danger near the end of the issue, there’s no tension. It also doesn’t help that their dialogue kind of sucks.
What the comic does do well is handle its AI character. He’s—maybe—going to save the world, but that’s a big maybe. He might just be worthless. He might go crazy and kill everyone. Right now, he’s set to observe. It’s kind of creepy, actually. He also has his own backstory which is also kind of creepy.
On the art front, the comic is gorgeous. The weather effects are brilliant, and the beginning reminded me of a slew of sci-fi movies I love. Facial expressions are great, and what action is here certainly looks nice and flows well. Raffaele Ienco knows what he’s doing here.
The problem with first issue comics is if they don’t work right away, people are apt to drop them. Comic books are disposable, and collectors only collect those worth collecting. It sucks, because I do think there’s enough of interest here for a good story to form. The AI character is intriguing as hell, and if he becomes the main character, then this could turn into a story worth following.
I’m certainly going to be checking out issue #2. Now that the world and characters are set up and out of the way, the only place left to go is up.