Saga readers? Read Alex and Ada!

[matt levin]

After five issues, I believe “Alex and Ada” might become ‘the new Saga,’ attracting the same readers, willing to take a well-paced ride with likeable characters through a fully conceived Other Realm, even one so close to our own.

So much underlies A&A that continually rises to just below the surface—enslavement, political rights, freedom and its consequences, intellect, and *it’s* consequences—that speaks so directly to our own real lives. It’s there for us to see, in A&A, but it’s never ‘in our face’. This’s a really political story, but the politics is background to the story, and it stays in the background. No one says to Ada, (issue 1) Would you like us to treat you as a person? Or even, Hey, Ada, how do you feel about any of this? Very interesting dynamic created here; we're placed right at the edge of the new tech: it’s available, it’s in use, but still uncommon enough most don’t know how to deal with it.

I like that restraint, that none of this is front and center. I think it shows respect for the readers' ability to follow along. Alex and Ada show their world to us remarkably thoroughly just by being in it. The closest to a bill-board of what their world is, comes with Franklin’s admonition (issue 5)to Ada that she’ll have to live her life pretending to be ‘a robot’.

The nightclub riot (issue 3) really highlights an interesting human fear reaction: 'I don’t know you so must attack before you attack me.' The attack on the android was really an attack (as it proved to be, following) on each other—as soon as someone pointed out the android was an “it” the crowd felt free to tear ‘it’ apart, to start there, and then “in the fury of the moment,” turn on each other.

Ada’s ‘awakening’ (issue 5) was nicely portrayed. Really good idea that Ada remembers everything: her treatment by Alex might be the nicest any of her kind has met, and soon, she’s going to know this, if she hasn’t intuited it, speaking with other sentient AI’s.

And it’s nice to have a story about nice people. But best of all: the parallel scenes, this issue with last, when last issue’s sunset is beautiful to Ada because Alex finds it so, and this issue’s sunrise, beautiful to Ada because it *is* beautiful, and she, herself, finds it so.

[El Sombrero]

I tried to read this series but I thought the art was so bad that I had no interest in continuing. I think the art style (very sterile and underdeveloped) is intentional but I just didn't like how the book looked at all.

[InformationGeek]

I like the book just fine, but dang is it slow going and it is really hard to recommend despite good emotions because of its slow nature and honestly not much going per issue.

[eye of all]

This book wins the week for me every time it comes out. Saga ran me off pretty early though.

[driver621]

I too can't seem to get past the pace of the 1st issue. It's...different, that's for sure. And that's probably why I still have interest in picking up the next few issues.

[Tayne Japal]

I read both books and they're very entertaining in their own right. Alex + Ada just doesn't have the great supporting cast that Saga has. That keeps Saga interesting. Maybe Alex + Ada will introduce more characters that I can eventually come to love.

[Mahes]

Alex + Ada is very slow paced book but from latest preview it seems like it's going to pick up the pace.

[Rory426]

Comixology had loads of Image #1s for free on FCBD so I picked this one up based on this thread.

Nothing happened. I don't think I'll check this one out.

[Noodle]

I grabbed the first issue on FCBD as it was one of those $1 "Image Firsts" issues and thought it was actually pretty good. Grabbed a few of those Firsts books in the hopes of maybe seeing what was good and try to expand my Image reads. It was one of the more stand-out ones. The concept is interesting enough for me to give it a go for the next few issues, or grab the first trade depending on which I get first.

[Brave Sir Robin]

I just read the latest issue. If you like the series, it is more of the same: excellence in thoughtful story tellling with art and mood perfectly matching the intense personal questioning of the plot. I really, reallly love this book.

[eye of all]

Hypnotic stuff. I can't get over this book.

[TotalSnorefest]

Getting the first trade which was recently announced. Pretty hyped to jump on this train! Loved the series "Girls" by the same artist so I'm pretty much bound to love this too.

[GatheringComic]

I too can't seem to get past the pace of the 1st issue. It's...different, that's for sure. And that's probably why I still have interest in picking up the next few issues.

I liked the first issue but agree it was paced slowly. I think once it hits issue 3 and 4 it starts moving into an entirely (for me) unexpected and intriguing new direction.

[GatheringComic]

It's quickly becoming one of my favorite ongoings. Thought the first issue was strong, but a bit slow and it's really taken off in the last few issues.

[John Keyt]

I found it a little slow to and dropped it along with Jupiter's Legacy this week . JL was also just taking way to long between releases to keep track of story .