From writer/artist Jake Smith (Godzilla: War for Humanity) comes RoboWolf, an action-packed, neon-colored nostalgia fest published by Dark Horse Comics. RoboWolf follows, you guessed it, RoboWolf, a robotic wolf who leads a gang of bank robbers in the city of Sunset Hills. This first issue opens up the story with literal guns blazing and an impressive array of characters and settings with so much 90s influence, you’ll want to pound Surge soda, neglect a Tamagotchi, and sit way too close to the TV on a Saturday morning.
WRITING/STORY
RoboWolf isn’t really one story; it’s more like four stories in a trench coat trying to sneak into the arcade. It immediately throws out so much information, silly lines, and at least five separate backstories that you have no idea which way anything can go. It’s absolute lunacy from the first page, and it should feel disjointed, but it doesn’t. You end up caring about RoboWolf, his daughter, their luxurious beachside condo, his weird past with a Russian general, and even why RoboWolf’s wheelman has a floating skull for a face and used to work with a two-headed man. All of these elements, strangely enough, work in perfect tandem, perhaps because Smith has amped up the weirdness so high that it all feels fitting.
The writing here is also masterfully hilarious and over-the-top. The clear use of action movie one-liners, product placement, and witty puns also continues the pre-established nostalgia flair that runs alongside every page of this comic. RoboWolf works well as even in the most emotional or high-octane moments the comic has to offer. It never once allows itself to stop hammering the reader with silly jokes or intentionally corny monologues worthy of fold like Cobra Commander or Skeletor.
ART DIRECTION
If you could somehow impose an audio volume onto a printed page, RoboWolf would be loud. It’s got popping neon colors with every single page, keeping with the 90s theme. The opening pages are reminiscent of an arcade machine opening sequence, where you find out what the story is before you can pound bad guys. The colors are hardly ever muted, and the pages are often riddled with oranges and reds, showing the hilariously obvious reference that they reside in ‘Sunset’ Hills. Though these colors make it extremely easy to track characters on screen and follow the impressive amount of detail on every panel.
The characters are all designed very in theme with the comic, and each one feels like they were plucked straight from a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles writing room floor. This is not to say they don’t feel unique in their own ways, but rather to compliment how well these brand-new characters feel so familiar immediately upon appearing. There’s obviously heavy influence and spoofing happening here, but RoboWolf never allows it to be hacky or uninspired. One stand-out to me in this comic was the lettering, which really brought all of the elements of the comic together. The lettering seems to invade the page at times, it’s so overtly drawn and large, with ridiculous sounds like “ka-shatter,” “buddabuddabudda,” and “shrasplort” that really accentuate the action, but also allow even the most gruesome scene to feel irreverent and funny.
VERDICT
RoboWolf is a rare comic that crams every page so absolutely full of information, color, goofiness, and character, yet somehow doesn’t feel overwhelming. As a reader, you follow these insane lines spoken by these bizarre characters you’ve never been introduced to, and somehow it still makes complete and utter sense in this world. After the first few pages, I was concerned that this comic may have leaned too much into its 90s nostalgia, making it difficult to craft its own identity. I am happy to have been dead wrong in that regard. Smith weaved with familiarity by taking these familiar shapes and concepts and allowing them to feel fresh and unique, which resulted in this first issue of RoboWolf being an absolute success.
