D4VE2 #3
Written by Ryan Ferrier
Art by Valentin Ramon
Published by IDW Publishing
Release Date: November 11, 2015
What’s up, n3rd5? Another month’s gone by, which means there’s a new issue out of the gloriously robotic series D4VE2 from Ryan Ferrier and Valentin Ramon. Those following along with this series are in for the treat of a lifetime with this issue. Some serious plot progression abounds, and much to my delight, there’s more butthorns than ever. So, if you’re down for some LGBT robots, fool-punchin’, and techno-puns galore, get ready to by blown up and away by D4VE2 #3.
Meet the humans. And by humans, I mean the humans, as in the last ones on Earth. They’ve crash-landed their space-time pod in D4VE’s backyard, and as the general robot in charge, he’s forced to deal with the situation. This issue brings to light the robot-revolution backstory, and presents a chance for things to get real in the next issue. We also get to know 5COTTY and see his relationship with BR4D development, as well as a much needed confrontation between D4VE and his ex-wife’s new fling. Lots of robot swearing happens. And D4VE’s face is back to normal. THANK GOD.
D4VE is a series near and dear to my heart. It has gorgeous art, relentless puns, and fart jokes. It’s precisely the kind of book that’s perfect for a good unwinding with gut-shaking laughs. But the thing I really love about D4VE is that even if the jokes are endless, the plot can be seriously moving. I adore these characters. Within a volume and a half of this series, I feel like I know these characters, but am still pleasantly surprised by their interactions. D4VE is not the kind of book where you have a writer who’s good at one thing over another. Laughs are not sacrificed for a deep and thought-provoking plot. Ryan Ferrier has created a wonderful (and beautifully crass) world with these robots, a world that I can happily dive into each month. The flow of this issue is spectacular, succinctly recapping the previous issues’ events, delivering meaningful character moments with big plot points. Ferrier is not just a great writer, he’s a smart writer. But seriously, the dialogue in this book is so good, what are you doing, finish reading this, and then go read that!
I can never get enough with what Valentin Ramon is doing with this book. He manages to make each robot look unique and interesting, but also captures a humanness about them. These robots are able to express themselves really well, even without always having humanoid eyes or mouths. Ramon masterfully captures body language in this book to convey emotion, and it works really beautifully in this setting. The colors pop in every panel; every action is brought to life. This issue has such an energized feel to it, as if the characters are bouncing off the pages, always ready to bust a sweet move. The character design, the setting, the backgrounds, the vehicles and other objects — it all looks great in this book. The linework is sharp and focused and everything just works for the art in D4VE2.
D4VE2 #3 moves the series along smoothly. If you aren’t reading this book and you don’t hate living, you probably should be reading this book. If you can laugh at robots calling each other names, you probably should be reading this book. If you like rad robot action with big guns and lots of swearing, you should probably be reading this book. You get the idea. Read it. Or you’re the king/queen butthorn of all butthorns. And nobody wants to be that. Nobody.
The Verdict: 10/10
