Rai #3

Valiant; $3.99

Rai and Raijin fight separate but interconnected battles in Rai #3. Rai has collapsed and is seemingly comatose, leaving Raijin to assess the situation and try to keep them both alive through a few dangerous conflicts. Rai wakes up inside of a mindscape, brought there by an old friend, but becomes stuck and practically defenseless as the Red King attacks.

This Rai series by Dan Abnett mixes highbrow science fiction and technology with a postapocalyptic landscape. The main motivation behind the story is straightforward, but these human/cyber characters are both emotional and calculating, which drives the story nicely.

Because of the fallout from Father’s New Japan, everything and anything can happen in this new landscape – including dinosaurs and virtual terroristic worms. Juan José Ryp and Andrew Dalhouse on art and colors, respectively, are doing a very good job of creating detailed settings and expressive character renderings for a visually delightful book.

–Amanda Sheriff