Rai #6 Review: Rome 4002

 

In Rai #6, Roman soldiers tramp through the forest. Then the leader orders a halt, and the squad prepares for a fight. 

 

 

Our minds are drawn back to Britannia, the four issue series by writer Peter Milligan and artists Juan Jose Ryp and Raul Allen. What's going on here? Have our heroes Rai and Raijin somehow traveled back in time to 65 AD?

 

As the battle commences, and their foes beset the legion, we realize that, no, we are still in the year 4002. 

The Romans' enemies are the intelligent animals we saw in Fallen World. In that series, the animals allied with Rai, and fought on the side of mankind against Father, the super-powerful artificial intelligence that once controlled the orbital city of New Japan. 

 

Now it seems that these intelligent animals see man as their enemy. Either that, or the animals just don't like Romans. But then, Aric of Dacia, who would later don the sentient armor of Shanhara and become known as X-O Manowar, didn't exactly love the Romans either.

In any case, letterer Dave Sharpe brings intensity to the battle scenes with his sound effects, and colorist Andrew Dalhouse adds vibrancy and depth to each panel.

When Rai and Raijin appear in the forest, they help drive off the animal army. Or at least Rai does, displaying a mastery of the sword that amazes the Romans. The legion brings the travelers back to their city, where they hail Rai's fighting skills.

 

In the original Rai series, writer Matt Kindt showed us some of the different sectors of the orbital city of New Japan. Each featured entertainment on a par with the original Futureworld and Westworld movies. Or perhaps, I should say, well beyond those shown in the films, let alone the recent Westwood TV series.

 

One of the highlights of the sequel series, the four issue event 4001, showcased a sector given over entirely to prehistoric animals, for example. 

Of course, there were many more sectors we never got to see.

It would seem there was a Roman Sector of New Japan where citizens could immerse themselves in ancient Roman culture, and watch gladiatorial games. Amid the fight between Rai and Father in the series 4001, the orbital city fell to Earth. As a result, much of the richness and diversity, as well as the decadence of that highly technological society, was lost. 

 

 

In this second Rai series, Rai and Raijin traverse the varied landscape of Earth in the year 4002. As they travel, they find a diversity of societies that evolved in isolation from the technological wonders of New Japan. They also find remnants of that orbital city: people, animals, and positronic creations that survived reentry in Earth's atmosphere and (presumably a crash-) landing. It would seem that robots from the Roman Sector survived the fall. These Romans have found a purpose, and formed their own self-sustaining city of Romanus.

The robots of Romanus live under constant threat of extinction, harried by constant attacks of these intelligent--but apparently very angry--animals.

 

In Rai issues #4 and #5, Gilad Anni-Padda, otherwise known as the Eternal Warrior, confronted Rai over the way he treated Raijin. While Rai uses Raijin to track down traces of Father, Gilad observed that Rai didn't always treat his brother with courtesy and respect. Because Rai sides for humanity's freedom over Father's desire to subjugate Humans, we tend to regard him as more than just a cold, unfeeling robot. Yet once again in writer Dan Abnett's series, it is Raijin who points out that sentient beings have needs, and the pursuit of Rai's goal to destroy Father cannot justify turning a blind eye to the suffering of others. 

In addition to the cover by Nethro Diaz and Candice Han, Rai #6 also comes with a cover by the artist Kano, and one by Jason Metcalf and Andrew Dalhouse.

There's much more I'd love to share with you, including the guest appearance of two popular characters. One of them is my favorite character from Fallen World. But I think I'll let you discover who they are, and see how Rai and Raijin resolve their argument, when you open your own copy of Rai #6.

Dragon Dave

P.S. Rai #6 goes on sale next Wednesday, August 19. With publishers printing fewer comics these days, I recommend getting to your local comic shop sooner than later.