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Rai #9 Cover A by Fritz Casas
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In Rai #9, writer Dan Abnett ponders who controls Earth in 4002 A.D. Is it Bloodfather, the malevolent artificial intelligence (A.I.) who possessed Bloodshot, and can turn others into mindless servants? Is it the Dark, a storm linked to the Kor'Tunga (intelligent Human-Animal hybrids) who inhabit the forests? Is it Fusion, the positronic king of New Ur?
Fusion certainly seems a rising power. Having joined with Bloodfather's Offspring, he has attracted other Positronic peoples, and erected a fabulous city. When the Dark threatens New Ur, he can summon swarms of nanites to defend his citizens. Granted, the microscopic machines he controls also kill and consume Humans. But then, he considers Humans little more than animals.
Think of Fusion, and all positronic beings, as less robots than the replicants of "Blade Runner." While Humans, Kor'Tunga, and Positronics live in harmony in many communities in 4002 A.D., Fusion and his followers cannot forget how they were little more than slaves on New Japan, created by Father to serve and entertain his Human population. They possess free will, and greater powers than many Humans. Under Fusion's leadership, could Positronics supplant Humans and Kor'Tunga to become the dominant peoples of Earth?
While Rai, Raijin, and their new companion Alice investigate Fusion in New Ur, Dan Abnett also keeps us abreast of events in Hinansho Town. Despite Rai's warnings, his friend Lula fancies herself capable of inhabiting the Datastream, the Internet of 4002 A.D., without attracting Bloodfather's attention. While Colorist Andrew Dalhouse helps us visualize this realm like the starscapes in the recent "Guardians of the Galaxy" movies, Penciler Juan Jose Ryp populates it with creatures you might not expect to find in space. These creatures act as agents of Bloodfather in the digital realm. Should any of them catch Lula during her deep dives in the Datastream, they could kill her, or alert Bloodfather to the location of Hinansho Town.
Lula is the chief IT person in Hinansho Town, where Humans, Positronics, and Kor'Tunga live as equals. While her positronic and Kor'Tunga friends respect her, they wonder if she is as capable of surfing the digital world unobserved as she believes.
Juan Jose Ryp's penciling captures the cool yet gritty reality of this future world. Yet, ably aided by Andrew Dalhouse's sumptuous coloring, he also reveals the emotional core of each character. In his hands, Rai is resolved yet uncertain, Raijin is concerned and innocent, Alice struggles with anger and feelings of defenselessness, and Lula...well, she must prove to herself that she deserves the responsibility she has undertaken to protect her community.
Lula asserts this belief (or the belief she wishes to prove) so forcefully at times that Dave Sharpe's talents as letterer are unnecessary.
So she delves into the Datastream, testing for weaknesses in Bloodfather's dominance of the digital world. Amid the Internet of 4002 A.D., she finds a remnant of Ray Garrison, or Bloodshot's consciousness. She determines to sneak him out from under Bloodfather's thumb.
Along with many heroes in the present day Valiant universe, she feels compassion for Bloodshot. Still, given the chance to utilize him as a weapon...
Is Lula too eager to take the battle to Bloodfather? While we fear for her and the people of Hinansho Town, she is a Valiant hero. Regardless of Rai's wishes, Valiant heroes do not run and hide.
As Raijin points out, the Sumerian city of Ur was important for many reasons. Sumerian culture numbers among the earliest of civilized Humanity. Great stories that have entertained and influenced people through the ages, such as those surrounding the archetypal hero Gilgamesh, originated there. The notion of a worldwide flood, which found its way into ancient, holy writings, is also said to have originated there. Additionally, the Bible credits Ur as the birthplace of Abraham, whom Jews, Christians, and Muslims revere as patriarch of their religions. In naming his city New Ur, Fusion suggests he has big plans for his citizens, if not all the Earth of 4002 A.D.
The Greco-Roman architecture, furnished with interiors that rival English manor houses or European palaces, make New Ur seem the ideal place to live. Yet ancient Ur was a stratified society. Does the average Positronic citizen live as well as the ruling elite? And remember: Fusion has essentially nailed a Humans Not Wanted sign to the city gates.
Given how quickly Fusion has built it, one also wonders at the permanence of New Ur.
Characters are never subservient to setting in Juan Jose Ryp's hands. Here Fusion breaks panels, indicating how in control he feels of his city, Bloodfather, and his world. Yet Rai's could not utterly vanquish Father, and the malevolent A.I. went on to not only consume Bloodshot, but also possess a horde of people like Alice and wield them as an army.
Can you hear the inflection in Rai's voice when, aided by letterer Dave Sharpe, he probes Fusion for any vestige of self-doubt?
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Rai #9 Cover B by Fernando Dagnino
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The roots of Rai #9 delve into the soil of issue #6, when Rai and Raijin defended the Human and Positronic citizens of Romanus against the Kor'Tunga who inhabited the surrounding forest. Rai #6 and #7 also introduced the Dark, as well as Rai and Raijin's new companion Alice. Yet the roots dig deeper into earlier issues in the series and beyond. Father's takeover of Bloodshot, along with the emergence of Raijin, occurred in Dan Abnett's earlier series Fallen World. Lastly, seemingly in every issue, one of the characters reminds Rai of his role in the destruction of New Japan, which brought him and all its survivors to Earth, in Matt Kindt's series 4001 A.D.
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Rai #9 Pre-Order Cover by David Nakayama
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In Rai, Dan Abnett has expanded upon the rich tapestry begun by Matt Kindt. One wonders how many of the mysteries Abnett has introduced will be resolved in Rai #10. What seeds may he plant in those pages that, in time, could propagate future stories about Rai and the Earth of 4002 A.D.?
I guess we'll just have to wait and see.
Dragon Dave
