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Robitka Redux!By Joe Hilliard One of the true pleasures of this year's Comicon was meeting Alex Sheikman, the creator behind Archaia Press Studios' Robotika. I did a review of the first three issues of this title earlier in the year here . At the time, I had wondered where exactly Sheikman was taking the book, and whether he could come to a satisfying conclusion. And then, I picked up the final issue. Quite simply, he did it all in spades. Issue Four not only brings to a conclusion the second story arc in an entirely satisfying, and for me, an entirely unexpected manner, but also forced me to re-examine the denouement of the arc from Issues One and Two. What I had found to be somewhat flat at the time now rises immeasurably in light of the finale. Robotika is definitely a book which benefits from being read as a whole versus in the bi-monthly issues. Thematically, and emotionally, the book comes together. Sheikman plumbs some unexpected depths in the final few pages of Robotika. He really lifts the story of Niko, the main protagonist, beyond the mere action-adventure saga I had started to lump it into. Shiekman makes that leap to epic, thematically and visually, with this finale. 
The art continues to delight in the finale. Sheikman is an artist who deserves to have an art book of his illustration work available, and available now. His broad strokes, the thick blacks, continue to amaze me. Beyond their beauty though, there is a real depth of emotion to his work. Without giving away too much of the plot, the grove sequence in Issue Four is exquisite. Sheikman conveys a lot of nuance, a lot of emotion, in this sequence. Niko has an incredibly expressive face. Much like Warren Oates performance in Cockfighter, Niko is essentially silent. But this verbal silence is outweighed by the artistic eloquence of Sheikman's pen. Archaia Press Studios website is: here . All four issues are currently available, with a complete collection follow at the end of this year. Alex Sheikman's website can be found at: http://www.sheikman.com/ and his blog at: http://sheikman.blogspot.com/ . The website is full of incredible work. 
Postscript: At the end of Issue Four, Archaia Press solicits comments on whether the collected hardcover should be "annotated" to make the vertical text more swiftly comprehensible. I waffled on this point before, bemoaning somewhat my own trouble in deciphering the text. But on further reflection, it fits the book, and ultimately I would be loathe to tamper with something which was intrinsically an artistic and design decision. After talking with Alex, I realized there was real, deliberate thought that went into the decision. And I respect that. As the book went along, I came to respect Sheikman's artistic decisions. Please though, everyone that is reading this book, give Archaia your input. The email address is: editorial@aspcomics.com . I know they'd appreciate it. And tomorrow, Silent Devil gives us some devilish crime.  Add A Comment to this article
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