Reviews
I feel like this entire volume was just a lot of setup for whatever the actual story is, but I have to read the next two volume's to see what the story is actually about. I feel kind of cheated by it. If I'd been reading it as issues, I'm 92% certain it wouldn't have been worth it.
Okay, so a lot of shit just happened here and it all happened really quickly. Like, I think I could've used some more time to process this shit. Particular the last volume--25 years pass and bunch of shit happens training-montage style, but it's important and I think I should've been able to spend a little bit more time on it, you know what I'm saying? I feel like the ending was very abrupt. I needed more time sit with it, and I wasn't given that time. I am writing this literally as I finished the book, though. Maybe my feelings will improve if I sit with it by myself longer. Whatever. Second volume was the best.
There are some pretty interesting ideas raised in this book about the nature of sentience and ownership of androids, particularly in the way other people in Alex's life react to Ada... I thought when his friend James noted Ada's effect on him and wondered whether it was a good thing or not had some really compelling connotations, and later in this book when the fear of sentient robots came to a head. Worth the read.
Well I'm rating this as a whole I guess.. because if it was just the volume 3 it'd be 3 stars? 3,5? Whatever.. Anyway, it was good! Really liked the end, though I'd be happy with whatever end we'd have. Unless it was Alex being back together with his ex-fiance, that'd be a NO-NO. Although I get it, ok. It's a fictional story, and Alex was.. well, Alex. You wouldn't call him "normal". But STILL, the whole concept of the story is WEIRD. It's weird as hell. And I like that. That it makes you feel weird. And I don't think Luna overdo it at the end, it was a fine ending. The artwork is awesome, so awesome it made me miss Girls.. I may have to re-read it. It's been years. If you like sci-fi /slice-of-life/ human-robot stories, it's your thing. Good stuff and reads really fast!
Well things started to get more interested here, while we were reading about a guy's life in volume 1 and mostly read like a slice-of-life story in the distant future, here we get more into the AI stuff, more robots and how robots created to be sentient, and how one of them killed a bunch of humans etc.etc. Alex on the other hand is not happy with Ada being a robot without personal decisions about stuff, so he searches to "upgrade" her into having a "personality" and things happen... Again, I loved the artwork and the story got more interesting than the 1st volume, especially with all the pro-robot/anti-robot situations and the secret forums and stuff. And still made me wanna see what happens next. Kudos to the team!
Read 3 volumes in one sitting. Being sick helps. First volume we're introduced to Alex, and we get to meet Ada by the end of the book. It's a nice story kinda sci-fi set in the future where you can get a robot, Alex doesn't want one but it gets gifted one. And then the story starts... Main theme here is Alex being depressed because his girl left him and doesn't really want anything, he's just passing his days working and being home. Sounds boring? Well, it's not.. it's not getting repetetive and I really loved the artwork. Clean cut art with great coloring. The only thing that made me not like it is the lettering and it's slow pace a bit. But when all said and done, it still makes you wanna read the next issue to see what happens.
i thought volume 1 was amazing.. volume 2 was even better. this is such an underrated comic series honestly im so happy i decided to pick it up
lowkey mad i put this off for so long
3.5 stars | interesting concept! I'm definitely going to pick up the second volume soon. The only reason why I didn't give it a full 4 stars is because I felt the text was a bit awkward in the first two issues.
4.5/5
4.75/5
Alex + Ada Volume 2 is a book of missed opportunities. This was not a surprise to me. After all, Volume 1 was fun and sweet, but definitely retreading common sci-fi ground. However, it is in this second book that the danger of a lack of curiosity and thoughtfulness on the part of the author becomes apparent. A+A is about a world in which robots can have sentience, but humanity is too afraid to let this happen. When sentience was tried, there was a massacre, now all robots are purposely reprogrammed so that they never become "too human". This, of course, rankles with some, and an underground movement exists to free robots and let them live the full lives that they are capable of. As I said, not exactly a new story. What makes this rehash worse is the author's tendency to compare these struggles to that of current social movements. This too is a familiar sci-fi/fantasy trope, and one that I am none too fond of. The androids of these world are not just metaphors for queerness, but for disability, trans and race issues as well. Now, given that these are robots we are dealing with, I think identity politics should have a huge impact on how stories are constructed, but it's too easy just to draw on human experience, and, in many ways, insulting. Humans are scared of androids because they are stronger, smarter, faster, and generally better than humans on many different measurements. An android rebelled and killed a lot of humans. It is entirely possible that androids could enslave the human race in retaliation for our treatment of them, or simply make us obsolete. Androids have power, something that those experiencing real life discrimination do not. Humans should be wary and contemplative of what society with sentient robots will be like. It's a shift that will cause massive changes in how we live and interact. Not the same story when you are talking about real life slavery. Power dynamics and identity issues are still very important questions to deal with in these types of stories, but a great author recognises that they need to create something new. A+A does not innovate and therefore does not provoke the types of challenging thoughts that are supposed to be the foundation of science fiction. This lack of understanding of social issues also affects the plot involving Alex and Ada. Their story is a romance with the backdrop of the issue of robot sentience. Ada wants to start a relationship with Alex, but he is hesitant. Is it fair? Does Ada have enough experience to know what she wants? When faced with these questions, she gets angry with Alex, telling him that he's judging her by human standards, and doesn't have faith in her ability to make her own choices. In trying to protect her, he treats her as sub-human, so she decides to leave (until she comes back and they have sexy times, making everything better). The author, in this case, does actually touch on a really interesting question: when you are dealing with a newly sentient person, when should you be questioning their choices? We don't let children do whatever they want because they are still intellectually and emotionally maturing. Ada may be more intelligent and capable of acquiring knowledge on any issue she wants, but what about her emotional intelligence? Is that hard-wired in? Furthermore, what about Alex's doubts? People are often attracted to others, but not in a position where they want to deal with the emotional complexities of a relationship. Alex had just recently broken up with his long-term partner, received Ada as an unexpected and unwanted birthday gift, and shortly after made the choice to have her altered to achieve sentience, throwing him into a political conflict that could result in serious repercussions for himself. Dude has a lot more issues than just robot discrimination, and when dealing with a story focused on two people, one cannot forget to address these complexities. In terms of the big, social picture, it's important to make sure that Ada's issues are framed as important and systemic, but it's unfulfilling to use her love interest as a way of showing this without letting him be a full character himself. If you are looking for a cute little romance with a side of social commentary, Alex and Ada Volume 2 is not the most terrible thing you could read. However, it's frustrating in it's lack of depth and consideration. If you like this set-up, I'd recommend the Data focused episodes on Star Trek: The Next Generation for stories that are still fun, but definitely more nuanced that this.
4.6/5 This was a surprising read. The way to explain this comic is basically, what would happen if you took the movie "Her" and put it in the comic book universe. Obviously Her is heavily focused on the philosophical aspect of sentience and feelings. This comic focuses on that too but it has a bit more than that. Although not a lot of plot progression occurred during this first volume, I feel like its justified, as it worked a lot more on the character progression, which is good for this type of book. Anyway I'm gonna go forward and finish up the series whenever I get a chance to buy the other volumes.
3.5/5 Hmm didn't expect it to go in thus direction. Anyway, its mostly the same as the first volume. However something just felt off about this one, maybe it was the writing or that scene that I really didnt appreciate. But anyway ill try and continue to see if it is going anywhere
Pretty neat concept. Good story so far.
4.5/5 Oh, for fuck's sake. Shit hits the fan. I really wanna know what happens next. Even though the art style is not that amazing and frankly quite simple, I still like the story a lot.
4.5/5 Wow, I liked it! I hoped I would, but had my doubts anyway. But I'm happy I finally gave it a chance. Really curious what happens next.
Well, that was... anti-climatic. I expected something more intense, but I guess it was logical? Maybe. Anyway, I'm glad I've read this graphic novel. It was an interesting experience.
3.5/5 - This felt very similar to the manga Chobits (I read it back in middle school), but it was an interesting start and I'm intrigued to see where it goes.
I will admit that at first I was very skeptical of this series' premise. Lifelike robots being purchased for households? Being seen as companions (and potentially even lovers) by their owners? People protesting for robots' rights? Even discussions of sentience? It all sounds a little crazy but as you learn more about the world that Alex lives in and how Ada (a robot) fits into it, it starts to all make sense. You learn to love Ada after Alex makes her sentient and you find yourself wondering if they'll get caught. Seeing the way that some humans interacted with or even talked about robots was also very interesting to me. As technology gains more and more ground over the years, I wonder if this is something that we'll have to think about. I'm only reviewing the first book but the entire series is amazing and well worth the read. 5 stars.
Absolutely stunning. This was explained to me as a more realistic Chobits. They were not kidding.
I can't believe it's over! This comic series was a fun ride and I would have gladly read more of it. However, I had to rate this final issue slightly lower, because the ending did disappoint me a little. The developments felt a little forced for me. However, I still really like and recommend this series!
Interesting comic book. Sweet is the word that comes to mind when thinking about it. I'm not sure how Alex and Ada's relationship is going to develop and the robot issues are kind of scary. Curious to read more!