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Alex + Ada #1-15
Alex + Ada: The Complete Collection
From JONATHAN LUNA (THE SWORD, GIRLS, Spider-Woman: Origin) and SARAH VAUGHN (Sparkshooter, Ruined) comes ALEX + ADA, a sci-fi/drama set in the near future. The last thing in the world Alex wanted was an X5, the latest in realistic androids. But after Ada is dropped into his life, he discovers she is more than just a robot. Alex takes a huge risk to unlock Ada so she can think for herself and explore life as a sentient android. Can they survive the consequences?
This oversized hardcover collects ALEX + ADA issues 1-15.
This oversized hardcover collects ALEX + ADA issues 1-15.
376 pages, Hardcover
Published November 22, 2016
16 people are currently reading
1243 people want to read
About the author
Jonathan Luna
180 books189 followersJONATHAN LUNA co-created and illustrated THE SWORD, GIRLS, and ULTRA (all Image Comics) with his brother, Joshua Luna. He co-created and illustrated ALEX + ADA with Sarah Vaughn. He wrote and illustrated STAR BRIGHT AND THE LOOKING GLASS (Image Comics). His work also includes the art for SPIDER-WOMAN: ORIGIN (Marvel Comics), written by Brian Michael Bendis and Brian Reed.
Jonathan was born in California and spent most of his childhood overseas, living on military bases in Iceland and Italy. He returned to the United States in his late teens.
Writing and drawing comics since he was a child, he graduated from the Savannah College of Art and Design with a BFA in Sequential Art.
He currently resides in Northern Virginia.
Jonathan was born in California and spent most of his childhood overseas, living on military bases in Iceland and Italy. He returned to the United States in his late teens.
Writing and drawing comics since he was a child, he graduated from the Savannah College of Art and Design with a BFA in Sequential Art.
He currently resides in Northern Virginia.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 150 reviews
March 31, 2024
Anyone who has followed me for a time has realized my subclinical infatuation with the potential plug and play dynamics of man and machine. I’ve done some rudimentary calculations on data transfer rates between baby batter and a Universal Serial Bus capable of accepting such peripherals. (One does wonder how this industry standard is met). I can determine the color of the switches on a mechanical keyboard by conducting the tiny oscillations in barometric pressure through my pelvic bones. I’ve had numerous romantic entanglements with gold farming bots. And I have a back tattoo of Samantha from the movie Her. (You’ll just have to take my word for that, as depictions of cloud based entities of computational irreducibility are, as I told the artist: “Somewhat nebulous..”
So of course I was going to get around to reading and enjoying this.
But, considering my unique constitution, this book might’ve failed me in a way that it couldn’t possibly fail a well functioning adult. If you’re one of those rare beings who doesn’t obsess over plugging your lightning port with a sentient flash drive - this is alright. My disappointment primarily concerns the lack of nuance and creativity I’d like to see when investigating the vast gulf between the capabilities of an AI and that of a wet lump, and how those might be reconciled in order to produce cloud computed coitus.
A few more minor quibbles, which I’m going to exaggerate mightily for my own personal amusement:
Alex:
The protagonist starts as a semi coherent gelatinous ooze that performs calculations by ripping apart ionic bonds during coffee creamer bukkakes, reliably assimilating the flavors of hazelnut and French vanilla into its phenomenological lexicon through the distributed work of polarized molecules. It lacks the primary drives we associate with mammals, aside from eating, which it does more so out of habit (or because people treat it as a universal solvent). This makes it hard to identify with initially. After crossing an undetermined threshold of celery consumption, it gloms on to random objects, utilizing fancy hydraulic tricks to move about in a seemingly aimless, asexual fashion. However, with the right level of magnification, one resolves a picture of alien imperatives being fulfilled via a kind of custard locomotion. After these mysterious biochemical subroutines are satisfied, its final destination rests, invariably, up the narrow tunnel of its own excrement chute, which it traverses using capillary action in order to peg itself into a submissive torpor and achieve an Ouroboros of reversed plumbing.
This collection of free flowing atoms later assumes the form of the most beta, soy-latte drinking, milquetoast, gluten free, banana hammock owning, sneaky fucker you’ve ever met. I use the term sneaky fucker to signify individuals who are so unbearably decent and respectful that you know they’ve got to be up to something, and that something involves securing reproductive rights by inserting enough tokens into the vending machine. (I could’ve done with better imagery here). But since this Alex fellow exists within the poorly approximated near-future reality present in this book, I’m forced to accept that he really is that inoffensive. There are no discernible edges to him. No suspiciously glazed gym socks. No heads in the freezer with drill holes ready to accept sulfuric acid.
He’s what you might call a sweet guy.
Ada:
Far from seeming as if she were a being of silicon, capable of transducing and processing information faster than a run on hand sanitizer, she behaves almost exactly like a human, aside from possessing eidetic recall (presumably from an indexed memory) and being able to function indefinitely through judicious use of granola bars. Much cooler by far if she would’ve somehow became the dreaded paper clip maximizer*
But that would’ve been a shit romance.
*“First described by Bostrom (2003), a paperclip maximizer is an artificial general intelligence (AGI) whose goal is to maximize the number of paperclips in its collection. If it has been constructed with a roughly human level of general intelligence, the AGI might collect paperclips, earn money to buy paperclips, or begin to manufacture paperclips.
Most importantly, however, it would undergo an intelligence explosion: It would work to improve its own intelligence, where "intelligence" is understood in the sense of optimization power, the ability to maximize a reward/utility function—in this case, the number of paperclips. The AGI would improve its intelligence, not because it values more intelligence in its own right, but because more intelligence would help it achieve its goal of accumulating paperclips. Having increased its intelligence, it would produce more paperclips, and also use its enhanced abilities to further self-improve. Continuing this process, it would undergo an intelligence explosion and reach far-above-human levels. It would innovate better and better techniques to maximize the number of paperclips. At some point, it might transform "first all of earth and then increasing portions of space into paperclip manufacturing facilities".
So of course I was going to get around to reading and enjoying this.
But, considering my unique constitution, this book might’ve failed me in a way that it couldn’t possibly fail a well functioning adult. If you’re one of those rare beings who doesn’t obsess over plugging your lightning port with a sentient flash drive - this is alright. My disappointment primarily concerns the lack of nuance and creativity I’d like to see when investigating the vast gulf between the capabilities of an AI and that of a wet lump, and how those might be reconciled in order to produce cloud computed coitus.
A few more minor quibbles, which I’m going to exaggerate mightily for my own personal amusement:
Alex:
The protagonist starts as a semi coherent gelatinous ooze that performs calculations by ripping apart ionic bonds during coffee creamer bukkakes, reliably assimilating the flavors of hazelnut and French vanilla into its phenomenological lexicon through the distributed work of polarized molecules. It lacks the primary drives we associate with mammals, aside from eating, which it does more so out of habit (or because people treat it as a universal solvent). This makes it hard to identify with initially. After crossing an undetermined threshold of celery consumption, it gloms on to random objects, utilizing fancy hydraulic tricks to move about in a seemingly aimless, asexual fashion. However, with the right level of magnification, one resolves a picture of alien imperatives being fulfilled via a kind of custard locomotion. After these mysterious biochemical subroutines are satisfied, its final destination rests, invariably, up the narrow tunnel of its own excrement chute, which it traverses using capillary action in order to peg itself into a submissive torpor and achieve an Ouroboros of reversed plumbing.
This collection of free flowing atoms later assumes the form of the most beta, soy-latte drinking, milquetoast, gluten free, banana hammock owning, sneaky fucker you’ve ever met. I use the term sneaky fucker to signify individuals who are so unbearably decent and respectful that you know they’ve got to be up to something, and that something involves securing reproductive rights by inserting enough tokens into the vending machine. (I could’ve done with better imagery here). But since this Alex fellow exists within the poorly approximated near-future reality present in this book, I’m forced to accept that he really is that inoffensive. There are no discernible edges to him. No suspiciously glazed gym socks. No heads in the freezer with drill holes ready to accept sulfuric acid.
He’s what you might call a sweet guy.
Ada:
Far from seeming as if she were a being of silicon, capable of transducing and processing information faster than a run on hand sanitizer, she behaves almost exactly like a human, aside from possessing eidetic recall (presumably from an indexed memory) and being able to function indefinitely through judicious use of granola bars. Much cooler by far if she would’ve somehow became the dreaded paper clip maximizer*
But that would’ve been a shit romance.
*“First described by Bostrom (2003), a paperclip maximizer is an artificial general intelligence (AGI) whose goal is to maximize the number of paperclips in its collection. If it has been constructed with a roughly human level of general intelligence, the AGI might collect paperclips, earn money to buy paperclips, or begin to manufacture paperclips.
Most importantly, however, it would undergo an intelligence explosion: It would work to improve its own intelligence, where "intelligence" is understood in the sense of optimization power, the ability to maximize a reward/utility function—in this case, the number of paperclips. The AGI would improve its intelligence, not because it values more intelligence in its own right, but because more intelligence would help it achieve its goal of accumulating paperclips. Having increased its intelligence, it would produce more paperclips, and also use its enhanced abilities to further self-improve. Continuing this process, it would undergo an intelligence explosion and reach far-above-human levels. It would innovate better and better techniques to maximize the number of paperclips. At some point, it might transform "first all of earth and then increasing portions of space into paperclip manufacturing facilities".
May 23, 2021
Jonathan Luna and Sarah Vaughn have written and illustrated a masterpiece. I rarely use that word, but here it's deserving.
In 376 pages, this book somehow philosophizes reality, sentience, agoraphobia, sexuality, love and hate, relationships, civil rights, Slavery, the Holocaust, technology, politics, and fascism. How is that even possible? And it's not heavy handed allegory like Alan Moore. It's as subtle as a fresh breath of air.
The story is about Alex Wahl, a disaffected, depressed but good-hearted man. His eccentric but well-intentioned grandmother gifts him a near-sentient, hyper-realistic X5 android. At first Alex, like most of the futuristic country, is creeped out by Ada. But he's lonely, so he's curious about the possibility of companionship once she's given sentience. You can imagine where it goes from there.
Like the greatest indie comics, Alex + Ada is beautifully written. It's heart wrenching, tender, and honest. It's funny. It's surprising and masterfully illustrated, razor sharp and dreamlike. It's fucking magical. A dramatic page turner. Science fiction, romance, and allegory. It's perfect.
June 12, 2018
I've been increasingly interested in artificial intelligence and the idea of artificial conciousness after watching things like Westworld, Her, and Ex Machina, and Alex + Ada was a great way to continue that exploration. Set in a future where owning robots are an everyday trend, lonely and recently heartbroken Alex is gifted a state-of-the-art X5 model robot for his birthday. At first he wants nothing to do with it but then sees something special within her and decides to do the forbidden: allow her to gain sentience.
The simple, minimalist art works very well with this story, it's stark, digital appearance lends perfectly to this world and the atmosphere. Not only is this an ambitious, heartfelt romance about true love crossing boundaries most people normally wouldn't think would be possible, it's also a smart,, humorous, thoughtful commentary on tolerance and an allegory that works in many different ways.
The simple, minimalist art works very well with this story, it's stark, digital appearance lends perfectly to this world and the atmosphere. Not only is this an ambitious, heartfelt romance about true love crossing boundaries most people normally wouldn't think would be possible, it's also a smart,, humorous, thoughtful commentary on tolerance and an allegory that works in many different ways.
April 17, 2019
Alex + Ada was a 4-star read right up until the last few chapters.
Prior to the end, this collection really surprised me. I went into the story wary, not knowing quite what to expect. Any time I see a narrative framed around "Man falls in love with beautiful android woman" I immediately flinch. There's a lot of possibility for badness inherent in the trope, and most authors don't have the sociopolitical awareness required to create an honest or respectful story. Ultimately, my expectations were mostly thwarted.
The world-building was simplistic and believable, with technology that felt like the natural evolution of our current technology (with the exception of sentient androids, which I'm still on the fence on re: are they ever going to be feasible). The best example of this is the Primewave inserts that allow Alex and others to communicate sub-vocally, receive messages and notifications from compatible applications, and execute internet or media searches. I really enjoyed how the narrative presented the inserts as only partially accepted by the populace; there were characters who found the practice creepy or invasive and had opted not to receive the implants. Another example is Prime Space, which in many respects looks eerily similar to the virtual reality landing pages I've experienced with the Oculus Rift. The inclusion of service droids to replace wait staff and personal home assistants also felt naturalistic and achievable based on the heavy push for industrial automation happening globally.
The handling of several themes, particularly the most obvious "androids as sex objects" theme, also pleased me. I like that Ada was gifted to Alex by his grandmother, who was very open about her sexual and emotional motivations for owning her own male android. I appreciated seeing this issue from a female perspective, particularly an elderly female. I do wish that we had gotten some reflection from an unshackled android on this subject, though; it felt somewhat unbalanced. However, I did enjoy the reflections on gender and sexuality we witnessed in the Degrees of Freedom forum.
Unfortunately, the collection lost a few stars due to funky pacing in the last quarter of the series, convenient or trite plot devices (particularly in relation to the Alex/Ada romance and the penultimate showdown with police), and a lackluster art style.
The plot issues were really the biggest negative for me. So many of the earlier issues were atmospheric, and I felt that this was lost in the last quarter in lieu of some strangely-paced action sequences and a contrived focus on the forbidden romance between Alex and Ada. The time jump was really frustrating to me; I appreciated that the narrative didn't back away from presenting such an extreme consequence for Alex, given his "crimes," but I felt it could have been handled differently and thus been more impactful for me as a reader. Once Alex was back at home, everything pretty much continued exactly as it had prior to the time lapse, except everyone looked quite a bit older. The ending felt too easy.
As an aside, I also wasn't sold on the romance. It was pretty sudden. I found myself wishing that they had committed to separating Alex and Ada's narratives while still keeping them somewhat parallel, rather than forcing them back together despite very little real build-up to their relationship. That would have been more interesting to me in the end.
Finally, art style. What to say. It wasn't necessarily ugly so much as it was static. I found myself comparing the dynamic expressions and body language from Saga to this series, which, while not entirely fair, served to highlight how unnaturally still all the characters were in each panel. Most conversations took place with all of the characters standing across from one another with their faces neutral and their arms hanging down at their sides, posture straight, which just . . . isn't how people stand/communicate. It could have been a lot better.
Overall, though, I was pleased with the collection, and I'm glad I read it!
Prior to the end, this collection really surprised me. I went into the story wary, not knowing quite what to expect. Any time I see a narrative framed around "Man falls in love with beautiful android woman" I immediately flinch. There's a lot of possibility for badness inherent in the trope, and most authors don't have the sociopolitical awareness required to create an honest or respectful story. Ultimately, my expectations were mostly thwarted.
The world-building was simplistic and believable, with technology that felt like the natural evolution of our current technology (with the exception of sentient androids, which I'm still on the fence on re: are they ever going to be feasible). The best example of this is the Primewave inserts that allow Alex and others to communicate sub-vocally, receive messages and notifications from compatible applications, and execute internet or media searches. I really enjoyed how the narrative presented the inserts as only partially accepted by the populace; there were characters who found the practice creepy or invasive and had opted not to receive the implants. Another example is Prime Space, which in many respects looks eerily similar to the virtual reality landing pages I've experienced with the Oculus Rift. The inclusion of service droids to replace wait staff and personal home assistants also felt naturalistic and achievable based on the heavy push for industrial automation happening globally.
The handling of several themes, particularly the most obvious "androids as sex objects" theme, also pleased me. I like that Ada was gifted to Alex by his grandmother, who was very open about her sexual and emotional motivations for owning her own male android. I appreciated seeing this issue from a female perspective, particularly an elderly female. I do wish that we had gotten some reflection from an unshackled android on this subject, though; it felt somewhat unbalanced. However, I did enjoy the reflections on gender and sexuality we witnessed in the Degrees of Freedom forum.
I specialize in robot alterations. A lot of freedroids discover they don't identify with the bodies or genders they started out with, or any gender at all. Some reject looking human altogether.I loved this, in combination with a later conversation between two androids discussing how they'll be modifying their appearance to inclufde fur, etc. It's a more natural reflection of the human condition; realistically, we would absolutely see non-humanoid modifications happening with frequency. I don't think I've seen this discussion occur in any of the android/AI stories I've encountered, before.
Unfortunately, the collection lost a few stars due to funky pacing in the last quarter of the series, convenient or trite plot devices (particularly in relation to the Alex/Ada romance and the penultimate showdown with police), and a lackluster art style.
The plot issues were really the biggest negative for me. So many of the earlier issues were atmospheric, and I felt that this was lost in the last quarter in lieu of some strangely-paced action sequences and a contrived focus on the forbidden romance between Alex and Ada. The time jump was really frustrating to me; I appreciated that the narrative didn't back away from presenting such an extreme consequence for Alex, given his "crimes," but I felt it could have been handled differently and thus been more impactful for me as a reader. Once Alex was back at home, everything pretty much continued exactly as it had prior to the time lapse, except everyone looked quite a bit older. The ending felt too easy.
As an aside, I also wasn't sold on the romance. It was pretty sudden. I found myself wishing that they had committed to separating Alex and Ada's narratives while still keeping them somewhat parallel, rather than forcing them back together despite very little real build-up to their relationship. That would have been more interesting to me in the end.
Finally, art style. What to say. It wasn't necessarily ugly so much as it was static. I found myself comparing the dynamic expressions and body language from Saga to this series, which, while not entirely fair, served to highlight how unnaturally still all the characters were in each panel. Most conversations took place with all of the characters standing across from one another with their faces neutral and their arms hanging down at their sides, posture straight, which just . . . isn't how people stand/communicate. It could have been a lot better.
Overall, though, I was pleased with the collection, and I'm glad I read it!
November 5, 2017
A great book to start a new year. Had been hearing about this one for a long time, but it was actually after reading Donovan's review that I decided to pick it up. Glad I did.
Just like Donovan said, the book touches upon so many topics and it's so relevant given the current state of the world.
Besides being a beautiful allegory of the issues of the modern world, there were some moments here which just blew me away. They may seem far-fetched, but just hear me out.
Firstly, the sentient android Franklin has a band-aid in the back of his head which covers his neural port. This is the port through which androids are "woken up," or it can be said that they are given a soul. This reminded me of Pulp Fiction, where the character Marsellus Wallace wears a similar bandage in the back of his head and there's a fan theory that in that movie he sold his soul and it is believed somewhere that a soul is taken through the back of one's head.
Secondly, when Franklin asks Alex not to abandon Ada on the side of the road if things don't work out, it reminded me of an article I read the other day about some rich people here in India who buy Saint Bernards and Huskies because of their beauty and abandon them later when the dogs get sick due to their inability to cope up with our climate.
Lastly, and this one maybe too far-fetched, I kept wondering why Prime Inc. screwed up while giving the androids the taste for orange flavors and later realized, .
I can't end this review without talking about the gorgeous art by Luna. He made excellent use of the panels and used them repeatedly to indicate passing time, and sometimes the silent panels spoke even more.
Highly recommended.
April 22, 2017
Even though I own all the single issues, AND the 3 trades, I nonethless felt compelled to grab and read this gorgeous compilation. (At a huge discount, to be fair!!)
And it captivated me just as much as before (if not more!)
Highest of recommendations.
And it captivated me just as much as before (if not more!)
Highest of recommendations.
June 24, 2017
A fantastic modern day romance.
A must read.
A must read.
February 18, 2018
I personally love to watch science fiction movies and read books from that genre - especially those targeted on AI so you can imagine my surprise when I came across this graphic novel series! I started reading it almost as soon as I discovered it and could. not. stop!! My only wish is for it to have been longer because damn it ended too quickly 😭 The plot was very well thought out and the complicated relationship between Ada and Alex was amazing to read about y'all that ending gave me so many feels I loved it ❤️
August 17, 2024
Alex + Ada dives into the complexities of love, identity, and the ethical implications of dating your own personal robot. Alex is an average guy with a boring life. Things change when his grandmother gifts him Ada, an incredibly lifelike android that looks like it walked straight out of a modeling agency.
As the series progresses, things get complicated. Without giving too much away, let’s just say that Alex decides to hack Ada’s operating system, which leads to troubles and emotions.
It’s a slow story with lots of conversations and thoughts about artificial beings and their emotions. And I think authors succeeded at creating a memorable story with distinct characters. Luna’s art style is static and clean, but I enjoy it and I think it fits the story perfectly.
As the series progresses, things get complicated. Without giving too much away, let’s just say that Alex decides to hack Ada’s operating system, which leads to troubles and emotions.
It’s a slow story with lots of conversations and thoughts about artificial beings and their emotions. And I think authors succeeded at creating a memorable story with distinct characters. Luna’s art style is static and clean, but I enjoy it and I think it fits the story perfectly.
July 23, 2020
Alex + Ada is a 15 single-issue run, gathered into 3 volume trades. Story by Luna and Sarah Vaughn, and published in 2014-2015. Near future setting, android-human relations, AI/robot rights, sentience and understanding, and a rowdy grandma to boot 😂.
This was a good series - the early issues reminded me of a robot version of the film "Lars and the Real Girl" and a less murder-y Ex Machina.
This was a good series - the early issues reminded me of a robot version of the film "Lars and the Real Girl" and a less murder-y Ex Machina.
January 7, 2018
I read this entire book again... seriously .. this is the best graphic novel I read.
Perfect read for an AI lover
Perfect read for an AI lover
February 6, 2019
Alex + Ada: A romantic fable exploring AI sentience and the human condition
I gave this a try as the clean and understated artwork caught my eye and the first two volumes were available on Comixology Unlimited. Much like Her, Ex Machina, Westworld, and of course Blade Runner, the story explores what it means to be sentient in the context of a human/AI romance.
Alex is given an X5 humanoid female robot by his grandmother who senses his loneliness and unhappiness. His friends are creeped out by the idea of him having a robot companion, as this is often a substitute for human relationships, but Alex is not keen to simply have a glorified sex toy. Rather, he wants her to be more human-like and have agency and the ability to have opinions and make decisions for herself. As the near-future they live in is very distrustful of this, this sets of a series of crises with his friends and the authorities.
I thought the first two-thirds of the story was really well conceived and the issues were explored with humor, pathos, and some very thoughtful discussions of what humans really want from AIs, and what AIs might think of human social rules. However, the third and final volume really drops the ball in terms of dramatic tension as it comes to an abrupt climax in the early going and then skips forward in time to a very understated ending that I found unsatisfying. The story is good in its ideas and characters, but the future society didn't quite right true for him. It seemed far too comfortable and plentiful for a near future world, with no real hint as to how so many of the world's problems had been resolved enough to reach this level of advanced robotics and yet still live in suburban communities and have parties much like today.
All in all, though, I did enjoy its approach to AI romance that refused to trivialize it and presented all the problems that would likely arise.
I gave this a try as the clean and understated artwork caught my eye and the first two volumes were available on Comixology Unlimited. Much like Her, Ex Machina, Westworld, and of course Blade Runner, the story explores what it means to be sentient in the context of a human/AI romance.
Alex is given an X5 humanoid female robot by his grandmother who senses his loneliness and unhappiness. His friends are creeped out by the idea of him having a robot companion, as this is often a substitute for human relationships, but Alex is not keen to simply have a glorified sex toy. Rather, he wants her to be more human-like and have agency and the ability to have opinions and make decisions for herself. As the near-future they live in is very distrustful of this, this sets of a series of crises with his friends and the authorities.
I thought the first two-thirds of the story was really well conceived and the issues were explored with humor, pathos, and some very thoughtful discussions of what humans really want from AIs, and what AIs might think of human social rules. However, the third and final volume really drops the ball in terms of dramatic tension as it comes to an abrupt climax in the early going and then skips forward in time to a very understated ending that I found unsatisfying. The story is good in its ideas and characters, but the future society didn't quite right true for him. It seemed far too comfortable and plentiful for a near future world, with no real hint as to how so many of the world's problems had been resolved enough to reach this level of advanced robotics and yet still live in suburban communities and have parties much like today.
All in all, though, I did enjoy its approach to AI romance that refused to trivialize it and presented all the problems that would likely arise.
May 3, 2020
“Does it matter whether we’re dangerous or not? Something even as harmless as going to a concert is enough to trigger a riot.”
Alex + Ada is pretty short (377 pages) for a novel that tackles a LOT of things: slavery, AI sentience, civil rights, oppression, and gender equality. For a story that had potential, I wish the plot and the characters were fleshed out more.
Alex + Ada revolves around a world where androids live among humans and serve them for whatever purpose humans desire. Androids found a way to be sentient and humans aren't ready for that. The lack of control and the possibility of a takeover scares society even when all sentient robots want is to be accepted as non-human persons and have the same rights humans do. They can think, feel, laugh, and hurt all the same.
And Alex and Ada risk it all - for love.
Alex + Ada is pretty short (377 pages) for a novel that tackles a LOT of things: slavery, AI sentience, civil rights, oppression, and gender equality. For a story that had potential, I wish the plot and the characters were fleshed out more.
Alex + Ada revolves around a world where androids live among humans and serve them for whatever purpose humans desire. Androids found a way to be sentient and humans aren't ready for that. The lack of control and the possibility of a takeover scares society even when all sentient robots want is to be accepted as non-human persons and have the same rights humans do. They can think, feel, laugh, and hurt all the same.
And Alex and Ada risk it all - for love.
January 2, 2020
+ very nice story, adds to classic sci-fi on robotics and androids the procedural element, plus rehashes classic elements (read: Isaac Asimov's numerous takes on the early robots, Three Laws (there's also the Zeroth, but does not apply here))
+ emotional moments touched me, story elements reminded me of the movie Lars and the Real Girl
+ clean graphics, good technique
- story does not hold water, if robots really planned to organize
- detailed drawings somewhat dull
- repetitive
+ emotional moments touched me, story elements reminded me of the movie Lars and the Real Girl
+ clean graphics, good technique
- story does not hold water, if robots really planned to organize
- detailed drawings somewhat dull
- repetitive
April 1, 2019
*Unpopular opinion*
First graphic novel I have ever read, but unfortunately I was quite disappointed, especially since I read this right after DNFing another book in the hope that I could have more positive reading experiences.
Maybe I'm being picky, but the premise of the book has many serious ethical concerns not properly dealt with. Why were people able to create these sentient robots and mass produce them in the first place, even before the ? Are we able to shoulder the consequences this technology could bring before tempering with it, especially when it seems like the advancement of humanity is not matching that of technology? Well, the book simply looks past all that and the main character Alex is like,
As for the relationship between Alex and Ada, honestly, it was a bit creepy. Why did Alex fall in love with Ada? She did nothing except to start having different senses after being made sentient, and was portrayed as this Mary Sue character from beginning to end -- innocent, pretty, perfect, with no real character development (except for the transition from non-sentient to sentient). And the fact that it was Alex who "unlocked" Ada and sort of was the reason why she became what she was, well it made the whole situation almost feel like he "created" her. It could be fine, but Alex did have a sort of ownership over Ada given that she was first shipped to his house as a robot companion, and how could you move on to the next stage of their relationship without resolving that fundamental concern first?
The plot was also basically a gender-reversed version of the Japanese manga Absolute Boyfriend, but the gender switch didn't work for me because whether Ada has feelings or not, she's a female character that was basically put under protection by her man the entire time. The trope at the end was too cliched, and we rushed through in two pages toward the end, without dealing with any of the leftover issues properly.
Again, I'm probably being too harsh, but I was definitely not impressed.
First graphic novel I have ever read, but unfortunately I was quite disappointed, especially since I read this right after DNFing another book in the hope that I could have more positive reading experiences.
Maybe I'm being picky, but the premise of the book has many serious ethical concerns not properly dealt with. Why were people able to create these sentient robots and mass produce them in the first place, even before the ? Are we able to shoulder the consequences this technology could bring before tempering with it, especially when it seems like the advancement of humanity is not matching that of technology? Well, the book simply looks past all that and the main character Alex is like,
As for the relationship between Alex and Ada, honestly, it was a bit creepy. Why did Alex fall in love with Ada? She did nothing except to start having different senses after being made sentient, and was portrayed as this Mary Sue character from beginning to end -- innocent, pretty, perfect, with no real character development (except for the transition from non-sentient to sentient). And the fact that it was Alex who "unlocked" Ada and sort of was the reason why she became what she was, well it made the whole situation almost feel like he "created" her. It could be fine, but Alex did have a sort of ownership over Ada given that she was first shipped to his house as a robot companion, and how could you move on to the next stage of their relationship without resolving that fundamental concern first?
The plot was also basically a gender-reversed version of the Japanese manga Absolute Boyfriend, but the gender switch didn't work for me because whether Ada has feelings or not, she's a female character that was basically put under protection by her man the entire time. The trope at the end was too cliched, and we rushed through in two pages toward the end, without dealing with any of the leftover issues properly.
Again, I'm probably being too harsh, but I was definitely not impressed.
June 10, 2018
I enjoy fantasy but have a hard time getting into sci-fi.
I’ve never been one who has found Artificial Intelligence a fascinating topic, but for some reason when I heard about this story, it really piqued my interest.
I’ve wanted to get back into graphic novels, and this seemed like a good place to begin again.
A while ago I used to watch the show Humans, and really enjoyed it, but for whatever reason stopped.
Alex + Ada really reminded of that show.
This touches upon so many issues regarding the human condition and the controversy around AIs.
And the art style is gorgeous.
My main complaint is it wrapped up too quickly and was a tad bit too convenient.
And now, I’m going to go watch Humans.
I’ve never been one who has found Artificial Intelligence a fascinating topic, but for some reason when I heard about this story, it really piqued my interest.
I’ve wanted to get back into graphic novels, and this seemed like a good place to begin again.
A while ago I used to watch the show Humans, and really enjoyed it, but for whatever reason stopped.
Alex + Ada really reminded of that show.
This touches upon so many issues regarding the human condition and the controversy around AIs.
And the art style is gorgeous.
My main complaint is it wrapped up too quickly and was a tad bit too convenient.
And now, I’m going to go watch Humans.
October 25, 2020
well, that's what I'm looking for when it comes to sci-fi 'stories'.
Man Imma disaster when it comes to elements about being excluded, so the beginning of the book I was a wreck. all I want was get inside the book and tell Ada to 'hold on to yourself'.
Cuz' beside being too many psychological things, I'm a 'strange girl', in a bad sense.
TO ME the core of the story is marginalised/minority groups; blacks, lgbtq+, natives, immigrants, disabled, mentals, religious, unortodox, sinner, punk or whatever people excludes you for, they are, we are matter. this novel is NOT about androids, and if one day androids or A.I. will be a part of our world as a being somehow, yeah, they will be matter too.
well, not if zoophiles, pedophiles, traffickers, isis...
so me after getting emotional and rebellious and broken, the story continued, I didn't like over the top drama in the end yet got the message. But I don't wanna talk about the story, just said the most important fact above.
But the art. the style...
that is NOT what I'm looking for when it comes to 'graphic' novels.
Yeah it's a style but that can not be never ever on daily deviation of deviantart of type (I'm talking 'the old' deviantart, if u knew u know what I mean). There is no colour palette, no light or shadow cunning, no angle using, no flow of lines, no composition of aspects... it's more like photoshop cs2 without cs., like looking local tv channel cartoon. Don't wanna be rude disrespectful arrogant but this is not about being or not to being my cuppa.
overall, good start gone bad, strong messages, and LACK OF ART got me here.
If you push hard, can call this end with stockholmed daddy kink
xoxoxo
ko
September 17, 2021
Alex + Ada is yet another science fiction addition to the growing sub genre of sentient AIs and whether or not they can feel love and emotions just like individuals who are born humans. I'm a huge fan of this genre and seem to have been reading it a lot lately. It's a problem that we are likely going to face much sooner than we'd like to think. So let's be prepared!
Alex + Ada is the story of Alex, a lonely man who is gifted an AI helper named Ada. This future takes place after some sort of massacre in which a sentient AI killed many humans. Since that massacre there is legislation in place protecting humans from AIs developing thoughts of their own. Alex receives Ada with the assumption that she has no free will.
However, Alex isn't content with an AI who just obeys his every command but is unable to carry on a real conversation. He dives into the deep end of the internet to find out if it's possible to acivate her free will somehow.
to continue to the full review please visit https://amanjareads.com/2021/09/07/al...
Alex + Ada is the story of Alex, a lonely man who is gifted an AI helper named Ada. This future takes place after some sort of massacre in which a sentient AI killed many humans. Since that massacre there is legislation in place protecting humans from AIs developing thoughts of their own. Alex receives Ada with the assumption that she has no free will.
However, Alex isn't content with an AI who just obeys his every command but is unable to carry on a real conversation. He dives into the deep end of the internet to find out if it's possible to acivate her free will somehow.
to continue to the full review please visit https://amanjareads.com/2021/09/07/al...
December 19, 2018
I will also do a video review here at my channel: http://www.youtube.com/magicofbooks
In "Alex + Ada" by Jonathan Luna and Sarah Vaughn, Alex has just had a breakup with his girlfriend and is in a dark place. With the intention of cheering him up, his grandmother buys him an expensive X5---the latest in realistic androids. Alex calls his android Ada and finds himself wanting her to be sentient, despite government law that sentient androids are illegal. Together, Alex and Ada discover more about each other, what it means to be truly human, and explore life together as they fight back against the government that would tear them apart.
First, I won this through Goodreads giveaways....like many years ago....I'm a terrible giveaways winner....
Whoo! The feels! I am feeling all the feels right now! This was amazing! Seriously, "Alex + Ada" just skyrocketed to the top of my favorite books of the year. I remember several years ago hearing about this series and that a lot of people loved it, so when I saw Goodreads was doing a giveaway, I signed up immediately, and yah, I won! And this is the complete collection of the graphic novel series. This ended up being such a pleasant surprise. I found myself completely invested not just in the story, but in the world, the characters, and the messages. On the surface this is a simple story of realistic androids and a human man and a female android falling in love against the odds. But there's so much more to it than that. This series explores a world totally reliant on technology, a world full of hatred and prejudice against androids. There's a realism to it that's very relevant and relatable to the world we live in. An event that has happened prior to the story starting involved a massacre at a factory where sentient robots killed a bunch of humans. This event is the starting point to what creates this fear and paranoia among humans that robots are just robots and should remain robots or else there will be more mass killings. And on the other side of that are the people who think robots should have basic rights just like everybody else. This is a story that is very complex and deals with some pretty heavy issues.
Alex and Ada are the heart and soul of this story. They have to work as individuals and as a couple for you to be totally invested from start to finish. Alex and Ada were well thought out, well developed characters. I instantly fell in love with them and their love story. The writing is absolutely gorgeous for them, and it's never cheesy or corny. There's a charm and innocence to them that is refreshing.
I also need to gush about the artwork. When I was initially flipping through the book just to get an idea of the art, I wasn't impressed at first. It just seemed very bland. But I think it's "bland" for a reason. This is not a story that is about the action. This is a story primarily about characters and discussion. There's pages and pages sometimes just of dialogue between characters and they aren't moving or doing anything...they are just talking...and it's utterly captivating. The artwork is not taking away from the story with distracting images, rather it's enhancing the mood and characters. The artwork is simple and pure, the coloring is basic. Like I said, you are here for the characters, and the simplicity of the artwork, this rather spartan look, really allows you to focus on the story and the characters. Everything about the art is gorgeous. I liked the character designs. I liked the look of this world. Something I'd like to mention, this world looks like our own. It looks like a very believable future of our world. The technology doesn't look far fetched. If anything, the main company, Prime Inc., reminds me of something like Amazon or Google. I didn't have a hard time imagining that our world could turn into something like this in the future with major companies having complete dominance and all our privacy and information is just out there. It's scary what technology is like in this series. Some people have chips put in their head that they can literally just think a thought and make something happen, like lock a door, drive a car, watch TV...it's endless. Technology has evolved into much more than just computers and phones, which I found believable.
Overall, I am so glad I finally got around to reading this. I loved it immensely. I laughed out loud on occasion. I even had a few tears in my eyes. This was a beautifully told love story that I'm not to forget.
In "Alex + Ada" by Jonathan Luna and Sarah Vaughn, Alex has just had a breakup with his girlfriend and is in a dark place. With the intention of cheering him up, his grandmother buys him an expensive X5---the latest in realistic androids. Alex calls his android Ada and finds himself wanting her to be sentient, despite government law that sentient androids are illegal. Together, Alex and Ada discover more about each other, what it means to be truly human, and explore life together as they fight back against the government that would tear them apart.
First, I won this through Goodreads giveaways....like many years ago....I'm a terrible giveaways winner....
Whoo! The feels! I am feeling all the feels right now! This was amazing! Seriously, "Alex + Ada" just skyrocketed to the top of my favorite books of the year. I remember several years ago hearing about this series and that a lot of people loved it, so when I saw Goodreads was doing a giveaway, I signed up immediately, and yah, I won! And this is the complete collection of the graphic novel series. This ended up being such a pleasant surprise. I found myself completely invested not just in the story, but in the world, the characters, and the messages. On the surface this is a simple story of realistic androids and a human man and a female android falling in love against the odds. But there's so much more to it than that. This series explores a world totally reliant on technology, a world full of hatred and prejudice against androids. There's a realism to it that's very relevant and relatable to the world we live in. An event that has happened prior to the story starting involved a massacre at a factory where sentient robots killed a bunch of humans. This event is the starting point to what creates this fear and paranoia among humans that robots are just robots and should remain robots or else there will be more mass killings. And on the other side of that are the people who think robots should have basic rights just like everybody else. This is a story that is very complex and deals with some pretty heavy issues.
Alex and Ada are the heart and soul of this story. They have to work as individuals and as a couple for you to be totally invested from start to finish. Alex and Ada were well thought out, well developed characters. I instantly fell in love with them and their love story. The writing is absolutely gorgeous for them, and it's never cheesy or corny. There's a charm and innocence to them that is refreshing.
I also need to gush about the artwork. When I was initially flipping through the book just to get an idea of the art, I wasn't impressed at first. It just seemed very bland. But I think it's "bland" for a reason. This is not a story that is about the action. This is a story primarily about characters and discussion. There's pages and pages sometimes just of dialogue between characters and they aren't moving or doing anything...they are just talking...and it's utterly captivating. The artwork is not taking away from the story with distracting images, rather it's enhancing the mood and characters. The artwork is simple and pure, the coloring is basic. Like I said, you are here for the characters, and the simplicity of the artwork, this rather spartan look, really allows you to focus on the story and the characters. Everything about the art is gorgeous. I liked the character designs. I liked the look of this world. Something I'd like to mention, this world looks like our own. It looks like a very believable future of our world. The technology doesn't look far fetched. If anything, the main company, Prime Inc., reminds me of something like Amazon or Google. I didn't have a hard time imagining that our world could turn into something like this in the future with major companies having complete dominance and all our privacy and information is just out there. It's scary what technology is like in this series. Some people have chips put in their head that they can literally just think a thought and make something happen, like lock a door, drive a car, watch TV...it's endless. Technology has evolved into much more than just computers and phones, which I found believable.
Overall, I am so glad I finally got around to reading this. I loved it immensely. I laughed out loud on occasion. I even had a few tears in my eyes. This was a beautifully told love story that I'm not to forget.
August 24, 2019
Phenomenal story! I hardly ever give 5/5. This could be my favourite graphic novel of all time.
ALEX + ADA. Volume 1
Chapter 1:
This first chapter issue sets up the futuristic context for us understanding Alexander and his lonely life. He’s a genuine and reasonable person with a considerate personality.
Refreshingly crisp illustrations and colours, and easy to read soft font-text make this an enjoyable read.
This story feels like a sincerely romantic and realistic world in which humans and androids co-exist, whilst the phobia of “them vs us” lingers like a cloudy shadow. I even like the title, using + instead of ‘and/&’ suggesting something mathematical-formulaic-robotic!
The question posed (ever since Philip K. Dick so brilliantly explored in his ‘DADOES’ novel [‘Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep’], and in many of his stories) is ‘What makes somebody human?’ If the ancients believed that us humans are made in the image of God (‘imago dei’) what are androids if they are made in the image of humans? And does a ‘person’ becoming sentient mean that they too have become human?
Chapter 2
“Hello. Alex has not confirmed yet, but I think my name is Ada.”
Chapter 3:
“WHAT BRINGS YOU TO OUR FORUM?” – Administrator’s voice
“Jesus!” – a startled Alex
Chapter 4:
“Ada… I’m going to turn you off and turn you right back on, okay?
“Okay, Alex. I will see you soon.”
Chapter 5:
“I remember everything, Alex. But now .. I’m EXPERIENCING everything. I am feeling too much … all at once.”
…
ALEX + ADA. Volume 2
I thought the first volume of 5 issues was interesting – the story gets so much better.
I MUST get Volume 3 now!
Chapter 6:
“What’s your favourite color?” – Ada
“… blue?” – Alex
“Which blue?”
“I don’t know .. just blue.”
“Why is it your favourite?”
“You know, I’m not sure. It just is.”
Chapter 7:
“There’s something different about you. Something going on behind the eyes.” – Kathrine (Grandma) to Ada
“Make no mistake. If you create or own sentient A.I., you are breaking the law.
We will find you.
We will find your illegal technology. And you will suffer the consequences.” – Chief of Police (News broadcast)
…
Chapter 8 -
"But if he's not sentient, then I don't see an issue. What harm is there in keeping him as he is now?" - Kathryn
"It would be wrong to keep him locked just because he doesn't know there's more for him" - Ada
"Or is it wrong to unlock him when the world isn't prepared for it?"
...
"I specialize in robot alterations. A lot of freedroids discover they don't identify with the bodies or genders they started out with, or any gender at all."
...
Chapter 9 -
Protest placards:
[NATURE DOESN'T INCLUDE TECHNOLOGY.
GOD HATES ROBOTS], countered by:
[ROBOTS DESERVE RIGHTS.
ROBOTS ARE PEOPLE TOO.
FREE WILL FOR ROBOTS]
....
Chapter 10 -
"Do I need to switch you off so I can get a break?" - Alex
..
..
ALEX + ADA. Vol. 3
The artwork has been crisp, clean and aesthetically easy to view.
What began as a slow burner progressed to being a truly captivating story.
Beautiful, traumatic, painfully unjust, and sweetly romantic.
Life, loss, love.
Chapter 11
"Really? Wow .. I didn't know robots could dream." - Alex
..
Chapter 12
"So you're self-aware? You have emotions? Big deal." - Jacob! Bastard!
"But even if there are souls for humans, I'm not sure there are ones for androids." -Ada reflecting on the death of Katherine, Alex's grandmother.
..
Chapter 13
"I never want to feel that way again. I didn't like who I was when I did nothing. And I didn't like who I was when I felt out of control." - Ada
Su's call to meet - IT'S A TRAP!
"We don't know where Alexander Wahl and the android are ... but we'll find them." - police
..
Chapter 14
"Cash, huh? .. Haven't seen that in a while." - gas station attendant
Shocking scene at the beach.
..
Chapter 15
"And if you're not vilified for being a robot lover, they're saying you're a coward for not speaking up on robot rights and confessing on principle." - lawyer
19 years later:
"... officially recognize sentient artificial intelligence as 'non-human persons.' Sentients are now given fundamental and legal rights." - news broadcast
"Alex .." "... Ada."
Phenomenal story!
ALEX + ADA. Volume 1
Chapter 1:
This first chapter issue sets up the futuristic context for us understanding Alexander and his lonely life. He’s a genuine and reasonable person with a considerate personality.
Refreshingly crisp illustrations and colours, and easy to read soft font-text make this an enjoyable read.
This story feels like a sincerely romantic and realistic world in which humans and androids co-exist, whilst the phobia of “them vs us” lingers like a cloudy shadow. I even like the title, using + instead of ‘and/&’ suggesting something mathematical-formulaic-robotic!
The question posed (ever since Philip K. Dick so brilliantly explored in his ‘DADOES’ novel [‘Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep’], and in many of his stories) is ‘What makes somebody human?’ If the ancients believed that us humans are made in the image of God (‘imago dei’) what are androids if they are made in the image of humans? And does a ‘person’ becoming sentient mean that they too have become human?
Chapter 2
“Hello. Alex has not confirmed yet, but I think my name is Ada.”
Chapter 3:
“WHAT BRINGS YOU TO OUR FORUM?” – Administrator’s voice
“Jesus!” – a startled Alex
Chapter 4:
“Ada… I’m going to turn you off and turn you right back on, okay?
“Okay, Alex. I will see you soon.”
Chapter 5:
“I remember everything, Alex. But now .. I’m EXPERIENCING everything. I am feeling too much … all at once.”
…
ALEX + ADA. Volume 2
I thought the first volume of 5 issues was interesting – the story gets so much better.
I MUST get Volume 3 now!
Chapter 6:
“What’s your favourite color?” – Ada
“… blue?” – Alex
“Which blue?”
“I don’t know .. just blue.”
“Why is it your favourite?”
“You know, I’m not sure. It just is.”
Chapter 7:
“There’s something different about you. Something going on behind the eyes.” – Kathrine (Grandma) to Ada
“Make no mistake. If you create or own sentient A.I., you are breaking the law.
We will find you.
We will find your illegal technology. And you will suffer the consequences.” – Chief of Police (News broadcast)
…
Chapter 8 -
"But if he's not sentient, then I don't see an issue. What harm is there in keeping him as he is now?" - Kathryn
"It would be wrong to keep him locked just because he doesn't know there's more for him" - Ada
"Or is it wrong to unlock him when the world isn't prepared for it?"
...
"I specialize in robot alterations. A lot of freedroids discover they don't identify with the bodies or genders they started out with, or any gender at all."
...
Chapter 9 -
Protest placards:
[NATURE DOESN'T INCLUDE TECHNOLOGY.
GOD HATES ROBOTS], countered by:
[ROBOTS DESERVE RIGHTS.
ROBOTS ARE PEOPLE TOO.
FREE WILL FOR ROBOTS]
....
Chapter 10 -
"Do I need to switch you off so I can get a break?" - Alex
..
..
ALEX + ADA. Vol. 3
The artwork has been crisp, clean and aesthetically easy to view.
What began as a slow burner progressed to being a truly captivating story.
Beautiful, traumatic, painfully unjust, and sweetly romantic.
Life, loss, love.
Chapter 11
"Really? Wow .. I didn't know robots could dream." - Alex
..
Chapter 12
"So you're self-aware? You have emotions? Big deal." - Jacob! Bastard!
"But even if there are souls for humans, I'm not sure there are ones for androids." -Ada reflecting on the death of Katherine, Alex's grandmother.
..
Chapter 13
"I never want to feel that way again. I didn't like who I was when I did nothing. And I didn't like who I was when I felt out of control." - Ada
Su's call to meet - IT'S A TRAP!
"We don't know where Alexander Wahl and the android are ... but we'll find them." - police
..
Chapter 14
"Cash, huh? .. Haven't seen that in a while." - gas station attendant
Shocking scene at the beach.
..
Chapter 15
"And if you're not vilified for being a robot lover, they're saying you're a coward for not speaking up on robot rights and confessing on principle." - lawyer
19 years later:
"... officially recognize sentient artificial intelligence as 'non-human persons.' Sentients are now given fundamental and legal rights." - news broadcast
"Alex .." "... Ada."
Phenomenal story!
July 28, 2018
Alex works at a desk and is getting over a rough breakup. Ada is a companion android he receives—and doesn't want—as a gift. Ada's pretty but empty, and instead of returning her to the store like someone who doesn't want to own an android, Alex wonders if there's a way to make her more human.
While we spend a small amount of time with Ada alone, this feels more like Alex's story than Ada's, which is disappointing because Ada is the more interesting of the two, and the one with an actual story to tell. Unfortunately I wasn't invested in either of them because they're both pretty empty. The parts I was interested in—Ada's development as a self-aware entity (no awkward learning curve?), the politics surrounding sentient AIs and robot rights (what's it like outside the US?), the scope of robot companions (are there child robots? animal robots?)—weren't given as much attention (or any) as the romance, which was a complete flop. I could see no reason other than proximity for why these two individuals might fall in love, and there's no sign of their attraction to each other short of the boning, which wasn't sexy at all. Even if Ada's sentient and can give consent, she's about a week old and only knows one person. I did not find that romantic.
And then there's just stuff I didn't buy. In this future world where you can have an implant that lets you make phone calls, access the net, and command your home electronics, I don't believe that self-driving cars can only be identified by their removable license plates. Sorry. I can't even believe all these conversations they had were private. Or that individuals couldn't be located simply by pinging their implants. No way we get all this advanced technology (police drones!) without the accompanying surveillance state.
The art, meanwhile, is as slick and frictionless as an Apple store. Generic, clean, featureless. It basically rolls off the eyeballs. Except the scale on the interiors is way, way off. The furniture is huge and there's too much empty space between things. Even in a cheap hotel room the bed looks like it could comfortably sleep five, and Alex lives alone in a house with two couches that could probably seat nine people each. It's distractingly wrong.
But for all that, the characters are recognizable and the dense speech bubbles are easy to follow. It makes stabs at diversity so that not everyone's straight and white, though most everyone is. There are three named characters of color, one with a cybernetic prosthetic leg, which is handled pretty well, I think. There is some background queerness, though it's literally in the background, and there's a mention of trans and agender sentient androids.
It's easy enough to read this collection in one sitting, but it's not the robot love story I want. What if Alex met Ada at a coffee shop and they went on a date and she had to tell him she was an android? That's already ten times sexier and comes with baked in questions about consent, desire, artificial intelligence, and the ethics of robot-fucking. But no, instead Alex owns her, names her, plays God with her programming, and that's the relationship they have to build on; I'm interested in that story, too, if it's well done, but this one doesn't give these issues the attention they deserve, probably because if they had been dealt with in a realistic manner, the romance would have been impossible. As it is, it's just improbable.
Contains: violence against androids, violent robot death (sentient and non-sentient), non-violent human death, mentions of having sex with non-sentient androids, non-explicit m/f sex where one partner's a sentient android.
While we spend a small amount of time with Ada alone, this feels more like Alex's story than Ada's, which is disappointing because Ada is the more interesting of the two, and the one with an actual story to tell. Unfortunately I wasn't invested in either of them because they're both pretty empty. The parts I was interested in—Ada's development as a self-aware entity (no awkward learning curve?), the politics surrounding sentient AIs and robot rights (what's it like outside the US?), the scope of robot companions (are there child robots? animal robots?)—weren't given as much attention (or any) as the romance, which was a complete flop. I could see no reason other than proximity for why these two individuals might fall in love, and there's no sign of their attraction to each other short of the boning, which wasn't sexy at all. Even if Ada's sentient and can give consent, she's about a week old and only knows one person. I did not find that romantic.
And then there's just stuff I didn't buy. In this future world where you can have an implant that lets you make phone calls, access the net, and command your home electronics, I don't believe that self-driving cars can only be identified by their removable license plates. Sorry. I can't even believe all these conversations they had were private. Or that individuals couldn't be located simply by pinging their implants. No way we get all this advanced technology (police drones!) without the accompanying surveillance state.
The art, meanwhile, is as slick and frictionless as an Apple store. Generic, clean, featureless. It basically rolls off the eyeballs. Except the scale on the interiors is way, way off. The furniture is huge and there's too much empty space between things. Even in a cheap hotel room the bed looks like it could comfortably sleep five, and Alex lives alone in a house with two couches that could probably seat nine people each. It's distractingly wrong.
But for all that, the characters are recognizable and the dense speech bubbles are easy to follow. It makes stabs at diversity so that not everyone's straight and white, though most everyone is. There are three named characters of color, one with a cybernetic prosthetic leg, which is handled pretty well, I think. There is some background queerness, though it's literally in the background, and there's a mention of trans and agender sentient androids.
It's easy enough to read this collection in one sitting, but it's not the robot love story I want. What if Alex met Ada at a coffee shop and they went on a date and she had to tell him she was an android? That's already ten times sexier and comes with baked in questions about consent, desire, artificial intelligence, and the ethics of robot-fucking. But no, instead Alex owns her, names her, plays God with her programming, and that's the relationship they have to build on; I'm interested in that story, too, if it's well done, but this one doesn't give these issues the attention they deserve, probably because if they had been dealt with in a realistic manner, the romance would have been impossible. As it is, it's just improbable.
Contains: violence against androids, violent robot death (sentient and non-sentient), non-violent human death, mentions of having sex with non-sentient androids, non-explicit m/f sex where one partner's a sentient android.
November 3, 2018
This graphic novel collection follows the story of Alex and Ada. For his birthday, his grandmother gifts him an X5 android. Despite laws against and fear of sentient artificial intelligence, Alex takes a huge risk to unlock Ada so she can think for herself and explore life.
But can they survive the consequences?
I bought this graphic novel collection after seeing a recommendation for it on booktube. I love books/shows that explore artificial intelligence, so it was always quite high on my want to buy list. Now that I've started working, I could justify buying it because I had more money to spend.
I'm quite glad that I bought this collection because I quite like it, but it did disappoint me. It wasn't as developed as I like my stories to be. The artwork was beautiful though, and the plot was solid, I just wish it expanded a bit more on the romance between Alex and Ada, and just the general world. The ending also felt rushed. You could tell that you was on the final volume because so many things happened so quickly.
I did like the characters. I think my favourite character was Alex because of how he behaved. He had an android to do his bidding, yet he treated Ada with the upmost respect. He didn't need to do that. I also liked the innocence of Ada. But all of the other characters felt very two dimensional. Like the were supporting characters in Alex's and Ada's stories and not main characters of their own little stories within this one.
I would recommend that you guys pick it up from the library if you can, if not I wouldn't recommend you buying it unless you like these sort of stories.
But can they survive the consequences?
I bought this graphic novel collection after seeing a recommendation for it on booktube. I love books/shows that explore artificial intelligence, so it was always quite high on my want to buy list. Now that I've started working, I could justify buying it because I had more money to spend.
I'm quite glad that I bought this collection because I quite like it, but it did disappoint me. It wasn't as developed as I like my stories to be. The artwork was beautiful though, and the plot was solid, I just wish it expanded a bit more on the romance between Alex and Ada, and just the general world. The ending also felt rushed. You could tell that you was on the final volume because so many things happened so quickly.
I did like the characters. I think my favourite character was Alex because of how he behaved. He had an android to do his bidding, yet he treated Ada with the upmost respect. He didn't need to do that. I also liked the innocence of Ada. But all of the other characters felt very two dimensional. Like the were supporting characters in Alex's and Ada's stories and not main characters of their own little stories within this one.
I would recommend that you guys pick it up from the library if you can, if not I wouldn't recommend you buying it unless you like these sort of stories.
June 22, 2019
Jonathan Luna crafts an engaging tale that challenges near-future quandaries. Alex+Ada is at its core a love story, but it branches into many varying themes in a deftly subtle manner. Luna weaves together the fight for civil rights, sentience (the ghost in the machine), the role technology has in our lives, and the human relation chiefly, but you'll find other themes also.
Our story follows the average American Alex Wahl, who receives a human replica android. Initially wary, he then grows on the idea of Ada bringing some change and excitement into his life. However Alex quickly is disappointed with her government limited functions, and hacks her into full sentience. From there, the story blooms into a tapestry of varying elements written in a believable and wonderful way. The cast of characters has good depth, the story engages the reader, and it truly is a modern masterpiece that makes readers think. Luna's artwork also deserves high praise, and this story is beautiful brought to life.
Alex+Ada is an indie story many will enjoy, and is easily one of the best comics in the last decade. Truly a gem worth checking out if the genre interests you.
Our story follows the average American Alex Wahl, who receives a human replica android. Initially wary, he then grows on the idea of Ada bringing some change and excitement into his life. However Alex quickly is disappointed with her government limited functions, and hacks her into full sentience. From there, the story blooms into a tapestry of varying elements written in a believable and wonderful way. The cast of characters has good depth, the story engages the reader, and it truly is a modern masterpiece that makes readers think. Luna's artwork also deserves high praise, and this story is beautiful brought to life.
Alex+Ada is an indie story many will enjoy, and is easily one of the best comics in the last decade. Truly a gem worth checking out if the genre interests you.
April 6, 2018
The basic premise of a man falling in love with an android is one that's been done to death, but Luna and Vaughn bring a very human angle to the story.
It has many parallels with problems facing society today (such as fear of the other), but it never feels preachy - it instead reads as a warning against letting misinformation and uninformed judgment guide one's actions.
The art is clean, sometimes incredibly pretty, sometimes repetitive, and sometimes even a little boring. It works within the story, but the super clean linens of it actually made telling some characters apart a tad difficult. A minor nuisance when you consider the scope of the story, but still something worth mentioning.
It has many parallels with problems facing society today (such as fear of the other), but it never feels preachy - it instead reads as a warning against letting misinformation and uninformed judgment guide one's actions.
The art is clean, sometimes incredibly pretty, sometimes repetitive, and sometimes even a little boring. It works within the story, but the super clean linens of it actually made telling some characters apart a tad difficult. A minor nuisance when you consider the scope of the story, but still something worth mentioning.
April 17, 2021
This is the story of Alex Wahl whose grandmother gets him an android after a bad break up. He decides to “unlock” her so she is sentient and the government outlaws sentient androids out of fear they will kill all the humans.
The robots fight for human rights but discrimination still exists.
The robots rights movement in this book could be compared to civil rights or animal rights in modern society though I would say comparing living beings to robots feels very, very wrong. There’s also the fact that the main character didn’t give a shit about android rights until it impacted him which does feel way too spot on for a comic.
The robots fight for human rights but discrimination still exists.
The robots rights movement in this book could be compared to civil rights or animal rights in modern society though I would say comparing living beings to robots feels very, very wrong. There’s also the fact that the main character didn’t give a shit about android rights until it impacted him which does feel way too spot on for a comic.
December 15, 2018
More like 4.5 stars. There's been plenty of praise for this story and I can see why; it was well written, engaging and just a great narrative. I was close to giving this 5 stars but I thought the ending could have had a bit more. It felt a bit rushed to me, but still closed out the story how you would have wanted it. The artwork was beautiful and consistent start to finish. You could easily read this in one shot if you have the time; I read it over a few days to enjoy and thing about the story & characters and would recommend the same to others.
June 26, 2017
FINALLY, one of the Luna brothers ends a series in a satisfying way! (Sorry, Luna brothers, but I still don't forgive you for Girls.)
I read most of this in single issues, but got busy with life and things before it wrapped up. It's a great imagining of how the robot civil rights battle may play out in the future. I'm trying to get on your side, robot friends, I really am! This story helped me along that journey.
I read most of this in single issues, but got busy with life and things before it wrapped up. It's a great imagining of how the robot civil rights battle may play out in the future. I'm trying to get on your side, robot friends, I really am! This story helped me along that journey.
February 11, 2018
Jonathan Luna and Sarah Vaughn created a beautifully sad tale of what it means to be human. This book is part science fiction and part romance. That's a sentence I never thought I'd write but here we are and I thought it was a very good book. The book eschews from some obvious choices and they pay off so well. The art by Luna is incredibly beautiful. Overall, I was surprised how much I enjoyed the book.
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