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Self/Made #3
Self/Made #3
“THE SPORT OF GHOST KINGS”With the walls closing in on them, Amala and her creator must set aside their differences—because a vengeful Brycemere is coming for them, with a horde of cybernetic zombies at his back.
- GenresComicsGraphic Novels
30 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 6, 2019
About the author
Mat Groom
95 books19 followersMat Groom is a writer from Sydney, Australia, where he works on branding and narrative development at the creative agency For The People and teaches open-to-the-public storytelling classes.
Self/Made is Mat’s solo comics writing debut.
Self/Made is Mat’s solo comics writing debut.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
August 4, 2026
After the shocking revelations in the previous issue, Self/Made #3 shifts its focus from discovery to survival. Instead of dwelling on the mystery of Amala's true identity, the story explores what happens after the truth has been uncovered. Rebecca now understands the magnitude of what she has unintentionally created, while Amala is forced to question everything she has ever believed about herself. This issue places both characters in an entirely unfamiliar environment, creating an intense action-packed story that also serves as an emotional examination of identity, trust, and what it truly means to be alive.
The cover immediately caught my attention because of how well it represents the issue's overall tone. It features Rebecca and Amala standing together atop a massive rock formation while firing futuristic weapons at a swarm of mechanical enemies surrounding them. Although the composition is fairly straightforward, I appreciate that it doesn't try to be overly symbolic or misleading. Instead, it accurately captures the chaos waiting inside the pages. The warm reds and oranges dominating the background create a sense of urgency and destruction, making the battlefield feel relentless. I also like the subtle use of color on the characters themselves. The touches of red around Amala seem to symbolize her growing strength and determination despite the overwhelming circumstances surrounding her. Rebecca's blue accents, on the other hand, feel representative of her loyalty and unwavering commitment to protecting her life's work, even when it means risking everything. Meanwhile, the green highlights on the robotic enemies create an unsettling contrast that reinforces their role as dangerous, almost unnatural threats. It is a simple cover, but one that effectively communicates both the action and emotional stakes of the story.
The story begins immediately after the events of the previous issue, where Rebecca realizes that the company no longer views Amala as a groundbreaking achievement but as a dangerous mistake that must be erased. Instead of celebrating the creation of genuine artificial consciousness, the corporation sees Amala as a liability capable of disrupting everything they have built. Determined to save her creation, Rebecca secretly transfers Amala into another digital world known as Plaga. Unlike Arcadia's medieval fantasy setting, Plaga is a brutal futuristic war game filled with advanced technology, ruined industrial landscapes, terrifying cybernetic monsters, and relentless combat. Rebecca hopes that exposing Amala to an environment she was never programmed for will demonstrate that she possesses genuine consciousness rather than simply following predetermined scripts.
The transition into Plaga is understandably overwhelming for Amala. She has only just learned that her entire life was built on a lie, and before she has the opportunity to process that devastating revelation, she is suddenly thrown into a completely different world governed by unfamiliar rules. Gone are the swords, shields, castles, and magic that defined her existence. Instead, she is handed rifles, grenades, and futuristic equipment she cannot even begin to comprehend. Watching her struggle to understand these weapons made her feel even more human because her reactions weren't those of a programmed character instantly adapting to new mechanics. She was confused, frightened, hesitant, and emotionally overwhelmed. Those responses made her feel like an actual person experiencing culture shock rather than an artificial intelligence executing new instructions.
What impressed me most about this issue was how naturally the action and philosophical discussions were woven together. The constant pursuit by the Ghost King and the hordes of cybernetic enemies kept the pacing exciting, but every firefight also pushed Amala closer to confronting difficult questions about herself. She repeatedly asks Rebecca who she really is, why she was created, why the company wants her destroyed, and whether any of her previous life was ever real. These conversations carry far more emotional weight than the combat itself because they reveal just how deeply Amala is struggling to accept the truth.
Rebecca also becomes a much stronger character in this issue. Instead of treating Amala as an experiment or simply dumping scientific terminology on her, she patiently explains complicated concepts using language that Amala can actually understand. Since Amala comes from a fantasy world, Rebecca avoids overwhelming her with technical explanations and instead frames everything in ways that resemble the world Amala already knows. I loved this detail because it shows how compassionate Rebecca truly is. She understands that simply telling Amala the truth isn't enough. She has to communicate it in a way that Amala can emotionally process. Even then, Amala still finds it difficult to believe her. Rebecca asks for trust, but from Amala's perspective, trusting the very person responsible for creating her entire existence isn't something that can happen overnight. That hesitation feels completely justified.
One of my favorite moments occurs when Amala abandons the futuristic weapons and creates her own makeshift spear. That instantly reminded me of her life in Arcadia and symbolized that although her surroundings have changed, her identity hasn't completely disappeared. She doesn't become stronger because of advanced technology; she becomes stronger because she refuses to abandon who she truly is. That small callback to her original weapon says so much about her character development. It proves that adaptation doesn't necessarily mean changing yourself entirely. Sometimes it means carrying pieces of your past into an uncertain future.
The Ghost King serves as an excellent antagonist throughout the simulation. Seeing Brycemere reflected through this terrifying figure immediately made him feel even more threatening. Every appearance of the Ghost King intensified the suspense because his pursuit never seemed to stop. The chase sequences were genuinely exhilarating, creating constant tension as Rebecca desperately searched for ways to keep Amala alive while simultaneously trying to explain impossible truths. Reading these scenes was incredibly exciting, but I also felt strangely guilty for enjoying them. For Rebecca and Brycemere, Plaga is simply another game simulation used for testing. For Amala, however, every explosion, every monster, and every injury is completely real. She isn't playing a game; she's fighting for her life. That contrast adds a layer of emotional weight that made every action scene much more meaningful.
I also found Brycemere's approach to explaining reality significantly more disturbing than Rebecca's. While Rebecca carefully considers Amala's emotions, Brycemere delivers the truth with complete indifference. Hearing him bluntly explain that she was created solely for entertainment was heartbreaking. It forced Amala to confront perhaps the cruelest realization imaginable—that everything she believed about herself existed only because someone designed it that way. Imagining the emotional devastation of discovering that your entire purpose was simply to entertain others genuinely hurt. Even though Amala is technically an artificial intelligence, her pain feels undeniably human.
As the simulation reaches its climax, Amala finally begins connecting the pieces of the truth she has been searching for. Armed with a better understanding of herself and fueled by Rebecca's promise that she will eventually answer every question honestly, she manages to outsmart Brycemere and successfully detonate the bomb while he is distracted. Watching Amala defeat Brycemere for the second time was incredibly satisfying because it wasn't achieved through superior strength alone. She won because she had learned, adapted, and refused to give up despite everything she had endured.
For a brief moment, it seemed as though Rebecca and Amala had finally earned a small victory. Rebecca even appears relieved that Amala is beginning to accept the impossible reality surrounding her existence. Unfortunately, that relief doesn't last long. Mr. Bussutil and Brycemere immediately destroy any hope of a peaceful resolution. This ending frustrated me immensely, particularly because I couldn't understand the company's reasoning. If they truly believed Amala represented such a dangerous threat, why even entertain Rebecca's proposal in the first place? Why allow the project to continue only to violently reject it once it exceeded expectations? Rather than embracing innovation, the company chooses to cling to rigid systems where everything must remain predictable and controllable.
Brycemere only made me dislike him even more during the final pages. Watching him literally crush Amala into pieces was difficult to witness because it felt less like destroying software and more like murdering someone who had finally begun understanding her own existence. I can only hope Rebecca anticipated something like this and prepared a backup beforehand. Ironically, being separated from the company might ultimately become the best thing that could happen to her. Without corporate interference restricting her ideas, Rebecca may finally have the freedom to continue developing Amala and the self-determining programs that challenge the outdated belief that artificial intelligence should exist only within predefined boundaries.
Overall, Self/Made #3 delivers an exciting blend of science-fiction action and emotional storytelling while continuing to ask fascinating philosophical questions about consciousness, identity, and free will. More importantly, it explores how groundbreaking ideas are often rejected simply because they challenge established norms. Rebecca and Amala's relationship grows significantly throughout this issue, transforming from creator and creation into something much closer to genuine companionship. Although the ending leaves the story at one of its darkest moments, it also leaves me incredibly eager to continue reading. I cannot wait to see how Rebecca plans to rebuild Amala and where their journey toward proving the existence of true artificial consciousness will lead next.
The cover immediately caught my attention because of how well it represents the issue's overall tone. It features Rebecca and Amala standing together atop a massive rock formation while firing futuristic weapons at a swarm of mechanical enemies surrounding them. Although the composition is fairly straightforward, I appreciate that it doesn't try to be overly symbolic or misleading. Instead, it accurately captures the chaos waiting inside the pages. The warm reds and oranges dominating the background create a sense of urgency and destruction, making the battlefield feel relentless. I also like the subtle use of color on the characters themselves. The touches of red around Amala seem to symbolize her growing strength and determination despite the overwhelming circumstances surrounding her. Rebecca's blue accents, on the other hand, feel representative of her loyalty and unwavering commitment to protecting her life's work, even when it means risking everything. Meanwhile, the green highlights on the robotic enemies create an unsettling contrast that reinforces their role as dangerous, almost unnatural threats. It is a simple cover, but one that effectively communicates both the action and emotional stakes of the story.
The story begins immediately after the events of the previous issue, where Rebecca realizes that the company no longer views Amala as a groundbreaking achievement but as a dangerous mistake that must be erased. Instead of celebrating the creation of genuine artificial consciousness, the corporation sees Amala as a liability capable of disrupting everything they have built. Determined to save her creation, Rebecca secretly transfers Amala into another digital world known as Plaga. Unlike Arcadia's medieval fantasy setting, Plaga is a brutal futuristic war game filled with advanced technology, ruined industrial landscapes, terrifying cybernetic monsters, and relentless combat. Rebecca hopes that exposing Amala to an environment she was never programmed for will demonstrate that she possesses genuine consciousness rather than simply following predetermined scripts.
The transition into Plaga is understandably overwhelming for Amala. She has only just learned that her entire life was built on a lie, and before she has the opportunity to process that devastating revelation, she is suddenly thrown into a completely different world governed by unfamiliar rules. Gone are the swords, shields, castles, and magic that defined her existence. Instead, she is handed rifles, grenades, and futuristic equipment she cannot even begin to comprehend. Watching her struggle to understand these weapons made her feel even more human because her reactions weren't those of a programmed character instantly adapting to new mechanics. She was confused, frightened, hesitant, and emotionally overwhelmed. Those responses made her feel like an actual person experiencing culture shock rather than an artificial intelligence executing new instructions.
What impressed me most about this issue was how naturally the action and philosophical discussions were woven together. The constant pursuit by the Ghost King and the hordes of cybernetic enemies kept the pacing exciting, but every firefight also pushed Amala closer to confronting difficult questions about herself. She repeatedly asks Rebecca who she really is, why she was created, why the company wants her destroyed, and whether any of her previous life was ever real. These conversations carry far more emotional weight than the combat itself because they reveal just how deeply Amala is struggling to accept the truth.
Rebecca also becomes a much stronger character in this issue. Instead of treating Amala as an experiment or simply dumping scientific terminology on her, she patiently explains complicated concepts using language that Amala can actually understand. Since Amala comes from a fantasy world, Rebecca avoids overwhelming her with technical explanations and instead frames everything in ways that resemble the world Amala already knows. I loved this detail because it shows how compassionate Rebecca truly is. She understands that simply telling Amala the truth isn't enough. She has to communicate it in a way that Amala can emotionally process. Even then, Amala still finds it difficult to believe her. Rebecca asks for trust, but from Amala's perspective, trusting the very person responsible for creating her entire existence isn't something that can happen overnight. That hesitation feels completely justified.
One of my favorite moments occurs when Amala abandons the futuristic weapons and creates her own makeshift spear. That instantly reminded me of her life in Arcadia and symbolized that although her surroundings have changed, her identity hasn't completely disappeared. She doesn't become stronger because of advanced technology; she becomes stronger because she refuses to abandon who she truly is. That small callback to her original weapon says so much about her character development. It proves that adaptation doesn't necessarily mean changing yourself entirely. Sometimes it means carrying pieces of your past into an uncertain future.
The Ghost King serves as an excellent antagonist throughout the simulation. Seeing Brycemere reflected through this terrifying figure immediately made him feel even more threatening. Every appearance of the Ghost King intensified the suspense because his pursuit never seemed to stop. The chase sequences were genuinely exhilarating, creating constant tension as Rebecca desperately searched for ways to keep Amala alive while simultaneously trying to explain impossible truths. Reading these scenes was incredibly exciting, but I also felt strangely guilty for enjoying them. For Rebecca and Brycemere, Plaga is simply another game simulation used for testing. For Amala, however, every explosion, every monster, and every injury is completely real. She isn't playing a game; she's fighting for her life. That contrast adds a layer of emotional weight that made every action scene much more meaningful.
I also found Brycemere's approach to explaining reality significantly more disturbing than Rebecca's. While Rebecca carefully considers Amala's emotions, Brycemere delivers the truth with complete indifference. Hearing him bluntly explain that she was created solely for entertainment was heartbreaking. It forced Amala to confront perhaps the cruelest realization imaginable—that everything she believed about herself existed only because someone designed it that way. Imagining the emotional devastation of discovering that your entire purpose was simply to entertain others genuinely hurt. Even though Amala is technically an artificial intelligence, her pain feels undeniably human.
As the simulation reaches its climax, Amala finally begins connecting the pieces of the truth she has been searching for. Armed with a better understanding of herself and fueled by Rebecca's promise that she will eventually answer every question honestly, she manages to outsmart Brycemere and successfully detonate the bomb while he is distracted. Watching Amala defeat Brycemere for the second time was incredibly satisfying because it wasn't achieved through superior strength alone. She won because she had learned, adapted, and refused to give up despite everything she had endured.
For a brief moment, it seemed as though Rebecca and Amala had finally earned a small victory. Rebecca even appears relieved that Amala is beginning to accept the impossible reality surrounding her existence. Unfortunately, that relief doesn't last long. Mr. Bussutil and Brycemere immediately destroy any hope of a peaceful resolution. This ending frustrated me immensely, particularly because I couldn't understand the company's reasoning. If they truly believed Amala represented such a dangerous threat, why even entertain Rebecca's proposal in the first place? Why allow the project to continue only to violently reject it once it exceeded expectations? Rather than embracing innovation, the company chooses to cling to rigid systems where everything must remain predictable and controllable.
Brycemere only made me dislike him even more during the final pages. Watching him literally crush Amala into pieces was difficult to witness because it felt less like destroying software and more like murdering someone who had finally begun understanding her own existence. I can only hope Rebecca anticipated something like this and prepared a backup beforehand. Ironically, being separated from the company might ultimately become the best thing that could happen to her. Without corporate interference restricting her ideas, Rebecca may finally have the freedom to continue developing Amala and the self-determining programs that challenge the outdated belief that artificial intelligence should exist only within predefined boundaries.
Overall, Self/Made #3 delivers an exciting blend of science-fiction action and emotional storytelling while continuing to ask fascinating philosophical questions about consciousness, identity, and free will. More importantly, it explores how groundbreaking ideas are often rejected simply because they challenge established norms. Rebecca and Amala's relationship grows significantly throughout this issue, transforming from creator and creation into something much closer to genuine companionship. Although the ending leaves the story at one of its darkest moments, it also leaves me incredibly eager to continue reading. I cannot wait to see how Rebecca plans to rebuild Amala and where their journey toward proving the existence of true artificial consciousness will lead next.
February 9, 2019
I loved this issue of Self/Made. The way our two characters, one human and one AI, worked together was fascinating. I won’t say that they were a team made in heaven because they absolutely had their issues. But they handled themselves well and really did get to show off how brilliant they each are. Which is amazing.
I’m not really surprised by how this issue ended. I think we all could have seen that coming. Some people are just too controlling to allow for progress and the likelihood of finding those people likely increase inside a corporation.
I’m not really surprised by how this issue ended. I think we all could have seen that coming. Some people are just too controlling to allow for progress and the likelihood of finding those people likely increase inside a corporation.
February 15, 2019
I enjoyed this. The interactions between creator/creation. Or real/not real. Only, what counts as real? And while I didn't find the ending surprising at all (again, the antagonists of this piece are a bit cliche/much, though that's balanced by our programmer also demonstrating her own lack of civil skills) I do want to see where the next issue goes. So all is forgiven.
The fight in the game ended how I'd hoped, and that didn't leave me feeling like it was cliche. I was happy to see it play out the way it did.
This whole concept is cool.
38/50
The fight in the game ended how I'd hoped, and that didn't leave me feeling like it was cliche. I was happy to see it play out the way it did.
This whole concept is cool.
38/50
February 14, 2019
Rebecca and Amala must team up in Self/Made No. 3 if they are to prove how important Rebecca’s creation is. But they need to trust each other first.
Read my full review at BamSmackPow.
Read my full review at BamSmackPow.
February 19, 2019
This series is getting good, still loving the ai premise.
March 6, 2019
Hmm... this just might get interesting.. I think I’ve got issue #4 in the mail. Otherwise I’ll probably bail, unless my local library gets the trade.
November 16, 2019
Great issue. Good story progression, interesting characters and a cool concept.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews