Posted in: Comics | Tagged: aftershock, omar francia, ryan parrott, volition

Ryan Parrott and Omar Francia Explore Robot Rights in Volition, a New AfterShock Comic for August

Published Tue, 15 May 2018 11:05:26 -0500

AfterShock Comics has announced another new series launching this August from the creative team of Ryan Parrott and Omar Francia. Volition takes place in a near-future world where artificially intelligent robots serve as slaves to humanity. From the press release:

VOLITION #1 / $3.99 / 32 pages / Color / on sale 8.15.2018
writer: Ryan Parrott
artist: Omar Francia
color: Omar Francia
letterer: Marshall Dillon
cover: Omar Francia

In a not-too-distant future, artificial intelligence has spawned a race of robots that serve all of humanity. Robots are considered second class citizens, but a few in the A.I. community are fighting back in a constant struggle for equal rights.

When a debilitating virus called "Rust" threatens all artificial life, salvation lies in the most unlikely of robotic heroes—not a warrior or an solider, but in an obsolete construction worker and a dedicated caregiver. Together, HALE-19 and AMBER-7T embark on a perilous journey in search of a cure that could potentially change the balance of power on Earth forever. The next bold adventure from Aftershock Comics begins here!

From writer Ryan Parrott (Saban's Go Go Power Rangers, Star Trek, Batman: Gates of Gotham) and new artist sensation Omar Francia (Star Wars, Mass Effect) comes an epic quest into a dazzling future world told through the lens of AfterShock Comics!

Should we be alarmed that dystopian future stories are taking place more and more frequently in the near future? The robopocalypse is nearly upon us, people!

In the press release, writer Parrott (not an actual parrot) (we think) talked about the story:

VOLITION is basically a science-fiction fable. It's set in a future where robots have become self-aware but, instead trying to subjugate or destroy mankind, they basically just assimilated into society — living normal everyday lives right beside us. However, their biggest problem is that technology isn't slowing down… so some robots go to extreme, even illegal, lengths to stay top-of-the-line and that leads to the creation of a consciousness destroying virus called "Rust". So our story is about two DOWN ON THEIR LUCK robots who meet in a decommission facility and basically go on a journey to find their creator and see if they can help save robot kind from annihilation — but, you know, in a Lethal Weapon roadtrip kinda way.

I'm excited for people to read this because it's a story about HOPE. Today, it seems like the future is so scary and bleak, it's easy to feel like you can't change things or make a difference. But this story is about taking charge of your future and making it what you want it to be. And the best part is I think Omar Francia's amazing vision of that future is perfection. Every panel is a cover with so much incredible detail. It's a world I hope people want to live in and experience month to month.

Perhaps getting a little ahead of himself, he also discussed who he'd like to star in the movie adaptation:

Well, since so much of this series is about robots — ideally, I'd like Andy Serkis and Toby Kebbell to bring it to life through motion capture the same way they did in the Planet of the Apes trilogy. And if it was possible, Helen Mirren and Dame Judy Dench playing the bad ass "Cagey and Lacy" detective duo of Drivas and Lawton. I mean who wouldn't want to see that? But seriously, it's such a huge world we're trying to create — to be able to see it in real life would almost be too much for me.

And it wouldn't be an AfterShock press release without some praise for AfterShock:

I sincerely mean this, but — I couldn't be happier with my creative experience at AfterShock Comics. This book has been a long time in the making and they gave me a chance when I really hadn't done anything of my own. They're supportive, constructive, imaginative and have a genuine passion to expand the comic medium in so many new, interesting ways. It's just a fantastic playground to be allowed to play in.

Look for Volition in stores on August 15th. Check out the cover and a preview below.