Dark Horse Comics have announced that the husband and wife duo, Michael and Laura Allred, will be teaming with Nate Piekos (“Stranger Things”) to create a new four-part limited series called “X-Ray Robot.” Michael will be writing and illustrating the book, with Laura coloring, and Piekos lettering.
“X-Ray Robot” will tell the story of the two entities called Max. One of the entities is a “family man seeking a more interesting life,” while the other is a robot from the future claiming to be a 277-year old version of Max. The robot appears in front of Max as he is carrying out an experiment and they have to embark on an “interdimensional road trip through past and future” to defeat ‘Nihilist,’ a being seeking to take all life to its ‘pre-Big Bang’ status.
While the Allreds have recently worked on projects such as “Silver Surfer” and “iZombie,” in a press release, Michael detailed that “X-Ray Robot” will expand on the “Madmaniverse,” with “threads” connecting it to other creator-owned projects, such as “It Girl” and “The Atomics.”
Each issue in the series will come with bonus 3D pin-ups.
“X-Ray Robot” #1 will be released on March 25, 2020.
The full press release is as follows:
MILWAUKIE, Ore. (December 9, 2019) — From visionary cartoonist, Michael Allred (Madman, iZombie), colorist Laura Allred (Madman, Catwoman), and letterer Nate Piekos (Stranger Things, The Mask) comes the out-of-this-world road trip X-Ray Robot!
Max is a family man seeking a more interesting life. While conducting a new experiment at work the fabric of his reality is torn before his eyes, and a robotic figure appears claiming to be his 277-year-old self. The robot is able to “X-Ray” multiple dimensions and battles a nihilistic entity from another dimension who wants to take all life to its “Pre-Big Bang” status. Max and the robot embark on an interdimensional road trip through past and future to take down the “Nihilist” and save the universe!
“X-RAY ROBOT expands on my “Madmaniverse”. Some of the threads are more obvious than others, but most of my creator-owned work ties together. It shouldn’t surprise anyone to have someone familiar show up from my other “Madmaniverse” books like It Girl, The Atomics, Spaceman, Mr. Gum, or Red Rocket 7.” –Michael Allred
Each issue of X-Ray Robot contains bonus 3D pin-ups! X-Ray Robot #1 (of four) goes on sale March 25, 2020, and is available for pre-order at your local comic shop.
Praise for X-Ray Robot:
“One of the best cartoonists in all of comics has done it again! X-Ray Robot is another Allred homerun!!”–Brian Michael Bendis (Ultimate Spider-Man, Superman)
“Mike Allred brings the brilliance, imagination, musicality, coolness, but also hope & much needed optimism, in a world of wonders and danger.”–David Mack (Kabuki)
“Comics’ reigning king of pop-art philosophizing and psychedelic psychodrama has once more delivered the goods with X-Ray Robot!”–Chris Roberson (iZombie, Witchfinder)
“Michael Allred kicks so much ass I can barely stand it. X-Ray Robot is the work of a master!”–Rob Thomas (Veronica Mars)
“Mike Allred’s work consistently captures the purest joy and escapism you can find in comics. I have bought everything that Mike has produced for the last thirty years, and X-Ray Robot is on my pull list.”–Alex Ross (Kingdom Come)
“—It just wouldn’t be another Mike Allred masterpiece without existential angst, retro-hip design motifs and clear and clever story-telling. Luckily, X-Ray Robot not only has all of those goodies to spare but also Michael’s other vital element…characters that make us care about them. As always, Mike shines his high-powered x-rays on the human soul, seeking to unveil the quirky and personal realities that live inside all of us.”–Matt Wagner (Grendel, Mage)
“There’s no one quite like Mike Allred, and there’s nothing quite like a Mike Allred comic. X-Ray Robot is another fine example of Allred’s unique take on the world and the comic book medium, by turns insane, moving, gripping, and beautiful. We really need a new word; Allredistic.”–Peter Milligan (Enigma, Tomorrow)
