A Descent into Dullness

A near future scifi movie.  A lonely writer buys one of the new artificially intelligent operating systems.  And then the pair fall in love.  I liked how only like one person really finds anything weird in a meat person and a electronic person who get romantically involved.  And the glimpses of the rest of the new A.I. shared world were neat.  The only thing I had a hard time buying into was Joaquin Phoenix's character's job, which was writing personal and heart felt letters for people.  I mean, supposedly some of his clients had been using this service for YEARS.  How do the people receiving these touching letters not find out and get super pissed off?

Atomic Robo: Vol. 1 Atomic Robo and the Fightin' Scientists of Tesladyne written by Brian Clevenger, art by Scott Wegener, colors by Ronda Pattison and letters by Jeff Powell

In 1923 Niola Tesla unveiled the world's first artificial intelligence, in the form of a Atomic Robo. In 1938 Robo goes on a top secret mission for the U.S. government in exchange for full citizenship rights (the mission involves a secret Himalayan Nazi base). After that Robo goes on to form Tesladyne, where he and his selected action scientists engage the strange and bizarre. Like giant ants in Nevada or "walking" pyramids in Egypt. Or maybe secret, once lost Nazi science bases...

Clevenger's sense of humor (familiar to those who know him from his webcomic 8-bit Theater) is what makes this book shine. Its not just watching a robot smash a giant ant with a car. Its clever and well-crafted jokes WHILE hitting a giant ant with a Buick...