Valiant; $3.99

New Japan has fallen and Father died, but he managed to implant versions of himself in each sector, to remain somewhat sentient. Rai and Raijin have made it their mission to find those sentient offspring pieces and destroy them before Father can reboot.  

They have tracked one of the offspring to an abandoned ghost zone where one house is mysteriously perfect amid the rubble. Inside they meet a lonely woman who just wants some company, though they are unaware if she knows that one of Father’s offspring is there.

The new Rai series by Dan Abnett is off to a good start. The mission is clear and focused, yet the first two issues had very different tones. The first had a postapocalyptic desert feel while this one has a creepy suburbia vibe. Through the fresh style shifts and engaging conflict, Rai and Raijin have ethical conversations about human emotion and robotics, which makes for a nice, well rounded read.

-Amanda Sheriff