Reviews»Comic Books»Rai #3
RAI_003_COVER_B_CRAIN
Kareem Ali 4.5

Rai #3

 

  • The good

    Very interesting world with an intriguing protagonist and back story. Artwork and action are amazing

  • The bad

    Father seems to be oblivious to the obvious tactics of others to influence Rai

  • The ugly

  • Rai #3 has the Raddies believing Rai was obliterated by their bomb since they saw it detonate while in his hands and his body be blown to pieces. However one of them isn’t completely sure because his brothers were in old L.A. when Rai went on a killing spree. He believes Rai has a special connection to Japan and as a result he can literally travel through it, and also creates the swords he uses as if they’re an extension of his body. He says Rai isn’t human and it’s impossible to destroy him completely because he can always regenerate since he’s mostly livewire. The other 2 dismiss it as just propoganda, more Father-Speak so they’re completely distracted when Rai appears behind them decapitating one before taking care of the other two. Seeing he’s not dead the other Raddies attack but since he’s aware that there are two more bombs he tries to get one of the Raddies to lead him to them. He knows that if they succeed in destroying the solar collector Japan will suffer due to a lack of energy, and with Father’s permission he plans on taking all of them out, including their boss. But with others possessing the truth of his nature and the identity of the woman killed while he is unaware of it, will his world be shattered once it’s revealed to him?

    RAI_003_COVER_B_CRAIN
    Even though it’s only 3 issues in, I decided to jump into the series here and see how it was knowing there would be a summary of events to this point in the story arc before the issue began. And immediately the artwork put the biggest smile on my face as I stared at the first few pages examining every single detail. The visuals were that amazing to me and it just captures the futuristic vibe completely. The tale told by one of the Raddies raised Rai’s stature in my eyes even before he was shown in the present, and his actual appearance was just masterful. The writing made me more curious about the structure of this futuristic world with Father being the leader of Japan and the relationship with other cities. Yes, the action to start this issue off was amazing, and Rai’s skills are thoroughly impressive as he makes light work of the Raddies trying to destroy him but the world and characters were fascinating too. Despite not seeing the events preceding it I found myself engrossed in Spylocke and Lula’s situation and the latter escaping with the secret she wanted to share about Rai. And even though Lula believed she would be helping Rai, Spylocke was fully aware of the way that information affected the previous Rai’s. What was most remarkable about this introductory issue for me was how rich future storylines could be as a result of this world, and the pacing means every issue will be just as entertaining. There’s the concept of companions for humans, and the one companion whose human was killed and not knowing what to do will obviously have some big impact at some point, and the setup I won’t reveal because of spoilers. Rai has impressed me with a world I want to dive in and characters that are visually stunning as well as intriguing, and now I have a new monthly book to enjoy.

     

    SUMMARY

    Rai #3 is an excellent issue that has pulled me into its futuristic world, and now I don’t want to leave as I can’t wait to get my hands on the next issue and see how things unfold for these characters who are new to me but very rich. As one who loves sci-fi and martial arts this combines the best of both worlds as there are shades of Blade Runner in its dystopian future and yet the most powerful being uses swords and his mastery of the arts. I’m glad I gave Rai a shot because now I can’t get enough.

     

    Release Date: 7/9/14

    Writer: Matt Kindt

    Artist: Clayton Crain

  • Rating ( 9 )
  • Total score 9.0

2 comments

  1. cobyscomics - July 12, 2014 7:43 AM

    http://cobyscomics.blogspot.com/2014/07/cobys-top-5-comics-of-week-7914.html

    The art is incredible: the location’s have a Final Fantasy VII feal to them while the action scenes are some of the most dynamic in comics today. This issue was all about Rai, who continues to be a strange enigma I can’t wait to learn more about. The Positron losing her human has some interesting story potential as well. My only problem with the concept of Rai is that it feels more like 100 years in the future than 2000, but that’s really an impossible argument. Rai continues to be great sci-fi.

    Reply
    • Kareem Ali - July 12, 2014 8:24 PM

      Great points! It does have the FFVII feel now that I think about it. And you’re right, it’s an impossible argument to make because other factors come into play such as politics, greed (LTE but datacaps) for example, that can slow down technological leaps. Back to the Future II had all these predictions for 2015 that haven’t happened for various reasons

      Reply

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