ICYMI: If Destruction Be Our Lot #4: Malfunctions

Abe has hit rock bottom, or maybe metal bottom in this case, but there is so much further to fall. With nothing left to lose, Abe loses himself in the high of jolts, that is until the human from the factory reappears within the city. Desperate for answers, Abe travels out of the city to a territory that no bot has ever been before.

IDBOL has done a solid job of illustrating the complexities of the human condition through the somewhat industrious lives of its various bots. Abe is still very much the center, which continues to highlight that his human-like appearance allows him to straddle uneasily between both worlds. Here he explores the harrowing specter of addiction, as the trauma brought on by the change the human has brought to his mundane life becomes a bit too much for the “president”. The way this spiral is depicted is so visceral to the point where I wonder if there is some sort of experience the writers have had with this topic.

The Rosenbergs don’t go too heavy on the expositional dialogue this time around, instead letting the art and the flow of events detail the story and move the plot along very well. Abe’s continued descent into darkness and addiction is sad to witness because of how real it feels at times. Even Abe finally seeing the human girl and following after seems less like a light in the darkness and more of a precursor to more danger.

Andy McDonald handles a bulk of the storytelling here and as usual does a pretty good job of expanding on the script. Francesco Segala’s dark color palette perfectly highlights Abe’s mental space, so much so the light of the desert sun feels more oppressive than joyful.