“American Comics struggle with getting science fiction right.”
A bold, loud, self-righteous statement which hits the nail on the head when describing the inadequacies of independent comic book creators who, spend more time on trying to make their own entries into the hallowed halls of American History, appear unique and different. Rather than concentrate on the essentials of what makes science fiction an inspiring and unique sub-genre. The essential pieces to this virtuous puzzle are often missing. Pieces like using science fiction to point out the challenges and lack of progression of our time.
Science Fiction can be the penultimate literary sub-genre that challenges societal norms but more often that not, gets swept up in the fancy heroic bullshit of space wizards and intergalactic warriors. Or worse still, the recent movement of far-right lunatics using science fiction as a means to painfully attempt to progress the conversation that every point of view needs a voice at the table: even religious fervour and conservatism. Points of view that are, by their very descriptors, the antithesis of what science fiction means to create.
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Top Cow delivers another worthwhile Sci-Fi tale
Every few years or so, Image Comics imprint Top Cow, bucks this trend of flash and style-less substance, releasing a science fiction comic book which spends more time bucking for your shelf space as a re-readable classic than a self stylised piece of superhero sodomy. A welcome move that has seen this publisher last the test of time while other contemporaries have open and closed their doors for good.
Zack Kaplan and Guilherme Balbi’s Metal Society is a punishing reversal analysis of the human condition through artificial intelligence and androids to reflect our own shared experience. An experience that is both selfish and unique to the end user, which is complimentary to the subject material of Metal Society as a whole.
What starts as a simple MMA bout between robot and human quickly evolves into a science fiction story lamenting on the issues that faces modern day society. Issues of hate, subjugation and ruling class that have been adopted by Kaplan’s robotic overlords.
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Not your usual Science Fiction comic book
While Metal Society is marketed to the comic book legions of America as being wholly and solely about a fight between humankind and robots – that’s only one very small aspect of this comic book event. Kaplan, rightfully so, uses the fight as a means to instigate the upheaval of this robotic society. From early on in the piece, we’re introduced to a world where robots are the ruling class and species that survived some kind of apocalyptic event, resulting in the extinction of the human race.
As a means to exert their own superiority, the robots decide to genetically engineer humans back into existence. An existence where they’re relegated to menial labor tasks. Construction, shovelling shit, the kind of stuff you don’t want to define your existence with.
With the robots as the ruling class, protagonist Rosa Genthree begins to see the chinks in this classist chain, pointing out that humans want to contribute to this futuristic metal society. The flow on effect is construction robot WOL-421313 losing his job, housing assignment and his companion robot. What follows is an interesting metaphor for a privileged toxic individual (Incel, if you will) having lost his job and his plan to take down society after he challenges Rosa to a fight. A fight to be dealt with in accordance with the robot laws of dealing with conflict. With one slight exception – humans have never gone head to head with a robot before.
The World of Metal Society
The world of Metal Society is a direct echo chamber to the current world we all live in. The robots are the sovereign system that we all yearn to fight against. To confront, to wage war with, to prove wrong. A society that, for all its programming, protocols and wiring, is inherently flawed in allowing it’s very creation to not surpass it but to pinpoint the cracks in this perfectly programmable utopia. While the humans are the underdogs, the threat, the cause of this robotic utopia descending into anarchy and the devolution into a dystopic Wild West.
Metal Society goes places where you want a science fiction tale to go. For all it’s MMA fight centric talk, it’s highly intellectual and tackles the exact problems with capitalism America. While also providing plenty of heart and a narrative on sacrificing oneself to improve their community. An appropriate axiom like “the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few is more than appropriate here.” Metal Society will bring you tear up, it’ll make you furious, it’ll make you rage, it’ll make you smile. It’s everything you want a science fiction story to be.
What did you think of The Metal Society?
You can pick up a copy of The Metal Society from Amazon, Kindle or your local comic shop. While you’re at it let us know what you thought of it by leaving a comment below or giving us a shout on social media.
