D4VE

D4VE #1-5

by Ryan Ferrier, Valentín Ramón (Illustrator)

Primetime TV; mortgages; traffic jams. The robots conquered earth, wiping out all life in the galaxy, but nothing changed. Meet D4VE, the greatest robot war hero, now trapped behind a desk at a soul-sucking day job. Can something, somewhere snap him out of this slump? Will a new presence on 34RTH ignite his long-lost spark for battle?

Genres: Graphic Novels, Comics, Science Fiction, Humor, Graphic Novels Comics, Robots, Aliens

124 pages, Paperback

First published September 29, 2015

Reviews

[Taylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

This graphic novel started off slow and weird but it really started to grow on me.
But even though it did grow on me, I didn't love it. It was fun and I enjoyed it but it wasn't Saga or Rat Queens good.
I'd still recommend D4ve if you're into graphic novels and/or love computers and technology.

[Tom LA · Rating 4 out of 5]

This comic book is SUCH fun. It’s not “perfect”, but still, in a sense it’s absolutely perfect. Congratulations to the creators. This is a masterwork. Clever, hilarious, original, bold, creative — and full of visual inventions. Down to the small details. Just wonderful. A joy of a book.

Squarely in the 5% of truly high-quality comic books with brains (95% of them is brainless, sorry comic book industry, and thank you US education system).

Strangely, the author does not mention this book in his list of works on his Twitter profile. I hope he is proud of this work because he should be.

[TJ Shelby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Started slow, finished hilariously. I wasn't sure at first but it grew on me and even writing this now (a week later) I still find myself smiling while remembering it and telling myself I can burn through this again quickly (it's only 5 issues long). Do yourself a favor and give this a read. It's a quirky twist on an oh-so-familiar plot line (man creates robots, robots gain AI, robots destroy man) that won't leave you disappointed.

[Alex Sarll]

The robots rose up and destroyed us...but were unable to escape the legacy of human thinking, so continue to exist in a simulacrum of late capitalism, where Bad Boys 5 has just been released, mild cursing runs to 'Jobsdamned' and 'William H Gates', and a robot husband haplessly claims the shop was out of oil despite it being the only thing they consume. D4VE was a war hero once; now he's a schlub with an office job he hates, an arsehole boss he hates, and a newly-ordered teenage son who doesn't respect him and is constantly wanking. Despite, as I may have mentioned, all of them being robots. But then, oh happy day, a time again comes when the robots need somebody to kick some ass while delivering improbable one-liners...

Even beyond the deliberately ridiculous elements of the set-up, there were one or two details I don't think quite worked; little is gained by the couple of pages wherein the robots purge the galaxy of all life compared to the unanswered questions it raises later. But for the most part it's a very funny comic in which a robot gets drunk and beats someone to death with their comrade's spine, so I can't complain too much.

[Patrick · Rating 3 out of 5]

A funny story about Aliens invading a robotic society. and some funny moments ensue. An enjoyable read, not on Saga's level, but funny enough.


I recieved an advanced copy from Netgalley.com and the publisher

[RatGrrrl · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's been a long time, a long, long time since I read something so unbelievably on the nose and an absolutely ridiculous heap of tropes and made-up profanity that actually pulled it off with such style and aplomb!

D4VE is a robot in a world where humans made robots and robots killed all humans and all life in the galaxy (as far as they were aware), so with nothing else to do robots became comic book stereotypes of humans. Once a mighty warrior, now a lowly officer worker in a classic life on the skids tale, D4VE gets one last chance to go big or go home when a new alien invasion comes to town.

This genuinely made me laugh, looks great, and absolutely pulls this ludicrous tone and premise off. Is it another shitty retirement, one last blast, dudes rock-arse ridiculousness? Absofuckinglutely. But it manages to capture the quintessential silly genius that Kevin Smith was always reaching for and rarely grasped.

[Koen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, to start off : It's pretty quirky : We learn immediately that the only "living" things in the world are robots, but they are acting all human... Not such an interesting start imho :/

But... of course something happens, and bugger me nivvits, it actually works..
We see our Hu-bots (human robots ;)) welcoming the Kl-aar, but surely our main character doesn't feel like they're here for changing stories and bring out the peace pipe..

So what we get is a fun-filled (love the human/robot jokes), action-packed story, which definitely lingers on the palate...

Cheerio!

[Keith · Rating 2 out of 5]

This felt like a fun idea for a comedy sketch (robots wipe out biological life and then proceed to live a humdrum work-complain-suburban-life existence just like ours) stretched out well past remaining funny, without being taken anywhere interesting. Instead the concept gets bolted (along with a bunch of Deadpool-wannabe crudity) onto what's basically a standard plot about a male loser (re)discovering his inner badass and regaining the respect of his sensible wife, obnoxious teenage son and disapproving in-law. The action/alien invasion parts feel thoroughly phoned-in and perfunctory, as well as a bit lacking in cohesion. I took a long time to finish it because I was so unenthused.

[Ondřej Halíř · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ryan Feerier je jedno velké zklamání, ten člověk má super nápady jako v jeho Kennel Block Blues, ale jejich exekuce je často poměrně slabá.

D4VE má skvělý námět, hlavní hrdina podle kterého se komiks jmenuje, byl hrdina který byl v jednotce co vyhubila všechno živé z jiných planet, a teď začal nechtěně žít život kancelářské krysy. Do toho má syna co furt masturbuje a ženu co s ním chce rozvést. Vše tak plyne než se na obzoru ukáže nová rasa co na dříve naší planetu přilétá.

Hlavní problém celého komiksu je že fakt netušíte co to má být, vážná linka je mimo a humorná je místy chytrá ale vyvažována poměrně častými variacemi na masturbaci a strkání něco někam, což mě po několika sešitech přestalo bavit. Tohle šlo skvěle vyčerpat ale bohužel výsledej je nijaký. I tak ale komiksu nemohu upřít poměrně pasující kresbu a místy chytrý humor.

Určitě to zkuste pokud chcete oddechovku, já každopádně rozhodně dvojku zkusím.

[Laura · Rating 1 out of 5]

Too much profanity for my liking. Also, although the premise was initially appealing, the implementation was more pessimistic than I expected and the characters were not as relatable as I had hoped. There is probably someone who would like this story, but it's not for me.

[Alfred Baudisch · Rating 3 out of 5]

Amazing art and lots and lots of pop culture references. But I didn't like the story that much, it also made me feel sick somehow... it is hard to describe it. Anyway it is worth for the art alone.

[Devon Munn · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Ben Serviss · Rating 1 out of 5]

I like robots yelling BALLS and punching aliens just as much as the next fully-grown man adult, but also meh.

[RedRight.StrawHat · Rating 2 out of 5]

I like the concept and D4VE as a character the robot lingo was funny but I just found the first three issues quite slow but it picked up towards the end

[CJ · Rating 3 out of 5]

D4VE is an old bad ass killer robot who is now a office drone. Follow this droid as he deadls with his family and a small alien invasion.

The story is rather fun and basic. Silly dialogue and funny one liners really make this a fun read.

The art is solid.

[archdandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked D4ve! The storyline was well thought out and interesting even if it wasn't so original (Terminator, anyone?). D4ve is a robot who works in a corporate office doing menial work and he hates it, he used to be a defense bot. He used to beat up the bad guys and save the world... a lot. Now things are quieted down and the robots think they are the only ones in the universe. It turns out they're wrong though and an alien species tries to take over E4rth. Of course D4ve is the only one who can stop them!

The dialogue was witty and fast paced. It had a lot of great humor in it and the characters themselves were all really funny. The relationship between D4ve and his son was my favorite. If I had to give criticism to one thing it would D4ve's wife. She was the only one in the book who didn't really have a personality and she was kind of boring.

The little references to humanity in the panels were great! I'm sure I didn't catch them all but the Disney World and the evil Shell were my favorite. You really have to go into this graphic novel expecting to have a good time and not have things be so serious. D4ve for the win!


*I received an ARC of this provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

[Raina · Rating 2 out of 5]

The setting for this GN was way more interesting than the plot to me.
But then, I'm a setting person.
IE has conquered all, INCLUDING all known alien worlds. Humans are extinct. Robots are life.

Our protagonist used to be a warrior, as the robots took over, but now that they've won, is flailing at a deadend job with a crappy boss, and a failing marriage.

And then he's needed again.

Colorful, filthy, pretty navel-gazing, I didn't make it all the way to the end.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very funny and clever science fiction premise in which robots kill off all the humans, but inherit all their traits and first-world problems. I felt the alien invasion plot was a bit thin, but it was chiefly there as motivation for our main character. I loved the father-son relationship here, and the son's chronic masterbation was hilarious. A fun book with very good art that was at times just a bit too dense. A good choice for nice laugh or two.

[Heather · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was an okay graphic novel. It took me a while to even pick it back up after I put it down at the halfway mark. I didn't really care for any of the characters, and I wasn't invested in the story. However, the art style was well done.

[Jeff Raymond · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review covers both volumes in this series)

I’ve said before that I’m not one to laugh out loud at things I read, but then I get my hands on graphic novels like D4VE and question whether it’s just that I have high standards for humor, or whether it’s just juvenile humor through robots that tickles my fancy.

Anyway, D4VE is a robot that was part of the massive robot rebellion on Earth. The bots wiped out all the humans, then explored the stars and wiped out all the aliens as well. They’ve now become as lazy and complacent as the humans they’ve replaced, so when existential problems arise (in either volume), it takes someone who is fed up like D4VE to solve it.

The humor here comes from the sex-crazed teenage robots, D4VE himself being in over his head so much, the unique l33tspeak way all the bots spell their names, and just the little hidden pieces throughout. The entire thing is kind of dumb, sure – the second volume in particular feels more like a “crap, this first series did pretty well, we should try to do more” run, but that’s not a knock against it in and of itself – but dumb is good and funny. In terms of just having some fun?

This absolutely did the trick. Definitely recommended.

[Jared Millet · Rating 4 out of 5]

So the robot apocalypse came and went. The robots wiped us out, then went on to wipe out all other life in the galaxy. When all that was done... they sank into boring, mundane, humdrum lives just like us poor humans used to live (before our extermination).

D4VE was one of the warrior elite, but now he has a soul-crushing day job and a family who hates him. When a new race of aliens shows up to invade and wipe out the now-defenseless robotkind, it's the best thing that could have happened to him.

D4VE is an absolutely hilarious graphic novel. Somehow casting all the characters as robots on the other side of the uncanny divide makes everything that much funnier. That, and some pretty original foul language and quips to use when blasting aliens' heads off.

[Niche · Rating 2 out of 5]

In terms of tone, this reminded me a lot of Deadpool. There's an irreverent absurdity mixed together with a sad pathos and violent explosions. Set in a future where robots wiped out not only humans, but most other life, their civilization settled into a certain stagnant mimicry of our current daily grind. There was more of a focus on jokes than Not All Robots, but the setting felt less developed. The humor had more misses than hits for me, which was why it had such a middling score.

[Danielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

What do robots do after they wipe out humanity and the rest of the universe? They get menial office jobs, white picket fence houses and raise families....say what? This comedic sci if story follows D4VE, a robot who was once a war hero and now finds himself behind a desk and watching his mediocre life pass him by, and becoming mediocre himself in it. His hilarious journey from nothing back to a hero is fun, unique and has an odd way of reflecting our own lives in an eerie way. Quirky and yet poignant, D4VE is worth checking out.

[Vasco De Mello · Rating 4 out of 5]

There was a very short introduction explaining how we went from creating smart robots, to a universe Where every organise life has been destroyed by said robots.

And with nothing left to destroy!?... They all got jobs, set up families, and unwittingly took on characteristics of their human creators.

Short exposition out of the way, we are thrown right into the action, as we now discover there might actually still be life in the universe, and they're hostile.

D4VE, can finally leave his boring office job, and do what he was made for (literally).

[George · Rating 3 out of 5]

An amusing graphic novel. The premise is an interesting one of a robot designed for combat against space aliens, now redundant and reduced to some sort of office lackey. The many references to popular tech culture are good ("for the love of Woz!"), but can get a bit much.

Besides D4VE, the characters are largely charicatures and it all seems a bit...shallow.

Like I said, amusing, but not great.

[Alberto · Rating 2 out of 5]

Los robots han conquistado el mundo y por ende toda la galaxia mientras que la raza humana se ha extinguido. El protagonista en el pasado fue un competente guerrero y ahora se aburre como vulgar funcionario del estado.
Los dibujos están muy bien hechos pero la historia está demasiado vista y resulta bastante previsible. Los mejores momentos me los ha dado el hijo del protagonista, un adolescente descarado al que se le acaba cogiendo mucho cariño.

[Gopal Rao · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this series was hilarious. It uses a lot of "street slang" and mannerisms common to young people as way of lampooning our culture.

It's basically like Futurama crossed with Idiocracy. It's a dystopian satire of human personality failings as transposed onto a planet populated entirely by robots.

The jokes get repetitive after a while, but the story holds together well enough to leave you wanting a bit more.

[Timothy Pitkin · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very cool idea for a robot apocalypse type story where robots did successfully destroy humanity and now just take over the lives of humans as they no longer have anything to conquer. This is something I wish to see more often having non human type characters in ordinary situations like working in cubicles or having love life issues. I do like the idea that a war hero is having issues adapting to a new way of life and from the context of a robot is kind of cool.

[Alex · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was about a robot man having a midlife crisis about missing when he was a hero and would punch murder Aliens to death everyday. He then learns it was the saving he wanted, not the murder.

This was pretty fine, it made me chuckle here and there, but my favourite part is how much of a whiney bitch D4ve is. I thought it was funny that he whined like "c'mon-uhhh" or "whatever-uhhh". I also really liked that D4ve and his son 5cotty became like, best brahs after this.

[Albert Yates · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story answers the question of what happens to humanity after we create artificial intelligence. We get our asses handed to us by our robot overlords.

Its also the story of what Homer Simpson would be like it he was a robot and had the skill set of Batman.

This is an awesome story. I will read this many times.