Book Review: Royden Lepp's Rust: Soul in the Machine by Royden Lepp

Royden Lepp's Rust: Soul in the Machine by Royden Lepp

See my reviews of volume one, volume two, and volume three!

In the story's finale, Jet has to fight against impossible odds to save the Taylor's farm, or at least to save the Taylors. The family fights too, against the invading robots and their own internal conflicts. The drama is good and the action is exciting. Best of all, the ending is very satisfying.

The whole series is impressive because it depends on the "graphic" part of the graphic novel. The story is told through visuals much more than through dialogue. Pages go by with the characters doing things wordlessly, conveying emotions and plot developments through the art. The sepia-tone coloring gives the book an old-time feel that harkens back to classical storytelling. That fits well as Jet grapples with his humanity (if he even has it) and his free choice.

Highly recommended.

Book Review: Royden Lepp's Rust: Death of the Rocket Boy by Royden Lepp

Royden Lepp's Rust: Death of the Rocket Boy by Royden Lepp

See my reviews of volume one and volume two!

The various plot threads and mysteries come together in this volume. The mysterious stranger Jet Jones has his origin revealed, which explains a lot of his behavior and motivation. He wants to help out the Taylor farm since they've been kind to him but he also needs to keep running. His presence causes problems for the farmers and their friends. Young Oz Taylor wants to get rid of him since he has figured out Jet is more rocket than boy. The other family members disregard Oz's claims as fantasy. Jet has to make a hard decision before the situation gets more out of control as hostile robots and old acquaintances show up at the farm.

This volume brings up the important and thorny issue of balancing free choice and duty for Jet. The other robots on the farm and in the story follow their programming to the letter (paragons of duty?) and Jet was specifically programmed to choose his actions rather than strictly follow a program. Knowing what's the right choice in tricky situations is hard for everyone, so it's easy to identify with his crisis. He also faces the challenge of family attachment. His maker/father shows up, causing tension for Jet since he clearly wants to stay on the farm and have the Taylors as his family. The next volume is the last and I am looking forward to the resolution.

Recommended.

Book Review: Royden Lepp's Rust: Secrets of the Cell by Royden Lepp

Royden Lepp's Rust: Secrets of the Cell by Royden Lepp

For my review of the first volume, go here.

Brothers Roman and Oswald still struggle to keep the family farm going, using robots and hard work to keep everything in order. Newcomer Jet Jones has been helping out as much as he can. He has some mystery about him--he never takes off his goggles or jetpack, even when coming to dinner. When Roman reprograms an old war robot to do farm work, it goes haywire and attacks Jet. Meanwhile, Oswald is off visiting an old man who knows a lot about the cells that power the robots. He tells Oswald enough to make him more suspicious of Jet.

The story is moving forward slowly but is still dolling out interesting information in hints and tidbits. The art style is really good--simple and expressive.

Recommended.

Book Review: Royden Lepp's Rust: Visitor in the Field by Royden Lepp

Royden Lepp's Rust: Visitor in the Field by Royden Lepp

In a war 48 years ago (that looks like an alternate World War I), robots were used to fight. They were as effective as any other new and overwhelming technology (like tanks, machine guns, or nerve gas). Now life is peaceful, for the most part. Roman Taylor wants to keep the family farm going, which means he has to repair their reprogrammed robots. The task is difficult, especially since his dad is missing and his younger siblings are too young to help out. One day, a boy with goggles and a jet pack crashes into the farm. He's Jet Jones, a bit of a tech wiz who helps out by fixing the tractor and other things. The only problem is he is reluctant to get the robots back on line. Roman needs the help but will he get more than he is bargaining for?

The book has a very lean narrative style. Dialogue is kept to a minimum, telling the story through pictures and action. I found the story intriguing. This volume deals mostly in setting up of characters and situations. They are interesting enough to get me hooked.

Recommended.