"Colossus!"
A sea captain nets something unusual. A giant squid thing decides to sample his crew. The odd figure from the net proves to be a boon for the seamen and we learn a little about this strange being.
Thomas Hall and Daniel Bradford tap the Mike Mignola Hellboy vibe for R13. Hellboy and R13 share a number of reduced characteristics. Both are men of action. Both seem to have rather normal temperaments, and both are far from normal.
R13, if that is his name, is best described as a thinking tin can automaton with a skull confined in fishbowl for a head. It's too early to tell whether he is a cyborg, a supernatural being, or alien. Whatever his origin, he acts quickly and energetically. His instincts appear to be good and his strength impressive.
His origins bear a slight resemblance to Frankenstein's monster. I do not know, and the story does not reveal, whether or not the well-dressed gentleman in R13’s memories is his creator, but the gent’s abandonment of the character does strike a familiar chord.
In terms of artwork, Bradford definitely emulates Mignola. His use of shadows is an obvious similarity, but I would also point out the pacing and the simplicity of design as others.
R13 relates a stand-alone story of robot versus Kraken. Additionally, it whets the appetite with an opening chapter in the origin of the android and Bradford's swiftly staged artwork makes it an easy morsel to swallow.
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