Vandroid #3

Released by: Dark Horse Comics
Released on: Apr. 30, 2014

The titular character opens this issue attacking a shipment of perfume that contains trioxidyne themide, the source of his power. That perfume is manufactured by villainous corporate magnate Dick Daniels and was supposed to be the fail-safe for Vandroid - once he realized he needed more power, he'd have to go to them to get it. But, thanks to his human-form Chuck Carducci's old buddy, Keener, Vandroid's found out about this shipment. Only problem is that it's heavily guarded by an outlaw biker gang called the Mighty Oaks.



And being an android he's able to succeed in fighting against superior numbers and gets the shipment. This doesn't please Daniels one bit, who makes Chuck's ex-partner Taylor call in some heavy hitters to capture Vandroid so that they can make him work for them.

Spoilers ahead...

Back at their hideout, Keener and Vandroid discover that their stolen shipment also contains cosmetics - makeup that happens to contain drugs for other purposes. They dump the truck and store the shipment in a part of Carducci's old garage they haven't been to previously, one filled with other android models, parts and data the inventor had clearly been using as development work. They toss back a couple and Keener leaves for the evening as Vandroid works through the night.

He awakens later to a call from Keener who says he's found a motherload of that perfume and needs to meet him. But Vandroid's sensors pick up the distress in his voice and, indeed, Keener's reading a script with a gun to his head. Vandroid needs a vehicle to get to Keener so he visits Carducci's ex-wife Crystal to borrow hers. He also tells her that if he's not back in touch within 24 hours she needs to go to his garage, to get answers about him and to activate his “assistants.”

He goes to the address Keener provided and is soon beset by the R&D Gang. They demand his surrender, threatening to kill Keener if need be. But Keener knows he'll only be a problem for his old friend so he removes himself “from the equation,” fighting to escape and getting shot down in the process. This, though, leaves Vandroid to go nuts and kill a bunch of them but ultimately they use tasers to incapacitate him. They prep him for surgery, to get him back under their control, and then throw the switch to do so…

Just plain energetic and fun, this series from Tommy Lee Edwards and Noah Smith continues to be really entertaining. Dan McDaid's artwork reeks of 80's cool, echoing the story's setting and action-movie “origins.” Still very much worth checking out.