If Destruction Be Our Lot #1
Comic book covers are like thesis statements. They have to grab your attention and convey a complex idea in the short time it takes you to look it over. If Destruction Be Our Lot does this masterfully. The cover, drawn by Andy Macdonald, is styled in the vein of an 1860s newspaper. Appropriate, given our protagonist is Abraham Lincoln (sort of … more on that later). In the center of this sepia-toned newspaper is a richly colored futuristic cityscape, with skyscrapers towering outside the bounds of the image and dwarfing the dapperly hatted lone figure below. The image is framed in an art deco style, but if you look closer, you’ll notice the digital flourishes within the frame and the book’s title text. This mix of futuristic and historic styles feeds into the conflict that drives the story. A machine man outside of his time, stricken with a terrible case of old-world blues, trying to make sense of his place in the world.
Abraham Lincoln, or at least the robot facsimile of him, is adrift in a world that seemingly has no need for him. The 16th United States president, known for his legendary speeches and appealing to men’s better nature, now finds himself in a world of machines who adhere to programming rather than emotion. With humans long gone, robots are running the show. Their society is automated and ruthlessly efficient. So ruthless that malfunctioning bots can be scrapped by the authorities at any moment. It’s not a great setup for a humanitarian-minded, charismatic speaker like Honest Abe to find fulfillment in life. Still, he persists, delivering the wise words of his dead counterpart with vigor and grace, even if his automaton audience thinks him a fool. Abe’s disconnect from his fellow machines makes it clear that this is a story about isolation and the erosion of community. Abe is the only robot of his kind. Unlike the inhuman automatons around him, Abe is made in the image of a man. A fact that draws derision from his fellow citizens, who not so lovingly call him “fake man.” Abe’s dilemma is equal parts funny and tragic, and the Rosenberg brothers do a fantastic job balancing the humor and existentialism.
Luckily, Abe is not completely alone. His two “friends” — the robots that don’t mock him, anyway are a friendly breakfast-making bot and a chatty city bus. Abe’s conversations with these two highlight his optimism and longing for a life beyond what he’s been programmed for. Abe knows he and his compatriots are essentially obsolete. He’s a humanitarian with no humans to inspire, Breakfast Bot scrambles eggs for people that don’t exist to eat them, and Bus follows her dedicated route despite the fact that there are no passengers. Unlike Abe, these two are content with their programming; questioning their society is just not something they’re interested in. Abe is patient. He gets frustrated sometimes (Breakfast Bot is endearingly annoying) but the care he shows for these two gets to the heart of his character. When he challenges them about the world and their place in it, he’s not trying to win an argument. Abe only wants them to see that their world could be better, that they could have a purpose of their own design.
Abe’s optimism runs into reality fast, setting the stage for a story full of mysteries to unpack, from how the old world ended to why this robot civilization mirrors our own. I won’t spoil the biggest thread here, but it’s safe to say that Abe’s world is not what it seems.
Matthew and Mark Elijah Rosenberg have laid out a rich world full of humanity and intrigue, using robots to explore the deepest, most human questions. What does community mean? How do we escape isolation? How do you navigate a world that deems you obsolete?
All this is brought to life by Andy MacDonald’s stunning artwork. His use of deep blues and greens adds a tinge of noir to the book, highlighting the darkness of the city without veering into dystopia. The characters are expressive, and Abe is stunningly human. Every emotion is rendered beautifully, and you’ll quickly find your heart breaking for the loneliest robot in the world.
If the rest of this book is anything like this first issue, If Destruction Be Our Lot is poised to be one of 2026’s best titles. It’s a tour de force of a book, blending history, sci-fi, and a good dose of existentialism, tempered with a sense of humanity that binds it all together. If you like any of that, or just dudes with cool hats, I implore you to pick this book up ASAP!
One last thing: If you’re a history nerd like myself, here’s the Lincoln speech that inspired this book’s title:
https://housedivided.dickinson.edu/sites/lincoln/lyceum-address-january-27-1838/
Suggested Reading:
- We Can Never Go Home
- An early effort from Matthew Rosenberg. Read if you like action, teen angst and ’80s punk.
Ben 10 #1
Years ago, an alien device did what it did, and Ben Tennyson, an average kid on summer vacation, was transformed into a hero whose legend would spread across galaxies. When it premiered in 2006, Ben 10 felt like a revolutionary idea. In a world of adult heroes, Justice League, Fantastic Four, Batman — giving a 10-year-old kid the most powerful weapon in the universe hooked me like nothing else could. The moment I saw Ben find the Omnitrix and transform, my mind flooded with thoughts. Thoughts that I too could wield this awesome power, be the hero, save the day and still have time for video games after.
Man of Action has returned, bringing Ben 10 into the modern day, complete with Gen Alpha slang and an addiction to screens. The tone of the series is more grounded than the cartoon. Man of Action says they were inspired by the Ultimate Universe. One added tension is that, in addition to Ben’s familiar foes, the military is after the Omnitrix, too. It’s a setup that raises the stakes and lends itself to more streamlined storytelling than the episodic nature common to cartoons.
What’s familiar is Ben and Gwen’s constant arguing. It’s a classic sibling (cousinly?) rivalry, petty, unending and funny until it’s not. When hurt feelings result in Ben storming off from the family camping trip into the woods, the adventure begins. A meteor hurls down from the sky and, like any curious kid, Ben investigates. The sequence that follows really illustrates the tone the series is striving for. The Omnitrix is more alive and alien than it was in the cartoon, slithering up to Ben and mutating him in a scene that plays like Baby’s first Cronenberg movie. Horrifying enough for a sense of danger and mystery while still being kid-friendly.
It’s clear from the first pages that this will be a more high-stakes story than the original show, and I look forward to seeing how this plays out. It’s a great first issue and a promising start to what I hope will be a long-running series. Issue two drops June 3, and trust me, you’ll want to see the next chapter!
Hank Howard, Pizza Detective: A Slice of Life #1
The prodigal pizza detective returns home in another thrilling installment from Michelin-star pizza chefs Robert Venditti and David Lapham. Tampa, Florida — the place Hank Howard swore he’d never return to — but when his beloved grandmother finishes her last slice of life, he has to go back to the town and family he worked so hard to escape.
Hank Howard is a man who’s figured out a way to make his world make sense. He can’t undo all the ills in the world — he’s just one man, after all — but for Hank, his purpose is clear: he can defend the sanctity of Big Caligula's pizza business. He can keep it pure and protected from the barbaric corruption and crime constantly banging at the gates of pizza civilization.
His connection to pizza goes deep, and Venditti explores that here, revealing Hank’s backstory and his close relationship with his grandmother. She was the only family that understood him, and their shared love of pizza makes it clear why Hank takes his job so seriously. For Hank, pizza represents peace in a world of chaos, so his dedication to his work isn’t just to protect Big Caligula from losing money, but to protect a place of refuge for the countless hungry masses for whom a slice of pepperoni may well be mana.
It’s not all sunshine and extra toppings, though, and when Hank stops by the local Caligula’s for a pick-me-up, he ends up a star witness to what could be the first homicide by pizza in company history. Hank has his work cut out for him already, and an old flame coming back into his life is sure to complicate things. There’s no telling where this story will go, but rest assured, the best detective in pizza is on the case.
If you hate crime and love pizza, this is the series for you! Be on the lookout for issue two out June 10.
Suggested Reading:
- Hank Howard, Pizza Detective: The Two Hollywoods #1 and #2
- Hank goes to LA, nuff said.
I've worked at Dr No's for just less than a year and I've been patronizing them for half my life. I like comics, video games, music and sometimes sports.
I’m a GSU graduate, veteran sandwich artist, and aspiring writer. Ask me about the X-Men or my anime car sometime.
I think all comics are good they're human expression, dreams put to a page through days, months and years of dedication. They're windows into other worlds, aspirations of all we can be, warnings of what we may become and everything in between. Above all I think comics can help us understand the things we often don't consider.
That's what I want these reviews to do, help folks understand maybe even appreciate something they haven't seen before, but yea lemme wrap this up I got books to file. Happy reading!
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