Review – ENIAC #4
Review – ENIAC #4
Writer: Matt Kindt
Artist: Doug Braithwaite with David Lapham
Colourist: Diego Rodriguez
Letterer: Dave Sharpe
Publisher: Bad Idea
Plus: An All-New Bad Idea B-Side Story: Fabulous
Final Issue
Seventy-seven years ago, the United States unlocked the key to defeating the Axis powers, but, in their desperation to end the war, accidentally created a far more powerful threat: ENIAC (Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer). Designed to be a cutting-edge breakthrough in supercomputing that could deliver a decisive victory to the Allies, ENIAC did just that…by ordering the bombing of Nagasaki without human consent or approval. A fully autonomous A.I. free from the bounds of programming or morality, ENIAC spent the decades since manipulating global superpowers from the shadows, secretly shaping everything we thought we knew about the history of the geopolitical order. And, throughout it all, one classified question has plagued presidents and prime ministers, generals and spymasters alike: “What is ENIAC planning next?”
Now, after years of silence, ENIAC has re-emerged with a 72-hour countdown until it unleashes every weapon in Earth’s atomic arsenal. Its motives? Unknowable to humankind. Its endgame? Destruction on an unthinkable scale. As ENIAC’s clock rockets toward zero, it’s down to two covert operatives to infiltrate a Russian black site and free the one man alive who knows how to kill the machine…before it erases mankind, once and for all.
Catch up with our reviews of the three previous issues here
Writer: Matt Kindt
After a roller-coaster of three issues, we wrap up the amazing ENIAC with a shotgun to the face issue. After the revelation of the last where Falk and Fletch were trapped underground with ENIAC taking out their platoon, we start the issue with a flashback to her growing up.
Her mother was part of the ENIAC cult and we find out that as its intellect, grew it used humans as extensions lacing products, technology and media with subliminal ideas creating a hidden cult with brainwashed children. Meanwhile, in the bunker, the last dregs of the task force are debating whether ENIAC wants them to feed the string code in or if they should just destroy it. Fletch’s conditioning is starting to take over and Falk tries to stop her. Behind them, one of the team has a hidden EMP device brought in prison-style (ahem) and tries to detonate.
ENIAC senses this and turns it into a bomb blinding the marine and allowing Fletch to break free of Falk and feed the string code to ENIAC. Falk shoots at the machine but finds a facade with a speak and spell machine behind with a message for Fletch… Thank You and Goodbye.
Kindt finished the series off with a stunning last few pages showing the world helpless to stop ENIAC and realising that they were always three steps behind, however, ENIAC’s plan was never to wipe out Earth but to launch the repurposed missiles into space freeing himself from bounds of humanity.
It’s a great finale and the short story, continuing the hero for hire thread shows a young drug dealer turning Captain Fab’s tooth into a drug that she feeds to plants. It’s about as weird as it sounds and a great final wink to the super-body chopping stories in previous issues.
Artists: Doug Braithwaite with David Lapham
Braithwaite and Lapham do a stellar job converting the plot crammed story into amazing artwork and colouring. The scenes within the bunker when the EMP explodes is incredible, with burnt flesh and melted eyeballs. The final few pages with large double-page three vertical panels replicating the action over six pages as we watch ENIAC strip apart the troops and responses.
It’s great overall work and I think it will look even stronger as a single Trade Paperback.
Overall Thoughts
This has been a solid title for Bad Idea and no matter what happens to the company and its slew of titles this will stand out in 2021 as an innovative and influential mini-series. It takes a novel idea about the rise of AI, coupled with Cold War paranoia and has a few bonkers hand grenades along the way to delight readers.
[yasr_multiset setid=1]
[yasr_visitor_multiset setid=1]
hoped you’ve enjoyed my review of ENIAC Issue #4
Look out for this comic at your Local Comic Shop
Buy tickets for BGCP Comic-Cons in and around Glasgow Scotland – BUY TICKETS
Check out all of our Comic, Movie, Television and Videogame Reviews HERE and our Podcasts/Interviews HERE
If you want to be part of the BGCP community, Join us on Discord, Twitter, Instagram etc then click HERE
