I read this book several years ago for a committee, and I really enjoyed the whole series. It's such a different story and art style that it surprised me into liking it. The sepia tones give it a very desert-y feel... plus robots, which you can't beat. Thank you for access to this title!

We first see Jet Jones 48 years before the main story starts. With the help of his rocket pack, Jet is fleeing from soldiers who are trying to kill him.

Robot soldiers turn up now and then. The robots are powered by a cell, and if someone could figure out how it works, the world would have a plentiful supply of power. So far, that's not happening. Much of the main story is told from the point of view of a guy named Roman who is trying to keep the farm afloat, a task he hopes will be aided by the addition of an infantry robot that Jesse ran over (apparently applying the "you kill it, you keep it" theory). Jet Jones, who at some point crash landed on the farm, is assisting Roman with robot repair. It apparently never occurs to Roman that repairing an infantry robot might be a bad idea. Roman's little brother, Oz, doesn't like Jet. He makes it his mission to figure out why Jet is so mysterious.

The story is fast moving. Many, many panels depict the desolate rural setting in which the story takes place. Many, many panels depict a battle with a robot. Much of the story is told in the form of a letter that Roman is writing to his father. The letter both fills in some of the background and reveals Roman's emotions, in contrast to infantry robots which are a little light on the emotional side. The most interesting character by far is Jet, whose emotions are something of a mystery.

The story is told in sort of a minimalist fashion. The art supplies at least as much of the story as the text, which isn't a bad thing in a graphic novel. The sepia-tinted art is difficult to describe. All I can say is that it grew on me, as did the story. It's simple but it has some hidden depth.