I remembered when Image Comics first came on the scene, more than 20 years ago, and what seems like a millennia, but yet seems just like yesterday, which I guess is another symptom of getting older. It seemed as though the whole world turned upside down, as comics’ readers all over the world, including myself, was finally reading comics which they not only enjoyed but finally identified with. These characters felt as though they jumped off the page and gave readers, heroes, that seemed more human and logical than the” Big 2” had given readers to this point.

In fact, up to this point, no comic book character had been killed, by any disease, before the death of Shadowhawk. No character had been an effective anti-hero, at least not realistically, before Spawn. No character, had dealt with dementia, and how it would be to have in alternate realities, before Maxx.No character, had not dealt with the long lasting effects of amnesia, before Savage Dragon and Aphrodite IX.

Aphrodite IX, is one of Image’s best comics, and for the un-initiated reader, it is about is a female android who suffers from amnesia after being sent on undercover missions, which leads to ongoing confusion about what she does and for whom, but she becomes aware that she is an assassin and begins to have dreams and desires much like a human and soon set out find out why, where she discovers a conspiracy involving a secret organization of cyborgs attempting to disenfranchise the governmental structure. What Image has set out to do over the last few months is to tell the story of other eight heirs of the IXth Generation. This story centers on Apollo IX, who is obsessed with his newest research project, a material transporter, which is experiencing multiple failures, resulting in the death of his latest head of research, which causes Apollo to hire a new cyborg, Psyche, which actually furthers, his latest venture. Ultimately, he is betrayed, and his nature as a member of the IXth Generation, comes to the surface.

This collaboration, is more than equal to the one shots, which have been released up to this point, and in fact, excels in certain aspects. The story by Ashley Victoria Robinson is much a character study as it is fable on trust. The art by Fernando Argosino and Chris Northrop lives up to the stylized renderings that Top Cow, is more than famous for. Overall, a great one shot, that for fans of Aphrodite IX, will be more than satisfied.

Story: Ashley Victoria Robinson Art: Fernando Argosino and Chris Northrop
Story: 9 Art: 9 Overall: 9 Recommendation: Buy

Image Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review