Alex + Ada Volume 3
Sarah Vaughn: story, script; Jonathan Luna: story, script assists, illustrations, letters, design
Image Comics, 2015
The final arc of this human/android love story begins with Alex and his android Ada trying to keep a low profile, hoping that the authorities will not make the connection between Ada and the woman in all the news stories. The government's Operation Avalanche to find sentient AI is ramping up, and there's hysterical fear of AI among some of the human population. So the inevitable run from the authorities happens, and does not end well for the couple. That climax occurs at the end of the fourth issue in the collection, leaving the fifth and final issue to wrap things up. One possible ending--Alex and Ada escaping the authorities and starting a new life in Canada--had already been closed off. So Alex gets sent to prison for 25 years, despite the court finding him not guilty of breaking the AI sentience laws. Ada was treated like evidence, so her condition is unknown. Then there's a quick 25-year montage in which sentient AIs begin to gain legal status, and Alex serves his entire sentence. It's a little fast, but there's still one final question that must be resolved. A satisfying conclusion overall.
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