Advance Review: A Robotic Start To ‘We’re Taking Everyone Down With Us’ #1
by Tom Smithyman
To say that the first issue of We’re Taking Everyone Down With Us is robotic is not so much of a pun as it is an indictment of the story.
There’s little excitement, little surprising, and little life in this double-sized issue from creators Matthew Rosenberg and Stefano Landini. It’s not that the story is bad, it’s just there with nothing really new to engage readers.
What story there is focuses on young Annalise Alderman (don’t call her Anna!), whose scientist father is working feverishly to save the world. From what? Maybe a bad-guy organizations called V.E.I.L. (What’s it stand for? Who knows? Who cares?) Or maybe dad is the bad guy. After all, he has a man chained in the basement. And there’s something about vampire apes, but no, we don’t get to learn about them either.
There are robots. What purpose to they serve? They seem to be Annalise’s guardians, disciplinarians, and playmates, though she doesn’t seem to care for them. Chances are, though, they will play an even more significant role as the limited series continues its run.
It all feels very tired, like the creators have borrowed elements from other, better stories. Rosenberg is usually a more original storyteller. He clearly thinks he’s onto something here. And maybe he will be proven right as the series progresses. But there’s just not enough new going on in the premiere to justify much further reading.
Landini’s artwork is serviceable. The robots look fine, but nothing better than that. The majority of his panels are non-detailed closeups, though a few splashes and a double-page spread look good.
Readers have a right to think they will get more from this creative team. We’ll see whether it can deliver in future issues or if things will continue to be as robotic as when this story began.
We’re Taking Everyone Down With Us #1 will be available at comic book shops on Wednesday, March 26th, 2025, from Image Comics.
Overview
There’s not much original in this story about a girl, her distant father, and some robots. It feels like a retread of better stories you’ve read before. The art is straightforward, though not typically exciting save for a few pages. All in all, a weak start to this limited series.
