Rust Vol. 1: A Visitor in the Field

by Royden Lepp, Royden Lepp (Illustrator)

Overview

Rust is a high-octane adventure set in the prairie lands of an unknown time. Life on the Taylor family farm was difficult enough before Jet Jones crashes into the barn, chased by a giant decommissioned war robot! Oldest son Roman Taylor struggles to keep his family’s small farm afloat as the area heals from a devastating world war. While the rest of his family may not trust the mysterious boy with the jetpack, Roman believes the secrets of Jet’s past may be the key to their survival.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781936393275
Publisher:	Archaia
Publication date:	12/13/2011
Series:	Rust , #1
Pages:	192
Product dimensions:	6.32(w) x 9.26(h) x 0.94(d)
Age Range:	13 - 18 Years

About the Author

Royden was born at very young age on the Canadian prairies of Manitoba. He grew up the son of an oil painter and a farmer and he’s been drawing since he could hold a pencil. Royden failed his 12th grade Art class for drawing comics instead of assignments, and was kicked out of 10th grade Math for animating in the corner of his textbook. He now writes and illustrates childrens books and graphic novels while working full time as an animator in the Seattle games industry. He lives in the Seattle area with his wife, Ruth.

Editorial Reviews

A boy named Jet turns out to be a flying robot who helps save the family farm in this steampunk comic that includes elements of other classic “boy and his robot” tales like The Iron Giant. The setting is an alternate world where in the past a huge war was fought with mechanical men increasingly standing in for humans as the war progressed. Forty years later, Roman Taylor is a teenager struggling to keep his family’s farm afloat in his father’s absence with the aid of Jet, who appears one day locked in battle with a larger war robot. This first volume of a proposed four-book series is heavy on setup and planting seeds of future mysteries: Why are so many children around the farm crippled? Where is Roman’s dad, anyway? Lepp tells the story as an animated storyboard—whole pages of moment-by-moment breakdowns make the action easy to follow, and the beautiful sepia-toned art gives a strong sense of both windswept wheat fields and clanking robot battle. However, the story is marred somewhat by flat dialogue, and some of the action sequences drag on. Still, a promising beginning for an intriguing tale. Ages 12–up. (Dec.)

Publishers Weekly