They looked at past and present social movements for civil rights for inspiration for how one would progress and how people might respond to a movement for android rights. The original outline was for 12 issues, but it left room for improvisation and a few points were removed as the story progressed. Īfter initializing the concept in January 2013, the two discussed the project for three or four months before creating an outline for the whole story. Vaughn, who began writing and drawing romance comics in her youth, jumped at the opportunity. He and his brother had decided to work on separate projects, so Luna pitched the idea of a young man who falls in love with a female android to Vaughn over dinner. While working on the picture book, Luna realized he missed telling a story panel by panel and decided to return to comics. During his two years away from comics, he painted Star Bright and the Looking Glass, a fairy tale picture book that was proofread by his friend Sarah Vaughn and published in 2012.

Inspired by a TED Talk, he decided to take a break from working. Jonathan Luna had previously created comics with his brother Joshua, but was exhausted after six straight years of work. The series received positive reviews from critics who compared it to other popular science fiction stories, although Luna's artwork was sometimes criticized for being simplistic.

The series has since been collected into three trade paperbacks.Īlex + Ada centers upon the relationship between a lonely man and an intelligent android. The duo began work on the series in January 2013, before publishing 15 issues through Image Comics between November 2013 and June 2015. But when Ada is dropped into his life, he discovers she is more than just a robot.Alex + Ada is an American comic book series created by Jonathan Luna and Sarah Vaughn. The last thing in the world Alex wanted was an X5, the latest in realistic androids. Vaughan's Saga or anyone who loves a good sci-fi tale will find plenty of thought-provoking stuff here.' - Booklist 'Luna's artwork possesses a beautiful simplicity that reinforces the importance of the characters to the narrative.' - Library Journal From JONATHAN LUNA (GIRLS, THE SWORD, Spider-Woman, ULTRA) and SARAH VAUGHN (Sparkshooter) comes ALEX + ADA, a sci-fi drama set in the near future. Luna's spare illustrations match the plot perfectly, particularly his ability to bring nuance and feeling to faces rendered in a very simple style. 'Though this is a fairly classic sci-fi story line, Luna and Vaughn's sensitive plot and careful pacing keep it exciting, especially as they strip away preconceived notions and use the tale to examine the complexities of what it is to be human.

Alex + Ada, Vol. 1 by Jonathan Luna