Artificial #1 Review

 

Writer, Artist, Colorist & Letterer: Maria Llovet

Cover Artists: Maria Lovet & Jesús Orellana

Publisher: Image Comics

Price: $3.99

Release Date: September 3, 2025

 

Clara advises her clients on clothing, shoes, and accessories to meet their needs and desires. She doesn't have time for anything extraneous, especially if it's complicated. So all day, Clara looks forward to a date with someone new. What will he be like? And will her romantic partner meet her needs? Let's dress to impress, leap into Artificial #1, and see!

 

Story

After assisting clients all day, Clara races to the park. She's been eyeing her phone all day. When her date arrives, Clara feels an instant connection. His banter may be a trifle staid, but his presence intoxicates her. By the time he takes her to an arboretum, Clara cannot contain her excitement. Surrounded by flowers, they kiss for the first time. She yearns for more, so they hurry to her apartment. But just as he starts to ravish her, he pulls back and apologizes. Her free trial of Date-X has ended.

 

In Artificial #1, Clara’s date is an android. Like the clothing she selects for her clients, Date-X can tailor a man to meet Clara's needs. Her dream man can remember her and develop a relationship with her. Or he can forget her, making each date a journey of discovery. There's no need for arduous commitments. When Clara cancels her subscription fee, the man she adores will depart her life without an argument.

 

Maria Llovet creates a future in which people can have the partner of their dreams. There's no need to worry about whether your partner squeezes the toothpaste from the middle or the end. Nor does Clara have to worry about her partner's emotional needs. Clara doesn’t need to set aside her work schedule to coordinate schedules. And she never has to meet his friends, family, or get along with his in-laws.

 

Like Sam Treadwell in Cherry 2000, Clara can have adoration on demand. While Clara debates about working through issues with her former boyfriend, one of Clara's friends is making a decision. Tailoring a lover to meet her needs and desires seems more fun. Caught up in the alluring possibilities, Clara doesn’t sweat the details in Artificial #1.

 

Art

As Clara hurries to get to work, she passes a digital sign advertising Date-X. She smiles at reminders about the date. Mateo's photo, accompanying his texts, makes her frown. Maria Llovet guides us through Clara's workday with a page of twelve rectangular panels. But as Clara meets her date by an arching bridge, his blonde hair flows around his face. More small panels provide snapshots of Clara's perfect date. Petals flutter on an unseen breeze inside the arboreum. Framed by pink roses, Clara and her date kiss. When his hand slips inside her blouse, Clara gasps, and her kisses become more ardent.

 

Clara may work in the fashion industry. Yet she surrounds herself in black, white, beige, and brown. Pink forms a theme in Artificial #1, filling Clara's cheeks when she's happy, and highlighting the romantic stories she enjoys. Her friend Dani stands out in her purple blazer as she taps on a light blue holographic display. Yet dominating Clara’s future is a pink heart. The Date-X icon evokes Badgey from Star Trek: Lower Decks, or Miss Minutes in Marvel's Loki TV series.

 

Maria Llovet fills white dialogue balloons with black, uppercase letters. Mateo’s texts appear as lowercase black letters. The pink and black letters on Clara's phone guide her deliberations. Phone notifications, laughter, and celebration fill the air with large colorful letters. Yet the tiny white letters bordering her date's irises grab the most attention. Thanks to Image Comics for providing a review copy.

 

Final Thoughts

In Artificial #1, Clara can have everything she's ever wanted. But she must decide who the perfect person for her is. Does she want someone who makes decisions based on how others program him? Or does Clara want someone willing to compromise and work through the difficulties in their relationship to meet her needs?

 

Rating 9.5/10

 

For more cover art see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.