We’re Taking Everyone Down With Us #1 Flips Father-Daughter Dynamics on Their Head (Review)

I didn’t know what to expect from We’re Taking Everyone Down With Us #1, and that’s probably for the best. Going in with a fresh mind allowed me to be fully surprised by its story, and boy was I surprised. From its opening of a girl being chased by a terrorizing robot to the final page reveals, We’re Taking Everyone Down With Us #1 is a rollercoaster of surprises. But they’re not just surprises for shock value. They truly add to the story and open up mysteries for the reader to discover as they read through the book, and broader mysteries to be explored in future issues.

The creative team really seems to be clicking in this debut issue. From the lettering choices for the different robots to the text used in the narration boxes, it all adds to the aesthetic of the book. There are some evil scientist vibes on display from Dr. Dante Alderman, aka the Vitruvian. We never learn why he calls himself that, but it can’t be good. Plus, it probably has something to do with his scientific craft. After all, he’s developed a small army of robots that obey his every command. Plus, we see the Vitruvian at work later in the back half of the issue.

But our main character is the Doctor’s daughter, Annalise. Right away, we can see how she’s full of fight and spunk. While she appears tough and disrespectful on the outside, what she’s really yearning for is attention from her father. Dr. Alderman is your typical workaholic, only concerned with his work and the task at hand. Too busy to play silly games like hide and seek. But he does show his tender side with Annalise, proving he may not be a total monster.

There appears to be two stories at play that will no doubt intersect in the future. It all has to do with this shadowy organization called V.E.I.L. Dr. Alderman was possibly working to stop V.E.I.L., which is the cause of all this drama in the first place. It’s not entirely clear at this time, but definitely a possibility. The introduction of an Agent Rook opens up several scenarios. Speaking of which, the pages dedicated to Agent Rook feature the crafty humor that can be found throughout We’re Taking Everyone Down With Us #1. The humor comes through in the writing and dialogue, and perfectly drawn character acting.

The best pages come from the interactions between Annalise and her father. Dr. Alderman is a self-professed genius, and he works to shoot it straight with Annalise while having to remind himself that she’s just a girl and isn’t mature enough to fully comprehend the work that he’s doing. It’s a delicate tug-of-war that is pulled off in the comic.

So what we have in We’re Taking Everyone Down With Us #1 is an interesting premise all wrapped in a double-sized issue. There is a lot to like, and it should leave readers wanting more. What happened to Annalise’s father? Who killed her mother? What was her father secretly working on that put their entire family in danger? These are the questions we can’t wait to learn the answers to.

Rating: 4 out of 5

Published by Image Comics

On March 26, 2025

Written by Matthew Rosenberg

Art by Stefano Landini

Colors by Roman Titov and Jason Wordie

Letters by Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou