If Destruction Be Our Lot’s Matthew Rosenberg Teases Darkness and Hope in New Image Sci-Fi Series (Exclusive)

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It’s a fascinating time for science fiction fans. Themes once relegated to the genre, like advanced AI and robots, are quickly becoming real as artificial intelligence is integrated into more and more of our daily lives. This has sparked a lot of debate about the future of humanity – some people even fear it could lead to disaster. The idea of AI taking over is increasingly popular in movies and books, and the upcoming comic book series If Destruction Be Our Lot from Image Comics explores this bleak possibility.

I’m really excited about this new comic, If Destruction Be Our Lot! It’s written by Mark and Matthew Rosenberg – you might know them from titles like Approaching the Unknown and We’re Taking Everyone Down With Us – and the art is by Andy Macdonald, who’s worked on Doctor Strange and Wonder Woman. The story takes place way in the future, after humans are gone, and it focuses on the robots they left behind. Most of the robots are content, but one named Abe feels like something’s missing. After a near-death experience, he sets off on a journey to find meaning, even if it means risking being broken down for parts. I just read an exclusive interview with Matthew Rosenberg on ComicBook, and he explained everything about this bleak future and why he chose such a powerful Abraham Lincoln quote as the title – it all sounds amazing!

If Destruction Be Our Lot May Be a Dark Future, But It’s Also a Story of Hope

The latest issue, ‘If Destruction Be Our Lot,’ explores a far-off future dominated by robots, where humans are just a memory. It’s a particularly relevant story given the current advancements in AI and the growing presence of self-driving vehicles. It makes you wonder if the author, Matt, sees a bleak future ahead for humanity.

Things feel pretty bleak right now, so this story doesn’t necessarily predict a dark future – it reflects the one we’re already in. But at its heart, the book is about finding light in that darkness. It begins with themes of loneliness and decline, but it quickly becomes about the power of hope, striving for a better future, and connecting with others, even strangers. Ultimately, it’s a story about the simple but vital act of making a friend. We believe that human connection is fundamental to who we are, and it’s important to tell stories that highlight that.

The story takes place in a very high-tech world, but the main character is a robot built to look like someone from history. What led to this strong contrast between the character and the futuristic setting?

Great science fiction often explores both the past and the future, and we leaned heavily into that idea with this story. The image of a robotic Abraham Lincoln wandering a post-apocalyptic world just stuck with me. Lincoln is such a powerful symbol of American ideals – compassion, strength, and perseverance – instantly recognizable from monuments like Mount Rushmore. But he was also a down-to-earth figure, known for his kindness and personality. Bringing him back to life as an advanced robot created a strange and compelling contrast – a legendary figure made real, yet somehow unreal. He allowed us to examine the gaps between how we remember history and how we actually live up to its ideals. Do we truly embrace the values he stood for? This anachronistic robot in a ruined future, a cartoonish echo of a better time, felt like a great starting point for a story with both epic scope and personal moments. It quickly evolved in exciting and unexpected ways. Exploring what Lincoln represents, what his robotic copy represents, and the meaning of a historical figure lost in the future felt like rich territory for storytelling. Plus, it gave us a chance to have Robot Lincoln argue with a toaster.

Why is Abe’s speech important, and why did you choose a quote from it as the title for this series?

As a huge admirer of Lincoln, I always come back to his Lyceum Address – it’s one of the first major speeches he ever gave, when he was just 28 years old. It really feels like the moment he started on the path to becoming the incredible leader and speaker we all know. Honestly, it’s a speech everyone should read! It’s both a beautiful tribute to what makes America special and a really unsettling warning about what could tear it apart. He talks about the danger of leaders becoming tyrants, and how it’s up to every single one of us to stay alert and protect our freedoms. It still gives me chills when I read it – he had such a powerful vision for the United States and the role each person plays. He famously said that we wouldn’t be conquered by any foreign power – that if America were to fall, it would be because we destroyed ourselves from within. He put it so starkly: we either live free forever, or we choose to destroy ourselves.

As a movie buff, I’ve always thought this line was incredible. It’s a seriously haunting reminder of how easily democracy can fall apart, and a really strong argument for protecting it. But honestly? It also just sounds amazing – I immediately pictured it as dialogue in some epic, gritty post-apocalyptic comic book. I think that was probably the point!

You’ve introduced us to human-like robots before, like the bodyguard in ‘We’re Taking Everyone Down with Us,’ and we’ve explored the remains of America in ‘What’s the Furthest Place from Here?’ So, how do those earlier stories connect to the new series, ‘If Destruction be Our Lot’?

I often find that when I write a series, the world and ideas really take over my thoughts – maybe a little too much! I tend to become completely immersed in the story for a long time. Afterward, I usually realize there’s still more to explore than I initially planned. Sometimes that’s exciting – I discover things I loved that didn’t make it into the book and want to revisit them. Other times, it means I’ve changed my mind about the core message. So, my work often feels like an ongoing conversation with itself, where I’m either expanding on ideas, looking at them from new angles, or even challenging them completely. That’s how Abe came to be. Like Da Vinci said about art, I seem to have trouble letting things go!

If Destruction Be Our Lot Has Creative Worldbuilding (And a Strong Creative Team Bringing It To Life)

Could you share some information about the people who worked on this project? We don’t know Andy and Mark very well – how did the three of you start working together? And is Mark a family member of yours?

This project feels special because it truly needed all three of us to come together. I’ve known Andy MacDonald for years. I first asked him to collaborate on a book a long time ago, inspired by his fantastic NYC Mech series, but he wasn’t able to at the time. We did eventually work together on a Multiple Man book at Marvel, which was a pretty unusual project, and honestly, I don’t think many people (or even us!) fully understood it. Still, Andy and I enjoyed making it together, so we stayed in touch about future collaborations. He’s become an even better artist since then, and I’m grateful he was willing to work with me again.

I’ve known Mark Rosenberg even longer than most – he actually lived with my parents when I was born, and we share the same parents! As a kid, I taught myself to read by sneaking into his room to read his comic books (don’t tell him!). When it came time for our parents to guide our careers, Mark, being the older brother, became a filmmaker. I was assigned the role of comic creator. While I spent years writing comics about superheroes and even rap-themed stories, Mark was busy running a film festival, making incredible short films, and eventually writing and directing projects like Approaching The Unknown and Year Million. I’ve always looked up to him for guidance and inspiration. He’s a brilliant storyteller, so collaborating on a book together has been a long-held dream. I think he’s enjoying it just as much as I am.

This book wouldn’t be possible without the incredible work of our team. Colorist Francesco Segala brought issue #1 to life with stunning, atmospheric colors, and then completely outdid himself with some of the best coloring I’ve ever seen in issue #2. Letterer Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou consistently delivers innovative and exciting work – he’s truly the best in the business. And our editors, Steve Foxe and Eric Harburn from Tiny Onion, were essential to bringing this project to fruition. They are, quite simply, the reason this book exists, and I wholeheartedly believe they’re all at the top of their game.

One thing we really enjoyed about the first issue was how you balanced deeply emotional concepts – like a robot remembering its last moments with people – with lighthearted, funny dialogue. Can you talk about how you managed that delicate balance while writing? It’s easy to imagine this story becoming either too depressing or too silly, but you avoided both!

I believe Andy deserves a lot of the credit for how this all turned out. From the beginning, Mark and I knew that bringing the characters to life – making them feel human, even though they’re robots – was essential to the book’s success. Andy was always the perfect choice because he’s incredibly versatile, capable of both comedy and genuine emotion, and he excels at capturing that sense of melancholy. He has a unique talent for making the strange feel relatable and the ordinary feel unsettling, which is exactly what this story needed. Mark and I then focused on finding the right balance with our writing. I strongly believe that the best sad stories include humor, and vice versa – the ups and downs make the emotional impact even stronger. We take the story very seriously, but we also embrace its weirdness and silliness. It’s a delicate balancing act, but that’s often true of projects that are truly worthwhile.

The first issue does a great job of establishing the world without relying on lengthy explanations or narration. Could you talk about how you used the unique aspects of comics – like visuals and panel layout – to quickly and effectively inform the reader about everything they need to know?

We really wanted to avoid long, info-heavy explanations – they always pull me out of a story. Instead, we’re using subtle methods and clever writing to introduce the world of If Destruction Be Our Lot and keep readers informed. But the most important thing is trusting our audience. We believe that if you create an engaging story with characters people connect with, they’ll be patient and willing to follow along. That’s exactly what we’re doing – building the world gradually and naturally, with the confidence that readers will trust us to reveal everything at the right time.

Imagine a future ruled by robots, where humans are just legends. What human weakness do you think those robots would unintentionally keep alive? And when you were creating your story, did you decide to include that flaw, or try to eliminate it?

While the real causes might be things like burning too much fossil fuel or failing to prepare for problems, in this story, the biggest issue is loneliness. We have a huge number of lonely robots – seriously, so many of them.

The robots have charming details in their lettering, even including playful ‘cuss words’ cleverly made from nuts and bolts. I’m curious, how do you think these small details contribute to the overall impact and lasting appeal?

Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou, the letterer for this book and many other excellent ones, has a remarkable talent for knowing exactly when to make the lettering stand out and when to let it blend into the background. I was hoping he’d give each robot character a distinct visual “voice,” and he absolutely delivered that, making them easily recognizable. But he went above and beyond, creating not just voices, but also specific feelings and moods – the bustle of a busy street, the confusion of a crash, the eerie sensation of hearing a voice when you’re alone. As the story unfolds and we meet more characters, these subtle details in the lettering will become even more important in shaping the world. I can’t reveal much more without giving away key plot points.

Our main goal was to create a book that felt truly original, and Hassan really embraced that vision. He played a huge role in making it something special, and I couldn’t be happier with the result.

The first issue of If Destruction Be Our Lot, created by Matthew Rosenberg, Mark Elijah Rosenberg, and Andy MacDonald (with colors by Francesco Segala and lettering by Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou), will be released by Image Comics on May 6, 2026.

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2026-03-03 23:42