Amala embraces her destiny as a hero in Image Comics’ Self/Made No. 6

Self/Made No. 6 concludes the Amala’s story with her accepting her origins and returning as a hero of Arcadia.

Image Comics series Self/Made concludes its final chapter with central protagonist Amala Citlali self-actualizing into the hero her creator, Rebecca, had made her to be. The issue has a number of powerful messages that examine the title of the series – Amala was made, but can she be herself, as well?

When we had last seen Amala, she was escaping into another world after seeing Rebecca, her only friend, murdered by Bryce. In the last issue, Amala finds herself in purgatory, facing off against an incensed Bryce who will not take ownership of her actions. Yet this is not the focus of the story.

Amala in Self-Made no. 6 (Credit: Image Comics)

Amala’s struggle to accept her origins has been an intrinsic part of the series and, in this final issue ,she embraces her destiny. In quintessential science-fiction style, the core dilemma is the ability to make a choice. When Amala realizes that she is the catalyst for more in-game characters gaining sentience, she must make a decision, which is to give others the same choice that Rebecca had given her. All this makes for a neat and satisfying conclusion to Amala’s personal character arc over the course of the series.

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Self/Made has been a genre-bending tale that started off as a medieval war story, before evolving into an examination of sentience in a corrupt world. Amala believed she was a soldier in the Arcadian arm but, to her horror, she soon found out that she was a game character tweaked by Rebecca to become an independent AI.

Though this issue felt like a rushed attempt to conclude Amala’s story, this series has been bold and refreshing. Most other science-fiction material would have instigated anarchy in an effort for the AI to live among humans. But once again, the Self/Made team use restraint, professing the importance of choice over the complete dissolution of a corrupt society.

It isn’t often we come across comic books that value the importance of ideas over action. Self/Made has consistently balanced both. In the afterword, writer Mat Groom promises that Self/Made will return. The epilogue suggests there’s still more of this story to tell. For now, this series feels complete, having fulfilled the scope of its central concept without leaning too heavily on plot.