It’s RoboCop time! Remember this is adapted from the script/story that Frank Miller wrote for RoboCop 3. No Ninja’s or jet packs, just Detroit and RoboCop. With ever group review the writers/reviews of Comic Bastards give the issue score of: Buy, Borrow or Pass along with a reason why. First here’s a blurb about the issue from Boom Studios: Frank Miller’s incredible screenplay has been brought to life in this hard-hitting Steven Grant (2 GUNS, PUNISHER: CIRCLE OF BLOOD) penned adaptation. With all the brains, guts, and bullets that made the first film an instant classic, this is a comic event not to miss.
The police force has disbanded. The people of Detroit have been evicted from their homes. ED-209’s and OCP officers run the streets. With OCP’s vision for Delta City well underway, Robocop may be his city’s last hope. This is Robocop’s last stand, as it was always intended to be.
Dustin: Buy
I rarely go first on the group reviews, but come on… it’s RoboCop. I was actually very entertained with this issue. It wasn’t perfect, but it’s definitely one of the best things to have RoboCop’s name on it in a long while. I enjoyed the fact that it was kept in Detroit and that the police force is completely gone, now replaced by a private military. RoboCop’s working against the police and OPC and only has himself for support after the death of Lewis. In fact her death seems to be the motivation for his character.
The new character is convenient. She’s a tech person as well which is even more convenient, but hey I’m interested. She reminds me a bit of the reporter character in Dark Horse’s new X series, so we’ll see how she turns out. Again it’s not perfect, but we’re working with dated material here. In general though I think it did a great job of capturing the essences of RoboCop.
Samantha: Buy
I mean how can you not be into RoboCop? I could just end the review here but I will give a brief paragraph on why this comic is a buy. First off you have Boom making the comic. You really cannot go wrong with Boom titles lately. They paved their way to the top to be one of favorites and many others favorite publishers.
Secondly, Frank Miller is a part of this Boom creative team. Oh and so is Steven Grant and Korkut Őztekin. The comic is an adaption to Frank Miller’s RoboCop 3. With a name like Frank Miller it has to be good.
Thirdly, the comic just simply rules. It has lots of action with some violence and always drama. OCP now runs the streets, so it is up to Alex Murphy to protect the town. Seems he will team up with Marie and probably normal street thugs in order to battle against OCP. Should be worth the money and the read.
Steve: Pass
I like RoboCop; Now, I’m not what you’d call a diehard fan, but I’ve seen all the movies and played that RoboCop vs. Terminator game for like five minutes. So this is my first foray into his comics, and I have to say, I wasn’t a fan.
The entire layout of premise in that first page, which sets RoboCop up as a clergy-killing vigilante, really got my juices flowing! After such a slick start, however, the sheen of this book quickly dims beneath claustrophobic art and a plot that feels more cinematic Batman than RoboCop, which makes sense, since this was Miller’s unproduced script for another RoboCop movie.
The art, as I mentioned, feels closed in and squashed except when there is a big character sketch, like the one of our titular tinman. Beautiful stuff, but elsewhere this feels like an amateur Dredd fan-art book. Korkut Oztekin is an unknown to me, and while he shows peeks of brilliance, his stuff here is too inconsistent for me to get behind. Maybe this should have all translated onscreen, without trying to rebrand it into comics, but with an ending that felt as hastily chopped as its narrative flow was clunky, I just couldn’t get arrested by RoboCop.
Eric: Buy
Who doesn't love Robocop? OCP, but of course they made him and because of his human side he can't be controlled. I have been looking for a good Robocop story and this has my attention. It has me captured because of the gritty and unpolished world it is in. It's a very simple start that isn't impressive, but has so much to build on. The portrayal of OCP is even darker than I remember. Robocop seems but a shell of bad memories and holding on to whatever he can to keep fighting OCP, but he still is a total badass taking out an ED-209 and any OCP goons he comes across. The art is actually stands out for gritty and hard like the streets of Detroit. It gives you the feel of the roughness of the world that is created. This book has potential and the heart of Robocop. It builds a good foundation for the start, but not a stand out issue.
Carl: Buy
Boom Studios takes over the franchise license. The last Robocop story I read was Robocop vs. Terminator, and the surprise ending left me stunned and well entertained. I can't say the same for this Frank Miller interpretation of the cyborg, though. There's not much new in the way of concept in this comic. Murphy picks up another female partner, the class warfare in Detroit still exists, and ED-209 gets his transistors handed to him way too easily. None of the satire of the 1987 film can be found, nor can the really forward-looking extrapolations. All in all, this is only a continuation of what has been done. This time, though, Robocop has gone rogue to protect the citizens from the OCP goon squads. His personal vendetta stems from the murder of his partner, Lewis. This series stretches over eight issues, and I hesitate to think how this will play out over so many pages.
Jordan: Buy
I had never read anything Robocop. To tell you the truth I’ve never really seen the movie outside of bits and pieces on public television. But what I have been reading is Judge Dredd. And this is pretty much that. Now, though that may sound like a complaint, I assure you it isn’t. This is a good comic book. I mean, Frank Miller wrote it. But I do feel like I’ve seen it before. The slap-you-in-the-face moral message, the gruff, loose cannon super-cop on the run. The city that seems to be a living, masochistic entity. Even down to the cowl covering all but a clean-shaven mouth and lantern chin. It’s almost inspires a chicken or egg line of questioning.
That said I enjoyed this issue if anything to see what RoboCop was all about. The world he inhabits seems sicker and crueler than Dredd’s ever did. His adversaries more monstrous and so to combat that he has powers Dredd couldn’t dream of, he pulls a tank apart, takes some automatic weapons fire. It’s cool stuff and enough to make me want to keep going.
Kevin: Buy
Robocop and Frank Miller go together like “rama lama lama ka dinga da dinga dong.” So when Boom dropped Miller’s Robocop script you knew there was something to be excited for.
At first I was a little disappointed by the art. Some panels felt rushed and sloppy but it’s far from a deal breaker and I got over it. Narrative wise, things start with the typical Robo exposition with the news relaying the climate of the world. Robo is being made out as a rogue killer, OCP has their corporate thugs running rough-shot all over shit (all of which makes sense if you read Miller’s Robocop 2 script/comic) and some chick named Marie is looking for Robo to help him tighten up his game. All of this could be a little hard on new readers who are unfamiliar with Miller’s run. That could put some people off.
With all the Robo hype lately and the crap treatment that Murphy and company has received in other comic variation’s it's good to see Millers name on a Robo book.
Score: Most of us say buy it, but some of us say pass.
Story: Frank Miller
Adapted by: Steven Grant
Artist: Korkut Oztekin
Publisher: Boom Studios
Price: $3.99
Release Date: 8/7/13