I’ve made no
secret of not fully appreciating the current Cyborg series. In the past it has
seemed aimless, and the latest issue is no exception. In many ways, it is a
mere coda to last issue’s victory in the Digital Reality. Cyborg says his
good-byes and returns to the “real” world, along with Anomaly, who, after
seeing a world inhabited by machines, now recognizes the error of his ways.
Semper’s writing here is
suspect, because rather than show the
reader what has transpired, he uses Cyborg’s narration to tell the reader. Imagine how uninspired a movie might be if we
listened to the director’s narration, rather than the actor’s reciting their
lines. It’s a bold experiment by the writer, but it ultimately fails.
This seems to be the end,
as Victor Stone comes to terms with both his humanity and the technology with
which he shares it. A fresh story arc – indeed, a Rebirth – is promised
beginning next issue.
But I can’t help wonder at
the timing. The Justice League movie comes out in a few weeks, and I wonder if
this wasn’t designed by DC Editorial to allow those who enjoy Cyborg on the big
screen to jump on board the title right away.
Perhaps Semper was asked
to compress a bigger ending into a single issue. If so, DC did no one any
favors; not the readers, not Semper, nor potentially new fans. Or perhaps, like
me, DC has grown weary of Semper’s slow-paced writing style and is hoping for
someone with a greater sense of drama and action to take over the title. We’ll
find out next issue.
Rating: 4/10