Kevin Grevioux
takes over writing Cyborg (at least for the time being), and I am happy about
that. I’m sure the previous writer, John Semper Jr., has some credibility, but
perhaps Cyborg was a just a bad fit. Perhaps I’m in the minority of those who
didn’t care for his tenure on the title.
I’d like to say Grevioux
will do better, but I’m not so sure. In this story, Cyborg is in the Sudan,
where meteorites have been falling with a peculiar regularity. Not just any
meteorites – these are filled with a king’s ransom in precious metals. What
Cyborg discovers is a brutal warlord who has in his possession a mystic
rhinoceros horn. Like the Monkey’s Paw talisman of old, it will bestow three
wishes upon whomever possesses it, but with a costly touch of irony. So when
Victor Stone admits to sometimes wishing he were completely human again – Poof!
– he’s human.
One might think that it is
the cliff hanger on which this issue ends, but no. Vic’s transformation is
surprisingly sedate as plot developments go. It just seems the cast – including
Vic himself – just aren’t weirded out enough, in my opinion.
My other concern is the
magical implication of the rhino horn. Sure, magic exists in the DCU, but I
just don’t expect it to cross paths with a character of such advanced
technology. Still, Semper stuck to the techno-thrills, and look where it got
him. Kudos to Grevioux for going in the completely opposite direction.
Rating: 7/10