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Johnny Bullet
DC Comics
Review: Cyborg #23
By Philip Schweier

June 6, 2018 - 04:57

Publisher(s): DC Comics
Writer(s): Marv Wolfman
Artist(s): Tom Derenick
Colourist(s): Wil Quintana
Letterer(s): Rob Leigh
Cover Artist(s): Dave Eaglesham, Ivan Nunes; Fabrizio Fiorentino


cyborg_023.jpg
Victor Stone seems to be settling in at Starlite, though he is plagued by odd dreams which suggest there’s something else afoot here. Is it Starlite, or its competitor STAR Labs, or something more insidious? Meanwhile, an aging Japanese industrialist seems intent on challenging Cyborg, so that he may perpetuate his life by adding Cyborg’s technology to his own. (Sound familiar, Wolverine fans?)

 

I have much faith in Marv Wolfman writing a character he created, but I got the feeling this issue was perhaps a bit rushed on the writing and/or editing side. On pages 7, 8, and 16, the same phrase of dialogue was used repeatedly: “Not gonna happen.” Perhaps such speech patterns can be defended, but it seems odd for a writer of Wolfman’s caliber to repeat himself twice.

 

Tom Derenick’s artwork has an old-school feel to it that I find appealing. Many artists these days tend to dress their work up with a lot of accent lines to make it more dynamic. Sometimes it’s effective, sometimes it isn’t. His is simpler, and in a good, comfortable way, though I am uncertain if Cyborg is the right project for him. The high-tech nature of the book calls for a lot of attention to detail, which Derenick seemed to avoid in this issue.

 

In general, this issue seemed to read like a middle segment of a greater story arc. There’s no sin in that, as we’re (hopefully) on our way to an exciting showdown within the next issue or two.

 

Rating: 6/10


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