Cyber Force #5
Robert Struble
Recap
A day after the global blackout, with lights still out in Bogota, Columbia, a jeep of drug smugglers is fleeing an unseen threat. They shoot but hit nothing and one by one they are picked out of the moving vehicle until it crashes and the driver stumbles ahead in the dark, only to finally be killed by a cyborg sporting long black hair.
The man, known only as RP in this book, returns home, having helped clear out the drug problem. His benefactor has another request for RP…to help save a doctor who has become a target of the cartels.
At the rebel camp, the doctor pleads with the leader to pack up and move. The cartel knows where they are and they are coming. That night, the cartel overpowers the guards and grabs the doctor. They slowly begin executing their prisoners but suddenly, RP is there, tearing into the cartel. Frightened, the doctor picks up a fallen weapon and points it at the newcomer, only to find RP standing there, surrounded by the children he just saved.
Review
Five issues in and I’m still having trouble picturing this as Cyberforce. It’s definitely not the creation I grew up with, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. We take a step back from the technology of the past four issues (and one we’ve come to expect whether you’re a fan of the old or of the new) and get tossed into a lower tech setting and thus, we don’t get much of Stryker or Velocity in this issue, instead focusing on a fan favorite who’s been missing: Ripclaw.
Oh sure, he’s not actually referenced by name, but there’s little doubt as to who this is. Long black hair, prefers solitude, slices people’s heads off with his claws…yeah, it’s Ripclaw.
Ultimately, the book is good, it’s a fun read, and it’s great to see Ripclaw back again, but there are several parts that just bug me that keep it from being a really great issue.
The cover is totally misleading. Velocity on the front and nowhere to be seen. I’m guessing it was done to keep the news of Ripclaw’s return a secret, but it’s a bait and switch that doesn’t really continue the story. The pacing seems off…at least as far as the cartel assault on the camp. Ripclaw just appears out of nowhere and kills three cartel members and it’s over? So the cartel sends only three people to take on a rebel camp??? It just didn’t sit right. I had to read it a few times just to figure out what was going on.
Still, the first half of the issue was good. The colors are amazing, especially contrasting the small amounts of light with the darkness of night. And Ripclaw looks down right scary…which is awesome! Especially the chase of the drug runners at the start… the panels are perfect, putting you right in the middle of the action, feeling their fear.
For fans of Cyberforce, this is little more than fan service. If you’re brand new to Cyberforce, until the next issue comes out, I have no idea if this is a must read or a can-skip issue.
Final Thoughts
It’s a bit of a mixed bag with a book that has some outstanding art but the storytelling is difficult to follow. It’s got some room for improvement but I’m liking the direction of this series so far.
Cyber Force #5: Change of Scenery
- Writing - 7/107/10
- Storyline - 8/108/10
- Art - 8/108/10
- Color - 10/1010/10
- Cover Art - 6/106/10