Cyborg #3 Review

     

    

Written by: Morgan Hampton
Art by: Tom Raney
Colors by: Michael Atiyah
Letters by: Rob Leigh
Cover art by: Edwin Galmon
Cover price: $3.99
Release date: September 19, 2023

Cyborg #3 discovers the nefarious secret behind Markus's special research project at Solace. Can Cyborg stop Markus from possessing 30 million people before it's too late?
Is Cyborg #3 Good?

Morgan Hampton's latest chapter in Cybrog's journey to come to terms with himself leans heavily on assumptions, leaps in logic, and nostalgia to establish the next level of stakes. It's not a bad issue per se, but when flashy silver spoons are the only interesting talking points in a bland plot, you know the story lacks a certain Oomph! When last we left Victor Stone, aka Cyborg, we learned Markus's project was behind Silas Stone's "resurrection" inside a robot body.

Now, we learn the backstory behind Markus's creation and how Silas got involved, leading to a rock 'em sock 'em confrontation with Markus's latest bodyguard and old Cyborg enemy, ATLAS. "Wait, what? ATLAS isn't an old enemy unless you count the Teen Titans cartoon!" you'd rightly point out. True, true, but it seems Hampton is going all in on synergizing this version of Cyborg with the cartoons, whether it makes sense to comic continuity or not. Unfortunately, ATLAS is introduced in a way that makes it sound like Cyborg and ATLAS have a comic history together, so comic-reading fans may feel lost if they're not also fans of the cartoon.

What is Markus's project plan? Well, that's where it gets tricky. We know what Markus is doing, and the implications of why he's doing it, but not what his goal is. Markus wants to digitally copy the minds of everyone so they can be downloaded into robot bodies as a form of faux immortality, whether they ask for it or not. What's great about Cyborg #3? Cynorg's robot fight with ATLAS is entertaining. Markus's plan definitely adds scope and stakes to the conflict. And ATLAS's appearance is a nice nostalgia twist, even if it is only for cartoon fans.

What's not so great about Cyborg #3? Cyborg's "I know who I am" self-talk speech during his fight with ATLAS is stiff and (I rarely use this word) corny. Markus's plan lacks motivation, despite its scale, and the logistics of pulling it off seem very far-fetched. Plus, the cliffhanger ending is predictably cliché.

 How's the art? It's fine. Tom Raney gets the job down with interesting visuals that depict digitized minds inside a computer system, and the fight is energetic.

About The Reviewer: Gabriel Hernandez is the Publisher & EIC of ComicalOpinions.com, a comics review site dedicated to indie, small, and mid-sized publishers.

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Bits and Pieces:

Cyborg #3 increases the scale and scope of the villain's plan and adds a cameo from a Teen Titans cartoon character to spice things up. However, the big plan seems far-fetched and lacks motivation, which makes the villain come off as one-dimensional.

5.0/10