If you haven't heard of Top Cow before, that's OK; neither had I. Top Cow is the publisher of the infamous Witchblade series and The Darkness which has also been adapted into a line of video games. It's helmed by Mark Silvestri who penned the original Cyber Force comics and is one of the earliest offshoots of the well-known Image comics imprints.
Also, if you haven't heard of Cyber Force, I don't blame you. While it's been one of the company's flagship titles, it's never elevated itself above the status of being just another poorly executed super hero team up book. It follows an assembly of cybernetic enhanced stooges fighting the forces of the evil mega corporation Cyberdata. I'm sure there are fans that would dispute my distaste, but perhaps I'm just turned off by how superb the new series is. In comparison, there is no comparison.
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| Their humble origins. |
The newest incarnation of the Cyber Force is brought to you once again with Mark Silvestri as co-writer, who will be joined by Matt Hawkins in creating what they are calling a "bio-cybernetic steampunk" in a "cutting edge world based on real technology." Most notable additions to the team however is the art department. Khoi Pham of Mighty Avengers, Hercules, and Daredevil fame is turning out some of the most squee-inducing pages in print at this moment, and if you aren't getting lost in his elegantly crafted character designs then you're probably appreciating the color contributed by his partner in crime, Sunny Gho. In all seriousness, this is a pretty series with plenty of eye candy to be found.
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| Left to Right: Mark Silvestri, Khoi Pham |
You don't have to know anything about Top Cow or it's universe to pick up and read this installment of the Cyber Force which is probably the best part about it. It's neatly self-contained so all you need to do is grab your copy and start flipping. Thus far, we've found our ragtag group of cyborg degenerates and defunct military models hiding in the underbelly of the big city just trying to get by. They live under constant threat by their previous employer, a military conscription and black ops firm known as the CDI. It's when Caren, daughter to CDI's president, stumbles upon their hideout that things get all shaken up and ends in an all-out battle for survival and the future of mankind as a whole. The new story reinvents the primary cast giving them a new livelihood, and trims the fat right off the top. It's a clever and gritty adaption to the original series that offers plenty of room to grow and develop.
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| Taken from Issue #3 of Cyber Force |
In a surprise move, this series is also currently available absolutely free thanks to a successful Kickstarter campaign that concluded its funding August 17, 2012. It raised a respectable $117,134.00 with 1,419 backers and offered incentives ranging from "internet high-fives " at the $10.00 level, to a three day, two night all expenses paid vacation to Disneyland and a chance to meet Silvestri, Hawkins and the rest of the Top Cow clan in Los Angeles for a measly $10,000.00 (which unsurprisingly went unclaimed).
You can follow the complete first five issue arc by downloading the DRM free PDF here, and then after you are thoroughly hooked, head on down to your local comic book shop to reserve your copy of issue #6 which is coming out this Wednesday (September 18, 2013).
If you are a fan of the original and think I'm out to lunch or have any ideas on what I should write about in this script to knock Top Cow's socks off, leave me a comment and I'll be sure to take it into consideration.
*cited from:
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/620244384/cyber-force-returns?ref=live
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyberforce
http://topcow.com/comics-menu/top-cow-universe/cyber-force-menu
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