Cyber Force #1
Writers: Matt Hawkins & Bryan Hill
Art: Atilio Rojo
Letterer: Troy Peteri
Publisher: Top Cow/Image Comics
Review by Greg Brothers
Just like fashion, movies, and television, often everything old is new again in comics. In the early 90’s Marc 
Silvestri started the Cyber Force series. In that series the characters were mutants who were brought together to protect the world. Since then several versions have come and gone. With the reboot of many 1990’s series it was just a matter of time before Cyber Force got its own reboot treatment.
Cyber Force #1 starts with a flashback as someone attacks a military instillation. The person easily eliminates everyone except for Morgan Stryker who it seems is left to survive for an unknown purpose. Although he has survived the initial attack, to live he needs to undergo surgery that will bond him with a mysterious government experiment. I’m sure nothing will go wrong. . .right?
The first thing to know about Cyber Force #1 is that it is a complete reboot. Although some of the characters names may be familiar, the story treats this as if it is an unknown series. The move makes sense as the readers who have memories of the original series might have moved on, while new readers would have felt lost.
Starting Cyber Force #1 with a flashback of the attack confirms to the reader that the series is going to be filled with action. But it is what happens after the flashback that allows the heart and soul to shine. A daughter who must make a choice that will forever change her and her father. A mysterious government official who has a plan that has been in place long before the attack. And questions as to how the attacker knows our main protagonist all are threads that are laid out to be followed to keep Cyber Force #1 from becoming a story of big guns and explosions.
While the dialogue by Edwards and Hawkins does an excellent job portraying the emotion, depth, and mystery, it is Rojo who puts the cherry on top. The wordless panels show the pain and raw emotions that Stryker is experiencing. Not only is Rojo able to show the pain, but he is able to flawlessly show tears and the internal battles going on within characters. The colors are bright and engaging, drawing the readers’ eyes right into the action. That said, for all the good that is in the art, unfortunately some of the art feels unfinished at times. A few panels feel like they would have been better served with sharper and darker line work.
Verdict: Buy it.
Cyber Force #1 drops us right into the action and then takes us on an emotional and deep ride. When you start with blood, gore, and explosions, it is not easy to scale it back and tell the story of the characters involved. Thankfully the team can pull of what seems impossible at times. At the end I was hooked and want to see not only how Stryker gets revenge, but also how the relationship with his daughter evolves.
