Robocop: Citizen’s Arrest #2 Review

Robocop: Citizen’s Arrest #2

Writer: Brian Wood
Illustrator: Jorge Coelho
Colorist: Doug Garbark
Letterer: Ed Dukeshire
Publisher: Boom! Studios

Review by Greg Brothers

It is hard to believe that it has been 30 years since the original Robocop hit the theaters. It was one of the many 1980’s movies that focused on the fear of technology taking over. Of course over the years different sequels have been made, some have worked, and some have not. However, with Robocop: Citizen’s Arrest all the sequels after Robocop 2 have been thrown out and we get a new follow up.

The first issue introduced us to a Detroit where OCP has replaced all the human cops with robots. Citizens are encouraged to report crimes through the exclusive app and can earn money by doing so. Alex Murphey has been set on retired mode. Unable to even pick up his own gun anymore, it sits on his kitchen table as the world changes around him, mocking him. Robocop: Citizen’s Arrest #2 picks up with a local pirate radio remembering back to better times, asking for someone like the Robocop of old to come and stop the corruption that is infecting the city. Meanwhile Leo Reza and his wife Sara are trying to come up with a plan that might help Alex Murphey with his current situation.

I have been a fan of most of Brian Wood’s writings for awhile now. Thankfully, Robocop: Citizen’s Arrest #2 continues that streak. The storyline of what has happened to Alex Murphey makes sense and works well. There would be no way he would have let these things happen unless he had no control over it. Several of Wood’s ideas hit because of the realness of them. The idea of an app that pays users for their tips to the police force could easily become a reality. It is an idea that in many ways harkens back to the McCarthy Era. Of course, you can not have an evil corporation unless you have an evil CEO. And the head of OCP fits that bill also. Charismatic enough to get the people to believe in him and his company, but evil enough to be moving all the chess pieces where he wants them.

Coelho and Garbark’s art and colors work in harmony throughout the book. One such example is the CEO of OCP. The team is able to easily switch from making him look soft and trusting while he is in public, to dark and foreboding with the use of shadows behind the scenes. Alex is drawn a bit too stiff in the body, but the emotionless face is perfect for what is expected. In addition to the varying looks of the CEO, the team is able to perfectly show the difference between new Detroit and old Detroit as the panels vary between crisp, clean, and shiny, to the dark and desolate old Detroit.

Verdict: Buy it.

If you are a fan of the Robocop franchise, then Robocop: Citizen’s Arrest will be the sequel that you have been looking forward to. Robocop: Citizen’s Arrest #2 takes the base that the first issue laid out and builds upon it as it reveals more of the story. By the end of this issue it is obvious that the action is about to pick up and Alex and his friends will be able to head in on the offensive. Grab the series and take notes, just in case anyone in your town thinks it is an innovative idea to replace the cops with cyborgs.