Cyborg, Vol. 1: Unplugged

Cyborg (2015) (Collected Editions)

by David F. Walker

The fan-favorite Justice League hero headlines his own solo series from rising star writer David F. Walker ( Shaft ) and superstar artists Ivan Reis and Joe Prado (BLACKEST NIGHT, JUSTICE LEAGUE).
 
Victor Stone has had his share of near-death experiences—it’s part of what made him the cyber-enhanced superhero Cyborg in the first place. But after his latest brush with death, something has changed with Vic’s cybernetics. They’re evolving, and no one can explain why!
 
But there’s more to Vic’s evolution than a new look and new powers. Something in his technology is calling out between worlds—and the message has been received by invaders who will stop at nothing to possess it. These Technosapiens aim to absorb all of humanity into their collective if it means a chance to get their hands on Cyborg.
 
Collects CYBORG #1-6 and the DC SNEAK #1.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Dc Comics, Superheroes, Science Fiction, Comic Book, Graphic Novels Comics

152 pages, Paperback

First published April 19, 2016

About the author

David F. Walker is a writer, filmmaker, and award-winning journalist. He teaches Writing For Comics at Portland State University.

Reviews

[Jeff · Rating 3 out of 5]

Personally, I can see some benefits in being part of a parasitical, nano-tech collective, but that’s me.

Vic Stone, aka Cyborg, has a different opinion. He and some of the Justice League encounter some cyber-dudes from an alternate reality (ugh). And he gets killed (again), but this time his powers are transformed.

So, throw in cyber-guys invading the Earth and transforming people into cyber-bots, alternate reality dopplegangers, the Metal Men (Yay!), a running debate on cyber-implants, a burgeoning love story, and Daddy issues (Vic and his Pops corner the market on this one) and you have a middling-to-good read.

@ Daddy issues – a big ol’ hug would be a good place to start.

Bottom line: Despite some fun and an interesting look at a second tier character (not in Batman or Superman’s circle, but preferable, to say, Aquaman – heh), the main premise (borg-like shenanigans) for this book can come off as a jumbalaya of info dump threads and plot mechanisms. I don’t know if there were any other books involved in this “event”, but it seemed that some of the action was taking place off page, still, there was enough here to get a coherent story.

If you like Cyborg or are interested in knowing more about him, this would be a good place to start.

[Sam Quixote · Rating 1 out of 5]

Wow, that SUCKED! I don’t know what it is with DC Comics but they seem to think their audience can’t get enough limb-chopping so, if that’s your thing, you are gonna love Cyborg, Volume 1: Unplugged (and no he’s not playing an acoustic session. ‘Cos his arms have been done cut off!).

Vic Stone/Cyborg’s cybernetics are evolving which has drawn a group of evil aliens from the future called Technosapiens to Earth, to “absorb all of humanity into their collective” (as the blurb says) which is nothing at all like the Borg from Star Trek. Joining Cyborg in the fight against the DC Borg are the Tekbreakers, freedom-fighting humans from the dystopian future, not at all like in Terminator! Will Cyborg do something to save the world? Buh… chop limb off?

The storyline is so, so dull! David F. Walker can’t wring an ounce of excitement from it despite its Hollywood sci-fi action premise. It comes off as flat and uninteresting from the get-go and never once improves throughout. Vic is a flat-line as a main character. He is absolutely the most boring person in the Justice League and he doesn’t suddenly become fascinating now he’s got his own solo title. Watch him use software real good! … zzz...

The dialogue vacillates from Michael Bay movie-level dumb - “Time to die, Technosapien scum!” “No, Tekbreaker… YOU will die.” “It’s a good day to die.” (all from one page) - to pseudo-scientific - “Pay close attention to all of my neuro-cyber conductors, and record all energy levels, both organic and cybernetic. Cross-reference all real-time data to everything that’s been recorded since my original systems were brought online.” - and neither version is in the least bit compelling to read. By the way, that last quote is from Vic and is a large reason why he’s so boring - because THAT’S how the dude talks 90% of the time!

Walker makes a half-hearted attempt at something maudlin to do with Vic preserving what’s left of his humanity and being seen as an individual and not a machine but it completely fails. Why? Because I’ve never once seen Cyborg treated as anything less than a valuable member of the Justice League and a human individual. It comes off as the writer floundering to find purchase on something substantial and grabbing air.

Then nobody’s favourite characters, The Metal Men, show up to round out this dismal story. Oooooooohhhhhhhhhhh, thank goodness it’s over! As you can tell, I’m recommending this one. To line your cat’s litter tray with.

[Subham · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was so good omg!

I have fond memories of reading it in single issues when it was coming out and rereading it just made me love it more! So the story is simple something attacks Cyborg and he kinda is changed like his tech seems evolved and we see who they are, a story later about he feels with his dad and gf Sarah and his life.. man or machine and what is he? And then getting attacked by the earlier attackers again and we come to see who they are and the pending threat of threat from another dimension of the TECHNOSAPIENS! And the character goes to the alt reality after some modifications and fights to save the world with allies old and new and learning some new things about himself!

The book has concepts which are familiar to readers but its the way with which is done is awesome and I love the fast paced nature and character exploration here and also the art is just brilliant. I like how we come to know Cyborg and his feelings and everything plus deep character exploration for Silas and Sarah and the threats to come. Plus the art by Reis <3!

[Chad · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spectacular art by Ivan Reis. It really fits Cyborg since Reis has a classic George Perez / Neil Adams look to his art. The technosapiens are a pretty great Borg type villain. Unlike a lot of DC stories today, Walker even manages to add some character development during the arc. It's the first time in the new 52 that Cyborg has felt like more than just the tech guy for the Justice League.

Received an advance copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

https://youtu.be/oMde9VQ2iSY

[Sud666 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cyborg is one of those JLA characters that I neither like nor dislike. So to be fair to the guy, I thought I'd check out this Volume. It helps to explain a lot about Cyborg and his tech. It seems it may have come from another world and it is now wanted by two different groups.

This is happening when a great deal of augmentation is happening to normal people and it's causing problems. When the invaders come they take control of the augmented people and turn them. Cyborg is the only one who can really save the day.

It is good to see him take a lead role-hard in an organization that includes Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman and Aquaman. But this volume showcases his abilities and does impress you with the character and personality of Vic Stone.

I also enjoyed the Metal Men showing up in the story to help. I rarely see these guys around, so it was good for them to play a prominent role in this story. There are the usual tropes of time travel, multiverses, etc. But this was a good and enjoyable story. While I might not run out and become a Cyborg fan (I really dislike his warcry of "booyah"..seriously Vic?) but this was a creditable volume and I enjoyed the tale. Score one for Cyborg.

[Jessica (Odd and Bookish) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book for free through Goodreads’ First Reads.

I honestly know very little about Cyborg since I’m more of a Marvel fan than a DC fan. Because of this, there were some characters who I did not know and it took me a bit to understand the backstory.

That being said, it was a fun, entertaining comic. There were some parts of the plot that were confusing but I managed to understand most of it.

Overall, a solid comic.

[Brandon Skanes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good stuff! My first time reading a collection of comics with Cyborg as the main character, and he definitely has all the right traits to be the hero- even if he's unsure of how he feels about himself.

[Will Robinson Jr. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredible. This is definitely one of the best series to come out of the current DC You era from DC Comics. The sad truth is that many may over look this series. First I want to say that the artwork by Ivan Reis is amazing. I have loved his artwork on other DC titles like Aquaman & Green Lantern. I have not read other comic book series written by David Walker but I think he did a great job with the character. Cyborg definitely deserves his own series. He has always been a favorite character of mine since watching the Teen Titans animated series, which I admit he was still a teenager in the current DC continuity but more or less he is still on the Justice Leagues youngest members, next to Shazam. Cyborg is probably one of the most relevant comic book characters around since alot of who he is revolves around technology and computers. Our reliance on technology and being plugged into the internet basically makes Cyborg a god in a lot of ways. He is always plugged in and he can hack any program or machine whether on our planet or other alien tech. Writer David Walker basically uses a simple alien invasion story to tackle the most intriguing question we face when does the man become the machine or the machine become the man. I loved all the characters in the story especially our guest stars the Metal Men. Victor aka Cyborg's relationship with his father is always a treat to read. Many young males who either have no fathers or maybe have aloof fathers can identify with Cyborg's troubled relationship with his dear old dad. I do want to point out that since we are in the era where the story is more important than the continuity it is confusion about where and when do the events take place in the DCU but I suspect there will probably be no mention of this Technosapien invasion in the other DC comic books. Nevertheless I really enjoy this book and hope DC fans will support more stories featuring diverse characters. I am happy to see a great quality story feauturing a black male superhero in the lead. I hope future tales will dive into the inner conflict Cyborg must battle. Is he to leave his humanity to become the machine we need to save the day? Definitely going to buy this volume asap.

[Anchorpete · Rating 3 out of 5]

I always wondered what a stand alone Cyborg story would look like.

I read this trade right around the time that the new Justice League movie footage was hitting the web. In the Live Action Justice League movie footage that we have seen, it looks like Cyborg might be a bit of a downer, an angsty woe-is-me, kind of character. Sure, I am basing that on about one line of dialogue and ten seconds of footage. he seems like the Cyborg from the Animated Justice Leage: War, movie. He is the complete opposite of the Cyborg from the Teen Titans cartoon.

What was great about this book, is that David F Walker was able to bring a balance between that Woe is me Cyborg and the outgoing, excited Cyborg, from the Teen titans cartoon. Good Job, David F walker. If you want to bring in young comic book readers (which DC really needs to do) then you should tap into that Teen Titans cartoon vibe. I wonder if the second trade is good.

[Jim · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was just thinking about how the aliens seemed like Borg, when Cyborg says, "Is this where you tell me resistance is futile?"

Ha! So at least the writers let us know they were aware of the connection.

But still, while the jokes are kind of amusing, the writing just left me a bit "meh".

Overall it was an interesting idea. But did I need to read about Cyborg's origin to understand what was going on? Where did he get his tech, and how did that all fit in??

Too much was happening - action was all over the place. Sometimes it's hard to follow what the aliens are doing. And when the action is confusing mediocre writing doesn't help.

I like the overriding storyline about Vic's humanity. And I'm really curious about where this is going, but I'm not sure if I would keep reading.

Thanks to NetGalley and DC Comics for a copy in return for an honest review.

[Jacob · Rating 2 out of 5]

Public library copy.

Story wise this was rather forgettable, but it's probably as good a story one would write featuring a character that often worked best within team books. This time around the Cyborg tech gets an "Extremis" Marvel Comic's Iron man approach.

Art wise, I thought it was top notch in the hands of the talented Ivan R., but after he stopped drawing it I found my interest diminish greatly.

Not recommended, not worth re-reading, and only if the public library carries the volumes that succeed this would I bother to check in and see where it goes.

[John · Rating 2 out of 5]

I like Cyborg as a character, so wanted this to be a fun solo series. Unfortunately, I got a big pile of comic book cliches. Enough with the "chosen one" crap, okay? And all the alternate reality interference is really old, too. The Metal Men show up, but have damn little to do. The art is nicely kinetic, however, but it can't help this one from being nothing special.

[Matthew Marsili · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐️ Pretty good. Wasn’t really anything too special. It was an entertaining read but is definitely not one of my favourites at all.

[Krzysztof Grabowski · Rating 3 out of 5]

Większa część Ligi Sprawiedliwości w wydaniu New 52 już za mną, a nawiązuje do tego bowiem Cyborg jest tam potraktowany, jako de facto postać drugoplanowa. Chłopak robi za wsparcie, czasami włamując się do jakichś systemów lub robi za worek treningowy, bo tak go potraktowano w wydarzeniu zwanym Forever Evil.

Jako postać więc Victor Stone nie został w żaden sposób wyeksploatowany, chociażby tak jak Batman czy Superman, których czasami miałem nawet dosyć. Ucieszyło mnie zatem, że w końcowej fazie New 52 postanowiono dać szansę nieco mniej znanym postaciom (zmieniając nawet nazwę fazy na DC You, ale to jedno i to samo) i Vic jest tego przykładem... Iż tworząc naprawdę dobrą postać, można zaprezentować jej tak słabą historię. Naprawdę, nie wiem jak to jest możliwe. Czyżby Walker skupił się na tworzeniu samej postaci, zaniedbując jednocześnie to co jest w tle?

Bo sznytu przy wiarygodnym budowaniu Vica może pozazdrościć wielu autorów. Od tego momentu kibicuję tej postaci i jestem ją w stanie zrozumieć. Cyborg został ograbiony z normalnego bytowania bardziej niż którykolwiek z członków JL, ale mimo diametralnych zmian w życiu nadal stara się jakoś funkcjonować. Początkowo miałem zgrzyt, bo ten dotychczasowo ukazywany zimnokrwisty analityk rzuca się bez zastanowienia do walki w towarzystwie Batka, Shazama i bodajże Wonder Woman. Szybko obskakuje takie bęcki, że ginie. Kolejny raz. Ale jakimś cudem tym razem załączył mu się protokół ukryty wewnątrz kodu źródłowego, który doprowadził do odtworzenia postaci (trochę za wygodne). Taki swoisty back-up.

Tyle, że daleko rozwinięty, bowiem całe zajście doprowadza także do niespotykanego upgrade'u postaci. Pamiętam grubego, metalowego kloca z JL. vol. 1: Origin. Tutaj mamy atletę, dodatkowo z nowymi zabawkami. I teraz potrafi upodobnić się w całości do siebie sprzed wypadku z S.T.A.R. Labs. Wątek ciekawy, ale jeszcze ciekawsze jest to jak odbierają Vica inni. W laboratorium wszyscy, z jego ojcem na czele, za dużo razy traktują młodego Stone'a tylko za obiekt badań. Odziera go to z człowieczeństwa, gdy pierwszą reakcją na zmiany w przypadku 'znajomych' jest potrzeba kolejnych testów diagnostycznych. I tylko jedna osoba stara się zawsze wspierać tego wartościowego członka Ligi Sprawiedliwości. Niejaka Sarah Charles. Tak, jest tu obecny wątek romantyczny, ale nie jest on nachalny. Powiedziałbym, że czekam jak się rozwinie. Zwłaszcza, że sama dziewczyna wystąpi tu w dwóch wersjach...

Gdyby autor zdecydował się więcej skupiać uwagi na życiu codziennym postaci to byłoby fajnie. Tak, wiem że Vic przy wspomnieniu o seksie odpowiada, że to tylko jego sprawa, ale... Jest wiele takich rzeczy, na które można było by odpowiedzieć. Autor tylko narusza wierzchołek góry lodowej, poruszają jeszcze kwestię snu czy odżywiania się. Za to mamy tzw. Technosapiens. Rasę cyber-organizmów powstałą na wskutek zarażenia tkanki organicznej pewną wersją pasożyta cybernetycznego, który zmienia ją w metal i przewody. Przy czym antagoniści są wyprani z jakiegokolwiek charakteru. Chcą się tylko rozpleniać. A Vic ma być szansą na ostateczne zwycięstwo, bo słyszą w nim "muzyczkę". Schemat, schemat.

Dopóty autor skupiał się na przyziemnych sprawach to było nieźle, potem wraz z rozwojem akcji całość przypominała typowe akcyjniaki, jakich wiele na rynku. Tu wskoczą starzy znajomi w formie kolorowych robotów, znanych mi skądinąd z bodajże szóstego tomu Ligi Sprawiedliwości z New 52, a tam dalej się okaże, że w sumie to Victor nawet nie musi kiwnąć placem by zażegnać powstałe zagrożenie. Zakończenie, którego się sam osobiście spodziewałem troszeczkę mnie rozczarowało, bo jak inaczej można całość załatwić, jak tylko zhakować i obejść system? Odp. Na pewno inaczej.

Dobrze, że całość jeszcze wygląda jako tako, a to zasługa Ivana Reisa. Może nie jest to idealna krecha, ale dobrze sprawdza się przy ukazywaniu szybszej akcji i fajnie nakreśla postać, choć można by było nieco więcej czasu poświęcić drugiemu planowi. Niemniej widać, że właściwy człowiek został przypisany właściwemu miejscu. I tylko szkoda, że miejscami to leży fabularnie, co nieco psuje mi odbiór fajnego nakreślenia postaci. Uważam jednak, że dla Vica warto się poświęcić i czekam na kolejny tom. Oby tam czekało mnie coś bardziej kreatywnego.

[Victor Orozco · Rating 4 out of 5]

BOOYAH!

Of all the characters in the New 52 Justice League, only Cyborg hasn't had a run of his own comics. Its not the first time he hasn't had his own comic series but this was long overdue.

I have to admit New 52's replacement of Martian Manhunter with Cyborg is not without some controversy. But I do understand why. They already have and alien - Superman, a man with an alien power - Green Lantern, but they don't have a technological hero. Sure Batman and Flash are geniuses, but with this being the 21st century its more than important to have technology at the forefront, who better that Cyborg with his amazing powers.

I still miss him on the Teen Titans, heck its a given that the character's catchphrase comes from the Teen Titans animated series' that have been done in the past decade. But he plays major league exceptionally well.

A Cybernetic alien species threatens the world and only Cyborg can save the day. Its a little rugged at first but it ends with a pretty neat climax. Like how they work the supporting case. Silas Stone is still something of a jerk. Dr. Morrow is also kind of boring but his part belongs with the Metal Men. But I admit Sarah Charles is pretty nice and clearly shows her affection for Victor. All in all a great team that works really good for the story.

The art is okay and the storytelling is a bit choppy. Still a nice story. B-

[Adam · Rating 4 out of 5]

I went back and forth between 3 stars and 4 stars. I decided on 4 stars because 3 is a little too low.

The story was really enjoyable. It has some of your standard Cyborg struggles such as coping with his identity and honestly that didn't bother me. The story was fairly straightforward. It didn't do anything that hasn't been done before. You have this unique alien life attacking earth and Cyborg has to stop it.

The art wasn't anything mind-blowing but it worked very well and I was able to easily distinguish between characters and tell what was happening. There isn't anything too crazy in terms of panel arrangement. Some pages are a little text heavy but then other pages were really light.

The best part? The ending. I was wondering if Cyborg would be able to control the machine part him by the end because of where it was going. Being able to completely remove the Cyborg appearance is a pretty cool story to explore. I already have volume 2 and am very curious to see how this plays out.

[TrashKat · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was kind of an up and down read for me. I was really impressed at the beginning of this volume. I haven't ready any Cyborg comics and was really enjoying everything that was going on. I liked the art style. I liked the story. I like what the characters were doing. And then ... I feel like it just sort of fell flat and I was waiting for it to wrap up. I didn't really understand exactly what was happening with the plot anymore and the villains felt so shoe-horned I wasn't really interested. Also, I like when comics pull in some add-on characters to fill out the cast, but the metal-men were super weird. I wish they would have picked someone else to support this story. Cyborg is a really cool character -- which is why this is still getting 3 stars from me. But I wish I'd grabbed a story without a bunch of alternate dimension story jumps.

[J · Rating 3 out of 5]

I admit I prefer the classic Cyborg from the New Teen Titans days. The New 52 Cyborg, older, a Justice Leaguer instead of a Titan, just feels kinda meh to me. This first volume of his DCYou series isn't bad, in fact I liked it ok, but in some ways it was a mess to read. The multiverse, alien invasions that just happen, and some convoluted art made it a chore to get through. It was nice seeing Cyborg's supporting cast enlarged to include the Metal Men and the guy who was a football rival of Cyborg's in high school. This is like a 2.75 read for me, so I'll rate it as 3 stars, but expected something a bit more down to earth to help establish Cyborg's character. This rather "epic" style tale was just a bit much.

[Sean · Rating 3 out of 5]

Any time I read the first issue of a DC series I'm always reminded that DC clearly doesn't want new readers. Case in point, Cyborg here. Tons of techno-babble and exposition to explain who and what is happening but doesn't do it well. It takes the book until half way through to actually find its legs. The book isn't bad but its so by the numbers. It doesn't feel like it has heart. The art by Ivan Reiss is a step down from his normal level but its not bad. Overall, an okay read that takes time to get into.

[Derek Moreland · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dull, confusing, and Walker spoiled the story's climax in interviews before the first issue released.

Still, the ending was fascinating enough that I will check out the next collection.

EDIT: bumping my review up a star for a solid use of the New 52 Metal Men. We dodnt see enough of those guys, and after their teaming with Cyborg in the "Forever Heroes" storyarc in Justice League, they make a food callback for allies here.

[Jenny Clark · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I do appreciate the attempt at trying to show Cyborg's feelings, I feel like it's taken a step back in his character development. When he first joined the Teen Titans, he was unsure of himself and his humanity, but he quickly came to terms with that. Here, he's fighting it again and it just feels like a rehash. The villians are a sci fi trope, but at least look cool. The whole book looks pretty cool at least.
Overall, unless you are a fan of Cyborg, maybe skip this one.

[Em · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story was better than I was expecting honestly! I like cyborg from what I know about him as a character so on a base level I found it interesting. I picked it up for like 5 bucks just to see what it was like, some of the dialogue is pretty boring and it feels like a slog at times. A few of the characters are also kind of annoying and unlikable but it’s not horrible.

[Will Cooper · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not aggressively bad, just kinda boring. A techno-virus/race wants to take over some tech and they have to tech fight it. And is Cyborg human or only robot??!?!?! It's a question they ask for him all the time. Forever. Focus on something else.

[Brent · Rating 2 out of 5]

An optimistic cyber superhero arc, guest starring The Metal Men. It's great that this character has a chance to shine. Hope for further developments. Ivan Reis and an army of assistants have an appealing take on all the art, but the last half of the chapters are quite rushed.
Mildly recommended.

[Robert · Rating 2 out of 5]

** spoiler alert ** Heavy handed but ok, worst part is when they do what comics all to often do today - remove the very thing that makes a character special or unique.

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just got curious about Cyborg...
A little light reading never hurt anyone!

[Hal · Rating 4 out of 5]

solid 4 stars,
Aliens come to earth to steal tech from Cyborg, fun but wasted potential.

[Alex Henderson · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Calvin Daniels · Rating 3 out of 5]

nice art, OK story, if not amazing