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Frank Miller's RoboCop #1
Frank Miller RoboCop
RoboCop è stato ed è tuttora una delle icone della cultura pop degli anni '80, e, dopo il successo del primo film, Frank Miller fu scelto per sceneggiare il secondo. Purtroppo i suoi testi vennero ritenuti troppo violenti e sarcastici da Hollywood, e la storia che abbiamo potuto seguire al cinema non è quella che Miller aveva in mente. Ora, dalla sceneggiatura originale e dalle note dell'autore di Sin City, tutti gli appassionati possono finalmente leggere la storia dura e cruda così come era stata intesa, scritta da Steven Grant (conoscente di Miller e già autore della trasposizione a fumetti di Robocop 3 per la Dark Horse).
240 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2006
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391 people want to read
About the author
Frank Miller
1,355 books5,348 followersFrank Miller is an American writer, artist and film director best known for his film noir-style comic book stories. He is one of the most widely-recognized and popular creators in comics, and is one of the most influential comics creators of his generation. His most notable works include Sin City, The Dark Knight Returns, Batman Year One and 300.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 79 reviews
December 21, 2019
While turning unproduced versions of screenplays like this into comics is a great idea, this feels like a lot of Frank Miller's later work, an incoherent mess filled with sexism and over the top machismo. This is certainly an Avatar book. The book is graphic to the point of being gross. It's filled with T and A shots of the few women involved. Even the female police officers get their clothes blown off of them in battle until they are running around in lingerie style underwear. Juan Jose Ryp has turned into a fantastic artist but his early work at Avatar while detailed was so overly busy I couldn't make heads or tails of what was happening. At this point in his career, he hadn't figured out how to make the characters in each panel stand out from the background. This is a comic best left forgotten. I'm surprised a company like Boom would reprint it.
June 15, 2021
I was like eight years old when I first saw Robocop. I didn't understand anything of the satire or the dystopia or such, but boy did things blow up and people died and there was a lot of blood and it was pretty kickass. I think I would have liked this comic at that age, too.
But as a grown-up, the satire of the movie works better than the gratuitous boob-shots of the comic.
But as a grown-up, the satire of the movie works better than the gratuitous boob-shots of the comic.
June 16, 2018
Being quite the fan of 1980s dystopian science-fiction, as well as having a morbid curiosity about "what if?"s of show business I eventually had to read this adaptation of comics legend Frank Miller's unfilmed script for "Robocop 2". It also helped that I had diligently read the columns for Comic Book Resources done by the actual writer of the volume, one Steven Grant, about the history of the comics industry in his own experience starting in the 1970s and Grant's musings about how they reflected the broader society around it.
To be honest, it's something of a half truth to say that Frank Miller's "Robocop 2" script went unfilmed. Rather, it looks like Orion Pictures split the script into two halves. The storyline about Omni Consumer Products burdening Robocop with a bunch of new directives to make him more obedient and preparing a new improved Robocop with a more controllable personality (and a brain from a psychotic mass murderer) became "Robocop 2". The other half of the plot about OCP bringing in private mercenaries as scabs during the police strike apparently ended up as the premise of "Robocop 3", which I have yet to see as it's supposedly not very good.
Frankly, reading this I get the impression that Orion were right to intervene even if the result still wasn't enough to fill Paul Verhoeven's biggest set of shoes. The main problem I had with the finished film was that it threw around too many subplots and new ideas without doing much to resolve them, and this comic which is as close to Miller's original version as possible is even worse on that count. The half-baked subplot about Robocop trying to re-unite with his estranged family who only remember him as Patrolman Alex Murphy, Deceased, gets even less time here. Then there's ones I mentioned above and a bunch of new ones like OCP trying to frame Robocop for murder, which is left hanging and unresolved. I guess clearing his name was what Miller hoped would be the focus for Robocop 3?
Maybe it's that Frank Miller plays things a lot straighter than either Verhoeven or the resulting sequel, with less outright political satire and more polemical exaggeration for its own sake? Miller's own humour here I find a step down already for what he was doing in "The Dark Knight Returns". The truly deranged and over-the-top parts aren't anywhere as memorable either, like here it's one of the mercenaries rather than the rather entertaining messianic wannabe drug lord played by Tom Noonan (if you think that's an unrealistic concept for a character google Adolfo Costanzo) who becomes the brain in Robocop 2, before the evil sexy psychiatrist lady overseeing the project installs her own personality in the titular combat cyborg. (here she's called Margaret Love but the film renamed her to Juliette Faxx)
Which reminds me: Miller's abundant psychological issues with women which become more and more on display the longer his career proceeds is a long running joke in the comic book fan subculture, and they are a source of even more unintentional humour here which actually provide more laughs than the parts that were supposed to be funny. There's first the evil psychiatrist lady being even more demonized and oversexualized at the same time than in the film, then there's how Anne Lewis ends up with half her clothing torn off in pretty much every major action scene she's in.
It's not a total waste. There is some interesting worldbuilding about the universe of the Robocop setting with more details about what its future society looks like, which means the setting is fleshed out more, and a handful of pretty inventive action scenes that I wager were just too expensive as written to film though the climactic duel between Robocop and his supposed replacement isn't as memorable as that in the movie either which I guess is where most of the budget went.
Of course it should be mentioned that I find Frank Miller's output pretty hit-and-miss, and I read him as much for his unique expressionistic and stark art style which elevates often mediocre storylines to something interesting in terms of visual storytelling. Maybe I'd have liked this more if Miller had illustrated this himself? The art here is done by a bloke named Juan José Ryp whose drawing might be technically competent but lacks much in the way of personality, almost the polar opposite of Frank Miller's own.
Now, a comic book version of William Gibson's "Alien 3" that I'd like to read!
To be honest, it's something of a half truth to say that Frank Miller's "Robocop 2" script went unfilmed. Rather, it looks like Orion Pictures split the script into two halves. The storyline about Omni Consumer Products burdening Robocop with a bunch of new directives to make him more obedient and preparing a new improved Robocop with a more controllable personality (and a brain from a psychotic mass murderer) became "Robocop 2". The other half of the plot about OCP bringing in private mercenaries as scabs during the police strike apparently ended up as the premise of "Robocop 3", which I have yet to see as it's supposedly not very good.
Frankly, reading this I get the impression that Orion were right to intervene even if the result still wasn't enough to fill Paul Verhoeven's biggest set of shoes. The main problem I had with the finished film was that it threw around too many subplots and new ideas without doing much to resolve them, and this comic which is as close to Miller's original version as possible is even worse on that count. The half-baked subplot about Robocop trying to re-unite with his estranged family who only remember him as Patrolman Alex Murphy, Deceased, gets even less time here. Then there's ones I mentioned above and a bunch of new ones like OCP trying to frame Robocop for murder, which is left hanging and unresolved. I guess clearing his name was what Miller hoped would be the focus for Robocop 3?
Maybe it's that Frank Miller plays things a lot straighter than either Verhoeven or the resulting sequel, with less outright political satire and more polemical exaggeration for its own sake? Miller's own humour here I find a step down already for what he was doing in "The Dark Knight Returns". The truly deranged and over-the-top parts aren't anywhere as memorable either, like here it's one of the mercenaries rather than the rather entertaining messianic wannabe drug lord played by Tom Noonan (if you think that's an unrealistic concept for a character google Adolfo Costanzo) who becomes the brain in Robocop 2, before the evil sexy psychiatrist lady overseeing the project installs her own personality in the titular combat cyborg. (here she's called Margaret Love but the film renamed her to Juliette Faxx)
Which reminds me: Miller's abundant psychological issues with women which become more and more on display the longer his career proceeds is a long running joke in the comic book fan subculture, and they are a source of even more unintentional humour here which actually provide more laughs than the parts that were supposed to be funny. There's first the evil psychiatrist lady being even more demonized and oversexualized at the same time than in the film, then there's how Anne Lewis ends up with half her clothing torn off in pretty much every major action scene she's in.
It's not a total waste. There is some interesting worldbuilding about the universe of the Robocop setting with more details about what its future society looks like, which means the setting is fleshed out more, and a handful of pretty inventive action scenes that I wager were just too expensive as written to film though the climactic duel between Robocop and his supposed replacement isn't as memorable as that in the movie either which I guess is where most of the budget went.
Of course it should be mentioned that I find Frank Miller's output pretty hit-and-miss, and I read him as much for his unique expressionistic and stark art style which elevates often mediocre storylines to something interesting in terms of visual storytelling. Maybe I'd have liked this more if Miller had illustrated this himself? The art here is done by a bloke named Juan José Ryp whose drawing might be technically competent but lacks much in the way of personality, almost the polar opposite of Frank Miller's own.
Now, a comic book version of William Gibson's "Alien 3" that I'd like to read!
May 23, 2023
Being in Frank Miller's mind is a familiar place if you've been there a few times. It's a place I recognize once I step into it. I know the streets, I know the people, and I see the trash as well as prostitutes alongside broken antihero men of Irish Catholic descent. Frank Miller's Robocop 2 feels A LOT like The Dark Knight Returns, Daredevil, and Sin City. There's a lot of very sexy ladies, a true hatred of whatever is ticking off Frank this week (pop psychology, daytime talk shows, and gentrification for example), and fantastically ugly art.
The thing is, this is MUCH better than Robocop 2: The Movie. A lot of the ideas here are TERRIBLE but this is IMAGINATIVE and certainly gets the dark satirical humor of the original movie. The movie, by contrast, feels like it took Frank's work and drained it of all life. If you love Robocop, and I know I do, then this is a big improvement.
The thing is, this is MUCH better than Robocop 2: The Movie. A lot of the ideas here are TERRIBLE but this is IMAGINATIVE and certainly gets the dark satirical humor of the original movie. The movie, by contrast, feels like it took Frank's work and drained it of all life. If you love Robocop, and I know I do, then this is a big improvement.
May 26, 2018
Frank Miller's attempt to show his full view of RoboCop 2 to the world. Unfortunately, Frank Miller is exactly what was wrong with RoboCop 2. You see, Paul Verhoeven's RoboCop had meaning. It tried to serve as a mirror to society, there was symbolism... RoboCop 2? It just threw all that away and added a lot of random violence. And that's exactly what this comic does. There's no special meaning, no symbolism... but man, there's a lot of violence. It's just that - a sadistic gore fest. With boobs. No jokes, every single time Anne Lewis joins the fight, her clothes get destroyed by the explosions (what?) and she continues to fight in her underwear...
As the result, this comic may be very exciting for teens. You know, there's that certain age when kids get interested in violence (in movies, video games, music, etc) and nudity. This comic has a lot of all that. A lot. The only problem? It doesn't have anything else. No interesting story, no symbolism, no special meaning, nothing. Just blood and boobs. It's still pretty important reading for RoboCop fans, since it's based on Frank Miller's original RoboCop 2 screenplay, which ended up being used for both RoboCop 2 and RoboCop 3 (history, baby!), but all in all I must say that it's close to impossible to enjoy. Since it's impossible to call it a quality reading. Always loved the colors by Nimbus Studios, though. Colors... loved them. Everything else? Hated it.
As the result, this comic may be very exciting for teens. You know, there's that certain age when kids get interested in violence (in movies, video games, music, etc) and nudity. This comic has a lot of all that. A lot. The only problem? It doesn't have anything else. No interesting story, no symbolism, no special meaning, nothing. Just blood and boobs. It's still pretty important reading for RoboCop fans, since it's based on Frank Miller's original RoboCop 2 screenplay, which ended up being used for both RoboCop 2 and RoboCop 3 (history, baby!), but all in all I must say that it's close to impossible to enjoy. Since it's impossible to call it a quality reading. Always loved the colors by Nimbus Studios, though. Colors... loved them. Everything else? Hated it.
December 27, 2017
Frank Miller, the architect of Sin City did a phenomenal job. Frank Miller the architect of The Dark Knight Returns did a great job. Frank Miller the architect of 300 did a thoroughly enjoyable job.
The architect of RoboCop had a little too much to drink.
What begins as a solid homage to the original 80's series ever so slowly devolves into a less than pleasant tribute that leaves a disappointing aftertaste at best, forgettable at worst.
You don't have to be on a Frank Miller kick (as I've been over the holidays) to notice the ever present gritty detail, panel-density, and tv-cuts that characterize his work. Well known themes/depictions push alongside a story as well known as the characters that exist within it. The use of found material (much like hip-hop) is cool, and works decently well for at least halfway through the work, until the quality degrades continually henceforth.
It starts off fun with many fun reduplications/homages to the series of yore. Then a heeping helping of feminism, (presumably) a Jerry Springer-esque character (really) and tons of gut-splattering violence (which gets as ridiculous as it does repetitive) are tossed into the blender that is Frank Miller's brain.
Where such original material was reformed successfully before (Batman, Thermopylae etc...) RoboCop's offering is lazy to put it nicely, O.K. at best. RoboCop faces as much adversity outside his cold hard suit as he does against internal does in the OCP. Which would be cool, because it harkens back to the issues of the original series but, doesn't really coalesce into a solid story here in the sequential art form. Bad-guy replacement is machinated as a result of thinly prepared internal political machinations. Whoop-de-Fu*%^king-doo.
Needlesstosay RoboCop is a stupid mess. It feels as though halfway through the story either the author gave up (but did just enough to fulfill his contract) or just pulled shit out of his ass on a whim for the remainder. Not to demean the violence/conflict (which certainly had its high points) but it (to repeat myself) didn't really coalesce into anything great.
Which is a shame because although (admittedly) I'm not the biggest Frank Miller fan, I've thoroughly enjoyed tons of his seminal works (300, Sin City, The Dark Knight Duology (F%4K the new Sh*t!) Hardboiled, etc...). What makes Frank Miller awesome (in his own right and more importantly within my own experiences with his work) is the successful appropriation/reduplication of original/found art-work. Frank Miller took the ever successful Batman and remade his character/world into a really cool re-doing for a 80's Silver Age audience (I cheered when the Joker was finally iced!). The same can be made of the well done take on the Battle of Thermopylae for a late 90's audience, 300.
RoboCop sadly is a sub-par re-doing of the titualary beloved 80's classic. Instead of taking a great/proven recipe w/equally respected material this dish feels over-cooked in some areas, over-cooked in others, and weirdly enough, remains a case of too many (not enough?) cooks spoiling (not doing their job?) spoiling the pot.
The architect of RoboCop had a little too much to drink.
What begins as a solid homage to the original 80's series ever so slowly devolves into a less than pleasant tribute that leaves a disappointing aftertaste at best, forgettable at worst.
You don't have to be on a Frank Miller kick (as I've been over the holidays) to notice the ever present gritty detail, panel-density, and tv-cuts that characterize his work. Well known themes/depictions push alongside a story as well known as the characters that exist within it. The use of found material (much like hip-hop) is cool, and works decently well for at least halfway through the work, until the quality degrades continually henceforth.
It starts off fun with many fun reduplications/homages to the series of yore. Then a heeping helping of feminism, (presumably) a Jerry Springer-esque character (really) and tons of gut-splattering violence (which gets as ridiculous as it does repetitive) are tossed into the blender that is Frank Miller's brain.
Where such original material was reformed successfully before (Batman, Thermopylae etc...) RoboCop's offering is lazy to put it nicely, O.K. at best. RoboCop faces as much adversity outside his cold hard suit as he does against internal does in the OCP. Which would be cool, because it harkens back to the issues of the original series but, doesn't really coalesce into a solid story here in the sequential art form. Bad-guy replacement is machinated as a result of thinly prepared internal political machinations. Whoop-de-Fu*%^king-doo.
Needlesstosay RoboCop is a stupid mess. It feels as though halfway through the story either the author gave up (but did just enough to fulfill his contract) or just pulled shit out of his ass on a whim for the remainder. Not to demean the violence/conflict (which certainly had its high points) but it (to repeat myself) didn't really coalesce into anything great.
Which is a shame because although (admittedly) I'm not the biggest Frank Miller fan, I've thoroughly enjoyed tons of his seminal works (300, Sin City, The Dark Knight Duology (F%4K the new Sh*t!) Hardboiled, etc...). What makes Frank Miller awesome (in his own right and more importantly within my own experiences with his work) is the successful appropriation/reduplication of original/found art-work. Frank Miller took the ever successful Batman and remade his character/world into a really cool re-doing for a 80's Silver Age audience (I cheered when the Joker was finally iced!). The same can be made of the well done take on the Battle of Thermopylae for a late 90's audience, 300.
RoboCop sadly is a sub-par re-doing of the titualary beloved 80's classic. Instead of taking a great/proven recipe w/equally respected material this dish feels over-cooked in some areas, over-cooked in others, and weirdly enough, remains a case of too many (not enough?) cooks spoiling (not doing their job?) spoiling the pot.
August 6, 2018
This is bad... I will be upfront when I say I am not the biggest RoboCop fan. I watched the second and third film as a kid, even though they weren't really that violent, they freaked me out as a kid! But like I said in my RoboCop versus the Terminator review, I'm trying to engage my fears head on. However, I know Miller's writing well enough to see when his writing is poor!
So this book serves as a comic book adaption of Miller's rejected RoboCop 2 script, which Miller often likes to blame "the toys" as the reason why. The book has multiple sub plots which some were altered for the film and others rejected completely, I can see why though. Many of the storylines either: don't have a satisfying conclusion; while others weaken RoboCop as a character rather then develop him. The artwork as well is atrocious, not as bad as it would be if Miller drew it, but it doesn't win you over at all! The violence is over the top, but often I felt as if it was just there for the heck of it, rather then actual purpose.
From a story perspective, I found this to be boring, and very muddled at times. RoboCop vs Terminator, I could at least see Miller had good ideas, but here its just not interesting at all. I can't remember much of Robocop 2, but I heard most fans didn't like it, however I think the studio still probably made the right call with letting Miller go. Miller can blame the toys as much as he wants, but rejecting his script because it was "unfilmable", pretty much sums up this comic as unreadable.
So this book serves as a comic book adaption of Miller's rejected RoboCop 2 script, which Miller often likes to blame "the toys" as the reason why. The book has multiple sub plots which some were altered for the film and others rejected completely, I can see why though. Many of the storylines either: don't have a satisfying conclusion; while others weaken RoboCop as a character rather then develop him. The artwork as well is atrocious, not as bad as it would be if Miller drew it, but it doesn't win you over at all! The violence is over the top, but often I felt as if it was just there for the heck of it, rather then actual purpose.
From a story perspective, I found this to be boring, and very muddled at times. RoboCop vs Terminator, I could at least see Miller had good ideas, but here its just not interesting at all. I can't remember much of Robocop 2, but I heard most fans didn't like it, however I think the studio still probably made the right call with letting Miller go. Miller can blame the toys as much as he wants, but rejecting his script because it was "unfilmable", pretty much sums up this comic as unreadable.
October 21, 2018
Where are you going, Murphy?
🔫
Feels like reading RoboCop 2, but more intense, of course. I love the artwork! Not just graphic, but better…
September 30, 2023
The story was a bit hard to follow at times. But the illustrations are amazing. I’ve realised that there were almost no sound words used. It’s amazing, how loud a picture can be. Hats off to the artists.
January 14, 2015
Wanted to like this, but it's just not that interesting - feels very early nineties, just like the Robocop 2 film which borrowed elements from the original Frank Miller script that this is based on. So it's sort of a Director's Cut...but while the women by turns look ridiculously pneumatic, and Robocop is left to punch and weep, it simply felt over the top. This is done more conivncingly, with a bit more of the original films heart (if you cared to look) by the more recent comic series out at the moment that continues the Robocop story.
Still, fucking miles better than Robocop bloody 3....
Still, fucking miles better than Robocop bloody 3....
January 4, 2019
Ahora entiendo por qué le rechazaron el guión original de Robocop 2 a Miller calificándolo de "infilmable". Hay algunas buenas ideas mezcladas en un batiburrillo de sucesos que encuentro inconexos y, además, aprovechan cualquier excusa para poner en bolas a Lewis.
Para colmo, el dibujo de Juan José Ryp es bellísimo y adecuado para un trabajo como este, pero es muy fácil para alguien como yo perderse entre tanto detalle. Una pena que no le usaran para un trabajo de mayor calidad.
Para colmo, el dibujo de Juan José Ryp es bellísimo y adecuado para un trabajo como este, pero es muy fácil para alguien como yo perderse entre tanto detalle. Una pena que no le usaran para un trabajo de mayor calidad.
August 10, 2018
Yeah, that was pretty bad. Gratuitous T&A and random violence is not what the original story was about so I don't know what this book was supposed to be about. I was excited when I heard about it a few months ago, and I got less and less excited the more I read.
June 30, 2021
The synopsis says that this story was to be one of the Robocop movies. Thankfully, it wasn't used. '[]this sci-fi epic is not to be missed' - actually, you won't miss a damn thing. The first aspect that hits you about this comic is the overwhelming graphical detail in each panel. Then it's the over-the-top violence and the sexualization of the female characters. If the story wasn't so chaotic, it might have been more fun. The interludes featuring immoral and unethical ads have always been a highlight of the Robocop universe and at least this part is spot-on.
Detroit has succumbed into chaos after the police force went on strike. OCP's plans to build Delta City are moving ahead at full speed, though tearing down Old Detroit is harming many innocent civilians. Criminals are thriving - from common thieves, to traders of orphaned children. Robocop, though damaged, is one of very few cops still working to clean up the streets.
Detroit has succumbed into chaos after the police force went on strike. OCP's plans to build Delta City are moving ahead at full speed, though tearing down Old Detroit is harming many innocent civilians. Criminals are thriving - from common thieves, to traders of orphaned children. Robocop, though damaged, is one of very few cops still working to clean up the streets.
November 11, 2021
Frank Miller's batshit insane worldview makes for a surprisingly great firfor Robocop in this adaptation of his original script for Robocop 2, and apart from some Miller-isms (like Ann Lewis basically being portrayed as a long-lost member of Kate Beaton's Strong Female Characters: http://www.harkavagrant.com/index.php...), the outrageous tone here is a lot closer to a true follow up to the first film than what we would up getting. Great art as usual from Juan Jose Ryp, but Miller really can't write woman to save his life, so two stars off for the awful characterizations of women here.
September 19, 2024
Holy crap!!! did I love this!!! From the hyper stylized but messy art to the mean and nasty writing. Just a blast from beginning to end!
September 17, 2013
By the end of the 1980s, Frank Miller reigned as one of the most respected creators within comics. Not surprisingly given the similarities between the mediums, he soon received opportunities to work in film.
Miller's big opportunity arrived with Robocop 2. The first Robocop movie, a low budget sf actioneer directed by the then virtually unknown Paul Verhoeven, proved wildly popular. Due to a writer's strike, the studio contacted Miller, fresh from his success of Batman: The Dark Knight Returns , and hired him to write the sequel. His screenplay was considered "unfilmable" and Miller removed from the project. Only pieces survived through the numerous re-writes and into the universally disliked movie. The original screenplay attained an almost "urban legend" status. In the early 2000s, Avatar Press publisher William Christensen, who owned a copy, contacted Miller about a comic adaptation. Originally published as the nine issue mini-series Frank Miller's Robocop from Avatar (2003-2006), Boom Studios collects the entire story as Robocop Volume 1.
Since Miller lacked the time to write or draw the comic, veteran writer Steven Grant and artist Juan José Ryp (best known for Alan Moore's Another Suburban Romance ) oversaw the project. Miller and Grant successfully create an intriguing tale of despair and loss that further humanizes our hero Murphy only to tragically strip away at his essence. At times beautiful, Ryp's cluttered and chaotic art degrades the tale, often making sequences unreadable. While the flawed, über-violent story only shallowly touches on the important issues of law enforcement, drug use, the poor, and the societal role of corporations, it is by no means "unfilmable." Disappointingly, Robocop Volume 1 offers no introduction or text pieces explaining the story's interesting origins.
Miller's big opportunity arrived with Robocop 2. The first Robocop movie, a low budget sf actioneer directed by the then virtually unknown Paul Verhoeven, proved wildly popular. Due to a writer's strike, the studio contacted Miller, fresh from his success of Batman: The Dark Knight Returns , and hired him to write the sequel. His screenplay was considered "unfilmable" and Miller removed from the project. Only pieces survived through the numerous re-writes and into the universally disliked movie. The original screenplay attained an almost "urban legend" status. In the early 2000s, Avatar Press publisher William Christensen, who owned a copy, contacted Miller about a comic adaptation. Originally published as the nine issue mini-series Frank Miller's Robocop from Avatar (2003-2006), Boom Studios collects the entire story as Robocop Volume 1.
Since Miller lacked the time to write or draw the comic, veteran writer Steven Grant and artist Juan José Ryp (best known for Alan Moore's Another Suburban Romance ) oversaw the project. Miller and Grant successfully create an intriguing tale of despair and loss that further humanizes our hero Murphy only to tragically strip away at his essence. At times beautiful, Ryp's cluttered and chaotic art degrades the tale, often making sequences unreadable. While the flawed, über-violent story only shallowly touches on the important issues of law enforcement, drug use, the poor, and the societal role of corporations, it is by no means "unfilmable." Disappointingly, Robocop Volume 1 offers no introduction or text pieces explaining the story's interesting origins.
November 7, 2015
This is Frank Miller’s version of Robocop 2 (and partially 3). Hollywood in their ‘infinite wisdom’ deemed it unworthy to produce accurately so made quite a few alterations, ending up with the Robocop 2 movie we all know today. I think this was a great opportunity to see how Frank Miller’s movie would have played out and was looking forward to reading when I picked it up. He certainly tries to keep the satirical social commentary that made the original movie so appealing. The artwork in this is excellent and very much in the keep of the original movie, lots of gore (perhaps too much for 1990!) and detailed images. The story itself has some good moments however I never felt it was a dramatic improvement over the sequel we eventually got. The Robocop 2 movie had moments relating to Murphy and his wife discovering he was still alive which is again captured here but, surprisingly, doesn’t feel resolved, just like the movie. Also, just like the movie, Robocop doesn’t seem like the same character we were left with at the end of the original movie, more Robocop than Murphy...nor is his character advanced much. I’m not sure if this was an artist decision or Miller himself but it became quite ridiculous how every woman in the story was skimpily clad to the point of deflecting from the story. In particular, Officer Lewis (who Paul Verhoeven intentionally made as asexual as possible in the original) was given every opportunity to shed as much clothing as possible through explosions, etc yet somehow her nice pretty body never suffered any permanent damage…ah well. If you are interested in seeing how Robocop 2 was originally intended by its script writer here it is but don’t expect anything groundbreaking.
May 18, 2019
I was expecting a lot more from this book, and even though I was left slightly disappointed, I am still happy that I read through it. This book is based off Frank Miller's legendary Robocop 2 script that was deemed "un-filmable" when he presented it to the studio executives that had hired him to write the movie. This was put together years after, and it was supposed to represent the original vision that Miller had before it was watered down through rewrites.
I don't think it was horrible, but I can also see why the studio felt that rewrites would suit the story. Instead of going back to the first draft, I feel like it should have been maybe one of the drafts that came after. Some parts felt kind of jumbled, and even though it was action packed, it felt like there was some areas where a bit more plot could have been interjected, or maybe even some more characterization. There were stretches of the book where it just felt like stuff was happening just for the sake of happening.
The good parts were there though. It definitely had the feel of the first movie. It was over the top, and the satire was funny at times. Also, the artwork was decent, and some of the ideas were ahead of their time, like the cellphone controlling Robocop 2 and also the messaging about censorship and corporatism. I would recommend for anyone who is a Robocop fan.
I don't think it was horrible, but I can also see why the studio felt that rewrites would suit the story. Instead of going back to the first draft, I feel like it should have been maybe one of the drafts that came after. Some parts felt kind of jumbled, and even though it was action packed, it felt like there was some areas where a bit more plot could have been interjected, or maybe even some more characterization. There were stretches of the book where it just felt like stuff was happening just for the sake of happening.
The good parts were there though. It definitely had the feel of the first movie. It was over the top, and the satire was funny at times. Also, the artwork was decent, and some of the ideas were ahead of their time, like the cellphone controlling Robocop 2 and also the messaging about censorship and corporatism. I would recommend for anyone who is a Robocop fan.
January 31, 2017
Le estoy poniendo 2 estrellas porque soy buena. Se supone que este comic recopila el guión original de Miller para RoboCop 2. Tengo que decir que prefiero la película aunque la considere bastante inferior a la primera. La segunda entrega tiene una historia más simple pero más efectiva. Esta historia se me hizo muy enrevesada. Los dibujos muy confusos, tienen tanto detalle que las escenas de acción me costaba entenderlas.
March 7, 2014
This would of been frank millers version of RoboCop 2 and it really shows that he has no fucking clue how to write RoboCop its like he just watched all the violent scenes in the 1st film and thats how he wrote the character he basically left out the heart and soul of Alex murphy and just put in mindless violence there was a scene with his wife but it was pointless and added no depth to the character the artwork is fucking atrocious the story well i dont think you can call this a fucking story its basically people dying from gunshot wounds page after page and he hasn't slept in a week for no reason whatsoever then they put in 600 directives into him and kids spray paint on robocop that scene in the 2nd film really made me dislike the movie because it degrades the character the 2nd film was a pale imitation of the 1st film so if your a fan of the original robocop and love the movie don't read this its a waste of your time just forget it existed and watch the film in all its glory
January 18, 2020
This comics adaptation of Frank Miller’s original script for Robocop 2 gives me no confidence in the idea that it would have been a better movie. The plot is thin, the villains are uninteresting and the satirical jabs at PC culture are weak and obvious.
The art is dreadful. It’s busy and graphically violent but lacks any flow, dynamism or even basic storytelling sense. It’s often hard to tell what’s supposed to be happening in the action scenes, which come across as disconnected static images.
The artist’s insistence on constantly putting the female characters in sexualised poses and/or ripping their clothes off would be offensive if it wasn’t so unintentionally funny.
I hope that I don’t read a worse book this year.
The art is dreadful. It’s busy and graphically violent but lacks any flow, dynamism or even basic storytelling sense. It’s often hard to tell what’s supposed to be happening in the action scenes, which come across as disconnected static images.
The artist’s insistence on constantly putting the female characters in sexualised poses and/or ripping their clothes off would be offensive if it wasn’t so unintentionally funny.
I hope that I don’t read a worse book this year.
February 17, 2015
As much as like Miller's comics, I am glad Hollywood has the sense to intervene with his movie scripts.
I can see where bits and pieces of the story were raided for the Robocop II & III screen plays - it is the weaker squatters vs mercenaries elements that went into Robocop III (which does not really stack up to I & II) - I reckon the war on drugs theme hollywood went for was more exciting and keeping with the first film.
That said, some of the truly gold moments of Robocop II are straight out of Miller's script.
I would rather I had borrowed this rather than bought it. Only for die hard Miller and Robocop fans.
I can see where bits and pieces of the story were raided for the Robocop II & III screen plays - it is the weaker squatters vs mercenaries elements that went into Robocop III (which does not really stack up to I & II) - I reckon the war on drugs theme hollywood went for was more exciting and keeping with the first film.
That said, some of the truly gold moments of Robocop II are straight out of Miller's script.
I would rather I had borrowed this rather than bought it. Only for die hard Miller and Robocop fans.
December 6, 2021
I really thought about giving this four stars, because I did really enjoy Frank Miller's script. It's just that the art is so over-the-top. It's not so much the gore, which I expected as a big fan of the original RoboCop movie, but just the fact that so much is going on in each panel. It's really too much to take in, and it's often just ugly. I recommend this book mainly for the story, but don't expect a stone-cold classic.
September 17, 2019
Over-the-top even by Miller's standards and outrageously terrible in too many ways for me to list.
No wonder this sequel script wasn't used. I thought the three books were Miller's whole story and that this would adapt the first but I was wrong and now have to read two more of these muscular turds.
No wonder this sequel script wasn't used. I thought the three books were Miller's whole story and that this would adapt the first but I was wrong and now have to read two more of these muscular turds.
November 20, 2024
Delirio febbrile, pt. 1
Adattamento a fumetti del soggetto cinematografico che Frank Miller scrisse per il sequel del film “RoboCop”. Sequel che effettivamente venne poi realizzato e accreditato a Miller come soggettista e sceneggiatore, solo che lui, quel film, lo ha disconosciuto perché, tra rimaneggiamenti, tagli e smussature varie, non rispecchiava ciò che lui aveva ideato. Passa qualche anno, la Avatar Press acquisisce i diritti per i fumetti di RoboCop, prende lo script di Miller (che rimane come supervisore e copertinista) e lo affida a Steven Grant e Juan José Ryp, per dar vita alla visione originale di RoboCop 2 immaginata dallo stesso Miller. Il risultato, ben mixato all’estetica cyberpunk, è in linea con il corpus milleriano: una feroce e spietata critica sociale, l’utilizzo martellante dei media, personaggi ambigui e tormentati che si aggirano in un contento urbano cupo e decadente. Peccato che al di là di queste caratteristiche base si corra troppo e si spinga in maniera davvero esagerata sul pedale dell’ultra violenza, senza alcun controllo e con zero ritmo.
Quasi quasi (e lo dico da massimo estimatore di Miller) era meglio il film.
Adattamento a fumetti del soggetto cinematografico che Frank Miller scrisse per il sequel del film “RoboCop”. Sequel che effettivamente venne poi realizzato e accreditato a Miller come soggettista e sceneggiatore, solo che lui, quel film, lo ha disconosciuto perché, tra rimaneggiamenti, tagli e smussature varie, non rispecchiava ciò che lui aveva ideato. Passa qualche anno, la Avatar Press acquisisce i diritti per i fumetti di RoboCop, prende lo script di Miller (che rimane come supervisore e copertinista) e lo affida a Steven Grant e Juan José Ryp, per dar vita alla visione originale di RoboCop 2 immaginata dallo stesso Miller. Il risultato, ben mixato all’estetica cyberpunk, è in linea con il corpus milleriano: una feroce e spietata critica sociale, l’utilizzo martellante dei media, personaggi ambigui e tormentati che si aggirano in un contento urbano cupo e decadente. Peccato che al di là di queste caratteristiche base si corra troppo e si spinga in maniera davvero esagerata sul pedale dell’ultra violenza, senza alcun controllo e con zero ritmo.
Quasi quasi (e lo dico da massimo estimatore di Miller) era meglio il film.
July 31, 2021
The storyline feels like the actual Robocop movie, but rehashed a bit.
Cops are on strike, OCP's making an "improved" Robocop, it runs berserk and Robocop has to stop it.
(I've later learned that this was apparently an unused script for Robocop 2, which makes it make a lot more sense)
I don't know, maybe I'm wrong, but I remember Robocop as being gooder. This Robocop seems very very killy.
Now, this should have been a great comic, right?
Frank Miller writes gritty crime future better than anyone, right?
Yes, it should have. Somewhere, the plot became too generic or too much nothing happened, but it somehow ended up very mediocre.
The artwork, while at times confusing and difficult to follow, is gorgeous. The humans figures and their anatomies are fantastic. Lots of attention to little details.
Heavily sexualised women, but I felt like it fit the 80s movie theme. Also its a traditional "Miller Gritty Crime™" hallmark, so maybe I'm just jaded by now.
Cops are on strike, OCP's making an "improved" Robocop, it runs berserk and Robocop has to stop it.
(I've later learned that this was apparently an unused script for Robocop 2, which makes it make a lot more sense)
I don't know, maybe I'm wrong, but I remember Robocop as being gooder. This Robocop seems very very killy.
Now, this should have been a great comic, right?
Frank Miller writes gritty crime future better than anyone, right?
Yes, it should have. Somewhere, the plot became too generic or too much nothing happened, but it somehow ended up very mediocre.
The artwork, while at times confusing and difficult to follow, is gorgeous. The humans figures and their anatomies are fantastic. Lots of attention to little details.
Heavily sexualised women, but I felt like it fit the 80s movie theme. Also its a traditional "Miller Gritty Crime™" hallmark, so maybe I'm just jaded by now.
December 9, 2017
Se mire por donde se mire, este cómic es una auténtica basura. No os vayáis a pensar que está escrito por Frank Miller (primer engaño), sino que en 2003 cogieron el guión de la película y escribieron una historia sobre cómo podía haber sido el supuesto guión que le echaron para atrás a finales de los 80. Lo único en lo que colabora Miller es en haber hecho seis portadas alternativas, nada más. Además que es violento a más no poder, con uno de los dibujos más feos y horribles que me haya echado a la cara y una historia estúpida que no tiene sentido. De lo peor que he leído nunca.
November 8, 2018
This was not witten as a comic--and it shows--but is a comic adaptation of Miller's proposed script for RoboCop 2. The script wasn't used, which is unfortunate because it would have been mental. However, as a comic it's a bit of a mess. It doesn't make a lot of sense thanks in large part to very confusing artwork in the action sequences. The look is retro cool, capturing that so very 80s cyberpunk dystopia feel, but it also contains a lot of that era's shortcomings, such as misogyny and hyper violence.
February 7, 2021
Frank Miller's original script for Robocop 2 in comic book form makes for interesting reading.
On balance, I prefer the film, but there's lots of cool ideas and clear inspirations for the 1st Robo sequel. The social rehabilitation aspects and final drive off into a nuclear winter are particularly well done. I'm intrigued where Miller's Robocop 3 adaptation takes the story.
#comics #comicbooks #robocop #frankmiller
On balance, I prefer the film, but there's lots of cool ideas and clear inspirations for the 1st Robo sequel. The social rehabilitation aspects and final drive off into a nuclear winter are particularly well done. I'm intrigued where Miller's Robocop 3 adaptation takes the story.
#comics #comicbooks #robocop #frankmiller
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March 15, 2021The writing is too disjointed, as though Miller were on drugs when he wrote this. The art is intentionally amateurish and grotesque throughout, as though the artist was in too big a hurry to finish for him to do each panel proper justice. The story itself reads more like an old blue movie-type yarn than a novel. Overall, completely unsatisfactory, ESPECIALLY from a master storyteller like Miller.
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