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RoboCop
PART MAN. PART MACHINE. ALL COP.
Ruthlessly murdered and resurrected, Detroit police officer Alex Murphy was transformed into ROBOCOP, a 24-hour a day cyborg cop.
He must track down his murderers and fight corruption in the very corporation that built him. Now that corporation wants to see him dismantled.
Ruthlessly murdered and resurrected, Detroit police officer Alex Murphy was transformed into ROBOCOP, a 24-hour a day cyborg cop.
He must track down his murderers and fight corruption in the very corporation that built him. Now that corporation wants to see him dismantled.
62 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 1990
25 people want to read
About the author
Bob Harras
396 books12 followersRobert "Bob" Harras (born January 11, 1959) is an American comics writer and editor, who was editor-in-chief of Marvel Comics from 1995 to 2000 and currently serves as editor-in-chief of DC Comics.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
July 8, 2022
In the summer of 1987, a revolutionary science fiction independent film would change the face of modern filmmaking forever and gather a loyal cult following while grossing more than $53 million worldwide. Enter “Robocop: The Future of Law Enforcement,” spawning toys, video games and two short-lived cartoon and live-action TV series in the early to mid-1990’s. The ultra-violent 1987 blockbuster also found its way into the realm of comic strips. In 1990, on the heals of the highly anticipated sequel, Stan Lee’s Marvel Comics decided to capitalize on this legendary phenomenon with an original comic book “Robocop: The Official Adaptation of the Hit Film.” Written by Bob Harras, the Marvel comic delivers a PG-rated comic book minus any of the vile language, nudity or gore in the adult-themed live-action film that redefined the Motion Picture Association of America’s rating system. Here, we are introduced to a Gothamesque, crime-ridden setting of Detroit. As in the movie, the era is the near future; technology has given rise to a new wave of apathy, corruption and mass social unrest. The soldiers on the front lines of this malevolent scourge are the daring men and women of the Detroit Police Department. Understaffed, underfunded and horribly outnumbered by a ruthless opposition force of notorious street gangs, domestic terrorists, corrupt politicians and psychopaths, the streets of “Motor City” are a No-Man’s Land.
Unfortunately, these cops on the beat have no choice but to walk a Thin Blue Line between order and chaos tempered by life and death as they struggle to keep the peace. Desperate for a swift and proactive solution, tech firm Omni Consumer Products (OCP) proposes a radical law enforcement robot initiative, the monstrous ED-209 droid and Robocop, a cybernetic half man, half machine 24-hour lawman. Fortunately, the company doesn’t have to wait long before their skills and gadgets are put to the ultimate test. In the wake of a gruesome Officer Involved Shooting, mortally-wounded Patrolman Alex J. Murphy’s life is hanging precariously by a thread until fate intervenes as he is transformed into the ultimate super cop. Robocop is a Godsend to his fellow officers on the force and mystery to Officer Anne Lewis, Murphy’s partner when he was murdered. Lewis knows someone special to her is behind the ironclad helmet of Robocop’s impressive exterior. It isn’t until the third act that she discovers the truth and becomes Robocop’s true friend. Lewis and Robocop are in for the most dangerous and deadly case of their lives as tensions on the street reach a boiling point. Robocop embarks on a crusade against the diabolical OCP and those who murdered Officer Murphy. Now, he wants justice while both a sinister conglomerate and criminal element seek to eliminate him.
Unlike the movie, this comic book delves deeper into some interesting scenes such as the ambush and murder of Officer Frank Fredrickson and his fellow patrolmen murdered by crime boss Clarence Boddicker and his thugs. Also, when Murphy is shot, there’s a radio transmission where Lewis is desperately pleading with dispatch to get help fast. Another scene that I found quite touching was Robocop visiting Murphy’s grave and making a vow to seek justice against the evil men who executed him. My favorite scene at the end was of Lewis in the recovery room being interviewed by the media. When asked if she wanted a new line of work her quote sums it up beautifully, “No, I like being a cop. You know what they say, if you can’t stand the heat, stay out of the kitchen.”
This was a very enjoyable comic book that stays true to the film. However, there are some draw backs. For example, in some of the media break scenes, Casey Wong is misidentified as a woman reporter instead of a man and the font for the character dialogue is very small. I had to use a magnifying glass in order to read the print and the ending has Robocop standing watch over the city from the rooftop of a building; this type of scene is more in line with Batman and Daredevil than a futuristic hero like Robocop who would normally be patrolling the streets in his police cruiser as seen in the 1994 TV series. In all, Marvel Comics does a good job portraying memorable characters like Officer Lewis and Murphy. If you’re a fan of the cult sci-fi classic or the Frank Miller “Robocop: The Last Stand” comics, this adaptation of the blockbuster that started it all is worth a look.
Unfortunately, these cops on the beat have no choice but to walk a Thin Blue Line between order and chaos tempered by life and death as they struggle to keep the peace. Desperate for a swift and proactive solution, tech firm Omni Consumer Products (OCP) proposes a radical law enforcement robot initiative, the monstrous ED-209 droid and Robocop, a cybernetic half man, half machine 24-hour lawman. Fortunately, the company doesn’t have to wait long before their skills and gadgets are put to the ultimate test. In the wake of a gruesome Officer Involved Shooting, mortally-wounded Patrolman Alex J. Murphy’s life is hanging precariously by a thread until fate intervenes as he is transformed into the ultimate super cop. Robocop is a Godsend to his fellow officers on the force and mystery to Officer Anne Lewis, Murphy’s partner when he was murdered. Lewis knows someone special to her is behind the ironclad helmet of Robocop’s impressive exterior. It isn’t until the third act that she discovers the truth and becomes Robocop’s true friend. Lewis and Robocop are in for the most dangerous and deadly case of their lives as tensions on the street reach a boiling point. Robocop embarks on a crusade against the diabolical OCP and those who murdered Officer Murphy. Now, he wants justice while both a sinister conglomerate and criminal element seek to eliminate him.
Unlike the movie, this comic book delves deeper into some interesting scenes such as the ambush and murder of Officer Frank Fredrickson and his fellow patrolmen murdered by crime boss Clarence Boddicker and his thugs. Also, when Murphy is shot, there’s a radio transmission where Lewis is desperately pleading with dispatch to get help fast. Another scene that I found quite touching was Robocop visiting Murphy’s grave and making a vow to seek justice against the evil men who executed him. My favorite scene at the end was of Lewis in the recovery room being interviewed by the media. When asked if she wanted a new line of work her quote sums it up beautifully, “No, I like being a cop. You know what they say, if you can’t stand the heat, stay out of the kitchen.”
This was a very enjoyable comic book that stays true to the film. However, there are some draw backs. For example, in some of the media break scenes, Casey Wong is misidentified as a woman reporter instead of a man and the font for the character dialogue is very small. I had to use a magnifying glass in order to read the print and the ending has Robocop standing watch over the city from the rooftop of a building; this type of scene is more in line with Batman and Daredevil than a futuristic hero like Robocop who would normally be patrolling the streets in his police cruiser as seen in the 1994 TV series. In all, Marvel Comics does a good job portraying memorable characters like Officer Lewis and Murphy. If you’re a fan of the cult sci-fi classic or the Frank Miller “Robocop: The Last Stand” comics, this adaptation of the blockbuster that started it all is worth a look.
November 22, 2023
spelling:
24%: I got that one's partner uptairs.
76%: Jone's toy did a good job.
This is not as fun as the original material.
24%: I got that one's partner uptairs.
76%: Jone's toy did a good job.
This is not as fun as the original material.
September 12, 2024
Marvel Comics' official adaptation of the 1987 movie.
Future Detroit is in financial ruin and the streets are riddled with crime as the OCP Corporation moves to privatise the police force. When Officer Murphy is killed in the line of duty, what's left of him is used by OCP to create a cyborg police officer; RoboCop.
The original RoboCop is a brilliant mix of science fiction, satire, gore and action, and is rightly considered one of the most iconic science fiction movies of the 80s.
Unfortunately, this adaptation was aimed by Marvel at a much younger audience, so the violence is toned down, the gore, swearing and sex are all absent and the satire of corporate America, the most important thematic element, is largely missing.
Seriously, who watched RoboCop and thought "This should be a PG-13 story"? (And yes, shots fired at the 2014 reboot).
However, despite lacking the things that made the movie exceptional, there's still enough of the core concept here to make this book reasonably enjoyable. I would always advocate just re-watching the film, but honestly, this adaptation is a short read that has enough to enjoy in it as well.
* More reviews here: https://fsfh-book-review2.webnode.page *
Future Detroit is in financial ruin and the streets are riddled with crime as the OCP Corporation moves to privatise the police force. When Officer Murphy is killed in the line of duty, what's left of him is used by OCP to create a cyborg police officer; RoboCop.
The original RoboCop is a brilliant mix of science fiction, satire, gore and action, and is rightly considered one of the most iconic science fiction movies of the 80s.
Unfortunately, this adaptation was aimed by Marvel at a much younger audience, so the violence is toned down, the gore, swearing and sex are all absent and the satire of corporate America, the most important thematic element, is largely missing.
Seriously, who watched RoboCop and thought "This should be a PG-13 story"? (And yes, shots fired at the 2014 reboot).
However, despite lacking the things that made the movie exceptional, there's still enough of the core concept here to make this book reasonably enjoyable. I would always advocate just re-watching the film, but honestly, this adaptation is a short read that has enough to enjoy in it as well.
* More reviews here: https://fsfh-book-review2.webnode.page *
May 13, 2025
(Second in the series of Robocop comics...)
In the times where comic books were the vehicle for movies to have a bigger life and even reach out to bigger audiences instead of the other way around, Marvel did some good effort, commendable even, in churning out these licensed adaptations. Some of them faced certain acknowledgment (take Star Wars) some others were just totally forgettable.
This one probably falls under the latter category. Again, yes, there's some effort in adapting what probably was an unfinished script, early draft and/or maybe some notes here and there. It's funny to see things that didn't make it to the final cut (or maybe Marvel's licenses, I don't really know) like Robocop swearing vengeance before the empty grave of Alex Murphy, the lack of TV ads/comedy shows and I chortled when certain character says "ladies, I'd leave if I were you". And of course, this is comics code Marvel and aimed at children, so forget about any violence and profanity, which becomes a problem when you're trying to adapt, well, Robocop.
So take it as a companion to the canon in case you're curious like me. Otherwise, just skip it.
In the times where comic books were the vehicle for movies to have a bigger life and even reach out to bigger audiences instead of the other way around, Marvel did some good effort, commendable even, in churning out these licensed adaptations. Some of them faced certain acknowledgment (take Star Wars) some others were just totally forgettable.
This one probably falls under the latter category. Again, yes, there's some effort in adapting what probably was an unfinished script, early draft and/or maybe some notes here and there. It's funny to see things that didn't make it to the final cut (or maybe Marvel's licenses, I don't really know) like Robocop swearing vengeance before the empty grave of Alex Murphy, the lack of TV ads/comedy shows and I chortled when certain character says "ladies, I'd leave if I were you". And of course, this is comics code Marvel and aimed at children, so forget about any violence and profanity, which becomes a problem when you're trying to adapt, well, Robocop.
So take it as a companion to the canon in case you're curious like me. Otherwise, just skip it.
June 23, 2023
I get that this comic was aimed at children, but if you're going to cut out the best parts of the movie why even bother adapting it? It's not without some cool pages, but its also not worth your time.
May 29, 2017
Take out all the violence, all the satire and fun stuff and you are left with this slimmed down and fast paced story line. Just throw in some crappy, fastly done drawings and you have this one.
May 30, 2020
A few nice scenes not in film. Really like Robo's entrance to the gas station scene, much better than simple drive up.
June 1, 2017
It's solid, but the movie is better in my opinion.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews