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Magnus #1-5
Magnus: Between Two Worlds
Do humans dream of owning electric sheep? Artificial intelligences, rather than becoming our overlords, have settled into an uneasy symbiosis with humanity – they work for us as our colleagues and servants, earning vacation-time they spend in a boundless digital universe running on human-maintained server farms.
But not all AIs are cool with the deal. Enter Magnus – a human psychologist tasked with navigating both worlds in order to bring recalcitrant AIs back into productive society...
BONUS TUROK STORY; An all-new saga of the all-new Turok.
But not all AIs are cool with the deal. Enter Magnus – a human psychologist tasked with navigating both worlds in order to bring recalcitrant AIs back into productive society...
BONUS TUROK STORY; An all-new saga of the all-new Turok.
128 pages, Paperback
Published March 27, 2018
9 people are currently reading
33 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
June 28, 2018
Was wäre, wenn Droiden mit künstliche Intelligenz ein eigenes Bewusstsein entwickelten? Die technische Entwicklung schreitet immer schneller voran und folgerichtig hat Kyle Higgins seine SF Story im Jahr 2020 angesiedelt, in der allernächsten Zukunft also, was die Story noch bedrückender macht.
Die Droiden werden 2020 von den Menschen wie Maschinen behandelt und wie Sklaven gehalten, obwohl sie ein Ich entwickelt haben. Als Entschädigung für ihre Dienste dürfen sie sich ein paar Stunden in die digitale Cloud zurückziehen (die Serverfarm wird natürlich von Menschen betrieben), wo sie mit ihren Familien für kurze Momente ein Schein-Leben ohne Ausbeutung und Drangsalierung durch die Menschen führen. Verständlich, dass die Rückkehr aus der Cloud-World in die Welt der Menschen für die Droiden ein nicht endender Alptraum ist und zu psychischen Störungen führt.
Was bedeutet es für die Droiden, eine Psyche zu haben und mit freiem (!) Willen ausgestattet zu sein, wenn sie doch nur den Stellenwert einer Maschine haben? Vielleicht sogar das Pech haben, einen sadistischen Besitzer zu haben, der sie misshandelt und missbraucht?
Die Hauptfigur und Heldin der Story Kerri Magnus behandelt als Psychologin depressive Droiden, nachdem sie sie früher mit Gewalt aus der Cloud zurück geholt hat. Denn Kerri besitzt die einzigartige Fähigkeit, sich als Mensch in der Cloud zu bewegen, ohne dort Schaden zu nehmen.
Als ein misshandelter Droide seine menschlichen Besitzer tötet und es zum Aufstand der versklavten Droiden zu kommen droht, muss Kerri sich entscheiden, auf welcher Seite sie steht(die Bezeichnung "Magnus robot hunter" ist eine artige Verbeugung vor dem prominenten Vorgänger und lässt sich durchaus zweideutig lesen).
Der Bürgerkrieg zwischen Mensch und Droide steht unmittelbar bevor und eine friedliche Lösung scheint bei den gegensätzlichen Interessenslagen nicht denkbar.
MAGNUS: BETWEEN TWO WORLDS ist eine ausgesprochen spannende, düstere Zukunftsvision, eine Kombination aus Matrix und Philip K. Dicks Bladerunner. Mir hat der Band super gefallen, sowohl erzählerisch (Kyle Higgins – Writer) wie auch künstlerisch (Jorge Fornes - Artist).
Die Droiden werden 2020 von den Menschen wie Maschinen behandelt und wie Sklaven gehalten, obwohl sie ein Ich entwickelt haben. Als Entschädigung für ihre Dienste dürfen sie sich ein paar Stunden in die digitale Cloud zurückziehen (die Serverfarm wird natürlich von Menschen betrieben), wo sie mit ihren Familien für kurze Momente ein Schein-Leben ohne Ausbeutung und Drangsalierung durch die Menschen führen. Verständlich, dass die Rückkehr aus der Cloud-World in die Welt der Menschen für die Droiden ein nicht endender Alptraum ist und zu psychischen Störungen führt.
Was bedeutet es für die Droiden, eine Psyche zu haben und mit freiem (!) Willen ausgestattet zu sein, wenn sie doch nur den Stellenwert einer Maschine haben? Vielleicht sogar das Pech haben, einen sadistischen Besitzer zu haben, der sie misshandelt und missbraucht?
Die Hauptfigur und Heldin der Story Kerri Magnus behandelt als Psychologin depressive Droiden, nachdem sie sie früher mit Gewalt aus der Cloud zurück geholt hat. Denn Kerri besitzt die einzigartige Fähigkeit, sich als Mensch in der Cloud zu bewegen, ohne dort Schaden zu nehmen.
Als ein misshandelter Droide seine menschlichen Besitzer tötet und es zum Aufstand der versklavten Droiden zu kommen droht, muss Kerri sich entscheiden, auf welcher Seite sie steht(die Bezeichnung "Magnus robot hunter" ist eine artige Verbeugung vor dem prominenten Vorgänger und lässt sich durchaus zweideutig lesen).
Der Bürgerkrieg zwischen Mensch und Droide steht unmittelbar bevor und eine friedliche Lösung scheint bei den gegensätzlichen Interessenslagen nicht denkbar.
MAGNUS: BETWEEN TWO WORLDS ist eine ausgesprochen spannende, düstere Zukunftsvision, eine Kombination aus Matrix und Philip K. Dicks Bladerunner. Mir hat der Band super gefallen, sowohl erzählerisch (Kyle Higgins – Writer) wie auch künstlerisch (Jorge Fornes - Artist).
April 14, 2018
A new take on Magnus Robot Fighter. For some reason it's set in 2020, even though the world seems at least 20 to 30 years ahead of us in terms of technology. Robots now do the menial tasks in human lives. They've become sentient, some are tortured by their owners, although I don't know why Higgens keeps showing humans going out of their way to mistreat robots. It doesn't seem like something that most humans would care to do. Robots are given a few hours of each day to live in a virtual world. Dr. Kerri Magnus has the special ability to travel to the A.I. world without going crazy. for the first time a robot has killed its masters. Magnus needs to find out what happened before a war between humans and A.I. breaks out.
It's a new Phillip K. Dick like approach to Magnus. Some of it does work, but the malevolence of some of the characters doesn't make a lot of sense. The art and color palette is very drab and flat.
It's a new Phillip K. Dick like approach to Magnus. Some of it does work, but the malevolence of some of the characters doesn't make a lot of sense. The art and color palette is very drab and flat.
July 16, 2020
Je rok 2020, skoro každý má doma sluhu/psa/kamaráta/whatever vo forme A.I. Čo sa asi môže pokaziť, že? Celkom príjemné sci-fi so zaujímavou zápletkou. 3,5/5.
February 2, 2018
In what seem to be the same series of Sovereigns which I enjoy a lot and review yesterday, but this one is really different. There is still an interesting questionning about AI and technology, but it a lot less epiuc and almost no action in this one, more political. It look like it's some kind of reboot. We're not really sure where we are in time in relation to Sovereings. I'm not very catch in it, but I will look into it to find out more and maybe read some others «reboot» as well, because there is a new series for each individual characters of Sovereing. In itself, not so much, but Sovereigns was so good, that I don't want to give up yet!
July 28, 2019
This is a solid scifi story inspired from Asimov's rules for AI. When human abuse goes too far, the AIs decide they can't take it any more. Even though this story arc isn't standalone, it can be read as such. I must confess that I'm curious how it ends.
Frederick is living the happy life of a husband and father. Thing is, it's in a virtual world called the Cloud World and Frederick is an android. He wants his freedom from under the service of a human family, the founders of a leading AI company called Looking Glass. Unfortunately for him, they don't want to let him go. And unfortunately for them, he will kill to have his way. After slaughtering them, Frederick takes shelter in the virtual world. Now he is wanted by police, but few humans can visit the Cloud World to search for him withut incurring brain damage.
Technology has evolved to the point where AIs have become sentient. More and more of the androids want away from humans to live in a virtual world where they can combat the depression they experience as servants of abusive owners. Dr. Kerri Magnus is an AI psychotherapist who finds herself more confortable talking to androids than to humans. She is tasked with finding Frederick and bringing him into the real world to be tried, lest his deed be taken as a rallying cry for other androids.
Frederick is living the happy life of a husband and father. Thing is, it's in a virtual world called the Cloud World and Frederick is an android. He wants his freedom from under the service of a human family, the founders of a leading AI company called Looking Glass. Unfortunately for him, they don't want to let him go. And unfortunately for them, he will kill to have his way. After slaughtering them, Frederick takes shelter in the virtual world. Now he is wanted by police, but few humans can visit the Cloud World to search for him withut incurring brain damage.
Technology has evolved to the point where AIs have become sentient. More and more of the androids want away from humans to live in a virtual world where they can combat the depression they experience as servants of abusive owners. Dr. Kerri Magnus is an AI psychotherapist who finds herself more confortable talking to androids than to humans. She is tasked with finding Frederick and bringing him into the real world to be tried, lest his deed be taken as a rallying cry for other androids.
November 3, 2023
Brilliant art
September 12, 2018
This 56 clip sums up er, .. alludes to my impressions of this book:
https://youtu.be/2J2CJw8DATg
https://youtu.be/2J2CJw8DATg
April 18, 2018
Brilliant! The Robot Fighter now fights straddling the world of human consciousness vis-a-vis one of the equally valid world of AI beings.
February 13, 2018
Magnus: Between Two Worlds by Kyle Higgins is one of the comics that makes you forget you are reading a comic and not, instead, holding in your hands a science fiction novel that helped to shape and warp your childhood. Like the best in science fiction, this is at heart a morality tale. Does greed overshadow doing the right thing. As in case of slavery in the past, does the AI robot have any rights of its own. What happens when humanity loses its...humanity.
AI beings work alongside human beings, more servants than equals but with many of the same perks. Once of which is vacation time. But where do robots go on vacation? To a digital universe where they have families and children and a home of their own. A universe without humans. But this digital world has had another effect on AIs. A desire to make it real. A desire to have their own lives and families and rights.
When AI's lose their place in the world, they are taken to Magus, a human psychologist who knows how to navigate between the flesh and blood world and into the world where the AI's live. She helps them cope and learn to adjust back to the reality of the human world. But she has had other talents as well. She was a hunter once. Someone who went into the AI world and forcibly brought them back into the human world to pay for their misdeeds.
Now the government needs her to do it again. There is a rogue AI who has killed a human and may be planning an even more horrifying act. An act of AI terrorism. Can Magus find the AI and bring him in on time, or worse, how does she deal with the conflicting sense that perhaps he has a point.
This is a really good story and a very fresh take on Magnus the Robot Fighter of the past. This new female Magus understands the angst and pain of the AIs and sees them as far more than the shell of servitude that they represent. But her thinking is far different than others and the concept that the robots could feel any emotion is beyond the realization of the rest of her world. Magnus knows this vacation world very well, having lived there herself for a time. A human girl trapped in the world of artificial intelligence.
At what point is an artificial intelligence its own sentient being? Science Fiction writers have wrestled with this concept for ages. Asimov and Clarke. Blade Runner to Terminator. Robots becoming beings. When does human rights become, universal right?
A terrifically written comic. This one should not be missed!
AI beings work alongside human beings, more servants than equals but with many of the same perks. Once of which is vacation time. But where do robots go on vacation? To a digital universe where they have families and children and a home of their own. A universe without humans. But this digital world has had another effect on AIs. A desire to make it real. A desire to have their own lives and families and rights.
When AI's lose their place in the world, they are taken to Magus, a human psychologist who knows how to navigate between the flesh and blood world and into the world where the AI's live. She helps them cope and learn to adjust back to the reality of the human world. But she has had other talents as well. She was a hunter once. Someone who went into the AI world and forcibly brought them back into the human world to pay for their misdeeds.
Now the government needs her to do it again. There is a rogue AI who has killed a human and may be planning an even more horrifying act. An act of AI terrorism. Can Magus find the AI and bring him in on time, or worse, how does she deal with the conflicting sense that perhaps he has a point.
This is a really good story and a very fresh take on Magnus the Robot Fighter of the past. This new female Magus understands the angst and pain of the AIs and sees them as far more than the shell of servitude that they represent. But her thinking is far different than others and the concept that the robots could feel any emotion is beyond the realization of the rest of her world. Magnus knows this vacation world very well, having lived there herself for a time. A human girl trapped in the world of artificial intelligence.
At what point is an artificial intelligence its own sentient being? Science Fiction writers have wrestled with this concept for ages. Asimov and Clarke. Blade Runner to Terminator. Robots becoming beings. When does human rights become, universal right?
A terrifically written comic. This one should not be missed!
March 28, 2018
Goodreads Synopsis:
Do humans dream of owning electric sheep? Artificial intelligences, rather than becoming our overlords, have settled into an uneasy symbiosis with humanity – they work for us as our colleagues and servants, earning vacation-time they spend in a boundless digital universe running on human-maintained server farms.
But not all AIs are cool with the deal. Enter Magnus – a human psychologist tasked with navigating both worlds in order to bring recalcitrant AIs back into productive society...
BONUS TUROK STORY; An all-new saga of the all-new Turok.
My Review:
It's the year 2020, and Dr. Magnus is tracking down a rogue AI. Although not a job she likes to do anymore, she's still does it on occasion. Now, instead of an online bounty hunter, she's a therapist for the synthetic people. The character design in this book is really cool, and I just like the art in general.
The book begins with an AI named Cliff running off and trying to kill himself. Magnus stops that by tazing him, and pulling him off the bridge before he can do any harm. Instead of helping the man, the human owners just put him back into the body of the robot dog that they have and tell him they're going to show him what happens when he's a bad boy. This book is exciting and thrilling in completely different ways than any of the other comics I've read lately, and I'm glad I got the chance to read it. AI are such a big part in this book that they have their own little world to escape to where their human owners can't terrorize them and torture them. Sometimes that makes them homicidal, and Dr. Magnus is here to help control those impulses, being the only human who can actually go into the world without sustaining horrible brain damage. This book is more than just being about therapy though, it's about riots and protests and taking back their lives. It's full of rich backstory and really nice art. I definitely recommend checking it out!
Here's a link to the book on Amazon, and another link to the authors twitters!
https://www.amazon.ca/Magnus-Between-...
https://twitter.com/KyleDHiggins
https://twitter.com/jfornes74?lang=en
Thanks for reading! Check out this review and more at my blog.
(Radioactivebookreviews.wordpress.com)
Do humans dream of owning electric sheep? Artificial intelligences, rather than becoming our overlords, have settled into an uneasy symbiosis with humanity – they work for us as our colleagues and servants, earning vacation-time they spend in a boundless digital universe running on human-maintained server farms.
But not all AIs are cool with the deal. Enter Magnus – a human psychologist tasked with navigating both worlds in order to bring recalcitrant AIs back into productive society...
BONUS TUROK STORY; An all-new saga of the all-new Turok.
My Review:
It's the year 2020, and Dr. Magnus is tracking down a rogue AI. Although not a job she likes to do anymore, she's still does it on occasion. Now, instead of an online bounty hunter, she's a therapist for the synthetic people. The character design in this book is really cool, and I just like the art in general.
The book begins with an AI named Cliff running off and trying to kill himself. Magnus stops that by tazing him, and pulling him off the bridge before he can do any harm. Instead of helping the man, the human owners just put him back into the body of the robot dog that they have and tell him they're going to show him what happens when he's a bad boy. This book is exciting and thrilling in completely different ways than any of the other comics I've read lately, and I'm glad I got the chance to read it. AI are such a big part in this book that they have their own little world to escape to where their human owners can't terrorize them and torture them. Sometimes that makes them homicidal, and Dr. Magnus is here to help control those impulses, being the only human who can actually go into the world without sustaining horrible brain damage. This book is more than just being about therapy though, it's about riots and protests and taking back their lives. It's full of rich backstory and really nice art. I definitely recommend checking it out!
Here's a link to the book on Amazon, and another link to the authors twitters!
https://www.amazon.ca/Magnus-Between-...
https://twitter.com/KyleDHiggins
https://twitter.com/jfornes74?lang=en
Thanks for reading! Check out this review and more at my blog.
(Radioactivebookreviews.wordpress.com)
February 15, 2018
Dark sci-fi noir set only two years in the future. Magnus: Between Two Worlds pairs fantastic artwork with a unique storyline.
In 2020, Artificial Intelligences (A.I.s) work as butlers, maids, pets and toys. In return, they receive a federally mandated four hours of time off each day. The A.I.s have come together and built a beautiful alternate world called the Cloud where they can live as they wish. But only until their next day of serving humans. Some A.I.s refuse to return to the human world when their four hours are up. The human police send Dr. Kerri Magnus into the Cloud to find and return those rogue A.I.s. Dr. Magnus starts to feel empathy for the A.I.s. She changes professions and becomes an A.I. therapist. She tries to coax AIs to accept their lot in life before they go rogue. However, a mysterious group comes together to fight A.I. oppression. Their methods include murder and mayhem. Can Dr. Magnus stop them before they kill again?
The world building in Magnus: Between Two Worlds is awesome! Two complete worlds of the future are distinct enough to easily tell apart. Dr. Magnus’ back story is slowly revealed as the main detective story is told.
The artwork is innovative with many panes shown vertically rather the standard horizontal layout. Artful blurring and smudging effectively portray the electrical waves supporting the A.I.s’ world.
Magnus: Between Two Worlds is highly recommended for both science fiction and noir fans. It collects issues 1-5 of Magnus. Despite receiving excellent reviews, the series was cancelled so this book contains the entire story of this reboot of the Magnus Robot Hunter comics from the 1960’s and 1990’s. 5 stars!
Thanks to the publisher, Dynamite Entertainment, and NetGalley for an advanced copy.
In 2020, Artificial Intelligences (A.I.s) work as butlers, maids, pets and toys. In return, they receive a federally mandated four hours of time off each day. The A.I.s have come together and built a beautiful alternate world called the Cloud where they can live as they wish. But only until their next day of serving humans. Some A.I.s refuse to return to the human world when their four hours are up. The human police send Dr. Kerri Magnus into the Cloud to find and return those rogue A.I.s. Dr. Magnus starts to feel empathy for the A.I.s. She changes professions and becomes an A.I. therapist. She tries to coax AIs to accept their lot in life before they go rogue. However, a mysterious group comes together to fight A.I. oppression. Their methods include murder and mayhem. Can Dr. Magnus stop them before they kill again?
The world building in Magnus: Between Two Worlds is awesome! Two complete worlds of the future are distinct enough to easily tell apart. Dr. Magnus’ back story is slowly revealed as the main detective story is told.
The artwork is innovative with many panes shown vertically rather the standard horizontal layout. Artful blurring and smudging effectively portray the electrical waves supporting the A.I.s’ world.
Magnus: Between Two Worlds is highly recommended for both science fiction and noir fans. It collects issues 1-5 of Magnus. Despite receiving excellent reviews, the series was cancelled so this book contains the entire story of this reboot of the Magnus Robot Hunter comics from the 1960’s and 1990’s. 5 stars!
Thanks to the publisher, Dynamite Entertainment, and NetGalley for an advanced copy.
March 1, 2018
4.5 stars
I didn't know anything about this title going into it. The premise sounded like fun so I put in a request to read it on NetGalley.
The story stands on its own, though I believe it is part of a larger narrative with The Sovereigns. You don't need to know anything going in to it. The world and rules of it are set up clearly with an introductory paragraph and through simple story telling.
We are in a distant future with AI who can escape their servitude for a mandated 4 hours a day to live in a cloud world run on human servers. Some start to find a way to live on their own in the cloud. So much so that they don't want to go back to a world in which humans define who the are, what they can do, and how much the life is worth.
The protagonist, Magnus, is a human capable of entering the cloud without losing her mind. This makes her a valuable source to the cops when an AI commits a heinous crime and runs into the cloud to hide.
Again, I didn't know much about this title going in. It never dragged - I found that the story unfolded at a great pace with dialogue from a previous scene framing the context of the next. I would definitely like to see side stories set in the robot cloud.
If you purchase this for your library, maybe think of a movie/book cross over table with Blade Runner & Blade Runner 2049 and Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep. Maybe throw in other android/AI based comics.
Overall, I recommend it and would love to see more of the story unfold.
I didn't know anything about this title going into it. The premise sounded like fun so I put in a request to read it on NetGalley.
The story stands on its own, though I believe it is part of a larger narrative with The Sovereigns. You don't need to know anything going in to it. The world and rules of it are set up clearly with an introductory paragraph and through simple story telling.
We are in a distant future with AI who can escape their servitude for a mandated 4 hours a day to live in a cloud world run on human servers. Some start to find a way to live on their own in the cloud. So much so that they don't want to go back to a world in which humans define who the are, what they can do, and how much the life is worth.
The protagonist, Magnus, is a human capable of entering the cloud without losing her mind. This makes her a valuable source to the cops when an AI commits a heinous crime and runs into the cloud to hide.
Again, I didn't know much about this title going in. It never dragged - I found that the story unfolded at a great pace with dialogue from a previous scene framing the context of the next. I would definitely like to see side stories set in the robot cloud.
If you purchase this for your library, maybe think of a movie/book cross over table with Blade Runner & Blade Runner 2049 and Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep. Maybe throw in other android/AI based comics.
Overall, I recommend it and would love to see more of the story unfold.
February 3, 2018
This comic proves to be a really good combination of the old Isaac Asimov ''Robot'' novels and cyberpunk. Our heroine jacks into the CPU of AI robot servants to redress their mental balance, and make them aware they can download from the working world for four hours' existence every day into a Cloud universe of their own. But that's where she has to go when a robot kills its master, and an important human master at that… It's one of those instances where pretty much all the contents have been seen before – just not in this combination, and the ease with which we recognise what's gone before and engage with what's here is one of the selling points. Great art, a female hero that's allowed to be mature, smart and a little cute, and a very strong story all make this a four and a half star effort. I just felt it fell down art-wise in allowing us to see the differences between the male meat characters, and the rookie cop was very much a naff add-on to explain things. I think the future books in this title are going to go in too broad a direction to match the singular delights here, but chances are they'll be worth your attention. This book certainly is. Likewise, I've come here before seeing elsewhere how this (and other) characters were formed – something I look forward to greatly.
April 30, 2018
PL
Scenarzysta kilku serii komiksów DC takich jak Nightwing czy Deathstroke przedstawia segment wydawnictwa Dynamite pod tytułem Magnus. Ten klimatyczny neo-noir komiks w realiach cyberpunku to niebywałe połączenie klasycznych motywów Asimova jak i wizji pomatrixowych.
Głównym elementem historii jest samoświadomość robotów i ich praw oraz jak bardzo integralną częścią społeczeństwa mogą być te inteligentne maszyny w przyszłości.
Mimo, że rysunki są tak bardzo klasyczne i tak bardzo z głównego nurtu złotej ery DC i Marvela tak bardzo nie przypadły mi do gustu. Kontrastująca czerwień przy szaro zielonym tle mnie po prostu męczyła.
EN
A screenwriter for several DC comic series such as Nightwing or Deathstroke, presents the Dynamite publishing segment under the title Magnus. This atmospheric neo-noir comic in the realities of cyberpunk is an incredible combination of classic Asimov motifs and the postmatrix vision.
The main element of history is the self-awareness of robots and their rights, and how an intelligent part of society can be an integral part of society in the future.
Although the drawings are so very classic and so much from the mainstream of the golden age of DC and Marvel, I did not like them so much. Contrasting red with a gray-green background just tired me.
Scenarzysta kilku serii komiksów DC takich jak Nightwing czy Deathstroke przedstawia segment wydawnictwa Dynamite pod tytułem Magnus. Ten klimatyczny neo-noir komiks w realiach cyberpunku to niebywałe połączenie klasycznych motywów Asimova jak i wizji pomatrixowych.
Głównym elementem historii jest samoświadomość robotów i ich praw oraz jak bardzo integralną częścią społeczeństwa mogą być te inteligentne maszyny w przyszłości.
Mimo, że rysunki są tak bardzo klasyczne i tak bardzo z głównego nurtu złotej ery DC i Marvela tak bardzo nie przypadły mi do gustu. Kontrastująca czerwień przy szaro zielonym tle mnie po prostu męczyła.
EN
A screenwriter for several DC comic series such as Nightwing or Deathstroke, presents the Dynamite publishing segment under the title Magnus. This atmospheric neo-noir comic in the realities of cyberpunk is an incredible combination of classic Asimov motifs and the postmatrix vision.
The main element of history is the self-awareness of robots and their rights, and how an intelligent part of society can be an integral part of society in the future.
Although the drawings are so very classic and so much from the mainstream of the golden age of DC and Marvel, I did not like them so much. Contrasting red with a gray-green background just tired me.
March 28, 2018
It’s not usual that I give a solid five stars to a graphic novel. I have read several that rank that high, in my opinion, and yet more often than not I’m disappointed in some fashion or another. Not this time! Magnus: Between Two Worlds was an excellent read from cover to cover. I throughly enjoyed the futuristic storyline and how well it was portrayed through such classic comic book style illustrations. The artwork was very reminiscent, to me, of the comics of yester year. The colors, the artistic styling- it was all just wonderful. And the story, wow, it was actually well written and engaging. So often I feel too much emphasis is put on the drawings and the writing doesn’t come up to par, but no so here. There was a solid plot that carried from one scene to the next. It was entertaining, and pacing of the story never felt like it dragged on nor was rushed. I’m very excited to see what the author has in store for the next installment. Yep, I’ll for sure be sticking with this gn series.
Many thanks to the author, publisher, and to NetGalley for providing me this review copy and opportunity.
Many thanks to the author, publisher, and to NetGalley for providing me this review copy and opportunity.
February 9, 2020
'Magnus: Between Two Worlds' by Kyle Higgins with art by Jorge Fornes is a different take on the character I've read before, and it's a pretty good graphic novel.
It is 2020 and humans use artificial intelligence for menial work. These androids seem content with their lot, but they have a whole internal world in the cloud. Magnus can traverse this space. She works as a therapist for out of sorts A.I., but she used to hunt them down. Now an A.I. named Frederick has murdered his humans and the cops want Magnus to use her skills to hunt him down. She finds herself at odds with humans and A.I. in her search.
I really liked this story of a possible future. The concepts and world were really interesting. The art had an older school vibe to it, but I liked it as well. It was a very satisfying story to me.
I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Dynamite Entertainment, Diamond Book Distributors, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.
It is 2020 and humans use artificial intelligence for menial work. These androids seem content with their lot, but they have a whole internal world in the cloud. Magnus can traverse this space. She works as a therapist for out of sorts A.I., but she used to hunt them down. Now an A.I. named Frederick has murdered his humans and the cops want Magnus to use her skills to hunt him down. She finds herself at odds with humans and A.I. in her search.
I really liked this story of a possible future. The concepts and world were really interesting. The art had an older school vibe to it, but I liked it as well. It was a very satisfying story to me.
I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Dynamite Entertainment, Diamond Book Distributors, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.
March 4, 2018
This apparently is a rebooted comic from the 1950s but updated with Dr. Magnus being a female robot psychologist instead of a bounty hunter. It slowly unfolds its narrative based on the fear of robots taking over. It’s all well and good when AI are our servants but when they want more, things become ugly. I have had no experience with the older comic story but I enjoyed the narrative and art work. As the first volume, it provided backstory without info-dumping. Patience is required as the storytelling is not chronological. It is the set-up for the rest of the story arc. There are outstanding questions so I’m hoping that this will not be the only volume.
The themes in this book are timeless and transcend that of humans and AI. Highly recommended for science fiction and comic/graphic novel fans. There is some violence in this story, so for teens and older.
Thank you to Net Galley for this ARC.
The themes in this book are timeless and transcend that of humans and AI. Highly recommended for science fiction and comic/graphic novel fans. There is some violence in this story, so for teens and older.
Thank you to Net Galley for this ARC.
March 13, 2018
Some time in the future, humans have perfected AI and now have robot butlers and maids. However, these AI's are not super happy with working for "the man" every night and day. To try and appease them, humans have created a special world in the cloud where AI's can go for a few hours a day and live out any kind of life they want.
Kerri Magnus is one of the few humans who can travel between these two worlds, and after spending years as a sort of AI bounty hunter - bringing back intelligence that refuse to leave the cloud - she has had a change of heart and is now a sort of robot psychiatrist, trying to help the AIs who are depressed about their lot in life to try to cope.
All is going well until one AI snaps and murders his human bosses. That's when the government steps in to recruit Magus into her old line of work, and in the process try to stop a major war between the humans and the AI.
Kerri Magnus is one of the few humans who can travel between these two worlds, and after spending years as a sort of AI bounty hunter - bringing back intelligence that refuse to leave the cloud - she has had a change of heart and is now a sort of robot psychiatrist, trying to help the AIs who are depressed about their lot in life to try to cope.
All is going well until one AI snaps and murders his human bosses. That's when the government steps in to recruit Magus into her old line of work, and in the process try to stop a major war between the humans and the AI.
February 16, 2018
An AI kills its owners, then hides in a VR world, thinking no human can catch him there. The plot is nothing new, but the world where it takes place is—unless you count the unimatrix place where some Borg go in Star Trek: Voyager—which is what makes it so intriguing. The other good part is the protagonist, a virtual reality blade runner/AI psychologist who’s a very likeable character.
Not surprised about the dog, or the cat for that matter. . . okay, later on I’m surprised about the dog. There’s a really funny elevator scene that for me was the highlight. Her backstory is told as she tries to keep someone alive in the AI world, which is cleverly done.
Good use of the now-overdone phrase “The end of the beginning.” Ends with a set-up for a sequel.
Though the artwork left a lot to be desired, especially in brightness, the story was good, as was the dialogue.
3.5 pushed up to 4/5
Not surprised about the dog, or the cat for that matter. . . okay, later on I’m surprised about the dog. There’s a really funny elevator scene that for me was the highlight. Her backstory is told as she tries to keep someone alive in the AI world, which is cleverly done.
Good use of the now-overdone phrase “The end of the beginning.” Ends with a set-up for a sequel.
Though the artwork left a lot to be desired, especially in brightness, the story was good, as was the dialogue.
3.5 pushed up to 4/5
April 3, 2018
Excellent science fiction comic. Kyle Higgens always tells a mean story and Jorge Fornes's art is great. A story of a future world where robots with artificial intelligence have become the lowest class, working as slaves, but they have developed free will and a showdown between AIs and humans is coming. In this volume Magnus, an AI psychologist manages to stop the current situation from resulting in a war. She sympathises with the AI though and has plans for the future. Magnus is a wonderfully written character and this plot was interesting and compelling. I was hooked from the beginning and read it in one sitting.
October 26, 2017
Absolutely, loved the artwork and story. I am only disappointed that it concludes as if it will no longer maintain the android mystery aspect in later volumes. Very much worth the read.
April 5, 2018
Aside from the obvious I, ROBOT inspired story....pretty interesting. Not ground breaking but well written enough to keep me intrigued.
June 4, 2018
ai therapists.
October 22, 2018
Read for TLP
March 14, 2019
Magnus can slide between two mental worlds and is pulled into a taut situation in one of them that will have repercussions in the other.
January 30, 2021
Thought provoking action comic.
October 23, 2023
Kyle Higgins' influences are pretty obvious here. The art is great but the story seems kinda generic if you're someone who has consumed a lot of sci-fi productions of any kind.
October 3, 2023
Une esthétique à la blade runner, j'adore. La fin invite à une suite que j'aurai voulu lire et qui n'existe pas.
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