DC Comics reviews 5/16/23 – Titans #1, The Flash #799, Cyborg #1

Cyborg #1

Cyborg has been a character DC has tried a few earned times to make a breakout solo star. The last effort around the start of DC Rebirth was commendable but suffered from the same issue as most Cyborg titles — they make Vic Stone too much of a sad sack hero who’s constantly whining about his daddy issues instead of having fun with his awesome powers. Sure there’s some pathos with the character but dwelling on it for too long tends to make him a boring character.

This latest attempt from writer Morgan Hampton doesn’t ignore Vic’s resentment towards his father but doesn’t spend the entire issue focusing on them either. And there’s a legit storyline reason for rehashing information that longtime Cyborg fans could repeat in their sleep regarding his backstory.

There are some encouraging fresh angles here from Cyborg having regular therapy sessions to talk through his issues, the Titans make a cameo — though given the context of the story it seemed odd that Vic’s Justice League teammates weren’t anywhere to be found — to reflect their status as DC’s main team. Another intriguing element is vlogger Estelle Green with her Do Better Detroit show calling out Vic’s lack on commitment to Detroit. Estelle reads as a hot take machine so her commentary on Cyborg’s actions could be fun.

Veteran artist Tom Raney provides some reliable, quality artwork. Raney gets the important elements down in drawing Black characters from hair texture to facial structure. It’s solid work and Randy’s typical stellar storytelling sense should provide necessary consistency visually — an issue that’s plagued other Cyborg titles.

Colorist Michael Atiyeh utilizes the right blend of bright colors to pair smoothly with Randy’s art while letterer Rob Leigh works in unique fonts for various characters and appropriate emphasis on certain lines.

Cyborg has also been villain challenged so Hampton wisely brought in some familiar punching bags while establishing a potential main threat.

Cyborg titles don’t usually have a lengthy shelf life, but Hampton, Raney and the rest of the creative team appear to have enough fresh ideas to make this run worth checking out.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10