“Magnus: Robot Fighter” continues the strong start of the Dynamite Entertainment ‘Gold Key’ titles by building its story on warmth and good humor.
Written by Fred Van Lente
Illustrated by Cory Smith
Colors by Mauricio Wallace
Lettered by Marshall DillonTHE GOLD KEY UNIVERSE IS EXPANDING! Superstar Fred Van Lente (Marvel Zombies, Amazing Spider-Man, Archer & Armstrong) and the astounding Cory Smith (Fathom) present a stunning re-imagining of Magnus: Robot Fighter you never saw coming! In the blink of an eye, young martial artist Magnus has everything taken from him…his father, his wife, his entire life. He’s suddenly thrust into a futuristic world he doesn’t understand, populated by humans and robots living together in oppression! Can Magnus fight to get his life back…and once he learns the truth about himself, will he want to?
We’re at the point where Fred Van Lente can relaunch a franchise in his sleep. “Magnus: Robot Fighter” was created by Russ Manning as a far-future answer to Tarzan, being raised by robots rather than apes. Van Lente’s greatest skill as a relaunch artist is packing a book with nods to what’s come before without reusing material or plots. This opening issue is a true repackaging of the classic concepts of “Magnus”, but with its own beating heart.
The comic opens in 2045, where teacher/martial arts instructor Russell Magnus is discussing Frederick Douglass’ memoirs with his class. Magnus lives in a mountain town that’s fully integrated robots with humans, so the parallels are made perfectly clear. Van Lente tends to show an interest in deepening the core themes of what are decidedly genre books by drawing on history like this. While it’s not exactly the most subtle way of drawing said parallels, it’s not invasive either.
Van Lente sets up an idyllic world for Magnus to walk around in. He’s got a good job, people look up to him, he’s got a wife, a baby on the way, etcetera. Heart and wit is injected all over the place to depict Magnus as a man who seemingly has it all. Naturally, everything isn’t as it seems, and the comic quickly takes a hard left into “fish-out-of-water” territory. Again, nothing we haven’t seen before, but the contrast between worlds is fun to absorb.
Cory Smith’s art is a breath of fresh air for a company that has tended toward a very specific style of art. While there have been exceptions to the rule, Dynamite pulp crime and fantasy comics have tended toward having more painterly art (as evidenced by how automatic an Alex Ross variant cover seems to be on their products), or a lean toward realism and stiffness over expression or fluidity. Smith’s art is cartoonier, providing more loose fun than we’ve come to expect from Dynamite. That’s something that should pay off in the long run, given that this is a book literally about karate-chopping robots’ heads off.
Smith’s inspired design for Maury’s Peak gives it an aforementioned idyllic feel that serves to twist the knife a little deeper when our hero is taken from it. Big, boxy old-school robot designs roll around a town that visually recalls the frontier or western towns we’ve come to recognize from popular fiction. Smith’s designs make 2045 seem more like 1945, with a smattering of futuristic technology swirled in. The anachronistic look and the muted, snowy colors Mauricio Wallace give these early scenes a unique alpine feel.
“Magnus: Robot Fighter” will please fans of the character with the way that it throws constant references in and shows love for the main characters. Modern reboots or relaunches tend to try and take a more cynical or darker view of a property, but in the capable hands of Van Lente that ends up rarely being the case. Cory Smith’s art is breath of fresh air too, doing the basic designs of Russ Manning proud and tightly telling a story that is enjoyable, even if it feels relatively routine.
Final Verdict: 7.0 – try the first issue
