MAGNUS: ROBOT FIGHTER #1 Review


How will this Magnus reboot fair to his previous outings? Read on to find out.

The official description from Dynamite:

THE GOLD KEY UNIVERSE IS EXPANDING! Superstar Fred Van Lente (Marvel Zombies, Amazing Spider-Man, Conan: The Barbarian) 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?

Magnus Robot Fighter #1 variantDynamite continue to role out their Golden Key revival with the latest character to enter the fold being none other than Magnus: Robot Fighter. Now unlike Turok I haven’t read many of Magnus’ adventures, but I have read enough to know that he’s a bad ass character that demands respect.

Fred Van Lente gives just that handling Magnus origins perfectly, catering for both old and new fans. The thing that impressed me the most about Van Lente’s script had to be the character depth, as if you take away the fact that robots don’t exist in this capacity it’s very realistic. He also expands on this by giving a very emotion focused opening with the dramatic development giving the exciting feel that a Magnus story needs. Despite this I did feel that the transition in the robots behaviour was ever so slightly sudden as I’d have loved to have seen more of Magnus’ life prior to this twist of fate.

If Van Lente’s script wasn’t enough to astound you then Cory Smith‘s art sure will. Despite it being a bit rough at times the overall detail is simply magnificent, with the smooth flowing layout giving a lively feel. It is however the way that Smith portrays the emotion that appealed to me the most, as given the emotionally driven nature of the issue Smith’s art needed to convey this, and it certainly did that. Combine this with Mauricio Wallace‘s soft colours and you get art that doesn’t just suit the story, but art that defines it.

This is the perfect chance for new fans to give Magnus a try as whether you’re a fan of robots, Fred Van Lente or the sci-fi genre as a whole you’re bound to love this new series. Highly recommended.

OUR RATING
8.5
  • + MAGNUS is Back!
  • + Fred Van Lente produces an emotional yet exciting script.
  • + Cory Smith's smooth and intense art is a joy to mull over.
  • - The robot rebellion was a little too sudden.

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