Re-Reading: Magnus Robot Fighter #13

[xoken]

I thought we could do a book a day (that way people can read one every day or catch up on weekends), talk about it on its own, in the context of whats next, in regards to what expectations it creates and vote on how good it is. I don't have to be the one that posts everyday. If I miss a day or if someone wants to take over please do

For voting think of your single favourite comic book (not just VALIANT) as the benchmark - thats a 10 - and grade according to that.

Make sure to mention what you like'd about the book, what you didn't, what you wish they would have done, your favourite panels, lines of dialogue, little bits of trivia etc.

Magnus Robot Fighter #13

[magnusr]

Here we go on from the insert in issue 12. Without it we would really have been thrown into the middle of things. Like the insert was an example of Valiant's willingness to experiment, so is the coloring here. The method developed together with, and really mastered by, Janet Jackson, was based on the idea of printing from a color original. Thus the method could be replaced if just a color original is produced. So Ernie Colon colored his own pencils, giving a completely new look. This openness to experiments was typical. The story is well-made and based on very important questions. However, enough is enough. I loved how Magnus had changed while everything stayed tru to the old Magnus comics. Now we are getting a bit too close to throwing out the baby with the bath-water and actually the message is losing impact by being too strong. For me this brings down the total grade, despite a very good story. Possibly this would have been less of a problem if I hadn't read all the old comics.

/Magnus

[Todd Luck]

There are so many inspired moments in Shooter's run it's hard to pick the most inspired by this one definately ranks up there in originality and pushing the barrier.

The Asylum is such a fascinating concept with so many possibilities. The art here is wonderful. It prints a little too dark but it's appropriate for the tone of the story which is, by far, the darkest Magnus story ever.

And it's great stuff. You got to love a gaint killer dog named "Fluffy" (Having just gotten a puppy, I've got to say, what was 1-A thinking?!? Dogs chew on everything by instinct! Yeah, Fluffy will chew on robots...and cars..and humans...and...)

The confrontation with Magscrag was awesome, moving stuff. Probably the best one-on-one fight in the series. Magscrag's death was equally powerful. The scene where the tape of 1-A plays as Magnus gets up and then smashes the player (though the holographic 1-A's neck) was perfect.

You can see how this is just tearing Magnus apart inside. Powerful stuff. A 10.

Continuity Note: In Magnus 25 they'll try to retcon this saga by saying 1-A never experimented on anyone and all the asylum inhabitants were naturally like that. What?!? In the future of the VH-1 Universe, they'll naturally have crab men, crystal women, and gaint three eyed dogs?!?! Gimme a break.

[magnusr]

Seaborn's synopsis:

Returning to North Am’s Goph Lev, Magnus and Willow are ambushed by a creature from the Martian Asylum. He is then taken by stealth ship to 1-A’s undersea home. There he encounters Frost and Magskrag. Frost educates Magnus about the Asylum and he learns the truth about 1-A’s failed attempts to create a robot fighter. Magskrag attempts to destroy Magnus who he believes still serves 1-A and oppresses North Am. Magskrag Convinces Magnus that he has been on the wrong side. Fluffy kills Magskrag and Magnus destroys Fluffy. He places Frost in a Med-Tube, commits Magskrag’s body to a solar funeral pyre and takes the stealth ship to Phobos to free the innocent there.

/Magnus