12.07.2013

Frank Miller's Robocop Graphic Novel

Cover art by Frank Miller

Not sure if I had ever posted this or not, but I've always meant to. This month is going to be insanely hectic for me, so reviews might be few and far between. But I do love it, so there will be times where I just have to sit and put down some thoughts on a particular film experience. Until then, I'm sure some posts will be random things just so I can keep some of your interest so you don't wander off forever. 

First up is Frank Miller's Robocop. Originally published as a 12 part comic series by Avatar Press back in 2003 with art by incredibly awesome Juan Jose Ryp, eventually making it to graphic novel and paperback form a few years late, it's about as badass as a comic could possibly get. When Miller wrote the screenplays for Robocop 2 and 3, his vision was eventually derailed by severe studio interference and what we got was not what he had intended; a severely watered down attempt at a Robocop film done Frank Miller style. After all, this is the man who gave us The Dark Knight Returns and resurrected Daredevil into one of the best most hard-edged comics of the 80's. This 12 part series is what he had envisioned and with all the freedom he wanted made all the more magnificent by Ryp's highly stylized and detailed artwork. Let me tell you, this comic is fucking nuts and I love it to death. It's not really made for character development as it's not a film, rather it caters more to the comic book geeks and delivers whole-heartedly with it's all-or-nothing vibe that delivers a nonstop assault to the senses. Seriously, this book is ridiculous fun and it shows you what he had in mind for the Robocop franchise. I myself practically salivate at the thought of what Robocop 2 and 3 "could" have been had Miller been given complete control over his scripts. Alas, he didn't and what we got with those films certainly reflects that. 

At 216 pages, Frank Miller's Robocop runs at a break-necks pace with it's nonstop depiction of ultra violence and satire. Juan Jose Ryp's (Black Summer, No Hero) artwork is also what makes this book such a fantastic one, because let's face it, comic books live and die by their art. You can like the story all you want, but if the artwork sucks, it's hard to enjoy it. Thankfully Ryp's insane use of detail and violent images only complement Miller's grande vision of the future of law enforcement.

Definitely a book you should pick up if you ever get the chance, especially if you're a Robocop or Frank Miller fan. You can always get a copy HERE over at Amazon, or you can try your luck on eBay, where it rarely goes any lower in price.

7 comments:

  1. Yeah, this is an awesome comic. There's some questionable elements like Lewis getting her police uniform getting basically shot to pieces for a bit of eye candy but it's mostly much, much better than the actual film.

    Are you collecting the new Robocop comic Last Stand? It's same thing but based on Frank Miller's original script for Robocop 3. Pretty good so far.

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    1. You know, I was thinking about it. I see it every time I hit my local comic shop, but it just didn't grab me. Now I read that it's based off of his original idea for Robocop 3, so I may have to pick those issues up. Though the art's not nearly as interesting as Ryp's.

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    2. Yeah, the artwork is quite rough in Last Stand. I really miss Ryp's hyper detailed style. I'm up to issue 5 at the moment. It's good but not great. The most interesting thing is figuring out how it was twisted to become Robocop 3.

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    3. Yea, something always kept me from picking it up. Just didn't look or feel as badass as this one. By the way, if you haven't already, you should check out my other favorite Ryp work, Warren Ellis' Black Summer. A dark, bloody superhero tale. Just awesome. Right now the ones I'm currently really enjoying are Jupiter's Legacy from Mark Millar and Shaolin Cowboy from Geof Darrow.

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  2. Love this comic, I own the first few issues, but never got around to reading the entire thing. I need to get me the graphic novel. But speaking of what I read, it's awesome stuff, you can tell Robocop 2 was going to be a whole other thing, even thought he studio changed things around, the resulting film was still pretty violent. This is a great example of how a studio can completely change things around to their liking.

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    1. Duuuuude you need to read the rest. It's just nuts and so badass.

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