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Shot In The Arm: CYBORG

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  • Shot In The Arm: CYBORG

    Cyborg has enjoyed a good bit of spotlight since the success of the Teen Titans cartoons, his appearances in the League in animated films, his part in Injustice, as well as being a member of the Justice League as of the beginning of the New52 that carried over into REBIRTH. However popular the character may be in expanded media his comics sales just don't seem to warrant giving him a feature film. What the character needs is a shot in the arm. I don't know how many members on this forum are fans of the character, but I'd like to discuss people's favorite elements of the character, defining eras, or new twists to the character no matter how short term. In the vein of REBIRTH what could they bring back? Here are a few sales figures for Cyborg centric books including his first solo mini, his late New52 series, and his current REBIRTH series. Issue #1's, #6's, as well as the current issue:

    DC Special: Cyborg #1 [of 6] - May 2008 - 18,778

    DC Special: Cyborg #6 [of 6] - September 2008 - 11,297

    New52 Cyborg #1 - July 2015 - 45,187

    New52 Cyborg #6 - December 2015 - 17,864

    REBIRTH Cyborg #1 - September 2016 - 56,280

    REBIRTH Cyborg #6 - December 2016 - 21,287

    Current Issue REBIRTH Cyborg #11 - April 2017 - 13,677


    It would appear the character is doing better in the comics since becoming a founding League member. However the sales still slip and at a much faster rate. IMHO the character should be loosely tied to the Teen Titans again. And I mean the Teen Titans, since that's where most of the Wolfman era are still at [Beast Boy, Starfire, Raven]; not the adult Titans. In the animated universe film Teen Titans vs Justice League Cyborg joins the Titans to defeat a possessed Justice League and the kids see Cyborg as a 'big gun mentor'. In the end when the League is checking in on the Titans via Facetime or some such app, Vic is carrying pizza and planning some hang out time with the team already entering their HQ to the League's surprise.

    No matter how hard DC tries, this:



    Could never be as good as THIS, even on it's best day:



    And now it kinda sucks because even fans who might have wanted more Cyborg/Shazam can't get it because Shazam's no longer in the League. I guess there's hope for the two interacting in the film universe...

    Other turning points in the character's career [for me anyway] include his gold liquid metal form in the adult Titans series around 2000 as well as his time as a mentor to the YJ era Teen Titans under the pen of Geoff Johns. And I may be wrong but the gold liquid metal form may have been inspired by his look from Kingdom Come...





    I *think* I read somewhere that Beast Boy would show up in Cyborg soon, but already losing like 75% of his readers since issue #1 pretty much guarantees this title's cancellation. Too little too late. Let Vic *die* in his series finale or a JL arc and come back with a new #1 afterwards and start connecting him to the Titans a little sooner. Only other thing that MIGHT give him a chance and warrant having a multi-million dollar movie based on him is a creative team like Grant Morrison and Francis Manapul... then he might crack the top 50 comics of the month...

    Thoughts?

    ~//V\\~
    Ωmega Man
    Guardian of the Universe
    Last edited by Ωmega Man; 05-27-2017, 01:37 AM.

  • #2
    I used to like Cyborg back in the day in Wolfman's Teen Titans, but he just doesn't feel right anymore. Or look right. Visually he's a hot mess. I don't like him where there is almost no human left. What is he now, part of a head?

    I don't see DC getting his sales numbers up, but they are in a bad position where they can't really cancel Cyborg with the JLA movie only months away. Better to let it run on fumes until the bluray/dvd comes out, then stop pushing it. If it's not meant to be it's not meant to be.

    Comment


    • #3
      Originally posted by Big Daddy Dave Targaryen I View Post
      I used to like Cyborg back in the day in Wolfman's Teen Titans, but he just doesn't feel right anymore. Or look right. Visually he's a hot mess. I don't like him where there is almost no human left. What is he now, part of a head?

      I don't see DC getting his sales numbers up, but they are in a bad position where they can't really cancel Cyborg with the JLA movie only months away. Better to let it run on fumes until the bluray/dvd comes out, then stop pushing it. If it's not meant to be it's not meant to be.
      I completely agree about the visuals. I actually like the look he got later in the New52 during his first monthly...



      Cancelling it soon and then bringing it back with a new #1 would be a Marvel move, but I think with the numbers THAT low, it's worth the risk. They're surely gonna spend more money on a solo Cyborg movie than the character's comics, action figures, and other collectibles have ever brought in.

      WB should pony up like 0.25% of the film's budget to get a decent creative team on the comic. You put $$$ in the faces of the biggest names out there and somebody will pitch gold. I'm talking long term picture though. The comic needs to remain epic and with the same creative team until the release of Cyborg's movie in a couple years. Really the cash it'd take to buy the best creative team for a couple years would be nothing compared to ten minutes of the movie's cost.

      ~//V\\~

      Comment


      • #4
        I liked that look too from the 52, but still want him to be more human. I don't need the classic costume back or anything, but a modern version of it. And the poor guy should at least be able to keep his junk!

        Comment


        • #5
          He also needs a few rogues that bounce around or to borrow a couple unused or one and done enemies of the Teen Titans. Jinx for sure. Maybe Gizmo. IDK who else he could use, trying to think of some throwaway League baddies.... Computron? The Calculator? Shrapnel?

          I really liked when he used his Stone alias as well in the cartoons...



          *He was like combining a young Luke Cage with that old Hanna Barbera teen Thing series where the kid had the 'Thing Rings.'

          ~//V\\~

          Comment


          • #6
            I'm not a Cyborg fan. He was a Teen Titan when I wasn't reading it. He's alright on Justice League, but I wouldn't cry if he was removed from it. I would only pick up a solo title if it had some super team on it (even then I might wait to see if there's good word of mouth).

            Comment


            • #7
              He's okay and all. I don't have a problem with Cyborg other than I think he could be retooled a bit better. I just prefer Martian Manhunter in the League as a founding member. Any time DC strays from that (like Black Canary instead of WW) it feels wrong.

              Comment


              • #8
                They should make another League spin off for characters like Cyborg, Firestorm, Capt. Atom, Hawkman, and others who can't really hold down a solo title without exceptional circumstances [Geoff writing Hawkman for example]. JLoA seems to be doing fairly well without much effort, and with a JL movie coming out soon you'd think they'd push as many JL related series as possible. Remember how many Avengers books came around during Age of Ultron? We could *at least* get one more.

                ~//V\\~

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                • #9
                  ^Benchwarmer League of America?

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Could be JL International, JL Elite [just throw a big gun on there], another JL United or maybe they could open up the idea of JL Unlimited and make the League consist of as many members as the JSA if not more like the old cartoon.

                    ~//V\\~

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Originally posted by Space Cop View Post
                      ^Benchwarmer League of America?
                      I would actually consider buying that, as long as they didn't fill it with the absolute dregs of the JLA's past. There are a LOT of awesome JLA members that aren't the Big Seven. Or, at least, ones that I grew up enjoying lol. Atom, Green Arrow, Firestorm, Hawkman, Red Tornado, Zatanna...pretty much the rest of the first 16 members.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        I liked the title Formerly Known As the JL, just wish it included more than the joke filled Giffen era League. Could bring that back.

                        ~//V\\~
                        Ωmega Man
                        Guardian of the Universe
                        Last edited by Ωmega Man; 05-28-2017, 06:22 PM.

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          I think I mentioned somewhere else how dumb it was to give Cyborg his own chest symbol. That's just DC trying too hard to make him marketable. Give him a couple rogues to call his own from the 3rd and 4th string, a better look, and a connection to the Teen Titans again... and I'd buy it.

                          I'd also be game for another 2nd string JL with Cyborg among the roster. And JLoA is doing well enough to justify the attempt. Just has to have it's own angle.

                          You think a popular manga artist on variant covers for Cyborg with a ton of tech on them would bring in more sales? Actually, just go ahead and hire Pat Lee to come and do the art for the interiors. His stuff in the old Transformer comics is amazing.

                          ~//V\\~

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                          • #14
                            What Cyborg needs is a better writer, point blank. The stories are not good. At all. That's why it's not selling. Having David Walker and John Semper, who the fuck is John Semper anyway, as the writers for his ongoing is going to cut it. Having these no names on this book isn't helping at all.

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                            • #15


                              I think this is a great look for Vic. Classic but updated. I would like to see them go back to something like this.

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