Publisher: BOOM! Studios
Writer: Ed Brisson
Artist: Emilio Laiso
Release Date: 26th February 2014

Sadly, Robocop Beta is the last of the one shot Robocop tie-ins from BOOM! Studios. These comic books have really supplemented the source material, and could keep the franchise alive, assuming we don’t get a sequel. Or in this case a prequel.

The title refers to a prototype prior to Robocop’s public unveiling, and writer Brisson looks at some of the more thought-provoking ethics behind the Robocop program like reanimating the dead. In this case Joshua Duncan, a soldier, is killed in action, and OmniCorp has decided to use his corpse as a part of their latest creation.

Joshua sustained a bullet to the head and as a result most of his memories were wiped out. However, as he is brought back, he starts to slowly regain some of his memories, specifically his final moments. Laiso’s artwork really brings them to life and Michael Garland’s use of olive drab and grainy textures make it appear night vision-esque. Dr. Dennett Norton and Raymond Sellars are well represented and not just in terms of the illustrations but also their state of mind . The book also handles the reason why Norton and Sellars needed a well-rounded test subject in greater detail.

The references to the Dreyfus Act, the ED-209 & EM-208, and Pat Novak make the comic feel at home in the world that the film created. Although Pat Novak is mentioned by name only, it gives the impression that the character doesn’t have a bias towards OmniCorp.

All good things must come to an end, each of the writers have examined the character both in and out of the suit. Michael Moreci looked at the inner conflict between Alex Murphy and the machine in ‘Hominem Ex Machina’. Thanks to Joe Harris, ‘To Live and Die in Detroit’ showed us Robocop at the top of his game despite being under the software’s control. Then, in ‘Memeto Mori’, writer Frank J Barbiere gave us a look into Murphy’s psyche as he made the transition to Robocop. Ed Brisson closes out the ‘one-shot’ run with Beta, analyzing the problems Norton, Sellars, and OmniCorp faced before coming up with their perfect version of man in a machine.

The movie successfully brought the character to modern day, but BOOM! Studios have proved why the current incarnation is worth investing in. If Sony had trusted Jose Padilha more with the property then they might have had a movie with a soul, either way I’d love to see this title get some kind of treatment whether it be live action or animation.

Rating: 5/5

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The writer of this piece is:

Laurence Almalvez
Laurence has previously written over at Whatculture.com.
Laurence tweets from @IL1511