Review – Robocop: Dead Or Alive Vol. 2 TP (BOOM! Studios)

February 16, 2016

2–3 minutes

Publisher: BOOM! Studios
Writer: Joshua Williamson
Artist: Carlos Magno
Release Date: 17th February 2016

Set soon after the events of the 1987 film, Dead or Alive deals with the rise of a new crime boss on the streets of Old Detroit, named John KIllian. After helping sabotage his plans in the first volume, Officer Anne Lewis has been promoted to detective, effectively removing her from the equation, and OCP have taken Murphy’s iconic sidearm, giving the street gangs a distinct advantage.

Although the overarching plot borrows liberally from the film, Joshua Williamson has very definitely made his mark on Robocop lore in this series, adding depth to supporting characters in the process. The central relationship between Murphy and Lewis has undergone a fair degree of development: the former’s feelings of separation anxiety and despair at his state of perpetual limbo, brings his frustration to the fore, and the latter’s career ambitions proving troublesome on multiple levels. Williamson’s newly created characters help drive their respective stories, with Killian posing a suitably nasty threat to Robocop, and Detective Jensen providing a mirror into Lewis’s future; their interactions helping reinforce Lewis’s ideals.

Although this volume’s arc is entertaining overall, for me there are some niggling issues in respect to character dialogue. Williamson’s script features a number of throw-away lines, and cliched turns of phrase, where minimal dialogue might have been appropriate. For example, the ED-209’s and ED-2000X are given a more criminal personality, an effect that blunts the perception of them as a cold, unfeeling killing machines following a set of commands, making them appear less threatening. On a related note, the absence of the satirical subtext that peppered the film’s narrative was also disappointing, though admittedly, it would have been a difficult balance to strike.

Carlos Magno’s finely detailed linework has been strong element of the series to date, and he takes it up a notch in this second volume. New creations such as the ED-2000X fit perfectly in this world, being both familiar and fresh, and he flexes his artistic muscle with some eye-catching action sequences. There is the occasional mis-step in his storytelling, or an awkward character pose, but it does not detract from some strong work overall. Marissa Lousie’s mix of neon, bronze and gun metal colours, bring a nice sheen to the legion metal surfaces, and her tones subtly shift to accent the book’s quieter moments.

With its almost comical ultra-violence, sledgehammer religious symbolism, and satirically skewed vision of a near-future dystopia, the original Robocop was one of the defining moments of that decade. This series captures elements of what made the film so special, and aside from a few technical gripes, it’s definitely a book any Robo-fan should check out.

Rating: 3/5.

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