Cyber Force, Vol. 1
Written by Marc Silvestri and Matt Hawkins
Illustrated by Khoi Pham
Inked by Sal Regla
Colored by Sunny Gho
Lettered by Troy Peteri
Covers by Marc Silvestri, Sunny Gho, Stjepan Sejic and Chris Giarrusso,
Top Cow Productions, Inc.
Release Date: September 25, 2013
Cover Price: $9.99

In 2012, Top Cow founder Marc Silvestri teamed with writer Matt Hawkins to bring about an updated, re-imagined version of his cyber-enhanced super-team comic, Cyber Force. Celebrating twenty years since the series’ first launch, the creative team brought on illustrator Khoi Pham and began a Kickstarter campaign to raise enough funds to provide the first five issues completely free of charge! The first volume provides a great introduction of the characters and story for a Cyber Force newbie like myself.

Carin is the daughter of the chairman and chairwoman of the CDI — a powerful cybernetic research organization that has been the guiding light to the world for many years. When 16-year-old Carin discovers that her father plans to systematically annihilate the human species in order to start the world over, she goes in search Morgan Stryker — a genetically modified cyber-human whom she believes may be able to help prevent the devastating scenario from occurring. Taken in by a group of rogue SHOCS — cybernetic soldiers — who are now deemed terrorists by the CDI, Carin has little time to convince them of her father’s plans, gain their trust, and find the one man who can help them all.

Silvestri and Hawkins offer a massive, cybernetic mainframe of reasons to enjoy their five issue kick-off to the new Cyber Force series. The first issue, while feeling just a little rocky — with the introduction of many characters fairly quickly — sets a steady pace for the remainder of the volume. As the series progresses, so does the character development, revelations, and action. With Cyber Force set in 2013, the writers manage to perfectly capture the world’s current events. Racism, tensions in the Middle East, and natural disasters are organically crafted to the plot with the interspersing of a futuristic, cyberpunk feel. I was also excited to find quite a large inclusion of another Top Cow series within the pages of Cyber Force.

Pham’s art captures the essence of the story. The characters are vivid, their movements fast-paced and fluid, and their visual reactions are befitting to each plot point. I was particularly pleased with the close-up shots that highlight the cybernetics of some and the humanity of others.

Suffice it to say, I thoroughly enjoyed Cyber Force, Vol. 1. If you are a fan of any incarnation of this series, I would suggest giving it a shot. If you’ve never had the opportunity to immerse yourself within the lives of these tragic characters, now’s the time. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.