Magnus, Robot Fighter 4000 A.D. Volume 1 (v. 1) [Hardcover]

Kermit Shaefer (Author), Don Friewald (Author), Russ Manning (Author, Artist)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 23, 2004 | Series: Magnus, Robot Fighter (Book 1)

Dark Horse delivers another fantastic collection of rare classics from a comics legend! Russ Manning, famous for his spectacular work on the Tarzan newspaper strips of the late sixties, brought fans his "Tarzan of the Future" in Magnus, Robot Fighter. While the original comic series lasted only twenty-one issues, Manning's creation has survived generations, influencing countless science fiction artists and writers to this day. Fans of Alex Raymond, Mac Raboy, or Wally Wood should not miss this beautifully bound hardcover, the latest addition to Dark Horse's line of science fiction comics classics.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Older fans fondly remember the early 1960s comic book Magnus, Robot Fighter for two reasons. It was one of the few sf comics in an era dominated by superheroes and other genres, and it boasted the compellingly crisp artwork of Russ Manning. In 4000 A.D., when society has grown weak from overreliance on its mechanical servants, Magnus, trained from infancy by Robot 1A, uses his "steel-smashing strength" to defend humanity against evil robots and renegade humans like Mekman, who so idolizes the efficiency of robots that he coats his body with flexible metal in emulation. Aiding Magnus are his beautiful, resourceful girlfriend, Leeja, and her senator father. Relatively simple by today's standards, the stories--many written by Manning, who was obviously influenced by Isaac Asimov and his famous robotic laws--are a notch more sophisticated than most other comics of its day and remain quite readable. Their main attraction, though, is Manning's gorgeous artwork, which many fans feel he never topped in later assignments, including illustrated newspaper strips based on Tarzan and Star Wars. Gordon Flagg
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Details

• Hardcover: 200 pages
• Publisher: Dark Horse (November 23, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1593072694
• ISBN-13: 978-1593072698
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 7 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,109,469 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Squeee! Magnus is back!, January 2, 2005

By 

Ian Fowler (Denver, CO United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Magnus, Robot Fighter 4000 A.D. Volume 1 (v. 1) (Hardcover)

As most people know, DC Comics has had their archive program (hardcover reprints of older comics) for over a decade now. Not only has DC archived their big guns characters (Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman), but they've also gotten their lesser characters (Sgt. Rock, Doom Patrol), the characters they've acquired (Blackhawk, Shazam) AND characters they've licenced for the simple purpose of archiving them (the Spirit, T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents). Given this nice bit of diversity, I took it for granted that at some point, DC would also get around to archiving the characters published by Western/Gold Key. Imagine my surprise when it was announced that Gold Key's work would be archived, NOT by DC, but by Dark Horse!

Not that I'm complaining, of course. It's great to see "Magnus: Robot Fighter, 4000 AD" and "Doctor Solar: Man of the Atom" in some format. And Dark Horse isn't so unlikely. This is a company that built itself on licenced properties (rather like Western), and has itself begun a variety of reprint programs. So, they've entered the arena. Good for them.

Like most readers my age, my first exposure to these characters, including Magnus, came in the early 1990s, when they were acquired and published by the now-defunct Valiant Comics. I did get on board somewhat late, when the whole of the Valiant line was beginning its slouch towards despair, so to speak. I did enjoy "Magnus" for a while. However, my decision to read this Archive volume has more to do with my interest in Silver Age comics. I am quite pleased that I did.

For those coming in late, Magnus is a denizen of the year 4000 AD (or AD 4000, as is correct), a time where all of the citizens of the continent-size city North Am have become complacent and entirely too dependent on robots. Raised by the very first robot, Magnus was taught how to fight evil robots, his body honed until his strength could smash steel. And for the seven issues contained in this volume, that's exactly what Magnus does, battling corrupt robots or corrupt humans who use robots for their own nefarious purposes. At the same time, he forms a tight bond with Leeja Clane, daughter of a senator, herself sick of robot control.

The big draw here of course is that great artwork by Russ Manning. The line-work is absolutely clean, tight, and vibrant. Further, the designs of the robots, the costumes of the humans, and the city itself, demonstrate the vibrancy and imagination Manning possessed.

Manning wasn't a slouch in the writing department, either. Each story exhibits an excellent grasp of pacing and drama, as well as ingenuity. The villains are also legitimate threats. H-8, the corrupt robot controller of the pol-robs (police robots), Mekman, the human who wants to be a robot, and Xyrkol, Magnus's most persistent foe, all present complex challenges that draw the reader in, as we watch and wonder how Magnus will inevitably beat them. It's difficult to zero in on one favorite story. All are excellent examples of why this series attained its classic stature.

However, due to thematic concerns, there is a certain of repetition in the stories. Manning's central theme was wariness of technology. Thus, Magnus often intones dire warnings about how lazy man has become, how dependent on robots man is, and how man should always be prepared for the day when the robots revolt. The stories, naturally, follow these predictions, as Magnus battles malfunctioning robots, infected robots, and megalomaniacal robots. It's fortunate that Manning new how to write an entertaining story, because the formula might have worn thin.

Someone else has griped about the quality of the reprint. Granted, the colors are not as vibrant as they could have been. However, I'm not sure if that's Dark Horse's fault. Having looked through some of the original comics, I don't think Gold Key had great coloring process to begin with (compared with DC, and, much later, Marvel). Granted, Dark Horse could have re-colored the series. Still, that's really a minor quibble, and in no way impacted my enjoyment of the series. If nothing else, the original covers, nearly all painted art, are included, and like most GK covers, are all gorgeous.

Dark Horse has planned only three volumes, encompassing Manning's work. This seems limited, since this series did continue beyond Manning (not much, but still). I'm also looking forward to the "Doctor Solar" hardcover, and the further volumes of "Magnus". Terrific stuff.

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Dark Horse Does it Again, May 7, 2005

By 

Gord Wilson "alivingdog.com" (Bellingham, WA USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Magnus, Robot Fighter 4000 A.D. Volume 1 (v. 1) (Hardcover)

You could pay hundreds of dollars for a pristine copy of volume one of Russ Manning's 1963 Gold Key sci-fi comic, Magnus Robot Fighter. Or you could get this beautiful, color, hardbound Dark Horse edition of the first seven comics, not for the retail $50, but for a much lower Amazon price. Baby Boomers will remember Manning's ground- breaking classic, which everywhere raised the bar for sci-fi comics, but newer readers who may have discovered Magnus through the many later comics and graphic novels editions, will also be delighted to discover the original source.

Manning is known for his work on Tarzan and other comics, and his art in Magnus is a delight to the eye, with a sweeping painterly style reminiscent of Alex Raymond's Flash Gordon comics. Unheard of at the time, he was also allowed to sign his comics for Gold Key, the later comics imprint of Western Publishing, which had also published Dell comics.

NorthAm, the continent-spanning city of the 41st century, is completely run by, and completely dependent on, robots which obey a variant of Isaac Asimov's three laws of robotics. Forseeing this dangerous trend, a Yoda-like robot named A1 (does that sound like AI?) raises an orphan human named Magnus to fight robots should the need arise. He trains his body as a well-oiled machine until he can deliver karate chops with "steel smashing strength." For various reasons, some robots turn against humans and try to destroy NorthAm, often in the employ of a human dictator, and Magnus is called out as a man on a mission. In the style of early 'sixties sci-fi, Manning always closed with a moral, that we must never become too dependent on technology, and that it is meant to be the servant of man.

Manning created a host of intriguing robot designs (some of them resemble Ideal's Zeroids), and this book includes all seven original Gold Key covers (without the text), as well as a brief bio of Manning and Foreword by Mike Royer. Now when so many comics and cartoons are spun off from licensed properties, it's amazing to think that in his designs and stories for Magnus, Manning created an original hero and unique millieu that are still inspiring today.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The first metrosexual Sci-Fi action hero, November 28, 2004

By 

F. Scott Valeri (Charlotte, NC) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Magnus, Robot Fighter 4000 A.D. Volume 1 (v. 1) (Hardcover)

Hard to believe but good things were occasionally going on in comics not produced by DC or Marvel in the early 1960s, and this series is definitely one of them. I loved the clean-lined , realistic Russ Manning art as a child, and am more impressed with the stories as an adult. Each issue was a 27 page tale, with no chapters, that reads like an hour long Star Trek TV episode. Not much character development, but well thought out plots and action. Magnus is Tarzan of the future fighting evil robots, not apes. And wearing his trademark hot pink mini-tunic and white go-go boots! (Not that there's anything wrong with that.) The boots were actually a colorist's mistake that stuck. Gal pal Leeja is one of the most beautiful heroines in comics. Each page is portrayed almost like a Sunday comic serial such as Flash Gordon or Prince Valliant. Great stuff and very different from Marvel or DC at the time. Do not miss this fantastic collection of the first 7 issues. Reproduction is a little disappointing but not enough to hinder the appreciation of a true comic art master, Russ Manning! Lets see all 21 of his issues in print in this format!