Customer Reviews

Magnus, Robot Fighter 4000 A.D. Volume 3

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I freely admit to never having read many Gold Key comics as a kid, outside of the occasional Boris Karloff Tales of Mystery (I was a monster kid!). Back then their painted covers were a turn off to a young guy like me. It made them look old like Classics Illustrated. I didn't know what to make of them. It's taken thirty years but I've finally come to appreciate Gold Key Comics as well as those covers, which I now deem as fantastic. We really have to thank Dark Horse Comics for grabbing the rights to this great material and reprinting it for new generations to enjoy.

In Magnus Robot Fighter Vol. 3 from the Dark Horse Archives we get issues 15 - 21 of the original Gold Key series, complete with those painted covers by Vic Prezio. Now I'm not sure if it was intentional, but Prezio's rendition of Magnus sure looks a lot like Roger Moore. While Moore had yet to play James Bond, he was quite popular due to his role of Simon Templar in the long-running British TV series "The Saint".

Of course another great selling point to these stories is the interior art of Russ Manning, one of comic's great legendary artists. Manning is perhaps best known for his long association with Tarzan. He not only drew the Tarzan comic for Gold Key but also the Tarzan newspaper strip from 1969 to 1972. Tarzan aside, Magnus may represent Manning's best work, certainly it's his most imaginative. Magnus may not have been the most, umm...masculine looking hero around with his mini-skirt tunic and white boots, but hey, any guy who could kick the bejeezus out of evil robots is ok in my book.

Looking at the stories now, there's no doubt that Manning's art was every bit as good as what you'd see in the average DC or Marvel comic of the same period, in fact, it was better than most. Manning's work had a dynamic that perhaps only a few artists such as Jack Kirby, Neal Adams, or John Buscema could boast.

By the year 4000, humanity has become dependent on robots. As a result, they are oblivious to the rise of Freewills, robots that have achieved a state of self-awareness, and seek to overthrow their human masters.

Magnus was raised by a robot known as 1A, a name which implies that he was the very first robot of his type ever manufactured. 1A seemed to be self-aware and possess emotions. A firm believer in the Three Laws of Robotics, 1A recognized the threat "Freewills" represented. Therefore, 1A trained Magnus as a warrior to protect humans against Freewills. Magnus grew up to be a skilled martial artist who could break steel with his bare hands. In addition, 1A equipped his charge with a device that would allow him to "hear" robot-to-robot radio communications.

In "The Deadly Peril from Sirius" a representative named Zypex from the Planet Sirius comes to earth bearing gift of an advanced robot. Magnus is curious that they would give them such a large, and clumsy looking robot. His suspicions turn out to be true as the large robot was a futuristic version of the Trojan Horse. Soon a swarm of smaller robots spring forth to attack North Am. Making matters worse, the robots have the ability to multiply on their own. North Am will soon be overrun unless Magnus can stop them.

"Bunda the Great" find Magnus traveling to the Himalayas to help Prince Shandor when robots threaten to destroy their weather station and wreak environmental havoc on the world. Magnus soon encounters a massive robot the likes of which he's never seen. Bunda the Great has other robots, and even children worshipping him as a God!

These are really great stories and far different in tone than the Valiant revamp of the 90's. Great art and imaginative storylines!

Reviewed by Tim Janson

This is the final volume of Magnus, Robot Fighter featuring the terrific work of Russ Manning. The artwork by Manning is still beautiful and this archive does proud the original comics from 45 years ago. The paper, cover and binding are all high quality. Colors are sharp and the reproduction appears flawless. For fans of Isaac Asimov, you can readily see the Asimov influence in the Magnus stories written by Manning and the other writers. The futuristic concepts regarding society and technology are obviously dated but it's interesting to note that Manning was ahead of his time in his usage of characters of other ethnic backgrounds. While certainly not as realistic and gritty as much of today's comics, these stories are highly entertaining, intelligently plotted and scripted. All three volumes of the Magnus archives are well worth getting for your collection for both the fabulous artwork and classic entertainment value.

I always loved the comics with Magnus Robot fighter. The comics came out quarterly. The book is out now. Big treat!