BOOYAH!! Cyborg Appreciation Thread '19

[Iconic]

That was one of the sleek versions of Cyborg closer to wish fulfilment type that people are asking for in the thread. Yes Cyborg looks are an issue,Recently in some versions if him they have been easing back on the robotics and letting him have skin(like Reis version,Young Justice or Doom Patrol) but stuff like the animated Justice League movies,Justice League movie or Justice League Odyssey very much look his head is only part that remains of him that his human. You can't argue the two things can't praise the less robotic versions and then say it is fine to leave him as big more robotic tragedy .

Anyways the worst part of this thread is that I always go back a read issues of the Cyborg and I am reminded of how bad the book is to read.

Lol. I'm doing it, too!

[DragonsChi]

It's true they didn't really focus much on his issues with who he is and his appearance, although there were a few times where it slipped through.

I guess I can see that it's sleeker then some of his other animated designs but I feel like part of the reason his looks is more understated her is more to highlight the "man vs. machine" aspect instead of just making him more machine.

I just haven't seen much of Vic in Young Justice that seems much like wish-fulfillment, especially when he hates everything about being Cyborg so far.

I see him sorta like the Thing or Nightcrawler in YJ. Where he is down on himself, doing the whole "forever a monster" stick, but fan's will love him and see what he doesn't see. My Uncle use to be a heavy reader of comics and was around when the Thing held his own solo book. He would tell me that the people he hung out with, himself included, that the Thing was there favorite character. Why, because he was wrestler, brave, and super strong. They appreciated the struggle of Ben's transformation for what it was and knew that it made him a better character for it. My Uncle is in his early 60's now and he still thinks of Ben Grimm as his favorite character and who he would choose given the opportunity.

For YJ Cyborg I get the same vibe. The character of Cyborg should never be ok with being half machine. He should be able to live with the change but never love it. Since that goes directly against what the characters is about. But the audience should be able to appreciate him and want to be him in spite of his difficulty. You can't do that being a head on a robot. You just can't, no one wants to be a head on top of a cold lifeless metal machine. Young Justice Cyborg gives the audience the ability to be able to live with being Cyborg, similar to how people could potentially live with being Ben Grimm. Because there is more things about Ben that is human then he is rock monster as there is more things that make Cyborg human than there is that makes him a machine.

My problem with Cyborg being on the JL isn't with him being on the JL; it's him being a founding member, at the expense of his New Teen Titans history, while essentially replacing the Martian Manhunter. However, I will say that if a "person of color" had to be on the JL as a founding member, I would have elected the Martian Manhunter. Instead of J'onn J'onz having a "white" John Jones identity, I would have made John Jones a "Black" character. I would do so in order to enhance the sense of "other" within the character. Plus, I loved Phil Morris' take on the character in "SMALLVILLE". At any rate, I wouldn't mind Cyborg graduating to JL status, as a member of the New Justice League, which forms when Darkseid invades Earth (the original incarnation of the Justice League of America formed in response to Starro the Conqueror.

Black John Jones is not the same as a black character. If DC presented as such it would be closer to the equivalent of Black Face.

I'm sure most won't understand it who aren't Black but to a degree it's insulting to suggest that being a solution.

[DragonsChi]

To add further....Young Justice Cyborg actually plays into a more important role model role for amputees. This version is the closest real life example of someone who has lost a limb. Making him instantly more relatable. The comic version looses all of that nuance for the simple fact that it's completely un-relatable to the point of almost being uninteresting. That giant box body that you are suppose to believe is as agile and nibble as they display him to be is a eye roll fest. But a slim Cyborg who is struggling with his lost, initially trying to hide his prosthetics when engaging with new people. A Cyborg who is in a perpetual battle to overcome his insecurities with a real world issue. That's relatable. That's real. Thats a character people can look to and want to be.

[Iconic]

Sonic Cannon. Ionic Grenade. Doom Patrol. Awesome!
Cyborg looking “the vet” is a good angle.

[Iconic]

Now that Doom Patrol has shown Vic's upper body, in addition to YJ:O, it seems safe to assume that he's going to look more of man going forward. It was great seeing him have flesh-tone upper arms and not being completely metal.

Now we just need the comics to catch up...again.

[DCStu]

Nothing wrong with Cyborg at all - it's just that he's a character who DC don't seem to know what to do with. It's frustrating really because there is potential there... but no one can seem to crack the case.

[daBronzeBomma]

Since 2020 will be Cyborg's 40th anniversary year (debuted in DC COMICS PRESENTS #26, October 1980), I have a couple of open-ended questions regarding Vic Stone's future ...

1) do you think the largely positive reception to his role in the live-action DOOM PATROL streaming series will somehow trickle some momentum over to his comics side?

2) What do you think the odds are for a solo ongoing CYBORG (volume 3) comic book title sometime in 2020?

3) Who would be your ideal initial creative team for CYBORG Volume 3?

4) What lessons can be learned and applied from Cyborg's previous 2 volumes, i.e. what worked, what didn't work, what should have been attempted, etc?

[Mr HardKnocks]

Since 2020 will be Cyborg's 40th anniversary year (debuted in DC COMICS PRESENTS #26, October 1980), I have a couple of open-ended questions regarding Vic Stone's future ...

1) do you think the largely positive reception to his role in the live-action DOOM PATROL streaming series will somehow trickle some momentum over to his comics side?

2) What do you think the odds are for a solo ongoing CYBORG (volume 3) comic book title sometime in 2020?

3) Who would be your ideal initial creative team for CYBORG Volume 3?

4) What lessons can be learned and applied from Cyborg's previous 2 volumes, i.e. what worked, what didn't work, what should have been attempted, etc?

1.) No I think Cyborgs reception in Doom Patrol wont change his status in the comics. He’s currently a lead in Justice League Odyssey And part time in Justice League but I don’t think him being well received in a team he’s not apart of is going to change anything.
2.) Same status as his solo film, not happening. With the rumors that DC is cutting back on production of their comics and the fact that Cyborg failed twice in a 3 year time span one can conclude they’re done with solo attempts.
3.) At this stage someone whose a known good writer and artist that can help increase sales of a book and take the character in a new creative direction. If they don’t have that then we’ll just repeat the same thing with Vol 1 & 2.
4.) Nothing truly worked or was allowed to work. The best thing for Cyborg is to get away from that man Vs machine story. Add him some good supporting characters and give him a life outside of being Cyborg. Capitalize on the Mother Box he has and go from there. Diversify his rogues instead having him fight robots or tech based villains. If none of that happens then Cyborg is a lost cause.

[dswynne]

Black John Jones is not the same as a black character. If DC presented as such it would be closer to the equivalent of Black Face.

I'm sure most won't understand it who aren't Black but to a degree it's insulting to suggest that being a solution.

And you can say that WHITE John Jones is the equivalent of WHITE Face. You know, the kind of characters played by Dave Chappelle and Eddie Murphy? You know, stereotypical White guy?

My point is that J'onn Jonzz is an ALIEN SHAPESHIFTER with green skin from the planet Mars. He, of all characters, can be whatever race he wants to be at the start of his Earth journey. Compare that to the debate over whether or not Michael B. Jordan should play the next iteration of Superman, then you would have a point.

[El_Gato]

And you can say that WHITE John Jones is the equivalent of WHITE Face. You know, the kind of characters played by Dave Chappelle and Eddie Murphy? You know, stereotypical White guy?

My point is that J'onn Jonzz is an ALIEN SHAPESHIFTER with green skin from the planet Mars. He, of all characters, can be whatever race he wants to be at the start of his Earth journey. Compare that to the debate over whether or not Michael B. Jordan should play the next iteration of Superman, then you would have a point.

Oh god. Let's not go down this Martian Manhunter represents diversity debate. It's already been settled. He isn't a Black character and he doesn't represent real life diversity in the same way Cyborg/Black Lightning/ Blue Beetle/ Vixen/ Jessica Cruz/ John Stewart...etc do. He's a colorful alien... That's it.

[lemonpeace]

Oh god. Let's not go down this Martian Manhunter represents diversity debate. It's already been settled. He isn't a Black character and he doesn't represent real life diversity in the same way Cyborg/Black Lightning/ Blue Beetle/ Vixen/ Jessica Cruz/ John Stewart...etc do. He's a colorful alien... That's it.

I agree, however, I do believe Martian Manhunter can be racially coded. I think one of the unique aspects of Martian Manhunter is that he can he anyone but himself, always adjusting to make certain people more comfortable. To me (a Nigerian-American who grew up in the southern US) it reads kinda like a Superman who's forced to deal with Double Consciousness. The idea of an alien similar to Superman who experiences the world through the lens of a black face (as has become J'onn's default nowadays) can be very compelling; Supergirl on the CW touched on the concept and it was one of the things i liked about it. Would Superman still be all about the American way if he was a black man given America's history? How would that inform the way he protects the world? The same kind of questions Icon from Milestone played with. I agree, Martian Manhunter doesn't represent tangible representation in the same way as characters like John Stewart, Vixen, Renee Montoya, Naomi, Jessica Cruz, NOT Kyle Rayner, Wallace West, Signal, etc. do, nor should he be used as a replacement for ACTUAL genuine representation but he can represent the racial experience in a similar way that, despite being an alien, Superman represents the American Dream.

[lemonpeace]

Back to Cyborg, I noticed something when watching Doom Patrol (which I am loving btw), one small way that they made Cyborg feel more human (besides making him physically more human than machine) was the simple addition of FUCKING CLOTHES. It's so simple that, thinking about it now, I don't know why DC hasn't thought to do it more. it's been nearly a decade since New 52 and you're telling me Cyborg is still running around robobutt-nilzy? I mean he's a human being, of course he would still want to do whatever he can to at least feel normal given his condition. Look at Robotman, he's been clothed since in some capacity (whether it be full outfits or just trunks) for decades. Also it's a compromise since, given DC for whatever reason is insistent on making him basically a severed head on a robot body, this wouldn't even require that actually do the unthinkable and have him actually have flesh or techno-organic parts while showing his progression.

[HandofPrometheus]

Now that Doom Patrol has shown Vic's upper body, in addition to YJ:O, it seems safe to assume that he's going to look more of man going forward. It was great seeing him have flesh-tone upper arms and not being completely metal.

Now we just need the comics to catch up...again.

I'm seeing pics of Vic in DP and I love it. No more transformers/terminator look and DC will have my attention again.

[HandofPrometheus]

Back to Cyborg, I noticed something when watching Doom Patrol (which I am loving btw), one small way that they made Cyborg feel more human (besides making him physically more human than machine) was the simple addition of FUCKING CLOTHES. It's so simple that, thinking about it now, I don't know why DC hasn't thought to do it more. I mean he's a human being, of course he would still want to do whatever he can to at least feel normal given his condition.

In Marv Wolfman Teen Titans run he always wore clothes no matter what. Modern writers just can't do the simplest things with this character and its annoying.

[9th.]

Lol. I'm doing it, too!

Lmao I didn't the same a couple weeks ago, couldn't get through some of them.