Cyborg, Vol. 1: Unplugged

DC’s attempts to make Vic “Cyborg” Stone into a household name have led to the character’s first ongoing series. While doing battle with a mysterious group known as the Tekbreakers, Cyborg is briefly killed, only to regenerate his body thanks to an unknown backup operating system. This heralds the arrival of a new race of alien villains from another universe: the Technosapiens, a Borg-like collective. Seeking the unique nanobots in Cyborg’s bloodstream, the Technosapiens attack Earth, forcing Vic to set aside his conflicts with his father. The whole affair looks surprisingly smooth for a series with five pencilers and 10 inkers; Reis (Blackest Night) and Lucas (Birthright) do most of the heavy lifting and deliver plenty of punch-’em-up action. The weak link is Walker’s (Shaft) script, which has repetitive dialogue and little characterization. Miraculously “curing” the visible disability of one of DC’s only remaining disabled characters is the final strike-out in an unsatisfying—but attractive—book. (Mar.)