You may have heard, RoboCop is coming back. There's a new movie and Boom! Studios is putting out a four anthology-style one-shots exploring the world of the new film. The one-shots will be written by writers such as Joe Harris, Frank Barbiere, Ed Brisson and Michael Moreci.
The first one-shot, ROBOCOP: HOMINEM EX MACHINA, is on sale this Wednesday, February 5. We had the chance to talk to Michael Moreci about his take on RoboCop.
COMIC VINE: What's your take on RoboCop? How does he compare to the original?
MICHAEL MORECI: I think my take on RoboCop is far more in line with this remake, which I love. Don't get me wrong—the original RoboCop is one of the greatest things ever. What's cool about the remake, though, is they've maintained the spirit of the original while still forging a unique identity. One of the coolest things that stood out to me, in the remake, is Alex's character. The new film really gets more into who he is than the original. Owing to that, my take was to similarly follow that priority to dig into Alex, not just as RoboCop, but as a man. We've all seen the stories where technology makes people more like machines; my take was to show how a person makes a machine more human.
CV: Where does your story fit in with the character? At what stage in his 'career'?
MM: If I had to guess, it would be early on, when Alex is still coming to grips with being RoboCop, being this mechanical enforcer of the law. Law and order is very nuanced, and I think any peace officer understands that. RoboCop, at least at this point, doesn't have that capacity. He's still wrestling with who he is and what he's capable of.
CV: What is Robocop's greatest strength and weakness?
MM: Ha, well, he's RoboCop. He can take out the ED-209, which is pretty impressive. Not to mention the dad from That '70s Show. Weaknesses...does he really have any? Let's face it: RoboCop is not to be trifled with.
CV: Boom! Studios is releasing a series of one-shots for RoboCop. Do they each stand alone or is there any connections between them?
MM: They all stand alone, which is pretty awesome. As a comics reader or just a RoboCop fan, you can pick up an issue and dig into it. You get a whole story in the RoboCop universe without much, if any, continuity.
CV: How important is it for RoboCop to have any ties to his humanity?
MM: It's critical to my story. That's the entire point—the machine can't function without the man, same as the man can't function without the machine. Alex is two entities, which makes for a great dynamic, and they are both dependent on one another. I think this is a big part of what makes RoboCop such an evergreen character. The subversive nature of the RoboCop story and it's take on corporatism and poverty and other social issues is central to the entire franchise. The original spoke volumes to so many important things, as does the remake. But without Alex being such a great character, without the humanity infused in all this, I don't think it would have the same impact. That's why I made this a large focus of my take on RoboCop.
CV: Is RoboCop enough to make a difference in the the crime rate in Detroit in this setting?
MM: No one person, or machine, can cure all of society's ills, regardless of setting. Having RoboCop on your side would sure be a great place to start, but it takes everyone pulling in the same, enlightened direction to make things change. Though maybe having a RoboCop would be the final piece of the puzzle...
ROBOCOP: HOMINEM EX MACHINA is on sale February 5, 2014. This will be followed by a new one-shot each week in February. Check out the rest of the preview for HOMINEM EX MACHINA.
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