I definitely wanted to do a team-up featuring my favorite band of robots and was looking around for a suitable costar... and then it hit me! I can't believe I never made the connection between Magnus, Robot Fighter and Doc Magnus, creator of The Metal Men before. I figured there's gotta be a story there! Unfortunately The Metal Men, like many of DC's more fun characters, are missing in action since the DC Reboot. Who knows how long it will be before they appear again, and what alterations will be made when they do? I'd still like to see them wind up in their own animated series.
Thank you for using the Russ Manning version of Magnus and not the Valiant version! So much better!
ReplyDeleteI love the Metal Men, and despite calling him "Milton" loved their appearance on the Brave and the Bold cartoon. check out my blog for examples!
ReplyDeletethis is a great cover.
DC has pretty much destroyed the Metal Men with several retcons, so I'd rather not see them return all "gritty and realistic" and not fun at all.
fie upon DC!
Inspired!
ReplyDeleteDave sez,
ReplyDeleteRoss, that is just plain brilliant!
I would rather DC not bring back a character, or team or book and try to update it. The odds are, very few of The New 52! books will be the same from last fall to next fall or the following spring.
Great Cover Ross! Hey you boomers, us Gen X & Gen Y happen to LIKE our reboots Gritty & Grimy. Hmmm, the Metal Men as somber, anarchist hipsters....I like it.
ReplyDeleteThe version of the Metal Men that appeared as a back-up feature in the most recent DOOM PATROL series was great. I thought that it was going to be collected as a one-shot comic, but I can't remember if it ever shipped. The eight issue mini-series that followed INFINITE CRISIS/52 was not as much fun but it was brilliantly written.
ReplyDeleteThis one is an absolute delight.
ReplyDeleteYou even managed to get Chemo involved, who is one of my all-time favorite villains.
Incredible matchup. Now let's see who you can match up with Turok!
ReplyDeleteKamandi & Tarzan (special guest: Korak, Son of Tarzan!)Lets get it done!
ReplyDeleteThree comments:
ReplyDelete@magic carpet - In the late 60s/early 70s, DC did a version of the Metal Men known as the New Hunted Metal Men which matched your description of somber anarchist hipsters.
@pblfsda - around a year ago, DC collected those short Metal Men stories in a DC Comics Presents Spectacular, along with an actual (of sorts) issue of Brave and the Bold.
And third, if you threw a blue cape on him, Robot Fighter would almost be a twin for the original Doll Man!
Fie on Magic Carpet. Bring back Upbeat and Cheerfully Campy!
ReplyDeleteI've often wondered if the Robot Fighter was the 41st century descendant of Doc Magnus?
ReplyDeleteRoss - time for an update on this pairing? This was definitely one of your most inspired "unknown relatives."
ReplyDeleteP.S.---or failing that, having him meet a collateral ancestor named Erik Magnus Lehnsheer?
ReplyDeleteSaw the recent Magnus team-up, and immediately thought "What about the Metal Men?" And, obviously, you had the same thought, far faster than I did.
ReplyDeleteAnd, yes, Metal Men are prime candidates for an animated series. Their unique personalities, very visual powers, and tendency to spout Fun Science Facts make them ideal for something primarily aimed at the 7-12 set (gotta sell some toys!), but still fun for adults. DC's animations have often hit that mark, starting with the 90s Batman.