Fused (Dark Horse)

(Dark Horse, 2004)
™ and © 2004 Dark Horse Comics, Inc.

Horror specialist Steve Niles (30 Days of Night, Freaks of the Heartland) gets his science-fiction groove on with Fused, a story about a young robotics engineer who becomes one with a robot suit during a testing session gone wrong. Obviously influenced by giant monster movies of the 1950s and by such buddy robot stories as The Iron Giant, Fused does an excellent job of depicting a sympathetic man who desperately wants to shed his impenetrable skin. Although encased in metal, the fleshless robot is made flesh (so to speak) by his thoughts, actions, fears, hopes, and desires.

Mark, who refuses to answer to the name of “Cy-Bot,” no longer sleeps, and that gives him way too much time to think about what has happened to him and what could have been. His wife sticks by his side, but her shell shows signs of cracking. During a teary-eyed moment, she tells Mark that she misses him, even though he is right beside her. Complicating matters substantially is a misguided military that wants to use the reluctant hero as a weapon.

As good as the writing is, Fused wouldn’t be nearly as convincing without the art of Josh Medors. He infuses (excuse the pun) Mark with decidedly human facial expressions, even though the metal monster has an iron jaw, lights for eyes, and a square head.

Published by Image, the first incarnation of Fused ran four issues but was placed on hiatus, thanks to an erratic shipping schedule. Kudos to Dark Horse for re-launching this accessible, highly entertaining series.

— Brett Weiss

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