Cyberforce: The Tin Men of War

Cyber Force (Reading Order) #0

by Eric Silvestri, Marc Silvestri, Dan Panosian (Illustrator)

This extravaganza features a never-before-seen story and characters, essential Cyberforce character bio-files, special guest pinups, and the first earthshaking appearance of Stryke Force!

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Superheroes, Comic Book

128 pages, Paperback

First published November 29, 1995

About the author

Eric Silvestri is a comic books writer and the brother of Image co-founder Marc Silvestri.

Reviews

[Quentin Wallace]

The epitome of early Image comics. The art is really well done, probably some of Silvestri's best, especially on the first issue. The characters are decent but a little derivative. But the story was lacking. It was overwritten, as were most Image comics at the time. The story was confusing and had some downright silly parts in it. (That weren't meant to be silly.)

I'm a big fan of Silvestri's art, but this wasn't his finest hour story wise.

[Ryan]

I got this out of the library. I was never a big Cyberforce reader when I was younger, despite reading a lot of early Image.

Wow, was this bad. I don't know if it's fair to call it a cheap copy of the X-Men; after all, Silvestri did draw the book for three years. The feel of it definitely is "Wouldn't it be cool if the X-Men were also cyborgs?", though, and has enough connections of Silvestri's old book that you could almost consider it parody if you didn't know it was earnest. It doesn't do anything interesting with the idea, though - there's just one group of cyborg mutants, fighting another group of cyborg mutants, while one mutant tries to take over ... New York City, I guess? It's not really clear.

[John]

This was a misfire from Silvestri, one that he's going to correct with Witchblade and the Darkness. It's just a military contractor-esque story but with mutant cyborgs. It's the cliched "getting revenge against the corporation that wronged us" trope.

So while this book did have a few interesting writers like Walt Simonson and Ron Marz, the series is probably one of the least successful of the Image Seven; nowhere near the longevity of say Spawn, Savage Dragon or Youngblood nor anywhere as interesting as the other team books such as Wildcats, Wetworks or Youngblood.

A few interesting visuals, but a DULL story.

[Matty Dub]

This isn’t very good at all, there’s too much of everything, the creators just throw everything at the wall to see what sticks but it’s always apparent that there’s no real story going on. Where other artists like McFarlane, Larsen or Keown are turning in the best art of their lives in early Image. Silvestri isn’t. His pages are too busy, he fills them with ugly characters in static poses. By the storytelling it looks like they have no idea where they’re going, making it up one page at a time.

[Alessandro]

Cyberforce: The Tin Men of War is pure, unapologetic early-’90s Image Comics energy — and that’s both its greatest strength and its clearest limitation.
Eric Silvestri’s story is intentionally simple, almost skeletal, functioning more as a launchpad than a fully fleshed-out narrative. As was often the case in that era, plot takes a back seat to attitude, visual impact, and spectacle. This is very much a “proof of concept” miniseries: muscle-bound heroes, lethal androids, exaggerated poses, and an abundance of beautifully rendered (and unmistakably ’90s) pin-up aesthetics.
Where the book truly shines is in its historical and artistic importance. Marc Silvestri’s art — with that unmistakable Top Cow flair — is the real star, delivering dynamic layouts, sharp character designs, and a kinetic sense of motion that defined the Image Comics revolution. The special contribution by Walt Simonson on issue #0 adds a layer of prestige and bridges old-school comic authority with the new rebellious energy Image was bringing to the industry.
Despite its narrative simplicity, The Tin Men of War introduces an impressive roster of characters who would go on to define the Cyberforce mythos: Stryker, Cyblade, Heatwave, Impact, Ripclaw, Ballistic, and Backlash all make their debut here. We also get the first appearances of The Pitt and, by issue #4, Codename: Strykeforce — moments that now feel genuinely significant in hindsight.
Taken as a story alone, this miniseries is fairly lightweight. Taken as a cultural artifact, however, it’s a cornerstone of early Image Comics and a snapshot of a moment when creator-owned superhero comics were reshaping the industry.
Not perfect, not subtle — but undeniably influential, stylish, and emblematic of a comics era that dared to go big, loud, and bold.

[Johan]

It felt like an eighties comic. Too much action, not enough story, and artwork is too crowded.

[Kyle Mclaughlin]

A great introduction to Cyberforce that shows how Velocity and Ballistic joined the group.