Speaking of manga pioneers, Shotaro Ishinomori created GoRenger (the precursor to Power Rangers), Kamen Rider, Cyborg 009, and Kikaider. The Guinness Book of World Records claims he’s drawn more pages of comics—170,000—than any other comic book creator. And it’s his birthday today. (Ishinomori died in 1998 at age 60.)

To celebrate, comiXology—which has licensed the manga for their own site—is releasing 17 pages of a relaunch of one of Ishinomori’s best known characters, Cyborg 009. This new graphic novel by Marcus To, FJ DeSanto, and Bradley Cramp re-imagines the character in a less manga-centric form and is coming out from Archaia. The new version is accompanied by 60 pages of the original by Ishinomori as well.

It also includes what Archaia’s EIC Stephen Christy tells us is the “First Ever Truly Digital Variant Cover” which uses comiXology’s guided view technology. The cover was designed and executed by Marcus To, colorist Ian Herring, designer Jon Adams, Christy, and comiXology’s Jonathan Roberts.

The cover works as a kind of flip book, each swipe bringing up more of the image.

Here’s a peak at the cover, the new CYBORG 009, and the original.

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2 COMMENTS

  1. Archaia will be soliciting a $1 Preview issue of the series in the next Previews out next week.

    That’s a bargain worth checking out to see if I will want the graphic novel.

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