Dynamo Joe

Dynamo Joe debuted as a backup strip in Mars #10–12, reprinted in the Dynamo Joe Special, and then shared First Adventures before moving into his own title. It’s set in the future, when humans are one of three races peacefully cohabiting in the universe. The peace is shattered by the arrival of a seemingly invincible new race destroying all in their path, and they’re only temporarily halted by the construction of the seventy-foot-tall Dynamo battle suits. These suits are humanoid in shape for maximum mobility for the two occupants, and have a number of potent weapons. Yup, this is the American equivalent of the Japanese robot comic. There’s a well conceived political backdrop to the ongoing conflict, and there’s a definite similarity to plots later used in Babylon 5. Often surprisingly unpredictable, but the comic sticks closely enough to the restrictions of its genre to ensure it’ll only appeal to those already hungry for giant robot titles.