It’s another first this week, as Archaia Comics bring us the world’s first digital variant cover. It appears on the front of the preview issue of their reboot of this classic Manga which based on the original from Shotaro Ishinomori.  Eventually Cyborg 009 will be relased as a comprehensive hardcover edition, but this digital preview features the first 17 pages giving readers a tantalizing tease of what is to come. This 000 issue is available on all the usual digital platforms, but the variant cover is a ComiXology exclusive. It works by using the app’s Guided View mode to create a subtle animation (as you can see in the GIF to the left) and so as you tap on the page Cyborg 009 himself appears behind a robot bad guy and progressively beats him up before the comic cover finally forms.As a first attempt at a new type of cover, it’s more ‘interesting’ than ground-breaking, mostly due to the amount of interaction required for it to work, but it’s still great to see someone taking bold new steps in the world of digital. Although not perhaps as innovative as the guys at Madefire are doing with actual motion on pages and covers, it works well using the confines of the ComiXology app to make the most of this new platform. It should also hopefully inspire others to start doing something more interesting with their covers, just as titles like Powerplay and Insufferable have done with interior pages.

But a comic is about more than just the cover, and once you get past the front page Cyborg 009 is a really fun, westernised reboot that replaces the cold war scenario of the original with a 21st century, post-modern superhero world. As the issue develops it introduces you to  a multi-ethnic, global cast of characters that should enable this smart reworking to be really fun once available in it’s full form. It’s clever story-telling from Bradley Cramp and F.J. De Santo and  is augmented by classy, manga-inspired artwork from Marcus To and has the potential to be a real gem for Manga and non-Manga fans alike.

As well as this short introductory story, for those looking to compare this reboot with the original, this preview includes a complete volume of the hard to find original Manga, which means you get a whopping 94 pages of comic for your money, proving this is so much more than just a flash looking cover.

Cyborg 009 #0 is published by Archaia Comics and is available on ComiXology for £2.49