Speciale Nathan Never #1
Speciale Nathan Never #1 — titled 'Cybermaster!' — launched the annual large-format special series that would become a cornerstone of the Nathan Never publishing ecosystem, allowing Bonelli's creative team to tell self-contained, expanded stories outside the constraints of the monthly schedule. The issue is a landmark in Italian fumetti science fiction for deploying a fully realized cyberspace narrative in 1992, predating the mainstream cultural saturation of that concept, and for positioning the Speciale line as the platform where secondary characters like Legs Weaver and Sigmund Baginov would receive their most substantial panel time outside the regular series — directly seeding Legs Weaver's eventual solo career. Its supplementary booklet, a collaborative essay on science fiction cinema by Medda, Serra, and Vigna, also signaled Bonelli's willingness to treat its readership as critically engaged fans of the genre, not merely consumers of adventure strips.
In "Cybermaster," a deadly performance at a rock concert sets off a wave of mysterious deaths that plunge the city into chaos. As Agent Never investigates, he uncovers a chilling link between the enigmatic Cybermaster, the tech genius Max Swanwick, and the Gibson Informatic. Written by Bepi Vigna and illustrated by Roberto De Angelis, with a striking cover by Claudio Castellini, this 1992 issue blends cyberpunk dread with a high-stakes manhunt.
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The issue was written and plotted by Bepi Vigna, one of the three co-creators of Nathan Never (alongside Michele Medda and Antonio Serra), with interior art by Roberto De Angelis — the same artist who had drawn the original Nathan Never #0 preview — and a cover by series cover artist Claudio Castellini. Published in June 1992, just one year into the monthly series' run, it inaugurated the 'Speciale Nathan Never' annual line, which Sergio Bonelli Editore conceived as a larger-format companion to the regular title, offering readers extended adventures with room for deeper world-building. The debut special was accompanied by a bonus booklet — Nathan Never presenta il cinema di fantascienza, curated by all three series co-creators — establishing a tradition of supplementary editorial content that continued in subsequent Speciali.
Trivia · 8 facts
- Published June 1992 by Sergio Bonelli Editore as the debut issue of the 'Speciale Nathan Never' annual series, at 132 pages — significantly longer than the standard monthly format.
- Script and plot by Bepi Vigna; interior art by Roberto De Angelis; cover illustration by Claudio Castellini.
- The main story, 'Cybermaster!', centers on a virtual entity born from a subversive program created by mutants, which kills spectators at a rock concert; Nathan Never must enter cyberspace itself to defeat it, aided by attorney Olivia Olling.
- The story incorporates heavy cyberpunk genre references and notable allusions to Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland — including its mathematical underpinnings — woven into the plot mechanics.
- This issue features extensive dedicated panel sequences for Legs Weaver and Sigmund Baginov — more than any prior single issue — functioning as an extended introduction to Agenzia Alfa's supporting cast for readers new to the universe via the annual Speciale format.
- The included bonus booklet, 'Nathan Never presenta il cinema di fantascienza' (Nathan Never presents science fiction cinema), was co-edited by all three series creators (Medda, Serra, Vigna) and packaged with the issue.
- Reprinted multiple times: as Nathan Never Libri #1 (Mondadori, January 1994); in I Classici del Fumetto di Repubblica – Serie Oro #33 (Panini Comics, May 2005); in Nathan Never Magazine #5 (Sergio Bonelli Editore, July 2019); and in Libri Nathan Never (cartonati) #5 (Sergio Bonelli Editore, November 2019).
- Legs Weaver's first dedicated solo booklet adventures began with Speciale Nathan Never #2 (June 1993, 'Le Mura di Blackwall' by Antonio Serra), not this issue — her first appearance overall was in the monthly Nathan Never #1 (1991).
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