The Rocketfellers TP Vol 1 Review

 

Writer: Peter J Tomasi

Artist: Francis Manapul

Colorists: Francis Manapul, John Kalisz & Ian Herring

Letterer: Rob Leigh

Cover Artist: Francis Manapul

Designer: Steve Blackwell

Editor: Brian Cunningham

Publisher: Image Comics

Price: $14.99

Release Date: September 10, 2025

 

When does your life begin? With your birth, your first big job, marriage, or a singular achievement? The Rocketfellers' story starts in the 25^th Century, as they race to evade their pursuers. Yet their lives begin anew when they travel back in time. How will this future family find life in the 21^st Century? And why did they have to flee the era of their birth? Let’s leap into The Rocketfellers TP Vol 1 and see!

 

Story

After remaking their lives in Olympia, Washington, the Rocketfellers invite the neighbors over for a meet-and-greet. A BBQ on Thanksgiving may be unusual, but Roland recognizes the need to get to know his neighbors as he flips the burgers. The wives and mothers gather around Rachel. They pepper her with questions about handsome Harry Helicopter, who Rachel flies above the city each morning for his traffic reports.

 

Rodney is getting up in years, but he intrigues the older ladies by mentioning his age and his military service. Richie makes new friends in the pool. His little sister, Rae, offers umbrellas in case it rains. The Rocketfellers TP Vol 1 introduces readers to a loving, supportive family. Yet Peter J Tomasi’s story reveals how they are suffering.

 

Rose’s death plagues them most. But aside from leaving Rodney’s wife and Roland’s mother behind, they also miss the 25^th Century. Leaving the technology and superior resources of their time forces each member to adapt. Rae develops a close relationship with nature. Richie's technological abilities help him pursue his interests, but don't come without risks.

 

Rachel has put her career on hold for her family twice before. Now, her family's safety forces her to miss what might be her last opportunity to fulfill a dream. At least Roland can continue his bioengineering project in the basement. And after losing his wife, Rodney's dedication to fitness attracts disciples.

 

In The Rocketfellers TP Vol 1, trouble arises from the people they left behind. Roland’s former employers aren’t happy that he absconded with company property. Reggie covers his brother's tracks at the Time Zone Protection Agency. Yet while Reggie gets on with his life, the wheels of justice that would allow his family to return grind slowly.

 

Art

Francis Manapul begins his story with the Rocketfellers speeding across a snowy landscape. Yellow energy courses through a sleek copper structure that would give Anakin Skywalker’s podracer a run for Watto’s money. A missile sends the vessel tumbling through the snow. The family climbs from the fiery wreck clad in yellow and black, with orange insulation extending above their necks. Rose helps her husband hobble along as figures on hoverbikes race toward them. After she begs them to abandon her, a silver cyborg confronts Rose. White specks of snow dot the metal face as orange eyes reflect Rose's final moments.

 

After the desperate race for survival in the tundra, the family surrounds Roland as he greets neighbors on their backyard deck. Older women watch as Rodney does pullups with a free weight chained to his waist. When their neighbors aren’t watching, Rex, the family’s chihuahua, proves an able companion. The canine cyborg sprouts appendages handy around the house or piloting a vehicle. Yet this family from the future motors around town in an old Volkswagen bus. John Kalisz, Ian Herring, and Francis Manapul adorn Peter J Tomasi’s lighthearted tale with a bright, cheery palette.

 

Rob Leigh portals black uppercase letters into white dialogue balloons in The Rocketfellers TP Vol 1. The letters grow bold for inflection, enlarge for raised voices, and rarely shrink. Balloons grow spiky when characters undergo stress. Purple letters in lavender boxes denote time and space changes, while Reggie speaks with his brother across time using green boxes with lightning-bolt arrows. Sound effects enhance this story about losing loved ones, forming new traditions, and Roland’s bioengineering experiment floating in green liquid. Thanks to Image Comics and Ghost Machine for providing a copy for review.

 

Final Thoughts

Each member of the Rocketfellers has given up something to become exiles. Yet each also gains something to ease the pain of that loss. Every page of this reverse Buck Rogers saga resonates with the power of family to help, harm, and inspire in The Rocketfellers TP Vol 1.

 

Rating 9.8/10

 

For covers from the series (including a Christmas one) see my review at Comic Book Dispatch. 

 

Merry Christmas, All! 

Krypto: The Last Dog of Krypton #4

 

Krypto helps Supergirl through her trials in her series. He protects Superman from that Kryptonite-toting Batman in the Fortress of Solitude in Superman: The Kryptonite Spectrum. But what did he get up to when he first arrived on Earth? And after protecting Elizabeth in the snow-covered forest, where will his adventures take him next? 

Here's all the info from DC Connect:

 

Krypto: The Last Dog of Krypton #4

Writer: Ryan North

Artist: Mike Norton

Colorist: Ian Herring

Letterer: Ferran Delgado

Cover Artists: Jae Lee & June Chung; Karl Kerschl

Editors: Sabrina Futch & Katie Kubert

Publisher: DC Comics

Issue Length: 32 Pages

Price: $3.99/$4.99 Card Stock

Release Date: September 17, 2025

 

Ryan North and Mike Norton take Krypto coast-to-coast!

 

Krypto has made a new friend—another stray—and together, the two of them are traveling across America. But they are not alone, for a monster from a distant world has come to Earth, and their two paths are now on a collision course. Krypto, with superpowers that are just coming in, must find a way to defend himself, his friend—and his planet.

 

Now, let's take a look inside:

 

 

 

 

Thanks to DC Comics for sharing this preview with us.

The Rocketfellers #4 Review

 

Writer: Peter J Tomasi

Artist: Francis Manapul

Colorists: John Kalisz, Ian Herring & Francis Manapul

Letterer: Rob Leigh

Cover Artist: Francis Manapul; Brad Walker & Brad Anderson; Todd Nauck

Designer: Steve Blackwell

Editor: Brian Cunningham

Publisher: Image Comics

Price: $3.99

Release Date: March 19, 2025

 

Roland Rocketfeller discovered a secret his employer prefers to remain hidden. Forced to flee their wrath, Roland's brother Reggie enlisted Roland and his family in the Time Zone Protection Program. Officially, no one knows where and when the Rocketfellers reside. But Reggie has told his fiancée Olivia. And Cronex is scouring time zones and interlinked realities for clues to their hiding place.

 

Abandoning the 25^th Century for the 21^st necessitated learning new ways of living. It also meant leaving behind Roland's mother, Rose. While the Rocketfellers gradually adjust to our time, their neighbor notices Rachel’s enhanced swimming ability. Roland and Rachel's son Richie exploits his futuristic skills for spending money. Can Cronex follow the family’s footsteps through time? And will they capture Roland’s bioengineering project before it matures? Let’s grab our hoverboards, leap into The Rocketfellers #4, and find out!

 

Story

While Richie attracted notice at the family's neighborhood Thanksgiving bash, Rodney proved a hit with the ladies. Seniors in the neighborhood join him on his morning run. The ladies don't realize he wasn't joking about his age. Nor do they know he has a cybernetic leg. But they respond to his zest for life, and he inspires them with his commitment to physical fitness.

 

Rachel remains the thrill seeker in the family. In The Rocketfellers #4, she remembers the heartbreaks of her career. Roland takes a rare break from his basement lab to revive her spirits. While Rachel refuses to complain about her sacrifice, her actions on their sporting date suggest resentment over putting her dreams on hold.

 

Perhaps the most intriguing member of the family is little Rae. In The Rocketfellers #4, the Sparrows she rescued from a Christmas tree are no longer babies. Yet they return to her after their flights and are content to remain in a box. Rae has a reverence for nature. In Peter J Tomasi's story, the young girl demonstrates a deeper understanding of our world than her brother senses.

 

Art

Francis Manapul gives us a second look at Yuri and Nicholas. The stature-challenged brothers dress like decorated generals as they shake a seated man awake. Like Dennis Nedry in Jurrasic Park, the worker sits at a desk littered with empty cans, paper cups, and scattered snacks from a bag. He is shocked when his Napoleon-like bosses surround him in The Rocketfellers #4. Their words relax his facial muscles, and he smiles as they escort him from the control room. When the brothers activate a big screen, the other workers turn to watch the man meet with the demure Miss Kleb.

 

John Kalisz, Ian Herring, and Francis Manapul lavish bright colors and realistic flesh tones on Rachel as we glimpse her face through a page of numbers. Green holoscreens surround control room workers clad in green suits. The repulsors on their gravchairs glow yellow, linking them with the mission controller and the astronauts surrounded by purple. Then Rachel, clad in a green-and-yellow Jetsons-like minidress, stares at their yellow-and-brown TZPP suits hanging in the closet.

 

Rob Leigh portals black uppercase letters into white dialogue balloons in The Rocketfellers #4. The letters grow bold for inflection, enlarge for raised voices, and rarely shrink. Balloons grow spiky when characters undergo stress. Purple letters in lavender boxes denote time and space changes as Reggie's fiancée Olivia travels through time. A fact sheet on Rodney featuring lowercase letters closes this family saga. Thanks to Image Comics and Ghost Machine for providing a copy for review.

 

Final Thoughts

Raina demonstrates the company's ruthlessness when she travels through time to prevent the Time Zone Protection Program from building a case against Cronex. Raina seems heartless and cruel. Yet a repetitive injury suggests an intriguing link between Raina and Roland in The Rocketfellers #4.

 

Rating 9.6/10

 

To look inside and view more cover art see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.

Welcome To The Maynard #2 Review

 

Writer: James Robinson

Artist: J Bone

Colorist: Ian Herring

Letterer: Jim Campbell

Cover Artists: J Bone & Jill Thompson

Editors: Daniel Chabon, Chuck Howitt-Lease & Foster R. Kupbens

Designer: Riley VanDyke

Digital Art Technician: Adam Pruett

Prepress: Jake Johnson

Publisher: Dark Horse Comics

Price: $4.99

Release Date: January 8, 2024

 

Pippin Dale enjoys her new job at the magical Maynard Hotel. She must pick things up quickly, as she is the sole bellhop on her second day. Despite her nonstop work, Pip keeps her eyes open. When she spots a cat burglar leaving a guest room, Pip’s pursuit ranges from the stairwell to the roof. Then, oops! Pip is hurtling toward the ground. Will Pip’s half-magical status help her survive? Or will someone else take the spotlight in James Robinson's story? Let's leap on our broomsticks, swoop into Welcome To The Maynard #2, and find out!

 

Story

Sam Flynn is briefing Margot Rathbone on the cat burglar investigation when Pip slams onto Margot’s desk. The Maynard’s manager tells Pip that portals surround the hotel for the guests' safety. When Pip explains she was pursuing the thief across the roof, Margot is impressed by her zeal in supporting Sam's investigation. But Pip is grateful to be working for Sam. The hotel detective has looked out for Pip since her mother died. Pip's mother worked at the Maynard, helping the orphan feel closer to the only parent she ever knew.

 

In Welcome To The Maynard #2, Pip learns more about Margot, her fellow bellhop Boots, and the bartender Raylene. She also discovers Sam is keeping secrets from her. Pip trusts her mentor, so she reluctantly accepts this. Still, Pip is the one who stands to lose the most in James Robinson’s story. While Margot is okay with Sam’s deception, Pip’s new friends may grow angry with her when they learn she has been spying on them.

 

The cat burglar disguises her voice and appearance. So, Pip and Sam try to guess her identity by understanding her motives. The investigation grows more difficult as the magical community converges on the Maynard for the Wizardry And Sundry Magical Feats Awards Gala. While Pip rushes off her feet, a grieving wizard reminds Pip what she stands to lose in Welcome To The Maynard #2.

 

Art

As Pip falls past a statue of a warrior with a sword and a winged helmet, a portal appears above the lawn and plants. Blimps and hot air balloons sail above a castle and buildings beyond the manager's expansive window. Statues grace the floor. Smaller creations fill shelves, evoking Finster’s miniature monsters in Bandora Palace. Sam rises to pick up Pip’s hat, and Margot circles her desk to smile at the gesturing bellhop. Wearing a gray suit and matching wide-brim hat, Sam rubs his square chin as he remembers learning from Pip’s grandfather. Pip crosses her arms over her chest as she discusses the case with Sam and Margot. But her body language is more relaxed when she pulls her brass and red luggage cart in Welcome To The Maynard #2.

 

Ian Herring fills J Bone’s whimsical art with vibrant characters, animals, and decorations that stand out from lightly colored backgrounds. The Maynard's rooftop garden and a public park soothe. What the snooty assistant manager lacks in his black tuxedo, he more than makes up for with his enormous nose. A man in white and green teleports into the lobby in a storm of doves. Pip smiles with an aging mage in a straw hat and gray suit. Yet she seems happiest while loading the luggage cart and talking with Boots amid the storm of activity in the ornate lobby.

 

Jim Campbell spell-casts black letters into white dialogue balloons and beige narrative boxes. A cloudy psychic communiqué fills the air with a vision of the assistant manager's face when Pip helps a ghost to its room. The letters occasionally embolden for intonation and turn gray for lowered voices instead of shrinking. But much more dialogue grows bold when a storm swirls through a guest room, filling panels gray and blue in Welcome To The Maynard #2. Thanks to Dark Horse Comics for providing a copy for review.

 

 

 

Final Thoughts

As Pip deceives her coworkers while pursuing an elusive cat burglar, she discovers a ticking timebomb at home. Welcome To The Maynard #2 tackles the difficulties of keeping secrets from loved ones while showing how power drives and alienates us from others.

 

Rating 9.8/10

 

To preview interior art see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.

Welcome To The Maynard #1 Review

 

Writer: James Robinson

Artist: J Bone

Colorist: Ian Herring

Letterer: Jim Campbell

Cover Artists: J Bone; Chris Samnee & Jordan Gibson; Fábio Moon

Editors: Daniel Chabon, Chuck Howitt-Lease & Foster R. Kupbens

Designer: Riley VanDyke

Digital Art Technician: Adam Pruett

Prepress: Jake Johnson

Publisher: Dark Horse Comics

Price: $4.99

Release Date: November 27, 2024

 

Pippin Dale has a new job. She has returned to San Francisco to work as a bellhop. The Maynard Hotel welcomes witches, wizards, and otherworldly beings, but that doesn't make it a safe workplace. The guests like to show off, and some of their spells are dangerous. Worse, someone is invading the guest rooms and robbing them while they sleep. Can Pip survive the rigors of the Maynard Hotel? Let's leap on our broomsticks, swoop into Welcome To The Maynard #1, and find out!

 

Story

While Pip is troubled by San Francisco’s recent decline, the Maynard Hotel is a hive of magical activity. As the doorman ushers her into the lobby, witches and birds fly through the three-story atrium, and elephants cavort above her head. Unfortunately, Pip neglects to mention that she is a new employee and not a guest. So, when the assistant manager demands to know why she didn't enter through the staff entrance, Pip covers for Boots, another kindly bellhop who has taken her in hand. After a quick uniform change, she is ready for Boots to show her around. Pip must learn her duties quickly in Welcome To The Maynard #1 because she will be the sole bellhop on staff tomorrow.

 

Boots sympathizes with Pip, who has endured great struggles in her life. Despite her youth, her mother has passed away, and Pip never learned her father’s identity. Her mother was a Halfie and passed on her partial magical heritage to Pip. For all she knows, her father could have been a full-on Mage. But Pip can’t tell any of this to her partner, who has no magical abilities and couldn't see The Maynard if she stood before it. After a day filled with duties like pushing a luggage cart filled with cats for a witch who travels to her room on a broomstick, Pip tells her partner she works at Motel 6. But that's not the only secret Pip keeps from her roommate in Welcome To The Maynard #1.

 

James Robinson conjures a host of colorful characters for his story, such as the bartender Ray, the manager Margot Rathbone, and the uniform attendant Maggie, who alternates between a talking magpie and a Human witch. As Pip struggles to ground the airships of arriving guests, ferries their luggage to their rooms, and wrangles pets back into their travel containers, she keeps her eyes open. Pip knows a cat burglar is terrorizing the magical guests at the Maynard, and she is determined to catch the thief!

 

Art

J Bone brings an old-timey sensibility to James Robinson’s modern story with rectangular panels bordered by white space. Welcome To The Maynard #1 opens with a cat burglar sneaking into a guest room to open a wall safe hidden behind a painting. When the guests awaken, the black-clad burglar repulses their spells and departs as smoke rises from their still bodies. As the Transamerica Pyramid rises in the distance, Pip rides past the trash-filled streets on a cable car and walks through an adult entertainment district. Then, the buildings seem to separate. But instead of revealing Sirius Black's family home, Pip sees a fairytale carriage drawn by unicorns and a guest arriving on a flying carpet as a giant sculpted bird crowns the elegant statues and architectural details of the impressive façade.

 

Ian Herring adorns J Bone’s art with a restrained palette that helps the foreground and primary characters shine while lightly coloring backgrounds with pastels, gray, or white. Pip’s gray hair hints at her difficult upbringing as Boots opens a green door with a port hole. She emerges wearing a red and yellow uniform in keeping with the Magical Monopoly Game sensibility of the Roaring Twenties style hotel. Pip returns home after her first day to a purple-and-blue apartment. While her partner reclines on the couch with a bowl of popcorn, Pip remembers a surreptitious meeting beneath orange and yellow lanterns in Chinatown.

 

Jim Campbell spell-casts black letters into white dialogue balloons and yellow narrative boxes. The letters embolden for intonation, swell for volume, change color for emphasis, and turn gray for lowered voices instead of shrinking. White block letters denote time and location, while sound effects help us hear a cat burglar open a safe and leave a room, and Pip tackle a thief amid ravens and pixies while dragons and witches fly above San Francisco in Welcome To The Maynard #1. Thanks to Dark Horse Comics for providing a copy for review.

 

Final Thoughts

Pippin Dale's troubled past gives her a philosophical view of life. While Pip makes friends with the magical hotel staff, she must be on her best behavior to avoid incurring the wrath of the strict management. Pip must keep calm and carry on as if the guests are in no danger while she protects them from being robbed, injured, or killed by a teleporting thief in Welcome To The Maynard #1.

 

Rating 9.4/10

 

For another cover see my review at Comic Book Dispatch. 

To look inside see the preview at Dark Horse Comics.

From The World Of Minor Threats: Barfly #1 Review

 

Writer: Kyle Starks, Patton Oswalt & Jordan Blum

Artist: Ryan Browne

Colorist: Ryan Browne & Kevin Knipstein

Letterer: Nate Piekos

Cover Artists: Scott Hepburn & Ian Herring; Ryan Browne; Martín Morazzo; Dan Hipp; David Mack

Publisher: Dark Horse

Price: $4.99

Release Date: July 10, 2024

 

Shiteater is a local at The Lower Lair. After working all day at Burger Bite, he enjoys chatting with the bartender and relaxing with a stiff drink. But Gridiron Ghoul doesn't want the lowlife bug infesting his favorite hangout. Can Shiteater appease or befriend the bully? Or will he have to find another hangout to unwind every evening? Let's spread our wings, fly into From The World Of Minor Threats: Barfly #1, and find out!

 

Story

The Entomologist’s giant bugs wreaked havoc on society. But he also created people-sized ones. The villain sent swarms of bugs to pummel or incapacitate his enemies before he swooped in for the kill. The authorities honored the Entomologist’s exploits with a stay in their finest secure facilities. But they didn’t touch Shiteater because he didn’t threaten anyone.

 

Gridiron Ghoul disapproves of Shiteater, but the anthropomorphic fly has friends. His cat-loving landlady tends to his wounds and makes him dinner. A fellow employee at the Burger Bite shares her troubles with him. Another shares his record collection with his bug buddy. And then there's Goliath, the giant beetle who resides at Twilight City Zoo. Goliath wishes Shiteater would join him there. But who knows how the zookeepers would react to an unwanted guest? Besides, Shiteater wants to make a meaningful contribution to society.

 

 

 

Shiteater can trust some of his friends. Others value him only for how he can help them. A coworker employs him for a side gig but disrespects him. His boss yells at him, overworks and underpays him, and insists he is a disposable commodity. In From The World Of Minor Threats: Barfly #1, Shiteater clings to his dreams. He wants to use his unique talents and abilities to achieve his destiny. But first, he must discover what that is.

 

Kyle Starks, Patton Oswalt, and Jordan Blum's story speaks to anyone who has ever felt undermined or sidelined. The Entomologist created Shiteater in a lab. Left to fend for himself, he doesn't fit in anywhere. People like Gridiron Ghoul remember his past and refuse to see him any other way. Stained by his association with the Entomologist, Shiteater is a magnet for disdain. Yet one night, Shiteater has a brainwave. He’ll have to learn new skills and find some willing helpers to accomplish it. But as the old saying goes, A Bug’s Perfect Life is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration.

 

Hey, who says insects don't sweat?

 

 

Art

Shiteater climbs atop the thick hardcover book on the barstool in his leather jacket, jeans, and sneakers in From The World Of Minor Threats: Barfly #1. The bartender smiles at him while a masked hero advertises a candy bar on the flatscreen TV. But Gridiron Ghoul, dressed in his football helmet and jersey, doesn’t believe the big-eyed bug belongs beneath the fairy lights and superhero masks adorning the bar. A backhander sends Shiteater tumbling through the air.

 

Shiteater trudges past a crashed flying saucer, not glancing at the fleeing aliens as he enters the boarding house next to the nude ghoul-y bar. While a cat on the floor looks up at him, most sprawl atop stair rails, a Black & White tube TV and cable decoder box, furniture, and his landlady’s head. Later, The Fly sits in the back of a coworker's van with his cheeseburger from Burger Bite. He vomits digestive juices and slurps up his meal. 

 

 

 

Ryan Browne and Kevin Knipstein lavish a loaded palette of bright and appealing colors on Browne’s art in From The World Of Minor Threats: Barfly #1. The air turns pink as Shiteater’s swarm attacks one of the Entomologist’s enemies. A magenta scorpion towers over the street while Shiteater’s former green-clad boss rides between its eyes. Shiteater's enormous orange eyes turn pink as he rides atop the racing purple van easier than the fake insect on the roof of Switek and Zito’s Bug Van. Orange, purple, pink, green, and blue surround the stage as Richie imagines playing drums in a punk band.

 

Nate Piekos fills white dialogue balloons and narrative boxes with large uppercase black and colored letters. Sound effects like an orange Swat, a green Ralf and Snort, and a tan Vrooom enliven action scenes and dramatic moments. Descriptions fill the air, commenting on stacks of money, Gridiron Ghoul’s dental care, and Shiteater’s self-image. In From The World Of Minor Threats: Barfly #1, street advertisements comment on the quality of the products and services offered, and the villain’s secret lairs are always carefully marked. Thanks to Dark Horse Comics for providing a copy for review.

 

 

 

Final Thoughts

A lab-grown fly, stripped of his wings, vows to better himself while navigating the sticky social web of users, abusers, and double-dealing friends in From The World Of Minor Threats: Barfly #1.

 

Rating 10/10

 

To preview interior art see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.

Mech Cadets #2 Review

 

Writer: Greg Pak

Artist: Takeshi Miyazawa

Colorist: Ian Herring

Letterer: Simon Bowland

Cover Artists: Takeshi Miyazawa & Ian Herring; Inhyuk Lee; Qistina Khalidah; Rámon K. Pérez

Publisher: Boom! Studios

Price: $4.99

Release Date: September 13, 2023

 

General Park hurries across the tarmac toward his spaceship. General Felix's outrage rings in his ears. Once again, his daughter has disobeyed a direct order. Is he traveling to assist or arrest her? Let’s fly into Mech Cadets #2 and see what happens!

 

Story

Despite Felix’s orders to observe and report on the missing team, newly instated Captain Maya Sanchez couldn’t stop fellow cadet Olivia Park and her Supra-Robo Hero Force Two from rescuing Francis’ cousin Franklin. Or did Franklin free them from the Sharg? Neither, as it happens.

 

When another wave of the giant crustaceans that captured Franklin’s team arrives, the cadets and their robots fight them off in Mech Cadets #2. But in the process, Maya Sanchez saves Franklin's alien friend. General Felix believes they can't trust Franklin, as the alien helped him escape the Sharg prison barge. If General Felix is correct, she’s compromised too!

 

Is anyone surprised when Maya agrees with Olivia’s plan to rescue Franklin’s team from the Sharg Prison Barge? I think not!

 

Characters discuss what they discover, how that changes their perceptions, and what they'll do next. Conversations reveal the pilots' unity despite their differences, while General Felix remains disapproving and snaps at those assisting her. Greg Pak’s dialogue informs the action without lessening interest or tension in Mech Cadets #2.

 

Mech Cadet Yu Vol. 1 available at Amazon

 

 

Art

Takeshi Miyazawa gives the pilots close-fitting spacesuits and helmets that reveal their expressions. General Felix watches each pilot on individual monitors in the crowded control room. She also follows the action thanks to a midair projection of the tiny robots converse on a hologram gameboard-style surface. Amid the pilots' conference on an asteroid, the chest of Olivia's robot opens cube-by-cube to reveal a previously unknown feature. The way Miyazawa skips scene transitions may confuse readers. But they’ll love the battles and character interactions.

 

Each robot sports a unique design and color. Helmets illumine each pilot’s face the same color as their robot. A yellow glow suffuses the robots’ feet as they fly through mauve-colored space, leaving white direction lines in their paths. Amid the drama and fighting, Ian Herring’s limited palette of pastels makes Mech Cadets #2 fun and inviting.

 

Simon Bowland's black uppercase text with sufficient spacing between rows won’t strain your eyes. Bold words suggest inflection. Colored dialogue balloons tell you which giant pilot is speaking, while Franklin's alien utters symbols, and robot growls and grunts inhabit rectangular balloons. Sound effects help us feel rapid movement and hear laser fire. Offscreen dialogue eases readers from one scene to the next.

 

Final Thoughts

Packed with revelations about the alien race that built the giant robots, the surprising powers of Olivia Park’s Earth-built robot, and reflections on world history, Mech Cadets #2 mixes the search for the truth with fear of the unknown to deliver an action-packed robots-versus-aliens space opera.

 

Rating 9.5/10

 

For more cover art see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.

 

 

Mech Cadets #1 Review

 

Writer: Greg Pak

Artist: Takeshi Miyazawa

Colorist: Ian Herring

Letterer: Simon Bowland

Cover Artists: Takeshi Miyazawa & Ian Herring; Sonny Liew; Junggeun Yoon; Livio Ramondelli; Alan Quah; Aaron Bartling; John Giang

Publisher: Boom! Studios

Price: $4.99

Release Date: August 9, 2023

 

One year ago, the dreaded Sharg infiltrated and destroyed Sky Corps Academy. Mech Cadet Olivia Park and her team of robot pilots stopped the alien incursion. As they grace a ceremony celebrating the Academy’s reopening, one wonders: Will things go smoothly from now on, or will Earth face more alien threats? Let’s fly into Mech Cadets #1 and see what happens!

 

Story

Like Maverick in Top Gun, Olivia likes to make an impression. Her father points out that her hard, fast landing risked damaging the new concrete. The team learns the leaders aren't just penny-pinching while fixing the nearby dam. All looked rosy at the rebuilt Academy, but damaged businesses and homes

still need attention. Flooding from the leaky dam has only made a bad situation worse.

 

The generals then send the team off-world to find another robot team. Their orders: observe and report, but don't intervene. Earth can't risk losing another

giant robot team!

 

With their resources stretched, the Sky Corps generals regard all aliens as threats. They're also worried about the robots: built by humans but based on alien designs. Like Joshua Joyce, the CEO of the KSI Corporation in Transformers: Age Of Extinction, the generals wonder if they can control their robots. And if not, might the robots subvert their pilots?

 

Art

The surrounding desert and hills suggest Sky Corps Academy resides in the American Southwest. The sentient giant robots show individuality. Each pilot's face appears in a balloon, with a linking arrow to the cadet's robot. Important characters--such as Olivia's father, Cadet Stanford's mother, and even the aliens--impress. Crowd scenes give panels scope. Yet each robot's height--compared with its surroundings--seemed inconsistent. One panel showed a towering robot in the background, with a tiny one in the foreground. Still, the endearing pilots made me root for the team and their mighty mechanical marvels.

 

Mech Cadets #1 features a limited palette of pastels. Background colors in closeups clash with colors in wider shots. Subtle blending breathed life into settings. The white balls beneath the large metal feet—surrounded by white sparkles—leave little doubt about how the robots fly.

 

Black uppercase text with sufficient spacing between rows fills white dialogue balloons. Bold words suggest inflection. Colored dialogue balloons tell you which giant robot pilot is speaking. Sound effects help us feel rapid movement and hear laser fire. Narrative boxes might help transition the reader better from one scene to the next.

 

After twenty-two pages of story in Mech Cadets #1, character sketches, concept art, and creator interviews provide insight into the comics and the Netflix animated series.

 

Final Thoughts

With identifiable characters, giant robots, family dynamics, giant robots, leaders who fear outsiders and the unknown, giant robots, and young adults faced with thorny ethical choices, Mech Cadets #1 propels the reader breathlessly from a troubled Earth to a spectacular space battle. Oh, and did I mention THIS COMIC HAS GIANT FREAKING ROBOTS?

 

8.2/10

 

Enjoy more covers at my review on Comic Book Dispatch.