Mega Man Gear Masters #1 [Review]
Gear Masters is another promising entry in Udon's ongoing slate of Mega Man comics
Things might be pretty insane out there in the world at large, but by golly when there are fresh Mega Man comics on the stands each month, it’s just a little bit brighter. Thankfully, Udon has continued their commitment to the Mega Man comic line after the positive feedback from the Timelines campaign and subsequent Mega Man X series from Daniel Arsenault, kicking off a new 5 issue series titled Gear Masters.
In this opening issue, Rock and sister Roll are gathering necessary supplies as Roll reflects on Dr. Light's decision to reprogram some of Wily's most dangerous creations - specifically Torch Man and Blast Man - citing the ongoing danger and threat as a reason to decommission them or at least have them separate from general society. Rock, ever the optimist, assures Roll that Dr. Light's method of attempting to re-integrate the formerly evil robot masters is how it should be, and that he's always on the lookout for trouble so he can rise to the challenge.
Meanwhile, Dr. Wily dispatches two additional robot masters, Block Man and Fuse Man, to recover the sensitive and powerful "Double Gear" prototype. Just as Rock is discussing his willingness to fight for those that need his help, he's encased in blocks and cornered by Block Man while Fuse Man keeps Roll out of the fray.
What follows is a rock-em sock-em battle Mega Man style, with our Blue Bomber seemingly cornered in a couple instances before deploying just the right weapon to dispatch the formidable Block Man.
However, when Fuse Man demonstrates a startling new power, the issue concludes with a cliffhanger as he dramatically pulls out the Double Gear technology straight from Mega Man's chest!
If you've been following the site for any amount of time, you know how excited I am to see Udon continuing to expand the Mega Man comic lineup, including continuing the great work that the team did on Mega Man Adventures. Maiden's narrative here is apt at laying the foundation and getting right into the action, and of course Jampole's art is a faithful recreation of the series aesthetics: vibrant, explosive and action-forward. Each issue feels like navigating a stage or boss in the game itself, which is high marks for a video game comic adaptation. I do hope that we'll get a bit more philosophy splashed in as well, as some of the most compelling stories from the original Adventures run was when Mega Man doubted his role as a peacekeeper and reflected on his fate of having to essentially fight and kill his "siblings".
I've mentioned it before but it can't be understated how valuable a solid, family-friendly IP like Mega Man on the comic shelves is. Whether you're a longtime fan of Mega Man or just interested in something you can hand off to the younger comic reader in your life with confidence, Gear Masters is off to a fantastic start. I'm looking forward to more!
Mega Man Gear Masters #1
With bombastic action, rich colors and a narrative that's tried-and-true Mega Man, Gear Masters is off to a great start.
