Review – Micronauts: Revolution #1 (IDW Publishing)

Publisher: IDW Publishing
Written by: Cullen Bunn
Art by: Chris Panda
Release Date: 28th September 2016

The one thing I’ll say about this issue right off the bat is that it is most certainly not for the casual reader. This is an issue steeped in lore and packed to the brim with fan service. Great news for the regulars, but perhaps not quite so enticing, or indeed accessible, for newbies. This isn’t a complaint necessarily, but it does make the book a little tricky to review, falling as I do into the “newbie” camp. I can imagine that for followers of Micronauts there is a ton of set up for the future and several nods to the past, but unfortunately without much prior knowledge on the subject, that’s about all I can gather at this stage.

The characters seem fairly two-dimensional, but that may perhaps be because writer Cullen Bunn seems to be relying a little too heavily on the reader being well versed in the existing lore. Again, there are sparks of interest to be had here, but the full impact seems to be reserved for readers with a more deeply ingrained knowledge of the subject matter.

The artwork by Chris isn’t necessarily to my taste, despite its 80s/90s cartoon feel. I think it might be because he is trying too hard to just touch on the style of the cartoon as opposed to embracing and enhancing it.

I’ll be honest, this has been one of the hardest reviews I’ve have had to write, hence its briefness. The issue, while not necessarily “bad” in any significant way, reads like a love letter to fans of the series, which is great for creators to do, but jumping on from this point will just definitely turn newcomers off the series. I would recommend going back to read past issues if you do fancy it and saving this one for when you are a more educated fan.

Rating: 2/5 (if you are a fan I would guess 4/5).

PREVIEW ARTWORK
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