Issue #1 (no spoilers)
So the biggest thing I had to overcome with this issue, before even reading the first page, (and I am sure I will not be alone) was trying to totally eliminate any and all Micronauts knowledge ... as much as I could ... from my memory. I knew this was not going to be "my" Micronauts, but it could still be a fun, different version if I allowed it to be. I can't say that I was successful in thinking of this as a new title with no history, but I like to think I did my best in not allowing that history to interfere with my reading and judgement.
I'm gonna start first with the art. I thought it was perfect. There is a style here that looks very much like ... well ... any older Disney animated movie, or more precise, very reminiscent of that that old game "Dragon's Liar"
(You guys remember that? If not
HERE is what I am talking about). Now it doens't have that look exactly, it isn't like animation per se, but some of the panels reminded me of that game very highly. The main reason the art felt perfect for me though? It made it easier to differentiate the Micronauts of old with the Micronauts of now. Having the art look close to animation cells (not really, but again certain panels) made this a totally new book for me. For that, I was grateful.
That is not to say the art's ONLY success was helping wipe my mind of days gone by, no, no. There is good stuff here. There is a cleanness that comes with that style, naturally, that fits great with what was originally a toy line. Yes, the tone of this series is a little darker than say ... Donald Duck (and yes I know I just crossed animation companies, having earlier talked about Disney
), but it is also a book about toys. The art kinda reminds us of that. Especially with the designs of characters and robots
I will say the art sadly looks very muddled when showing us this "cloud" thing that I won't go into yet.
Now the story ... decent. Bunn did a pretty good job overall I think. Nothing that blew me away nor made me not want to come back (I do want to come back, by the way) so that is a win I suppose. We are
introduced reintroduced to some familiar characters and a couple new ones (or ones I certainly don't remember) as well in a typical "getting to know you" first issue. We have our Baron Karza and of course Acroyear, who I have a question about in a minute, and we have a new "Commander Rann" as well. Okay, not a new one, but more of a different take on the Glider aspect. I mean more in line with the toy. While ...you know, I am just gonna stop talking about that. No spoilers remember?
Overall I liked this book enough to keep going. This book had a tough job in dealing with us old farts or even dealing with the young poots that read the Marvel version. It did a good enough job of separating itself while still tickling the memory cells. And while the rating below may seem low or less than stellar (remember a 5 is just a good, average comic with no glaring issues) and normally not a grade I would jump back in for the next issue, it still has enough characters/content/story and of course nostalgia for me to come back for issue #2.
6 outta 10 Biotrons
And how do you guys pronounce Acroyear? When I was younger, I could not stop calling him
ac(rhymes with mac)
ro(like row)
Year(just like year). And with the emphasis on "Ac".
ac-row-year
but then I changed it to be more
a(like "uh")
croy(rhymes with boy)
yer(like "yer gonna get hurt")
(emphasis on "croy")
a-
croy-yer
Does anyone know how to say it?
I mean I'm the kid that use to pronounce Sub-Mariner like the naval vessel - submarine, but with an "er" at the end. Submarine-er
I also, just over the past two years or so, stopped pronouncing Magneto like a magnet with an "O" at the end ...Magnet-O
(which still sounds better to me than Mag-NEAT-o)
But God knows I am not the best when it comes to character pronunciation, so I am wondering how everyone else says it.