Issue #3 ended on a high note with the reveal of Zero. Many fans were looking forward to reading the next issue to find out about their identity... but Boom Studios had nothing better to do than spoil it beforehand. That said, is there iat all to look forward in this issue? Find out after the break!
This review contains SPOILERS from beginning to end. I recommend you to stop reading if you have any intention of purchase the comic or reading it in full at some point.
The issue starts with a flashback from the Hard Age where Wily shows up in the battlefield to tell Dr. Light that the robots have proposed an armistice in exchange of freedom to what Dr. Light opposed: "The orders are to eliminate them, not to bargain with them". Wily, on the other hand, seems to be in favor. "Freedom like sentence, comes by design. Our design".
Before the flashback ends, Wily pokes fun at Dr. Light and his attachment to Mega Man.
Back to the present day, Zero saved Mega Man and at the top of Silicon City revels their true identity: Suna Light. The siblings then bear witness tothe city in flames.
Not far from there, Wily is overseeing the destruction when Skull Man appears to recriminate Wily for violating their agreement. Wily was supposed to trap Mega Man, not to give him an upgrade. Skull Man's henchman then apprehend Wily.
Back to present day, the fight continues to what seems like a tie between Mega Man and Skull Man. With Skull Man in the ground and Mega Man's buster broken, Chaotique and Dr. Light in his exoskeleton appear on the scene. Both start fighting but Dr. Light seems to have problems dealing with Chaotique's speed. Zero comes to aid the doctor. At the end, the combined forces of Dr. Light and Zero manage to defect Chaotique.
In another place, Wily is being held captive by Skull Man's henchman. Namagem shows up to free him. He accuses Wily for choosing the wrong brother to get an upgrade but Wily seems to disagree; everything is going according to his plan.
Wily tries to manipulate Namagem but he is smarter than that. Ultimately, Wily offers him the upgrade he wants: to make him the ultimate weapon to end all wars.
Back to the fight, Mega Man is hiding while Mega Mini is repairing his buster. Skull Man's henchman corner him but Zero and Dr. Light save him. Mega Man didn't miss the opportunity to tell Dr. Light that he remembers everything.
The fight against Skull Man continues and the combined forces of Dr. Light, Zero and Mega Man ends up with his defeat. With Skull Man laying on the ground defeated, Mega Man offers him another chance; a chance to build a better future. Instead, Skull Man immolates himself.
Mega Man manages to build an ice shield to protect everyone from the explosion. Suddenly, a bolt of lighting strikes the ground. Namagem has arrived with Wily's upgrade. He is here to continue the war.
The creative team for issue #4 is pretty much the same as it was in issue #3, with the exception of the Markus Rinehart returning as writer. As usual, Stefano Simeone is at the pencils, Igor Monti on coloring duties and Ed Dukeshire on lettering.
The excellent work of everyone involved in this comic continues. Everything is almost on point but, sadly, the enjoyment of this issue was partially ruined for me when Boom Studios decided to spoil Zero's identity. Fear not, though; the comic had other surprises which you already know about if you read the recap above. Mega Man learning the truth about his involvement in the Hard Age, Skull Man's demise or Namagem transformation.
Speaking of Zero -- while the idea was great and totally unexpected for me -- I think it's a waste that they unveiled her identity a mere 3 pages into issue #4. I thought this would be something that would drag on for a couple of issues, creating more mystery around it.
Another thing I'm not feeling is Namagem's "Ultimate Weapon" design. Mixing his design with Skull Man's doesn't look very creative to me and I was expecting something totally original for a supposed "Ultimate Weapon". Also, for all his talk about flying solo and not letting anyone manipulate him, seems like Namagem fell for Wily's plan easily.
Overall, this was a really good issue with Simeone and Monti doing his best work so far. The detailed drawing with dynamic and stylish movement for the fights and the rich and vivid coloring make this issue worth every penny.
SCORE: 9 out of 10
Let us know what did you thought of this issue in the comments!
I like how the conversation between Dr. Light and Dr. Wily at the beginning touches on subjects the Archie comic was renowned for, like the nature of forgiveness and the morality of war. But it's rather convenient how this issue begins with Mega Man knocked out when he was fully conscious at the end of last issue. This comic seems to like forcing him into helpless situations just so he can have flashbacks. And how the heck was Wily able to upgrade Daini lightning-fast? And why didn't Mega Mini get even a little sick or dizzy after Skull Man attacked him again? And why does Suna get armor that protects her vital organs while Dr. Light's is horribly impractical?
ReplyDeleteThis whole mini-series still feels critically damaged after how the cartoon went. That basically means it’s not able to pull off cliffhangers at all or even handle mysteries with basic competency. Whenever it tries to sell me something, my first instinct is to slam the door in its face. Dr. Light may have wanted to give Aki and Daini a clean slate and a fresh start, but this canon needed it more.
It really feels like they wanted to make Daini into Bass and this was as close as they could get.
ReplyDeleteNamagem reminds me of Bass.EXE or Bass Cross in the last panel...
ReplyDeletePerhaps it's just me, but I think Namagem's upgraded helmet makes him look like Jagi from Fist of the North Star. Still cool, though! Wasn't that keen on the animated series, but this comic has definitely caught my interest.
ReplyDeleteI think you're slightly confused when it comes to the flashback of Light erasing Mega Man's data. He isn't standing in front of a hard age Mega Man and a present day one, he's standing in front of Mega Man and Namagem. Not only does the one on the left have yellow lights like Namagem, but you can also see the scar over his left eye.
ReplyDeleteThanks, fixed.
DeleteI think you missed the context for the flashback. The one on the left seems to be Namagem, with the cracked/scarred face, yellow light, and right buster, which would be Namagem's description. The right, no cracked/scarred face, blue light, and left buster, which would be Mega Man's description.
ReplyDeleteI honestly feel so disconnected from the stakes of this series and I don't know why.
Thanks, fixed.
DeleteEverything else aside, the art and colors are horrible...
ReplyDeleteMeggim is so lanky. It's weird to me.
DeleteI dunno, I quite like the colors.
DeleteA e s t h e t i c