It’s all handled expertly, with a subtlety only the very best artists can muster.Īnd then there are unique problems with being the world’s most powerful robots, discovering both their places in the world as youngsters, and uncovering their past. Cameron quickly introduces all those familiar issues that beset our children’s lives friendship troubles at school, trying to fit in. It’s all to do with the problems Alex and Freddy have trying to be normal kids doing normal kid things, despite having spectacular powers and a mysterious past. This is a nation full of people of color, representation all the way up to the Royal family. But again, there’s no big fanfare, just people. But even better, Mega Robo Bros is a fabulously diverse comic. The flying buses, the skyways, simple but perfect shorthand. It’s all set in some future London, but there’s never a big thing made of this, it’s all there in his imagery. just how brilliant these two brothers are:Īnd of course, as soon as they walk through the door, what do they get… oh yes, Alex has made up a new song…īefore we get to talking about the emotional depth that really makes this quite brilliant, a word about two very important things about Mega Robo Bros that you’ve already seen, but you may not have noticed, given that Cameron does both so perfectly, so effortlessly. Or how about this for Cameron’s panel to panel timing? Mom is explaining to her boss at the mysterious Government organization R.A.I.D. You get to fill in the comedy chaos yourself, making it all the funnier. All we see is dad’s increasing worried expression and some very telling sound effects a KERR-RASSH!! a SPLOOSH, followed by a blue and red NEE-NAW, NEE-NAW. Just after the boys take to the skies (“ MEGA ROBO POWER UP!“) we cut back to dad, listening to chaos unfold off camera. But Cameron doesn’t end the gag there, oh no. It’s time for dad to get them out the door on the school run, complete with arguments up the stairs, dad stressing out, missed buses, swears (complete with age-appropriate content filters), and the boys managing to manipulate a harassed dad into letting them fly to school instead: It’s there from the very start, as the opening chapter introduces us to these two very typical atypical siblings. What elevates it to true greatness is the emotional depth on display, and a magnificent humor acting as a counterpoint. But the adventures are merely half the tale here. If Mega Robo Boys was merely a light adventure romp of robots as kids, getting into all manner of scrapes and adventures, it would be good enough, thanks to Cameron’s wonderfully light cartooning and excellent sense of action storytelling. And all the while, lurking in the background, there’s a mysterious evil robotic presence seems intent on destroying their lives, foreshadowed from the very first page: Mom and Dad simply want them to be normal boys, despite their robotic nature, but events just don’t seem to be allowing that. Everything has the potential for disaster, whether it’s school trips with rampaging robotic dinosaurs, all too visible superheroics when the skyline train derails, or marauding palace robot guards at the Royal street party. ![]() Roboticus.Īnd throughout this wonderful first volume, you’ll discover just how crazy their world is. The only difference between them and all other young siblings? They’re incredibly powerful robots created by the mysterious Dr. Nita Sharma and her very down to Earth husband, Michael, they fall-out, they squabble, argue, fight, worry about school, and absolutely drive their parents insane. The setup is simplicity itself Alex (6, the red one) and Freddy (12, the blue one) are brothers. Neill Cameron’s tale of two robot kids growing up in a London of the near future is just superb, a masterclass in storytelling. ![]() Full of action and adventure, bursting with humor, but also containing an emotional depth far beyond what you’d initially expect. And seeing as Graphix are responsible for publishing Jeff Smith’s Bone and the works of Raina Telgemeier, you can be pretty sure they know a great kids’ comic series when they see it.Īnd make no mistake about it, Mega Robo Bros is a really great kids’ comic series. Springing from the pages of The Phoenix Comic in the UK, Mega Robo Bros is coming to the US through Scholastic’s Graphix imprint.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |