Anghus Houvouras reviews M.A.S.K.: Revolution #1 & Micronauts: Revolution #1…
IDW’S Revolution crossover event started with a bang last week bringing a half dozen of everyone’s favorite action figures out of the toybox and into a major action packed conflict.
The event is being used as a launch pad for the Moblie Armor Strike Kommand aka M.A.S.K. comic series which brings back the 1980’s toys featuring awesome vehicles that kind of transformed into war machines. A team of soldiers are assembled to endure a selection process that will see young bucks take the wheel of some old but impressive tech that will help them deal with the ‘Cybertronian problem’. The Transformers are stirring up trouble and the Government is assembling all their available assets.
Like many of IDW’s recent relaunches, there’s some fun to be mined from taking and old familiar concept and injecting it with new characters. Taking the action figure inspired world of M.A.S.K. and setting up a battle with the Transformers feels like a perfect fit for the comic book world. This is exactly the kind of action figure battle royale these franchises were created for.
While I enjoyed the issue, I think the challenge will be whether or not M.A.S.K. can sustain my interest after Revolution ends. I’m interested to see where M.A.S.K. goes next because I know they’re going to be going toe to toe with GI Joe, The Transformers, The Micronauts, Dire Wraiths, and Rom. After that kind of explosive starting point, can M.A.S.K. sustain readers’ interest?
Brandon Easton sets up a good story, further ramping up the tension of this epic throw down in the making. Tony Vargas’ art is fun and over the top and feels plucked right from the 80’s era where M.A.S.K. was born. This is a good start and loaded with potential.
Micronauts: Revolution #1 on the other hand is kind of a mess. That’s mainly because the story makes no sense if you haven’t been reading the recently relaunched franchise. It’s a fun piece of action, sci-fi, and time travelling. However, as a jumping off point it’s like a diving board into an empty pool. So far I’ve enjoyed Revolution because it’s felt like an easy introduction into the Hasbroverse.
There’s nothing inherently wrong with the comic. There are lots of fun elements and I enjoyed seeing some of my favorite childhood action figures brought to life. The villainous Baron Karza is still a great pulpy villain. Cullen Bunn always writes fun pieces of escapist entertainment and Chris Panda’s clean art style helps create a visual aesthetic that almost makes it feel like Micronauts: The Animated Series.
My most major criticism is that it lacked a strong enough narrative to make me want to go back and unravel the tangled web of a tie-in.
Still, I’m invested in the Revolution storyline and interested to see where the crossover event goes next.
Anghus Houvouras
Originally published September 28, 2016. Updated October 24, 2022.
