by Tony Rhea, Reporter

Strap in and get ready to take off with the heroes of Mech Cadets #1 from BOOM! Studios! This continuation of the Mech Cadet Yu comic (re-titled to Mech Cadets for publication of the trade) comes to us just in time for the release of the new series this week on Netflix, which means we have plenty of robo content to digest in the coming months.

Official Description:
Fans of the highly anticipated Netflix series won’t want to miss this perfect companion series by highly acclaimed writer Greg Pak (Star Wars: Darth Vader), superstar artist Takeshi Miyazawa (She-Hulk), and colorist Ian Herring (Spider-Man / Deadpool).

General Park-head of Sky Corps Academy-must assemble a team of heroes to protect humankind from alien invasions, and Stanford Yu, Maya Sanchez, Frank Olivetti, and Park’s own daughter Olivia may have been pulled into the role by fate… as they are Earth’s best hope.

But there is more to their relationships with the symbiotic, sentient giant Robos they pilot… and the alien threat of The Sharg is far more epic and widespread than any could imagine!

While Mech Cadets makes a fresh debut for new readers and viewers, long-time fans can delight in having more adventures after the long awaited collection of Mech Cadets Book One!

Creative Team:
Written by: Greg Pak
Illustrated by: Takeshi Miyazawa
Colors by: Ian Herring
Letters by: Simon Bowland

Picking up a year after the events that concluded Mech Cadet Yu, our heroes are enjoying some well-deserved renown among the new cadets of the academy. If only Olivia could get the same recognition from her father that the rest of her team get from their parents… After making a judgement call and disobeying a direct order during a mission, Olivia is replaced as leader of the team. No time to wallow, however, as another team has been lost and reconnaissance has been ordered. What they find when they arrive is nothing that they anticipated, however, and the help of some new allies might just be what the doctor ordered.

The brilliant team of Pak and Miyazawa return to a universe of their own creation that readers have grown to love. Pak wastes no time, bringing us right back to the academy where the stakes are high and the expectations are higher. The shift in title is definitely represented by the change in perspective, as Stanford doesn’t take center stage this time around. If the characters that Pak developed weren’t so well-rounded, a transition like this could be challenging. Each of these characters, however, have developed motivations and personalities, and are each interesting in their own right. Stanford’s presence and influence is still felt, but doesn’t need to be at the center of the story. Pak is truly a narrative powerhouse who consistently delivers quality content, and this issue is no different.

Miyazawa brings us some more great robo designs (including one readers would never expect)! The classic look of these robots works so well within the framework of the world he has drawn, and the unexpected robo mentioned above was a very nice surprise that has me excited for everything else we will be seeing from this series. Complicated doesn’t always equal cool, and the simple-yet-heroic designs of the robos we get in this comic are a large part of it’s charm. The designs for the robos in the new Netflix series certainly look cool, but man, do I wish it was Miyazawa’s designs we were seeing brought to life on the screen.

If you’re fan of comics with a lot of heart (or a comics fan…or a fan with a heart), this comic is for you! This will be a series to watch, and I for one, will be waiting each month for the next great issue to come.

Rating:
ComicsOnline gives Mech Cadets #1 – 5 out of 5 robos with heart.

Please take a moment to FOLLOW & SUBSCRIBE to our updated ComicsOnline social channels.
We appreciate your support!

INSTAGRAM – COMICSONLINE
BSKY – COMICSONLINE
YOUTUBE – COMICSONLINE
FACEBOOK – COMICSONLINE

Stay tuned to ComicsOnline for more comic book news, exclusive interviews, giveaways, and everything geek pop culture!