Fantastic First Issue
The debut issue of the Micronauts is an absolute pleasure to read. With Bill Mantlo and Michael Golden at the helm it's difficult to imagine anything short of amazing if not interesting. I've always had an interest in the Micronauts, but subconsciously dismissed the concept as something of an attempt to cash in on the success of Star Wars. While, Baron Karza and Darth Vader have some similarities and Rann and his Endeavor are close relatives of Han and the Falcon, one cannot simply dismiss this series. In its own right, it is its own entity and impressive space opera that pays homage to Star Wars, all the while incorporating their own sci-fi elements that come from left field. The most impressive thing about Mantlo's writing here is that much of the Microverse and its conflicts are introduced here, and the new Micronauts fan has several people and ideas to wrap their head around, yet at no point does the reader feel lost or overwhelmed. The story is organic and moves along at an excellent pace while still managing to capture a cinematic feel. Indeed, there are action scenes here in which one can't help but imagine unfolding on the silver screen. Golden's art is a wonderful companion and he shines both with large scale space scenes and more intimate moments of dialogue between characters. Basically, if you're even remotely curious about this sadly underrated franchise, you can't go wrong with this debut issue.