Writers: Wells Thompson & Dalton K. Shannon
Artist: Fernando Pinto
Colorists: Meaghan Casey & Mayday Trippe
Letterer: Nathan Kempf
Publisher: Self-Published
WHAT IS IT?
A mech action-comedy about a brother and sister stumbling across an alien power glove and using it to fight giant insect monsters.
Mechaton is a quippy slice-of-life comedy akin to Juno but supercharged with giant cockroaches and mechs.
WHAT’S IT ABOUT?
(Minor Spoilers)
Derek and Leah are your typical siblings going through life delivering pizzas and collecting junk, respectively, when one day, they discover an alien glove falling from the sky! The Mechaton glove is a powerful weapon capable of merging aspects of the environment into a battle mech of awesome power. Soon, after the discovery, their town is visited by a massive cockroach mindlessly wreaking havoc on their neighbors.
With no help in sight, the siblings must operate the mech together and save their town. Will their newfound technology be enough to protect the town? What other monsters await them?
WHAT WORKS?
Wells Thompson and Dalton K. Shannon's writing is equal parts witty and earnest. Their dedication to depicting Derek and Leah's life prior to finding the Mechaton goes a long way towards making us care about them as characters and wanting to see what adventures they'll go on in future issues.
Fernando Pinto feels right at home illustrating the over-the-top science fiction elements and giant monsters that inhabit Mechaton.
Meaghan Casey and Mayday Trippe's color palette is appropriately bright, with the Mechaton and the interior of an alien ship being notable standouts.
Nathan Kempf's lettering and SFX choices were varied well throughout the story, fitting in with both the action-heavy pages and the slice-of-life moments.
The banter between Derek and Leah is so endearing. They feel like a genuine brother/sister duo!
Having the Giant Cockroach's lettering balloons look like a QR code felt appropriately alien.
There's a moment where Derek helps one of his neighbors, who's going through a rough patch, that's genuinely heartfelt.
Pinto's expressive artwork is used to great effect for key dramatic and comedic moments.
The mech fight at the end is absurd in all the right ways with the Mechaton using condiment blasters to fight off a giant cockroach.
WHAT DOESN’T WORK?
The appearance of the giant cockroach could have used some more build-up to its eventual reveal.
Leah forcing Derek to wear an alien that also had a convenient USB port for her phone was pretty out there even for a story with a lighthearted tone.
Occasionally there's a moment of sibling banter that falls flat and comes across as trying too hard to land a comedic beat.
WHY SHOULD I READ IT?
MechaTon more than delivers its promise of thrilling mech action and unique weaponry, but where the story truly shines is with the interplay between Derek and Leah. Their characterizations bounce off each other with ease and contribute to the bulk of the issue's laughs.
Even though the arrival of the giant cockroach could have used more build-up, MechaTon proved to be a strong issue 1 thanks to its lighthearted tone, strong co-leads, and a dash of heart to ground its characters.
If you're craving more humorous mech adventure comics then give MechaTon a try.
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The image(s) used in this article are from a comic strip, webcomic or the cover or interior of a comic book. The copyright for this image(s) is likely owned by either the publisher of the comic, the writer(s) and/or artist(s) who produced the comic. It is believed that the use of this image(s) qualifies as fair use under the United States copyright law. The image is used in a limited fashion in an educational manner in order to illustrate the points of the author and not for the purpose of entertainment or substituting the original work. It is believed the use of this image has had no impact on the market value of the original work.
All Wells Thompson & Dalton K. Shannon characters and the distinctive likeness(es) thereof are trademarks of and copyright Wells Thompson and Dalton K. Shannon, 2021 or their respective owners. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
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