Archie has already shown they can create a video game comic property that lasts in their sleek and exciting
SONIC THE HEDGEHOG comic book. I thought I'd take a departure from my normal weekly reviews and focus on a comic that came out a couple of weeks back:
MEGA MAN #2 by Archie Comics!
I chose this comic for multiple reasons: nostalgia, collectability and just pure enjoyment.
Archie's MEGA MAN series doesn't just have GUTSMAN, but it has guts. The artwork is sleek and extremely well-intentioned. The story is simple enough that old timers like myself that can remember wasting hours playing MEGA MAN on multiple game platforms will smile with childhood memories. Finally, if you're a collector, I believe this book is a sleeper hit. SONIC the HEDGEHOG back issues command some nice money on the secondary market, and I know comic shops probably ordered heavy on Issue #1 and light on Issue #2...which isn't uncommon. This isn't the first MEGA MAN comic to hit the stands, but I think it will be the first to last.
More-so I have began to think comics such as SONIC and MEGA MAN have more of a chance in succeeding in this brave new comic industry than a MARVEL or DC COMIC, simply on the fact that you can't mess it up. You mess with Superman, you lose readers. You relaunch Spider-Man, you anger the fanbase. All you have to do with characters firmly planted in video games is publish a quality book that stays true to the source material and create a large enough collector's market to keep stores interested, and you'll have a hit on your hands.
Is MEGA MAN #2 for kids? Oh, absolutely. My 10-year old thinks I'm insanely cool because I buy the book. But it's honestly a great read and I believe a great long-term investment in your comic collection.
You can check out both the regular and "villain variant" cover on ComicCollectorLive.com! Just type in "MEGA MAN" in the library search and you're golden.