It took awhile getting there but I nabbed a bunch of early issues on eBay on the cheap. I bought a few more issues from Mile High Comics to fill in the gaps, although Micronauts #8, the first appearance of Captain Universe, is conspicuous by its absence. And here are my thoughts on the first 12 issues and the first Annual.
1 - First off, the Dave Cockrum cover is gorgeous and iconic, the perfect way to kick off a new series. The first issue has a frantic feel as the royal family is overthrown by Baron Karza and Prince Argon and Princess Mari go underground. Meanwhile, Arcturus Rann and Biotron return from a 1000 year sojourn in deep space, only to be captured. Rann meets Bug and Acroyear and soon the whole gang is together.
The first issue does a lot of heavy lifting and sets the course for the entire series. I saw someone mention it as a sf retelling of the story of the Romanoffs getting overthrown and that seems accurate. While Baron Karza looks like a Darth Vader ripoff, the story doesn't feel all that much like Star Wars. The ragtag group of misfits reminds me of the movie version of Guardians of the Galaxy so far.
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While on the run from Karza's Acroyears, the Micronauts pierce the space wall and enter another universe, where they encounter mysterious structures and converse with one of the natives, a giant.
Yeah, the Micronauts end up in a Florida backyard where they're 3 and 3/4 inches tall. They battle a dog and talk to teenager Steve Coffin before the evil Acroyears arrive.
The issue ends with the Endeavor leaving the Coffin's back yard. Was Bug left behind? I guess I'll have to wait to find out.
Issue number 2 felt kind of like a Red Dwarf episode. Two issues deep and I find the concept of Baron Karza luring the people of Homeworld into following him with the promise of immortality all too plausible.
The inter-character relationships are very well done for a comic in 1978. I'm guessing Marionette and Rann will have a romance at some point. Rann shit-talking Biotron and Bug and Acroyear's interplay were my favorite character moments.
Did the Micronauts kill the Coffin's dog? I guess I'll never know. That was pretty much glossed over.
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The cover of this issue didn't wow me like the first two but it was still good. If I read the series beyond what I have now, I'll miss Michael Golden on the covers. This issue contained a surprising amount of humor. Bill Mantlo wrote some great dialogue, witty but believable.
Muffin, the Coffin's dog, was only stunned so I can breath a sigh of relief. Oddly, one of my favorite parts of the issue was Ray Coffin stepping on the Acroyear ship.
Things are heating up between Rann and Marionette, as expected. Random note - Arcturus Rann has said "butt" once in each of the first three issues.
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The Micronauts bask in glory for a bit before continuing their search for Bug. Meanwhile, Shaitan and the Acroyears head back to the Microverse in defeat. On Homeworld, Karza's forces are looking for Slug, a royalist revolutionary. And finally, the Coffins are heading to Cape Canaveral with the box containing the Acroyear ship with Bug hitching a ride on the bumper.
This issue felt like it was mostly setting up future things in the aftermath of last issue's battle. Biotron's sarcasm was one of my favorite parts. Also, as much as I want to chalk Baron Karza's look up to the Shogun Warriors, him shooting his hand at "Slug" to choke him was a little too Vader-ish.
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Meanwhile, in the Microverse, Prince Argon has been transformed into a centaur in Karza's Body Banks and is none too thrilled about it.
This issue features another great battle, this time between Professor Prometheus and his cyborg goons against the reunited Micronauts and the Coffins. Also, there's a skirmish in the Microverse. Lots of stuff happened in comics before decompression and page after page of people talking.
The cover didn't wow me on this one but the interior art is getting better every issue. The best line of the issue came from Acroyear. More and more, the Micronauts remind me of the movie version of Guardians of the Galaxy. I can't decide if my favorite Micronaut is Bug or Biotron at this point. It's a shame Marvel hasn't done much with Marionette or Rann since the Micronauts license expired.
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The Micronauts and Steve Coffin head back to the Coffin house to reunited with Biotron and the Endeavor. Meanwhile, Professor Prometheus and Ray Coffin fall down the Prometheus Pit. Prometheus ends up in the clutches of Baron Karza while Coffin goes elsewhere (to become Captain Universe. Spoilers!)
At the end of the issue, The Micronauts head to the Coffin's cabin in the Everglades to regroup (and encounter Man-Thing. Spoilers!)
The Micronauts continue the running firefight that has been most of the first six issues. Mantlo does a great job balancing the action and the humor and Michael Golden's art is about ten years ahead of the curve. You have to wonder if Marvel pressured him to take on a more high profile book.
Argon the Centaur meets up with Slug and I'm not sure Slug hasn't been replaced by Belladonna already. The politics of the Microverse are all too believable. The rich are given immortality at the expense of the poor and the middle class. Bonus - Kurt Busiek had a letter printed in the letters page.
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Inside the book, Biotron finally manages to fix the Endeavor so the Micronauts can return to Homeworld, only the Man-Thing shows up. Meanwhile, in the Microverse, Karza makes a plan to go up the Prometheus Pit and conquer Earth!
Another great issue, full of humor and action. The Micro-War is looming and Mantlo and Golden aren't fucking around. I read somewhere that the Micronauts was Bill Mantlo's attempt at a Lee & Kirby Fantastic Four series. I'd say he's well on his way to accomplishing that with his bickering Micronauts dysfunctional family.
The battle between the Micronauts and the Man-Thing was very well done. I'm very curious to see what goes down in the Microverse when the gang returns there.
My ebay haul didn't include Micronauts #8, the first appearance of Captain Universe. Now, how in the hell is this such a valuable commodity! Captain Universe has never been popular and has probably made less than 100 appearances in the last 40 years. Anyway, I read the synopsis and now I'm ready for issue number 9.
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The gang finds themselves back in the Microverse and in the clutches of the Acroyears. More and more, I'm considering Acroyear the Worff of the Micronauts, warrior-race, honor, deadpan humor, the whole shebang.
As Baron Karza's fleet creeps toward Spartak, The Micronauts and the Acroyears form an alliance! Meanwhile, Prince Argon, as Force Commander, leads an attack on the Body Banks!
The stakes are high and things look bad for the Micronauts. Acroyear unites the Spartak World-Mind and war is coming fast!
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Baron Karza hungers for the secrets in the captive Rann's mind as the Micronauts battle Karza's fleet. Marionette admits her feelings for Rann and goes toe to toe with Karza to save him. Meanwhile, Force Commander and Slug have things well in hand back on Homeworld.
The battle on Spartak was very well done, very brutal with no safety nets, and the issue ends with many unanswered questions, not the least of which is the fate of Rann and Marionette. Even thought I doubt she'll survive the conflict, I want Cilicia on the team.
The great things about the Micronauts up to this point are more numerous than the lice on a ryloan rug-bunny, as Bug says. It's easy to forget it was a licensed comic based on a toyline.
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After returning to Homeworld, Karza reveals that his attack on Spartak was merely a ruse to smoke out the rebellion. Karza assumes his centaur form and battles Force Commander.
The battle is interrupted by a Shogun Warriors advertisement that makes me think Baron Karza has some Great Mazinga in his parentage.
The shadow priests unleash the power of Arcturus Rann, the Enigma Force! Sadly, just when it looks like Karza is defeated, he escapes, leaving his empty armor behind. The Acroyear force arrives in time to mop up the rest of Karza's forces.
Wow, that was final battle. I suspect issue #12 will just be the aftermath. I can't help but wonder how great this would be as a Netflix series if Marvel still had the license.
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Baron Karza is destroyed and Rann is recovering. The Micronauts morn the loss of Bug and the denizens of both Homeworld and Spartak begin to rebuild. Finally, Acroyear and Shaitan battle to the death on the shattered plains of Spartak and the Time Traveler returns Bug to his home, Kaliklak, alive and well.
Micronauts #12 is a satisfying end to a great first year saga. Most of the loose ends are tied up, although Karza is still alive someplace and HELL still has some tech and specimens from the Microverse.
I've seen people describe Micronauts as a Star Wars ripoff and that's a pretty lazy way to see it. I guess you could classify it as a space opera but it has as super heroic flair as well. There's a definite Stan Lee-Jack Kirby vibe, although more mature and developed. The ragtag group of misfits won me over right away. I'd say that fans of Firefly or Guardians of the Galaxy would find a lot to like about the first year of The Micronauts.
Thus concludes the first half of my blog entry about the first half of the pile of Micronauts comics I bought on Ebay. In the next installment, I'll cover annual 1 plus issues 13-20.
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