We have been presented with another unique opportunity to review a brand-new comic. This time, we’re reviewing a new comic called MechaTon, published by Scout Comics and written by Wells Thompson and Dalton K. Shannon.
We will jump into the review first and then provide further information at the bottom in regard to these talented writers and the Kickstarter campaign.
Story – 10/10
The story was super fun in this. The story began in a video game-type environment with 4 rules before it switched back to the real world. I loved how the comic started, it made you feel like you were being thrown right into the deep end but you aren’t. You’re being introduced to this brand-new storylike feel, something I haven’t seen done before. It’s unique.
In the first issue, you’re presented with how the mechs come into play. You believe it’s going to be via the video game but it’s not. A glove falls out of the sky into a dump pit where one of the main characters, Leah, currently is.
We don’t find out until later what the glove’s capabilities actually are until the glove turns into a full mech suit. A hot dog mech suit to be precise. All in all, this was just fun, it was different, and I genuinely enjoyed this. That’s what I want from comics, I just want the story to not be overdone and just straight to it with unique selling points, this is exactly what this does.
Graphics – 10/10
When I read a comic, the graphics are extremely important to me. I’ve read comics before where the designers have tried way too hard and it just overcomplicates things. If the designs are simple, to the point, and give a clear picture of what’s going on then I’m happy.
The designers here have done just exactly that. The graphics are simple yet effective. You know what the characters look like, you know what’s going on in each strip, and the designs are very well done. It’s a straight 10/10 for me. Plus, a hot dog mech suit is just brilliant.
Entertainment – 10/10
I was thoroughly entertained. I was intrigued by everything pretty quickly. The world that we’re in here is great. When I read new comics that aren’t DC, Marvel, or Star Wars, it can take me a bit of time to familiarise myself with what’s going on. This comic didn’t do that, I was hooked immediately. When the first strips were going through the rules in the actual game, I was pulled in. I read the comic 3 times and it got better with each read. The writers did a good ensuring the comic was entertaining. As I already mentioned, it was fun.
Time – 10/10
The first issue took me around 10 minutes to read. All-in-all I spent roughly 30 minutes going through the comic, re-looking at strips and whatnot. We rate this section based on whether or not the comic is WORTH your time because after all, time is precious. In this instance, the 30 minutes I spent reading this was fully worth my time. I’m already curious as to how the future issues will go, even to the point I’m considering buying all of the versions on release. I may be reviewing the comic but I’ve become a fan at the same time.
Characters – 10/10
There aren’t a lot of characters in this but that’s NOT a bad thing. It’s good because it allows the comic to focus on the characters that actually matter. We have our main character in Derek who embodies what it is to be a GOOD person. He’s a gamer and a pizza delivery guy who was subsequently fired for his “timekeeping”. One of my standout points here with Derek was when he was deliberately late with the pizza so Ms. Heidi so he didn’t have to accept the tip.
Derek also tries to help out wherever he can. The moment he puts on the mech suit, he doesn’t hesitate to stop the giant bug that’s come out of nowhere and attacking everything. He springs into action immediately in order to help those around him.
We then have Leah who is the sister of Derek. She’s the one who found the glove in the dump pile and kind of cemented herself as the tech wizard. She assists Derek in stopping the bug as she’s able to connect to the suit remotely and see the diagnostics. She also helps Derek with the suit’s capabilities and what it can do.
We also have our side characters such as Mr. Mitchell who runs the hot dog stand and seems like a genuinely good guy. You felt so sorry for him when his stand was destroyed by the bug, this is how Derek is able to rock the new mech suit. It’s literally the hot dog stand turned into a mech suit. It’s a quirky idea but it just works.
There aren’t a lot of characters here but the ones that are here are perfectly done. You remember the names and who they are. That’s what makes a rating of 10/10 here. It’s the fact I’m now 3 hours from reading the comic and I still remember their names.
Verdict
MechaTon is a LOT of fun. It’s quirky, it’s unique and it gives you the satisfaction of a good read. I have a great time reading through the comic and I’m now a fan of the series. I wish all of the fantastic people who worked on this comic all the luck in the world. They really deserve it.
Further information
MechaTon is currently running an all-or-nothing Kickstarter campaign. You can see what the team plan to do with the funds if it reaches the goal of £6,684 (showing as GBP as we’re located in the UK). You can see more details on the campaign by clicking here.
You can purchase the first issue on Previews World by clicking here. The price for the comic at present is $3.99 which is a fair price.
Credits
Writer #1: Wells Thompson – @WellsThomp
Writer #2: Dalton K. Shannon – @daltonkshannon
Artist: Fernando Pinto
Colorist: Meaghan Casey
Letterer: Nathan Kempf
Words from the team
MechaTon is the most fun I’ve had telling a story. It’s the kind of comic where “that’s ridiculous” isn’t an idea killer, it’s high praise, where everything gets to be larger than life and real problems get to be tackled on an impossible scale. It’s got the most heart, humor, and heroics of any book we’ve done, plus a bunch of mechs made from trash and the best stylized art I’ve seen since Scott Pilgrim. MECHATON makes me happy, and I think it’ll make you happy too!
Wells thompson
This book always puts a smile on my face. It’s a project that’s been in the works for a decade now and the impossible dream of punching robots into existence to fight giant monsters has never been more exciting. I’ve loved getting to work with a team that takes big, dumb robots as seriously as I do and getting to see that passion come to life within the pages of MECHATON has been the most spectacular of achievements. Between robots made of trash, characters full of sincerity, and the over-the-top action that made me fall in love with genre fiction in the first place, I couldn’t imagine a better book to help bring to life. Punch anything. Punch everything.
Dalton k. shannon
MECHATON is fun comics. Seems that those two words should be almost synonymous, but I don’t think that is the case most of the time. MECHATON is an amazing Sci-fi adventure concept (I mean, who wouldn’t want to be able to create giant mechs at will?), that’s grounded by the relationships of the characters that populates its world. Sibling friendship, love for your community, and the acceptance of everyone around you. It has heart, it has adventure, it is funny, and…giant robots! I feel really happy, and lucky, to be a part of it. It’s been a great ride so far, completely enhanced by my working relationship with the team. I mean, open your phone any day of the week and you’ll find a horror story about working in comics. I’m glad to say this has been great all the way through so far. I hope we get to keep doing it.
fernando pinto
The Review
Story - 10
Graphics - 10
Entertainment - 10
Time - 10
Characters - 10
10
PERFECT!
MechaTon is a LOT of fun. It's quirky, it's unique and it gives you the satisfaction of a good read. I have a great time reading through the comic and I'm now a fan of the series. I wish all of the fantastic people who worked on this comic all the luck in the world. They really deserve it.
