Medabots

(Viz, 2002)
TM and (c) Viz Communications, Inc.

The Medabots anime series has been a solid hit with its core audience; it’s a standard-issue “toycentric” cartoon series, leavened with the occasional heartfelt moment and bits of oddball humor. What that audience will make of Medabots #1, the manga, is something else again.

First off, nobody can accuse the Medabots comic book of being overly cute. Instead of going for the traditional overly rounded kid’s manga style, the characters look as if they’ve been reduced to two-dimensional icons, looking like computer-generated Colorforms.

As usual, the manga changes minor details of the anime story for no apparent reason, but it’s basically the same story of boy and ’bot. This being the first issue and the “origin” story, for most of it the tale is sorely lacking Medabee’s anarchic attitude (with a relentless ego and inflated self-esteem, he’s the anti-Astro Boy) and wicked wisecracks. Ugly, ordinary, and basically average, this one hovers near the bottom of the anime adaptations.

— S.A. Bennett

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Notes

Writer

Artist

#3

May, 2002
Cover Price: $2.75
2 copies available from $0.50

Art Horumarin

#4

May, 2002
Cover Price: $2.75
2 copies available from $0.75

Art Horumarin