The MBoard

Yeah, well now Archie is going to be take'n a crack at it:
(http://www.sonicstadium.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/megaman11.jpg)

Comes out spring of next year.

I like the art, hope it turns out good.

Looks considereably better already...

Depends on who they have writing.  Some of the Archie writers are really good at what they do and keeping things close to canon... while obviously making it an interesting comic.

I've never been into comics, but this just might make me a comic book nerd...

I'm on board if we don't suddenly find out it takes place in a high school again.

I used to read Archie and there is no place for continuity in those random stories. But then again that's the "Archieverse" I'm referring to, I haven't read anything else by Archie Comics.

I have a feeling this won't interest me at all but that's okay because it's probably entirely for kids.

How well do they write the Sonic comics?

They wrote them based on the Saturday morning cartoon (and loosely, very loosely on Adventures of Sonic), which was the only continuity with fairly complex story and character development thus far.  They also tried to tie in new games when they came out, and many of those adaptations are pretty cool.  It is not the same universe as the games, but they do try to make things fit.

Some of the writers were really phenomenal with doing this, and the first 100 or so issues were actually pretty cool... and that was a few different writers and artists the whole way.

Then they switched writers and I stopped reading because it was just stupid, and I had lost interest in Sonic anything after playing Sonic Adventure 2.  Yes, I think it sucks that much, as do all Sonic games since.

Of course, I've heard this Mega Man comic is actually going to have one of the good Sonic writers at the helm, so it could actually be pretty cool.  Let's just hope they try to get the universe as close to canon as possible.

I used to read the Sonic comics when I was a kid. I would grab an issue whenever my mom took me to this drug store that had 'em on the rack. I reeeeeally loved them as a kid, but I was a KID so I don't know if they were actually good.

Sometimes they were awesome.  There are a couple of issues I still really like.

Most of it wasn't all that great, especially not in retrospect.
Good memories anyway.

I'm to understand this guy won't be doing the art every issue.  Though if they can keep it at that level/quality it would go a long way to helping.  Based on what I know about Archie and comic book adaptations ::cough::Sonic::cough:: I don't have a lot of faith it's not going to suck.  I guess if it doesn't and the art is good it's just a bonus.  I mean, it can't be worse than the Dreamwave garbage, right?  Right?

In the end it's a moot point though.  I judge all Mega Man comics by Mega Mix, so it's got an impossibly high bar to go for.

- will primarily follow the games
- will feature both adaptations and original stories
- first issue focuses on Dr. Wily's betrayal and Rock's transition to Mega Man
- robot masters aren't killed off
- we'll get to see what happens to robot masters after Mega Man defeats them
- Mega Man will have to use strategy to beat each Robot Master
- interest in adaptations of the classic series, the Game Boy games, and the two Mega Man & Bass/Rockman & Forte games
- no Mega Man Soccer adaptation
- could spin-off into other series involving Mega Man
- if original characters do happen, they will be supplemental
- a Mega Man/Sonic crossover could happen, but not likely

http://protodudesrockmancorner.blogspot.com/2010/10/flynn-discusses-archies-mega-man-comic.html

Sounds like everything I wanted to hear!

Well, if they can keep the art from being #####, this might just be good.

- no Mega Man Soccer adaptation

Damn, that would have been hilarious.

They can do it as an omake like in Mega Mix.

Bonus.
Bonus.  We have a word for that.  Why don't you use it?

Omake is funner than Bonus.

Been a long while since I was on the MMM or any Megaman related site. But the news of this Archie comic reminded me of all the fun times I had with all the Megaman stuff of the past. Can't wait to read it.

http://www.themmnetwork.com/2011/04/28/preview-pages-for-mega-man-1/

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Just say'n.

...whoa.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=COk1QORtRCI

Because he called himself "Rock" I'm torn. That is the ONLY thing I can gripe about in it but it still bothers me. Art's perfect for a MM comic and I love that it's following the game.

That said I'm probably not gonna read it any further anyway so my opinion is irrelevant.

Because he called himself "Rock" I'm torn. That is the ONLY thing I can gripe about in it but it still bothers me. Art's perfect for a MM comic and I love that it's following the game.

That said I'm probably not gonna read it any further anyway so my opinion is irrelevant.

... Why does that bother you? His name IS Rock.

I think it's pretty neato.

Dude, that's the artist who used to do the old Sonic the Hedgehog comics! I remember he'd sign "Spaz" in the corner of every cover, holy hell that brings me back. That's the only comic I ever read as a kid. Never got into superhero stuff, but I have a stack of those Archie Sonic comics in my bedroom somewhere. I think this is going to be a definite buy for me.

Also, that preview just looked plain fun. I'm completely on board.

I've got a "subscription" to it at my local comic book store, although he won't be able to get me the variant covers. May have to eBay for them all, or see if the comic store up in Scranton could get them and one of my professor friends just picks them up for me.

Variant covers are a con anyway.

: Mikero  29 April 2011, 00:16:30

Because he called himself "Rock" I'm torn. That is the ONLY thing I can gripe about in it but it still bothers me. Art's perfect for a MM comic and I love that it's following the game.

That said I'm probably not gonna read it any further anyway so my opinion is irrelevant.

... Why does that bother you? His name IS Rock.

I doesn't really, I was saying that's the only thing I didn't think was great in it.

But really, as far as I'm concerned, his name is RockMan or MegaMan. I've never been a fan of him having "first name" of Rock before becoming a super fighting robot. It always felt like forced continuity/origin to me, and sounded like something you'd read in fanfiction or MMZ. But that's just me.

fanfiction or MMZ

How are those different?

Apparently the comic is selling pretty well - according to the guy at Comics on the Green, Archie Comics may have sold out on the first run.

I got my hands on it, thanks to having a "subscription" at another shop. I was impressed by the art - story...not so much. Then again, I've played/heard/read/seen it a million times.

Just read it. The artwork blew me away.

I ended up seeing it at the comic shop today when I picked up the new Chew, so I bought it. Really liked it. The artwork, as stated, was great. It really reminded me of those old Sonic comics I used to read, which is a plus. I'm not a huge comics guy, but I feel like I'm gonna' have to keep reading this one only to make my inner child happy. I'm mostly just angry it wasn't around when I was younger. I'd much rather have read a MegaMan Archie series than a Sonic one.

It seems cool but I'd have been more arsed if it came out ten years ago. Kind of like StarCraft 2.

Tried to get issue 1, it was sold out.  I have it on my pull list for now.  I'll probably drop it if they start rotating artists ever 5 months or go to a ##### awful style.

I heard the series is actually just a four issue mini, anyone know? I saw the variant for cover four (featuring Iceman) and it said 4 of 4 for the issue.   :o

Regardless I'll keep buying, gotta support good old Rock. Oh hey, and Fireman's there.

BURN IT ALLLLLL. *ahem*

Edit: Nevermind, crisis averted. Seems they're just using numbers on the series to depict arcs and issue 4 is the end of the first arc (first game maybe?).

I can wait for a collection. I still buy some comics in issue format but I'm cutting it out. I just end up putting them in a shortbox having read them once, and never really looking at them again regardless of much I liked them. Collections can be shelved and re-read, plus are much more organized.

I know of a man who totes a tomato stick that is gonna be pissed.

Huh, was not expecting Time Man.

Time Man was rather meh, but how can anyone NOT like Oil Man?

Also, looks like they are changing artists and it's by the guy who draws quite similar to Universe's style.  I will in all likelihood be dropping the comic.  I don't need art changing ever arc or special with wacky personal takes or styles.

I can wait for a collection. I still buy some comics in issue format but I'm cutting it out. I just end up putting them in a shortbox having read them once, and never really looking at them again regardless of much I liked them. Collections can be shelved and re-read, plus are much more organized.

That's what I've been doing. Only problem is that thanks to the great deals I usually get, I'm in need of a new bookshelf.

Yep.
I'm in that boat too.

And hardcovers are putting real notable dips in my shelves so they have nice dangerous arcs to them.

...so.... why is Proto Man being called "Blues" in a MEGA MAN comic? It just seems... silly.

(http://i56.tinypic.com/c6fib.jpg)

Well, Blues is his name just like Rock is MegaMan's name...

Maybe Dr.Light wasn't involved in his name changing to ProtoMan...

Maybe... it still seems silly, but I can live with it.

MegaMan's name is MegaMan.

Yeah, but before he was MegaMan, he was Rock. Like, before he "robotized", when he was just a kid. So maybe that's why Dr. Light calls ProtoMan Blues?

Listen I know that's the just the way it is from now on with the Classic universe, but I don't necessarily subscribe to it. I'm not even sure at this point if that was ever mentioned in the NES games, I have no idea, but it always reeked of something brought about by the original 90's cartoon or some other thing I don't fully respect for story.

Maybe I'm alone on that tip but it really feels tossed in there to me, like an afterthought no one required. And really if I cared about MegaMan trying to be a normal "kid" I would just read the Dreamwave comics and/or go post on an Astroboy forum.

I was always cool with MegaMan just being the super fighting robot, I didn't need elaboration on his journey--Especially if it was gonna be a half-assed trope. It works just fine for the comics or other adaptations, it's a logical element to include in a narrative, but I find it superfluous as far as (and I'm about to use a word I don't like) "canon" is concerned.

Either way that's probably the basis for calling ProtoMan "Blues", at least at first glance, here but I do find them both silly, as Nova said. But it doesn't matter; Rock and Blues are dead. MegaMan and ProtoMan are who they ARE.

Well, the MegaMan 4 intro actually recaps what happened in the last three games and mentions that Rock and Roll were household robots and that Rock decided to become the fighting robot MegaMan to stop Dr. Wily.

Always confused me as a kid because I always known him just as MegaMan.

And in Powered Up, it re-iterates that MegaMan was once a household robot in the intro stage (although Capcom changed his original name of Rock into Mega for the English version... seems like they can't decide on their own continuity).


So, I'm really digging the comic. Once it really gets started I wonder what kind of plots Archie will throw at us. Only one thing has bugged me and that's renaming the Metools into Mettaurs, like in Battle Network.

I really liked it when Dr. Light said he named Rock and Roll based on his love for music.

Story is moving a little too quickly. I was hoping each robot master would have their own issue. Still pretty cool though.

Well, the MegaMan 4 intro actually recaps what happened in the last three games and mentions that Rock and Roll were household robots and that Rock decided to become the fighting robot MegaMan to stop Dr. Wily.

Always confused me as a kid because I always known him just as MegaMan.

And in Powered Up, it re-iterates that MegaMan was once a household robot in the intro stage (although Capcom changed his original name of Rock into Mega for the English version... seems like they can't decide on their own continuity).

Well of course Powered Up and comics do that crap, but I'm wondering if this was retroactive continuity created in MM4 that we now just have to accept or if it was the story all along.

I probably won't ever care know.

I really liked it when Dr. Light said he named Rock and Roll based on his love for music.

But I presume you already knew that was the reasoning behind the names Rockman-Roll... Was it just a well done scene or something?

Like, before he "robotized", when he was just a kid.

He was always a robot, never a "kid". A robotic kid, sure. But not Astroboy.

Confirmed - Dr. Light turns children into robots.  He's the Robotnik of Mega Man.

“Time Keeps Slipping,” Part 2. Dr. Wily has vanished! Roll has been kidnapped! Dr. Light is in federal custody! What’s Mega Man to do? The blue bomber teams up with Cut Man and Bombman to investigate the ruins of Wily’s castle and search for clues, but what dangers await within? And who are these two, new, powered-up Robot Masters?"

One thing I really like that they're doing is making the Original Six good guys and not killing them off. Kind of reminds me of Mega Mix.

time keeps on slipping slipping slipping
into the futuuuuuure

^ My exact reaction, verbatim.

I was afraid that comics would not be good enough for the Mega Man universe, but now reading the comments, I have to find   8)

^ This post looks like it's from the 90's.

For anyone who doesn't feel like picking up individual issues, the latest issue of Previews shows that there will be a graphic novel collecting (what I assume is) issues 1-4.

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In issue #3, they used lyrics for The Megas (a Mega Man cover band) "Message from Dr. Light"!

Neat idea but it still reads like a song and when people just SAY lyrics at you in real life it is an extremely awkward and lame affair...

That's my favourite song by The Megas. The other ones never grabbed me as much. They're either amusing or just... bad. But THAT one, I like a lot.

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Hey, the way that the blog explains MegaMan's buster, what's to stop him from mighty morphin' both arms at once?
http://www.archiecomics.com/blog/mega_man/2011/05/making-the-man-mega-part-5-arms-hands-and-mega-busters.html

Good to know. I'll make sure to tell anyone who has asked me that question before.

He morphs both at once in SuperAdventure RockMan.

I was going to wait for trade paperbacks of these, but Mega Man's state at the moment has driven me to subscribe.  I've really been enjoying them, I might end up buying any collections they put out anyways to share with other people.

Just read book 3.

Archie really did their homework. There is some really smart, really well thought out referencing going on in these comics (Light creating the Magnet Beam for example. I had the widest smile when I saw that).

Though I think Mega Mix is far better as far as pacing and writing goes, the Archie comics are pretty well done so far.

A little off topic but I thought it'd be neat to bring up I bought a piece of art from the Megaman series.

Anyone willing to guess what it is?

Take a look.

http://www.comicartfans.com/GalleryPiece.asp?Piece=794542&GSub=84275

Video game addiction to comic addiction has come full circle! Whooo!

That's pretty #####ing sweet.

I'm not hatin' or anything, but the blue lines really help to show how stiff that artist draws, which can be really detrimental (it results in flat, awkward, and uninteresting pieces).

They seem to have gotten past some of that with the ink, and I know that's sort of how MM has been done for twenty-six years, but it bothers me (because I'm trained to look for it, not because it's that bad).

Hah, the art is kinda  stiff but hey, they are robots! *rimshot* I like it regardless.

Can't wait to get issue 5 of the series came out today/yesterday/Wednesday. Man time IS SLIPPING. XD

The preview of the issue looked fun.

I just read issue 6...this series is pretty damn entertaining. Highly impressed.

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Issue #10 shows Mega Man keeping a strong pimp hand with Crash Man.

CRASH MAN DOESN'T SUFFER KNOCKBACK
WTH

Kind of lame that the story must be told in four issue arcs. I think five would have been perfect.

Ah well, at least it progresses the story faster. It seems like it'll catch up to MM10 in a few years.

So does anyone know where I can buy the New York Comic-Con exclusive issue 6 variant?

New York Comic-Con.

*rimshot*

Heeeelarious.

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HOLY ##########! Archie Comics has made whatever supplies leftover from Comic-Con available on their online store! I just picked up two copies for $6 a pop. ##### paying eBay's $50-100 prices!

YOU GOT... A GREAT DEAL!

I'm going to keep collecting the comics... but the pacing is awful...

And the fact they're doing the collections ever 4 issues makes it pointless to buy the individual issues.  The volumes are INFINITELY easier to keep on a book shelf.  Individual comic issues are a pain to keep.

I'm doing both, as I'm a consumer whore.

I'm doing it mainly to sell later as a complete set.

I wouldn't bother. The main thing I had to tell people when working at the comic store, whenever some character "died" (re: Captain America), was that collecting comics is basically worthless now. Nothing new is ever worth any money to a seller. Collecting for yourself is fine, whatever, but they only depreciate in value. They don't make rare comics anymore, so no comics are rare.

I'm with Rez on the trades tip.

Mega Man will be Archie's free comic to be given away on Free Comic Book Day 2012!

So a reprint as usual then?

I'mma pick it up.

DEAL WITH IT.  8)

THAT LOOKS FAMILIAR

What's with the choppy layering? This is reminiscent of really cheap 90's photohop work, especially with the bad 3D models, Donkey Kong Country-style.

I like the seal though.

COMING IN 2013...

THE CROSSOVER EVENT WE ALL KNOW YOU'VE BEEN CRAVING AND WRITING #####TY FAN-FICTION FOR...

Mega Man and Sonic the Hedgehog are going to be teaming up in a 9-issue event.

...

I want Megaman to kill sonic and take his abilities.

So, they're up to Mega Man 3 or so in the games and they're introducing Bass in this Cross Over?  And it's suppose to be canon in both series?  Archie dun goofed!

But seriously, this looks like complete ass.  And 12 issues?  F that.  Looks like one big block of 4 issues I can skip on MM.  Shame too, as the Archie MM was actually getting somewhat good in it's own right all in all.

Yeah, it'll be interesting working him in there. Of course the series is ultimately its own continuity so there's always leeway of some sort. I could buy it either being set further into Megaman's future and thus why Bass is there or Bass will be activated/built early and play a role in the story but never actually run into Megaman to keep it in continuity.

What'd everyone think of the last issue? The "Rock of Ages" story.

Loved it. I was really happy to see one foreboding green robot. I wonder how or if he'll ever be dealt with in a real manner.