Micronauts [2016] #6 - IDW Publishing

MICRONAUTS No. 6, September 2016

Focusing upon the fate of Oziron Rael, after Commander Raith had revised “our objectives” and cleaved the Pharoid apart with his force sword rather than simply apprehend him, Cullen Bunn’s script for Issue Six of “Micronauts” still contained plenty of punch to entertain its more action-orientated readers. For whilst matters do momentarily dwell upon the “roguish space pirate” and his conversation with an ethereal Time Traveller inside the Entropy Storm, they soon return to the pacifist’s team-mates and the truly impressive birth of a conscious Biotron; “That -- Hurt! Oh, like you don’t want to throw these guys around a little bit! They stabbed me too, you know!”

In fact in many ways it’s a shame the Bram Stoker Award-nominee’s narrative doesn’t feature the massive, powerful robot for longer and specifically explore just how the machine’s Artificial Intelligence picked up traces of Oz’s personality “when we were stabbed.” It’s certainly amusing to see the towering automaton already starting to develop his friendship with the “worrywart” Microtron, as well establish his formidable combat abilities alongside Acroyear.

Of course, arguably this twenty-page periodical’s biggest draw is the cataclysmic confrontation between Daigon and Karza, both of whom have ‘enerchanged’ into their resplendent centauroid battle forms. The dialogue between these former “old” friends is wonderfully written, touching upon the pairs’ one-time trust of one another, and current polar opposite interpretations of the mysterious Time Travellers and “their [supposed] weapon”, the Entropy Storm. Indeed, their duel especially adds an extra layer of depth to the Baron’s dark character, by suggesting he would have considered an alliance with the Minister of Science if Akai had agreed to devote “our efforts to destroying the Entropy Cloud, not trying to understand its purpose or the intent of those who unleashed it upon us!”  

This particular segment of the publication also provides Max Dunbar the opportunity to pencil both members of the Microspace ruling class at their very best, with the Canadian illustrator’s dynamically-charged depiction of the two close-combat monsters featuring a veritable range of ‘hidden’ weaponry, such as side-missiles, flailing tail-whips, chest micro-missiles and Karza’s ‘game-winning’ detachable flying hand. This ten-panel battle is genuinely pulse-pounding, and yet simply builds upon the artist’s earlier work within this comic when Biotron shocking gains sentience and starts beating up Commander Raith’s ant-like troopers.

The regular cover art of "MICRONAUTS" No. 6 by Max Dunbar