Revolution: M.A.S.K. #1
Publisher: IDW
Writer: Brandon Easton
Artist: Tony Vargas
Colorist: Jordie Escuin
Cover: Tommy Lee Edwards
When this title was first announced, the 80s kid in me did backflips and moonwalked in celebration. My 2016 adult self might have also done the same at the thought of seeing M.A.S.K. back again and with Brandon Easton at the helm! Now with IDW’s Revolution event underway Easton gets to introduce these characters to a new generation and grab some fans of the original series along the way. If you’re unfamiliar with Revolution, it’s a crossover event that is bringing together characters from IDW’s Transformers, Rom, G.I. Joe, Action Man, M.A.S.K., and Micronauts comics into one big shared universe.
Brandon immediately delivers a very different Miles Mayhem for this new series than the one introduced years ago. The Miles we get here is the man behind M.A.S.K. and is preparing the team to deal with the “Cybertronian Problem”. Brandon skillfully lays out small hints of Miles’ darker side and quickly establishes him as being a more capable villain than the over the top cartoon version. He’s got a deeper purpose and several plans within plans which will surely lead to the creation of the classic M.A.S.K. adversaries known as V.E.N.O.M. later on. Easton has also given us a roster of heroes that reflect a more realistic and diverse group. This ends up being a strong area for the story because it feels natural along with the new additions to the team.
The visuals from Tony Vargas are just as fun as Easton’s story with even better upgrades. His character designs are immediately recognizable to those familiar with the original series while sporting an updated look that fits perfectly. There are several other visual nods to the past but Vargas’ style is definitely cemented in the present. Along with the colors from Escuin enhancing the artwork this ends up being one fine looking issue.
M.A.S.K. fits perfectly into the Revolution event because of Easton’s delivery right here. Even with the cameos from G.I. Joe characters this is all about the introduction of this new group of heroes to the IDW roster. So if you were debating adding this to your read pile understand that Easton has put together a version of the team that uses just enough nostalgia to springboard this series into some new and exciting territory. So pick this one up and get in on the ground floor before the main series gets started.
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