If you are a Megaman fan then you’re probably enjoying the ongoing Mega Man comic book by Archie Comics.  If not, grab a copy now!  It’s a very heartfelt and faithful adaptation to the Mega Man series.  The comic does introduce original elements and characters but these are welcome changes and only enrich the Mega Man mythology.

The series has covered Mega Man 1 to 2 and is currently building up to what I expect to be a spectacular adaptation of Mega Man 3 (my favorite game in the series).  The comic book is a small comfort for fans of the series deprived of any new games.

Now of course, with Mega Man out, X can’t be too far behind and he finally makes his appearance in issue 34 in a 5 page backup story which retells the events leading up to the first game.  For the longest time, all we had was the short intro sequence in Mega Man X for SNES, which detailed Dr. Lights notes on X.  Here, we finally see this backstory come to life.  From Dr. Cain unearthing and activating Mega Man X, to researching Dr. Lights technology to create the Reploid to X expressing his doubts on whether the human race is ready for him.  Artist Patrick Spaziante has done an excellent job of mimicking the series’ art style.  Even Dr. Cain, who has few appearances in the series is done right.  It’s very easy to mistake for official art, a quality that was carried over from the Mega Man comic book.

Again, it’s a prologue so don’t expect to see Zero or Sigma yet.  This backup story (and its continuation in Mega Man 35) serves as an introduction for readers to the Mega Man X universe.  Based on the 5 pages of content we have and how the Mega Man series is doing, the staff at Archie are more than capable of telling the tale of the Blue Bombers successor.

Mega Man 34 is expected to arrive in stores this week.  The story continues in Mega Man 35, leading to a crossover between Mega Man and X in April.  Sales in of these issues will most likely determine whether we’ll get an actual Mega Man X spinoff comic so fans, show your support and buy the Mega Man comics!  This is just one of many many ways to show Capcom that love for the Blue Bomber is not dead.

Written by Tim Huang