Writer: Chris Claremont
Artist: David Nakayama
Marvel Comics
The astonishing return of Big Hero Six! Japan’s own top heroes!
Hiro (the smartest boy in Japan), Baymax (his trusty robot companion), Honey Lemon (with her all-containing handbag), Gogo Tomago (unstoppable energy ball & stuff) … and plus, two new members.
If you’re wondering ‘who the *** are they”… Don’t worry. It’s only their second limited series.
Chris Claremont and David Nakayama do a very good job making us feel at home with the characters. Of course there is an overt corniness at their work here but I am sure it’s on purpose. It’s one of “Big Hero 6″‘s charms.
The opening cool splash page ties Japan’s tragic nuclear past with why they use heroes like Honey Lemon and Go-Go Tomago for national defense. I also liked the classic introduction with their names in handy-dandy arrow-shaped captions.
It certainly is not a comic that takes itself seriously all the time. And at the same time it’s clever and interesting. It’s more of an old-fashioned, lighthearted, comic book superhero story. A thing that is missing from the current comic scene.
Though the more famous established Marvel characters once affiliated with the team – like the Silver Samurai and Sunfire — aren’t in this story, and according to what the back matter tells us, the team has apparently existed for years. But it’s up to Claremont and Nakayama to re-establish the characters and this team’s concept. I can’t say they fully succeed but at least they use some cliché aspects to their advantage. These things make the story playful, with just the right amount of mystery.
If you expect the greatest comic ever, you will be disappointed. BUT … if you are looking for a solid first issue, from the classic old school charm, you should read it. It certainly surprised me, offering more fun than I had expected.
Rating: 7.5/10
P.S. Something I noticed. The design of Go-Go Tomago reminds me of another marvel character, Cybermancer from the now defunct title Force Works.
