ARC Read: Nacelleverse Vol. 1: Biker Mice from Mars & RoboForce

If you are someone who has been of cartoon-watching age (or of cartoon-watching habit, for that matter) sometime in the mid 90s, then there is a good chance that you remember the 'Biker Mice from Mars' show, you might even remember the slightly older 'Robo Force' toyline. You definitely also know that toy and comic book tie-ins for animated shows has been a decades-old tradition when it comes to cartoon entertainment. This book collects two of the latest such entries, as parts of the NacelleVerse, with the storylines setting up their respective animated series.

This volume includes the two runs of RoboForce #1–3 and Biker Mice from Mars #1–3, as well as NacelleVerse #0, all written by Melissa Flores whose excellent 'Mighty Morphin Power Rangers' and 'The Dead Lucky' runs have already established her as an ideal creator to handle similar material. It also features art by Rahmat Handoko, Rhoald Marcellius, Francis Portela, Diogenes Neves, and other well-known names in comics. Beyond the undeniably talented team behind it, and beyond its status as a cartoon tie-in, this book is actually an also pretty fun read.

With similar tie-ins, it's not uncommon for the quality to be less than stellar, and for the books to only exist as promotional, nostalgia-bait material. So it was good to see that this is certainly not the case here. There are the familiar characters and lore, but there is also a well-crafted storyline that combines both feeling true to the original and also fitting modern standards. Overall an enjoyable, action-packed, and nostalgia-fuelled read, whether you're already a fan or you're curious to discover those franchises.

A big thank you to Oni Press for providing an advance review copy. The book is expected to come out on May 20, 2025.