REVIEW: ‘Mega Man: Fully Charged,’ Issue #4

Mega Man: Fully Charged #4 is published by BOOM! Studios. It comes from the creative team of writers A.J. Marchisello and Marcus Rinehart, illustrator Stefano Simeone, colorist Igor Monti, and letterer Ed Dukeshire. At the end of the previous issue, Mega Man found himself rescued by a mysterious robot. Now, in a dream flashback, we see Dr. Light meeting with Dr. Wily back during the Hard Age. Mega Man is awoken shortly after by his robot dog companion, Rush, and his unknown savior who reveals herself to be his sister Suna in disguise as the robot Zero.

We then see Skull man speaking to Dr. Wily, revealing him to be a traitor against humanity. Mega Man and Zero spring into action to rescue those caught in the sudden eruption of violence. As they arrive to save the day they are attacked by several Robot Masters. Zero engages them while Mega Man fights Skull Man head-on. With a potential war being started by Dr. Wily and the Robot Masters, it will take every trick up Mega Man’s sleeve to win the day.

Mega Man: Fully Charged #4 feels like the strongest issue of the series so far. Marchisello and Rinehart’s writing continues to blend cheesy but endearing banter with solid storytelling. The reveal of Dr. Wily being a villain shouldn’t surprise anyone, but it is well done and exemplifies his sneaky and duplicitous nature. It was refreshing to see his plan allowed him to find success regardless of which side won the fight. With a villain as two-faced as Wily is, it isn’t particularly surprising that Mega Man could never really put a stop to him in the games. What was shocking was the arrival of Zero and the reveal that she was Suna all along. These kinds of twists and surprises help to build a compelling canon within this universe and keep things interesting.

The real star of the show in this issue was the art. Simeone’s brilliant action scenes keep the story moving and make every panel exciting. I’ve spoken before about how much I like the way they portray action in stages with Mega Man appearing multiple times across the panel to show movement. With this issue being so heavily focused toward action, that effect is shown off a lot and it never gets old.

The colors from Monti are brilliant. The glowing blues on Mega Man help keep him contrasted and always visible regardless of how busy the panels get. With as many flashbacks as there are, Monti’s use of a different palette to signify events taking place in the past also helps keep this issue visually clean as well as beautiful. The letters from Dukeshire are solid. From the different fonts used depending on who is talking to the weighty sfx text, the letters enhance every panel.

Overall, Mega Man: Fully Charged #4 felt like a major payoff to the series, and it doesn’t look like it will be slowing down anytime soon. Seeing Zero, one of my all-time favorite Mega Man characters, was a treat. The excellent way they tied her into the story was even better. I know I started a little lukewarm with this series, but I’m so glad I stuck with it. I can’t wait to see what the future holds for the Blue Bomber and his family.

Mega Man: Fully Charged #4 is available now wherever comics are sold.