Metroid (Magazine Z)

Metroid

Paperback - Japan - 1st edition of both volumes.

Author Kouji Tazawa Published 2003-11-?? Type Fiction, Comics Genre Science Fiction Themes Action, Science fiction Age Group Children

Metroid is a two-volume graphic novel written by Kouji Tazawa and drawn by Kenji Ishikawa. It was initially and published in Japan by Magazine Z, and later published in a two-volume anthology, the first volume in November 2003 and the second in May 2004. It was created as the backstory of the Metroid series particularly the events leading up to and including Samus's Zero Mission.

Personal

Own?	No.
Read?	English translation.
Finished	2018-02-06.

I read this comic to better familiarize myself with the expanded Metroid universe.

Review

Overall:

— This section contains spoilers! —

Good

• A lot of the drawings in the comic are really nice, especially the action sequences.

Bad

• The story is pretty juvenile and trope-heavy.
• I don't care much for the character design of Samus as an adult, particularly because her forehead seems too big.
• A lot of characters are new: the living Chozo, Samus's side-kicks, etc. However, since they don't appear in any of the games, and only play minor roles in the comic, it's hard to care about them.
• There are a lot of action panels which are either so close-up or so abstract that I can't tell what's going on.
• Chibi and super-deformed artistic styles shouldn't be part of a comic with an adult theme, it just ruins the seriousness of it all.
• A quibble, but, when Samus gets the Varia, her suit doesn't change to the Varia design.

Ugly

• Over all, I didn't find the comic very interesting.
• Despite taking you through all the major events of the Zero Mission, the comic ends without the game's resolution. This wouldn't be a problem since the game resolves the main plot line, but the comic created about a dozen ancillary characters with plot lines that abruptly stop with the comic, never seeing closure.
• How is it a group of pirates are often more powerful than the entire Federation's military? I get that they have Mother Brain to guide them, but they were practically annihilated, and then, after only a decade or so, they become powerful enough to take on a multi-planet federation.

Media

• 

  Volume 1 (Translated to English).

• 

  Volume 2 (Translated to English).

Representation

Strong female character?	Pass
Bechdel test?	Fail
Strong person of color character?	Fail
Queer character?	Fail

Links