Folks, nostalgia is a trap.
That’s not to say I’ve not fallen in before — like a rat in one of those “Flip-N-Slides.” Rather, I’ve always tried to be acutely aware of what it means (and what I might be missing out on or maybe over-compensating) when I indulge a little retromania.
That awareness is a big part of why I truly liked last year’s Biker Mice from Mars three-issue limited series. With that story, writer Melissa Flores and artist Francis Portela gave us exactly what we wanted: A flood of great memories (like a million Saturday morning cartoon sessions happening all at once) while putting in work to make a new, more textured take on the Biker Mice themselves. The end result was so good, in fact, that Flores has since launched an ongoing series alongside artist Daniel Gete (Skin Police), colorist Alessandro Santoro, and letterer Taylor Esposito.
And as much fun as I’m already having, nostalgia’s very much still a trap for one and all.
Courtesy of Oni Press.
Because, yes, in several important metrics, the Biker Mice ongoing is a mighty continuation of the limited series. I earnestly appreciate that the new #1 begins right where we left off, with Modo, Throttle, and Vinnie working with the other Martian mice to battle the nefarious Plutarkians. You get that important sense of continuation without feeling like you’re missing out on too much. (Admittedly, the “let’s beat up alien invaders” shtick ain’t novel, but it’s all indicative of Biker Mice‘s effectiveness as a series.)
Flores also keeps right up with what I’d call the “overt drama-fication” of the Biker Mice “canon.” The limited series brought in their family members in addition to the global onslaught of the Plutarkians, and that combination of both macro and micro threads and happenings gave us a lot to explore and made the Biker Mice feel more real (even more than when I owned every action figure and stadium playset).This time around, the war continues, and we get to further see the mice play spunky rebels in a way that’s really satisfying. It’s also a solid way to bring in kids while exploring more “advanced” themes (that are also surprisingly relevant in today’s landscape).
Throw in a big planetary event, and corresponding losses and tragedy, and Biker Mice is cruising directly toward our hearts, where they easily smash right through for a story that’s deeply effective. Sure, some of that can feel a little manipulative — lots of slow, solemn staring at broken buildings and dead parents’ graves — but even I’m not able to deny that it provides heaps of emotionality without making this book something it’s not. (They are rodent Harley enthusiasts, after all.)
Courtesy of Oni Press.
But as much as the emotional developments in this new #1 worked really well, you simply can’t deny what the team of Gete and Santoro accomplished. Not to take away from Portela (alongside former colorist Leonardo Paciarotti), but this new art team push the geeky, neon-tinged action and joy to daring new levels on the speedometer of my soul. Gete’s art is perfectly suited for, say, a brigade of bikes speeding through the desert, or the Mice frantically outrunning fire/lava.
Heck, things remain just as gorgeous and compelling as when the Mice are sitting around emoting heavily or talking about fresh battle plans. Toss in Santoro’s colors, which push the intensity and childlike joy even further still, and the art is alive because 1) they honor the source material and 2) find the right ways to enhance and extend the world and the Mice without, again, affecting our vision of them as faithful fans/riders.
The look of the book hasn’t necessarily evolved, and instead it’s just been pushed forward enough to both feel different and as if this story has heaps of momentum behind it from that limited run. That, and Gete just grasps the subject matter without dampening his own singularly dramatic, highly stylized approach, and that careful attention means that this is like all great cartoons as much as it’s altogether more subversive and layered than you’d ever consider from a Biker Mice title.
Courtesy of Oni Press.
If it seems like all I’ve got to is offer love and praise after my rather weird, hate-adjacent intro, don’t you worry: The Obnoxious Critique Express has reached the station. Because as much as everything clicks in Biker Mice #1, my nostalgia alarm bells still ring out loud and clear. Not enough to ruin the experience (too much, at least), but certainly just enough to mention as we consider the shape of this extended series.
Some of those issues are minor enough — the Plutarkians, for instance, feel a little hokey and one-note. If the Biker Mice get the “Hollywood action thriller” treatment to extend their emotionality/humanity (mice-anity?), I’d like to see more done to make their villains an actual threat and not mere caricatures. (The whole capitalist bent of the Plutarkians would seemingly indicate that there’s material right there for the taking.)
And speaking of diminished characterizations, there’s some of that happening among the Biker Mice themselves. Throttle feels like the main character — he’s got the complicated love interest, the robust family life, and generally the most realized backstory. Vinnie gets some of that emotionality in this new #1, but it’s minimal enough, and Modo mostly feels like an afterthought. Still, it’s better than how I feel about Stoker right now. A member of the rebellion introduced in the last series, Stoker already seems set to betray the mice. And if that’s not the case, well, his characterization just doesn’t sit right after he had a previously compelling introduction.
Courtesy of Oni Press.
Again, none of these issues are enough of a problem (so far…) Rather, it’s all just solid proof that as much as this series is getting right, any sustained celebration of nostalgia faces potential pitfalls like those mentioned. Could the book overcome these? Sure, everyone involved seems committed to doing this series and maintaining a proper balance between the past and future. At the same time, with some of these issues so obvious already in #1, I feel like any hesitation or trepidation (no matter how slight) is still merited. It’s a slippery slope from meaningful reboot to a sad bastardization of a once beloved franchise.
I just hope the Biker Mice can keep riding along so smoothly, and that the book continues to do some things well (bright, vivid action; overwrought drama; etc.) while abandoning what doesn’t work (the extra complicated storylines/character back-and forth, and the lack of spotlight on each of the core trio).
If it can, then the only trap I’ll fall into is the one labeled “Lifelong Biker Mice from Mars Comic Book Fan.”
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