Modo, Throttle, and Vinnie are the Biker Mice from Mars, and their life is carefree until the Plutarkians start taking over the planet. Will they remain vigilantes, or is there a more effective way for them to resist? Find out in Biker Mice from Mars #1 from Oni Press!

BIKER MICE FROM MARS #1

Writer: Melissa Flores
Artist: Francis Portela
Colorist: Leonardo Paciarotti
Letterer: Ghost Glyph Studios’ Taylor Esposito
Editor: Karl Bollers
Publisher: Oni Press
Cover Price: $4.99
Release Date: July 17, 2024

Previously in Biker Mice from Mars: The cartoon sensation from the ’90s is back in print with the adventures of Throttle, Modo, and Vinnie as they face off against the biggest threat to their planet – the Plutarkians!

A ROARING START

Biker Mice from Mars #1 opens in 2091 as Throttle, Modo, and Vinnie race to the Marscavia Festival. The party is in full swing as they roll up with plenty of Martian Mice grilling out. Sweep greets them, and no sooner does she tell them that she has heard rumors of Plutarkian strip mining in the area than one of the machines roars in, chopping down trees and heading for the youngsters Primer and Rimfire. Throttle and Vinnie grab the kids while Modo fires on the machine.

This soon escalates into a brief battle between the Mice and the Plutarkians, who are humanoid fish people. Before long, the Plutarkians occupy the planet, bring in reinforcements, and start rounding up Mice. The story does have the feel of a cartoon, full of action and quickly dashing through the set-up to get to the main story.

As the Plutarkians get closer to the Martian capitol of Brimstone, the Biker Mice wonder what to do. Throttle’s mom has dementia and is in a nursing home. They all have friends and family there. The Plutarkians are even importing high-tech weapons from Earth. They wrestle with the question of whether they should join the army or not and head out for a ride in the canyons.

On their ride, they spot Lieutenant Carbine. She is holed up behind a rocky outcropping, pinned down by a group of Plutarkians. The bikers charge in from the side when a weapon fires from above Carbine, starting a rockslide that takes out the Plutarkian tank and knocks out some Plutarkians. But this was not Carbine’s weapon. She tells the bikers that she has heard about some kind of lone rebel living in the canyons.

The Lieutenant takes them back to camp. A good chunk of the Martian army is there. Word is that the Plutarkians are getting ready for a major offensive. She warns them that she is supposed to arrest vigilantes. She has been letting them operate because she knows they are on the same side. Why don’t they join up? If they do, she can make sure they have access to some even better weapons.

COLORFUL AND VIBRANT

The art of Biker Mice from Mars #1 is energetic and nicely drawn. The mice are anthropomorphic, but in addition to their humanoid features, they have the tails, large ears, and rodent-like teeth that we would expect. Throttle, Modo, and Vinnie are quite distinct, not only in looks but also in personality and body language. We meet a lot of characters in this issue, and I appreciate that we can keep them apart so clearly. And everyone also sports a pair of antennae, which is a nice little reminder that these are not just rodents.

Between the bikes, which are all different with some decidedly futuristic touches, and the fighting with the Plutarkians, there are a lot of sound effects in this issue. The fonts vary, and I like the way futuristic lettering styles are used here. They also use color, which not only helps in conveying what sort of weapon is firing or just what is exploding at the time but also works cohesively with the bright color scheme so that the sound effects smoothly become part of the art.

BOTTOM LINE: OFF AND RUNNING!

Biker Mice from Mars #1 hits the ground running with an action-packed story, and characters who are up to the challenge, and this makes it a fun-filled read.

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