Review by Jamie McNeil
Mega Robo Bros: Final Form opens with our sentient robotic brothers, Alex and Freddy Sharma, facing the Global Robotics Court in a futuristic Egypt. Ten years ago, the court recognized them as sentient beings, but now they’ve changed their mind. There are threats from Robot-23 and its Revolution-23 Malware, growing tensions with the robot city Steelhaven, and even a bit of suspicion towards Alex and Freddy themselves thanks to events seen in Nemesis.
Without giving too much away, let’s just say the choices laid before their mother Nita are not great, and she makes a tough decision that leads the boys to a surprisingly normal life. But here’s the thing — Neill Cameron, the creator of Mega Robo Bros, is not just a master of epic robot battles and thrilling action, he’s also brilliant at capturing everyday moments. It’s these normal, relatable moments that make you believe Alex and Freddy could be sentient.
Cameron nails the essence of what parents are willing to do to protect their kids while also bringing in plenty of humour and does a fantastic job of convincing you a robot might actually deal with emotional struggles. One of Cameron’s best skills is blending humour and sentiment into his storytelling, swapping between the funny bone and the heartstrings like a skilled percussionist. He perfectly captures family dynamics, making the Sharmas’ interactions genuine and heartwarming.
On the artistic side, Cameron tries out some new layouts (see sample) and perspectives. There are more panels per page than usual, which were an issue in the older A4 paperback formats, but here, it works perfectly, especially for the flashback scenes. The action sequences are top-notch, with some you’ll wat to extract and frame. The robot battles are the best of the series, and the two-page spreads featuring robots of all shapes and sizes are marvellous. The human cast doesn’t always present as well as the robots in a crowd, but there’s plenty to entertain within those busy scenes.
Cameron initially progresses his plot a month at a time, building up to a big reveal halfway through. We finally learn what happened to the boys’ creator Doctor Roboticus and how Alex and Freddy ended up with the Sharmas. Yes, Cameron employs tropes common to kids’ and sci-fi stories, but uses them cleverly, making the twists even more impactful. The antagonist’s reveal isn’t a big surprise, but the unexpected way maximises the effect and initiates the final showdown, an epic affair occupying a fair chunk of Final Form. It delivers in epic punch-ups with Cameron’s art rising to the occasion, but overlong action sequences and villainous monologues don’t help. That said, they doen’t derail the story and it’s a minor complaint.
It’s a difficult task bringing a close to well-loved and influential series like Mega Robo Bros. Not many manage it but in Final Form, Neill Cameron meets those expectations admirably. He delivers a great finish that is funny, honest, moving, thrilling, action-packed, and hopeful to provide laughs and tears. Yes, it’s sad to see such a fun, well-written, and influential series end, but if you go out, do it like this.
