Review by Jamie McNeil

Freddy Sharma’s loving all the media buzz after his adventures with R.A.I.D (Robotics, Analysis, Intelligence, & Defence) in Double Threat. His older brother Alex? Not so much. He’d rather chill out and watch TV, but all this attention is bringing unwanted drama too. Team Robotix, self-proclaimed tech gods, want payback for their last encounter. Plus, the robot Wolfram is still out there, holding onto secrets their mom Nita would prefer to keep hidden, but knows she won’t be able to conceal for much longer.

Originally called Mega Robo Revenge, publisher DFB split Neill Cameron’s awesome stories into two books: Robot Revenge and Meltdown. These new editions are more compact, making better use of space and letting the artwork shine. It was pretty good before but scenes formerly occupying big panels are now full-page spreads, emphasising their effect and telling the story better. Each new edition of Mega Robo Bros shows off Cameron’s evolving art skills, especially with the digital updates in this latest version.

As a writer, he nails personality development, creating interesting characters like strong, dynamic women and girls. He tackles tough topics gracefully, being a thoughtful writer who knows and understands what tough challenges children will face from both their peers and grown-ups. The boys are beginning to see the world for the often cruel and merciless place it can be, Cameron using this to percolate tension and a sense of danger, both from the main villains and the everyday folks. Cameron’s strength is that he can see the funny side of almost everything and adds in his trademark humour into situations, at work, school, or at home.

In this format, Robot Revenge has all the charm, fun, and action of Mega Robo Revenge, but distilled into a fabulous looking and engaging tale that doesn’t finish here. Alex and Freddy face dark secrets and big threats putting their family and friends at risk in Meltdown.