Monday, March 31, 2008

Warlog will be late

Actually the next issue will be later in the month of april due to personal loss.
This was before I finished the entry for the PlayAtHome round over at the IDW forums, however the art for the TMcomic will also suffer because of this and as a result will be late
.
sorry for any incovenience this may have caused.

with regards,
Johan.

Sunday, March 16, 2008

Comic Review...

Transformers Devastation #6

Writer: Simon Furman
Artist: E.J. Su

(covers by E.J Su and Nick Roche)

Summary: In the Machination's Headquarters, Scorponok and his new human Headmaster bond and go to attack Hunter and Sunstreaker. Elsewhere, Megatron and his Decepticons attack the Reapers. Despite some success, they lose Runamuck and Runabout... nearby, Galvatron watches from a hidden place and decides he must intervene to ensure the Decepticons triumph. Hot Rod defeats the Sunstreaker clones and is approached by Hardhead, who tells him they're leaving. Hot Rod tells him he's staying to find out just what's going on with Sunstreaker and these Headmasters--Hardhead relents and let's him stay. Elsewhere, Nightbeat stumbles onto a new mystery and decides to leave the Autobots to investigate it... Sunstreaker and Hunter finally merge and then escape Scorponok before he can destroy them. With the Reapers, Galvatron uses his evil/death virus and infects one of the Reapers, who then promptly goes on to infect others. The Decepticons use their distraction to destroy their ship and finish them off. Galvatron thinks how one apocalypse is averted and another begun--as he looks at Sixshot's fallen form. Epilogue: Nemesis Prime (aka Nova Prime) and Jhiaxus scheme with Galvatron about some evil plan they have! MWAH-HA-HA-HA-HAH!

Comments: Another chapter of the story ends on a ho-hum note. It's not that this issue was bad or anything but I feel like the story's been unfolding at a snail's pace in some ways. Did we really need so many issues just so Hunter could finally merge with Sunstreaker? Or so Hot Rod could casually knock out the Sunstreaker clones in about two panels? I understand this story's decompressed so they can do more TPBs but it wouldn't hurt for Furman to wrap some of these minor plot points off and continue the main story instead of dragging them on forever in a lame attempt at suspense (especially when the pay-off isn't worth it). I got Su's lovely cover art for this issue (Roche's last two covers have been uninspired, imo).

Mildly recommended.

***

Transformers Spotlight
Mirage

Writer: George Strayton
Artist: Guido Guidi

(cover by Guido Guidi)

Summary: Mirage thinks about the dream and how it's always the same... Hound looks on as he's dying. Mirage is a Decepticon and aboard his space ship. He talks with Megatron and tells them how he can deliver him the last remaining Autobots--for a price. Megatron reluctantly agrees to give him a share of their Energon mining operations. Elsewhere, Prime and Hound look on and wonder about this Zodiac Energy they've discovered and if they can use it as a new energy source. Hound explains it's not so easy as the energy is out of phase with their reality slightly. Meanwhile, Jetfire's hurt bad and needs immediate medical attention (the exact cause of his injuries goes unexplained). Bumblebee returns and then promptly attacks them--he is revealed to be Mirage in disguise! He leads other Decepticons aboard their ship and they have a major fight. Finally, Mirage puts a gun to the helpless Jetfire's head and tells Prime to surrender or he'll kill him. Prime surrenders and Mirage promises them their safety in return... but when he contacts Megatron, he is promptly ordered to kill them. He goes to kill Hound and Prime tries to reason with him. When that fails, he attacks Mirage and knocks him into the Zodiac Energy chamber... Mirage awakens from CR and thinks about his dream and how it's always the same--but in it he's a Decepticon. Fortunately, it's just a dream...

Comments: Okay, if I understand this story... Mirage was once a Decepticon and then through the events of this story, was changed into an Autobot (presumably with his consent). At least, I think that's what it's about... honestly, the presentation isn't very good. It's too vague and not clear enough. I also have no idea when the events of this story fit into the IDW continuity exactly either. I've never heard of George Strayton before--not certain if he's a pro or a fan writer but either way his story needed a little more clarity to it. The inclusion of Zodiac Energy seems like a bit of fan wank too (it has very little bearing on the story overall--it could've easily been a power conduit/something that Mirage strikes instead). I also feel like this issue, while giving us a story with Mirage, failed to really spotlight his personality. Who is he? Why does he sympathize with the Autobots? Why does Prime seem to have so much faith in him? None of this is explained... He's presented as a generic Decepticon until he's apparently saved by the Autobots and becomes one--but we don't see any reason in his personality why they'd bother (okay, so he offers to spare their lives--but promptly takes it back when it threatens his interests). Ultimately, I found this story both confusing and irrelevant.

Pass.