Sunday, May 27, 2012

Comic Review...


Cover by Livio Ramondelli
Transformers: Autocracy #10

Writers: Chris Metzen and Flint Dille
Artist: Livio Ramondelli


Summary:  MEGATRON victorious! All hope seems lost, as the DECEPTICONS tighten their grip! The shattered remnants of the Autobots struggle valiantly-- but their chances seem slim. If ever CYBERTRON needed a hero, the time is now!

Comments: The Autobots are under arrest. Hot Rod is offered another path by Megatron but when he realizes Megatron's true ambitions, he goes to their aid instead. Elsewhere, Optimus Prime senses some kind of presence in the ruins of Nyon and determines to discover its origin.
   Things are coming together and it looks like the story will end with a bang (we have two issues remaining). Orion/Optimus has found his way, the Autobots stand assembled and the end of the issue reveals a very big, very powerful ace up their sleeve. It looks like the real war is about to begin...

Verdict:  Excellent.




Available online only (from www.comixology.com for 0.99 USd)

Comic Review...

Transformers: Autocracy #9

Writers: Chris Metzen and Flint Dille
Artist: Livio Ramondelli



Summary:  Betrayed by MEGATRON, ORION PAX faces his future head-on! Will he rise to stop the onslaught of the DECEPTICONS...? And what will that mean for his fellow Autobots?

Comments:  After being tossed to his doom in the last issue, Orion Pax feels something to calling him in the ruined catacombs beneath the city... Meanwhile, the remaining Autobots on the surface discover Megatron has betrayed them and vow to go down fighting. Orion Pax finds the Matrix and is recreated by its power. He has a new clarity of purpose and vision. He determines to fight for a better tomorrow...
   I enjoyed this issue immensely. Sometimes it's nice to have the hero have an epiphany and reaffirm his desire to defend the weak and helpless. Too many stories of late, generally, have had selfish unheroic characters so this story is a nice breath of fresh air. It's also nice to know we're three issues from the epic conclusion. I look forward to seeing how this all plays out...

Verdict:  Excellent. 
Cover by Livio Ramondelli



Available online only (from www.comixology.com for 0.99 USd)

Comic Review...

Cover by Livio Ramondelli
Transformers: Autocracy #8

Writers: Chris Metzen and Flint Dille
Artist: Livio Ramondelli


Summary:  ORION PAX-- Autobot hero and one-day OPTIMUS PRIME-- stands side-by-side with MEGATRON, leader of the DECEPTICONS! But even together, will they be able to defeat ZETA PRIME and his forces?

Comments:  Zeta Prime has made his move and openly declared war on all who oppose him! Orion Pax, his Autobots and the Decepticons join forces and take him on.
   Another excellent issue in the mini-series...both the writing and the art are first rate. I also love Ramondelli's covers for this series overall (covers are definitely one of his strengths). Zeta Prime's destruction is satisfying yet seems to come very quickly. He fights Pax and Megatron for two and a half pages of the story--one almost wishes their fight could've lasted a tad longer after all this build up to it. Otherwise, I have no complaints regard the story.

Verdict:  Excellent. 



Available online only (from www.comixology.com for 0.99 USd)

Saturday, May 26, 2012

Transmasters SPRING 2012 Magazine!

Spring is sprung! And so is the latest, greatest, most awesome-est ever issue of...

TRANSMASTERS MAGAZINE!

http://transmasters.angelfire.com/tmmag/issue14/index1.html


Read it and weep! Nay, read it and rejoice! :)


Praise, hugs and kisses, wads of cash are welcome and appreciated (but not really necessary). :D

- Thunder

Saturday, May 12, 2012

Comic Review...

Transformers: Robots in Disguise #4

Writer: John Barber
Artist: Andrew Griffith
(covers by Andrew Griffith and Casey Coller)

Summary:  PROWL UNCHAINED! In what's sure to be the most shocking Transformers comic of 2012-PROWL defends the fledgling government of CYBERTRON against the DECEPTICONS. But how far will he go-and who will chose to stand by his side? The answers will shock you!


Comments:  Dirge discovers a dead Decepticon. When Prowl investigates, he finds Dirge less then cooperative so he follows him and discovers he has been brainwashed by a Cerebro Shell. Prowl, Arcee and Blurr come up against Bombshell and the Constructicons. Sunstorm shows up for a couple of panels to die at Arcee's hands. Blurr chases Bombshell but is outnumbered by the Constructicons. Prowl kills Bombshell when he refuses to give over his fellow conspirators...Dirge escapes (technically he's innocent anyway). Prowl detonates all of the Constructicons I/D chips, blowing all of their heads up. He resolves to do whatever it takes to maintain control and order from here on in.
   I still like this title better of the two. It just seems a bit more focused...  I do wonder about the logic of killing so many "named" Decepticons though. At this rate, who will be left to restart the War when it happens in the next series with the next writer (and we all know it will, sooner or later). They'll have to implausibly bring everyone back now (the usual "they're just there and alive again for no reason" thing). I think, while less dramatic, they could've opted to use the I/D chips to put the Decepticons into perma-stasis instead (thus giving them an "out" in-story).
   I guess Prowl's transitioning into more of a hardline character as of this story... I would also like some overall arc in this comic. The Autobots are slowly being pushed in a more tyrannical direction as they try to maintain order and--whatever. Right now, it also seems a bit too episodic for my liking (I do like episodic, but I also like some overall direction too). There does seem to be a hint there's more Decepticons out there planning to do something radical but right now we haven't gotten anything else to go on. I hope whenever it happens that they succeed and aren't just put down by Prowl's forces in one issue or something.
   Continuity award: This issue and MTMTE #4 each share the same joke. In MTMTE, we are told a dead TF was once called "Prowl" (but then changed his name to "Dent"). Drift is disbelieving but Ratchet reminds him "all the good names are taken". In RID #4, the dead Decepticon in the beginning is named "Skydive". "Like the Aerialbot?" :) (Incidentally, Skydive is/was a Decepticon Predator). Barber gets points for using this in his story--it was just kind of neat to see across two titles simultaneously.


Verdict:  Good. I do hope it goes somewhere bigger soon though.




Cover "B" by Casey Coller

Comic Review...

Cover "A" by Alex Milne
Transformers: More Then Meets The Eye #4

Writer: James Roberts
Artist: Alex Milne
(covers by Alex Milne and Nick Roche)

Summary:  DANGER IN SPACE! Investigating the abandoned AUTOBOT facility on DELPHI-one-time home of fan-favorites THE WRECKERS-RATCHET uncovers a danger greater than he's ever faced and the return of a character long thought lost! Will this bring them closer to their goal of finding the Knights of Cyberton-or kill them?!

 Comments:  The Autobots visit Delphi, where First Aid (and others are). It turns out there's a plague of Red Rust happening at the medical facility there. Of the landing party, Pipes accidentally gets infected (I think this is probably the first time I can ever remember Pipes being in a TF comic. Cool!) Then Drift gets infected too, leaving First Aid and Ratchet to try to figure out how to cure them. Elsewhere, Tailgate learns the truth of the Great War and confronts Cyclonus over it. Back on Delphi, the Decepticon Justice Division Decepticons get into the base--just in time to be confronted by a resurrected Fortress Maximus!
    This issue was better then last issue's tale about the Spark Eater. Having said that, I still didn't find it all that great. I keep wondering if Roberts comic is going to be mostly about (nearly) mundane happenings on the Autobots ship and mostly episodic--or if it will get some kind of general arc going on. I need something more to get invested in this comic and so far it hasn't delivered on it (I don't want a "writing for the trade" style like Mike Costa seemed to do but I do want to feel like we're going somewhere, at least generally, in the comic and so far it feels like the writer's making it all up as he goes). Whatever he thinks he's doing with this comic (trying to reinvent the wheel? Do an action comedy? I dunno), it hasn't been working for me so far.

Verdict:  Average.

Comic Review...

Cover by Andrew Wildman
Transformers: Regeneration One #80.5

Writer: Simon Furman
Artist: Andrew Wildman
(cover by Andrew Wildman)

Summary:  From Zero Space, we see all of time and space...past, present, future...alternate timelines? We observe Primus and Unicron engage in their grand battle, we see Unicron later devouring worlds...the rise of the Transformers and the Great War... important moments from the Transformers past (the Marvel Series) play throughout the story even as in the present Soundwave rallies his Decepticons in a call to arms. They are tired of Autobot peace and resolve to act! Kup, Ultra Magnus and Hot Rod come to Optimus Prime warning him of the Decepticons recent unrest. Kup suggest summoning the Wreckers and putting them down before they try something but Optimus vetoes him, seeming disinterested in it all. As history continues to be recalled, Soundwave and his warriors make their move, breaking into some facility. From there, Soundwave reprograms a defense satellite to strike a target on the surface--the exact location of (Spoiler. Highlight to read redacted text)The Last Autobot! He is destroyed, much to everyone's shock.
   The War has begun anew...

Comments: Most of the story serves as a continuity primer more then anything else but what parts are new--wow! Marvel's G1 continuity is, by and far, my favorite G1 continuity period. I've written fanzines and fanfics relating back to it. Fumanisms often get used in my writings (It is over. Finished!) And now, it's back. I can only hope this series reignites the magic of the original G1 comic (and G2 as well).
   If the story is classic Simon Furman then the art is classic Andrew Wildman. Stephen Baskerville inks like back in the old days and even the word balloons are done the same.
   One minor nitpick--Soundwave gives a long-winded speech in the story. It's necessary to move the plot along but I always preferred the monotone cartoon Soundwave more so seeming him giving a speech strikes me as weird.
   I also can't believe they destroyed (Spoiler. Highlight to read redacted text) The Last Autobot! I guess we'll never get to find out if he had a personality or not. :) Still, it was necessary for the story to move forward, so, oh well...
   Can't wait for the new issues to come!  Bring it on!


Verdict: Awesome! The best Transformers comic I've read in years--and that's only slightly hyperbole. :)