STL
13th February 2008, 01:12 AM
Transformers Devastation #5 Review
By Simon Furman and (the returning) EJ Su.
Covers: We once again find ourselves with two offerings. I initally had believed I would be inclined to get both covers. Having seen both in the flesh I must definitely side with Su's cover. It has far more atmosphere. The rising red mist against the tidbits of blue sky as Starscream emerges triumphant leave one in awe.
The Roche one suffers because the colours are just two vibrant. Almost kiddy. The more significant problem is Megatron's lips are just a bit two high. Next we have both Megatron and Starscream seemingly in unison... doesn't quite compute.
Plot:
Central Plot: Reapers vs. the Decepticons
Subplot 1: Humans are revived.
Subplot 2: Prowl underlines how undermanned the Autobot Earth force is at the moment. Hardhead, Prime and himself the only ones active.
Subplot 3: The hunt for Ironhide featuring Wheeljack and Hot Rod
Subplot 4: Hunter completes his transformation into a Headmaster, makes a getaway.
Subplot 5: The humans call in an all-time favourite.
Art
Congratulations to EJ Su who's a father now. His return is welcomed. I think the attempts to mimic his style haven''t been as appealing. There are better artists imo than Su but his technical/mechanical style has grown on me. His pencils here are well done - especially on the first splash page. And he does a wonderful job of capturing Sixshot in full flight.
There was a jarring miscolour in this issue. Thundercracker, I believe. And the different colourists working on the issue really hurt the consistency of the book. It's a pity b/c in the interim between the guest-artist issues there really was an effort to keep the art consistent.
A minor point though.
Appearances of Interest: Optimus Prime, Prowl, Hardhead, Ratchet, Sunstreaker, Hot Rod, Wheeljack, the Reapers, Thundercracker, Blitzwing (characterised very well here) Runabout, Runamuck, Astrotrain, Megatron, Jetfire, said unnamed fan favourite.
Issue Review
There's a reason this mini-series in what really is an ongoing series has been called Devastation. One is supposed to feel an immense amount of destruction and chaos, that the fragile state of affairs will deteriorate rapidly. With one issue remaining till the end of this mini-series, does issue #5 deliver?
I'm afraid not.
Firstly, my major criticism originally of this series was the overwhelming number of subplots that unfortunately weren't moving with any great deal of conviction and have instead diminished the force of the central plot. This problem isn't as prevalent here as it has been previously. The subplots are intermingled better and flow better. In fact, the 5th subplot isn't placed as jarringly as others have been in the past. It leaves the issue with a cliffhanger.
That said, both the Sunstreaker and hunt for Ironhide subplots are exhausting any reader's patience.
- We started out in issue #1 with a search of Ironhide. Issue #2 continued the chase. Issue #3 the same. Issue #4 more of the same. Issue #5. That's right. You guessed it. Still the same. Incredibly lame. The Hot Rod/Wheeljack subplot seems even more weak when one recalls in issue #1 Wheeljack and Hot Rod know they've got a very limited time span to locate Ironhide. The slowness of this subplot's progression is downright pathetic. It is once again saved by a cool sequence involving Hot Rod. Very delightful. That though doesn't excuse poor writing and pacing.
- Sunstreaker's been headless for what? The good part of 7 issues since Escalation? Viewed in that light, that's pretty appalling. It's almost certainly clear who is behind this. Heck, it was on Sunstreaker's lips in the issues prior. There is no point for it being dragged out. Yes we are eager to see how it unfolds. But no the reader is not interested in seeing the plot progress at the rate that grass grows.
That said, I believe both of those subplots will function far more effectively in trade form. The wait between issues not accentuating the failures of the plot's pacing.
To the core of the issue. If you were expecting more from the Reapers, prepared to be immensely underwhelmed. These aliens are the generic all-powerful enemies that have rocked up. They do not progress beyond the word generic. The reason for this is b/c they aren't fleshed out, aren't given individuality. All we know is they want to recruit Sixshot. So in effect they end up being nothing more than a convenient counterpoint to the Decepticons that might make Sixshot depart the ranks of the Decepticon army. It doesn't work. It's stupid.
I imagine this is one of the issues of contention. Some will posit that this is Furman making Sixshot a multi-layered character. Some will say this mess of plot makes their neural circuits sizzle. I for one believe in multi-layered characters. More than any other comic characters, the Transformers have generic personalities in need of further development. However, Furman's attempt is clumsy, if not farcical. With no real counterpoint to the Decepticons, the question of Sixshot's loyalties become superficial. There is no character development.
In fact, Furman himself pretty much acknowledges the convenience of the Reapers in his plot. Sixshot is adamant he will remain loyal to the Decepticons until the re-emergence of Starscream. It is at that point that he turns. Not because of what he believes in, not because of some level of complexity within. But because he and Starscream have bad blood.
The Reapers are a joke. They were a waste of space in the Six Shot Spotlight. They're an embarrassment to TF fiction here.
Moving on, there's the issue of Megatron and Starscream. I won't elaborate on the specifics but this is one of the marvels of this issue. It's one of the things that keep this issue from diving into a bottomless pit. The theatre here, the dialogue is supreme. It makes both characters respectable and fearsome without insulting the intelligence of the other as was the case in G1.
Bltizwing too gets some great moments. There's no denying that. Same with Astrotrain. The Decepticons are getting some good kicks in.
The same can't be said for the Autobots though one should recall this is effectively a Decepticon focused issue.
One and a half pages is devoted to the humans that suffered injuries in the teleport of the previous issue. All I can say here is Furman's dropped a very obvious ball as to where they might be "connected" to next.
Jazz and Prowl pretty much sum up the Autobots lack of numbers but over more pages than necessary. Nightbeat is getting creepier. And there's a mention of Jhiaxus. A very interesting one that hints at what may lie upon the horizon.
The only plot point of interest (and a significant one at that) is the evacuation of the Autobots from Earth. The word convenience hits you in the face once again. This happens out of the blue. Prior to this, there has been no suggestion of that trouble. Now it all of sudden - in the 5th issue of a 6 issue mini-series - occurs. Really that's just lazy storytelling. It's worst than fanfic. It takes the story into new unchartered territory and makes me hypothesise what may follow. But it fails b/c the plot point occurs too late. It makes little sense. And I highly doubt it'll be resolved in the remaining single 22 page issue. Sure it ties into another Spotlight but this is a story about Devastation.
And that returns me to my starting point. Are we feeling the sense of utter chaos and devastation. No. We are not. We are left with what is clumsy and convenient storytelling that only hardcore Transformer fans can tolerate. Have IDW looked at their sales charts lately and compared them to late DW figures? It's dwindling and there's a reason for it. If I weren't a TF fan, I honestly wouldn't be reading this as a story on its merits.
What Furman ultimately relies on is undying G1 loyalty. We are spoonfed some awe-inspiring moments amidst a sea of subpar story elements. The ending really only works b/c the fan favourite is who he is. Put Wheelie or Overdrive in there and see if anybody cares. The Reapers are just a joke. A rogue Decepticon faction would have been a far superior way to unfold the plot. The storytelling is awfully convenient. Tension is created almost artificially. The series isn't devastating very much.
That said, I have a load of undying G1 loyalty. I'll stick with the G1 series no matter how bad. I may however at some point be tempted to convert to trade though at this rate.
Extras: We have a Mosaic featuring Blurr. I didn't quite follow it. If anyone can clarify, I'd be appreciative.
Worth Buying Individually or Should I Just Wait For the Trade?
Wait for the trade. I'm pretty much putting my money on the trade being better reading. There will be less gripes and tantalising lack of movement. Furthermore, most of the subplots won't be tied up by issue #6 at this rate so you're going to be waiting a while till August/September when the series continues with a new mini anyway.
Best not to frustrate yourself and be left wondering between the issues when you already have to wait 6 months plus lateness to see these plots dragged out.
Overall: 4/10
There were great moments. Starscream's return, Megatron's understanding of what his troops were up to. Hot Rod's showdown. The basis of the IDW universe is fine. But if there's a word that I hate, it's "convenience". And it was what this issue unmistakably reeked of.
By Simon Furman and (the returning) EJ Su.
Covers: We once again find ourselves with two offerings. I initally had believed I would be inclined to get both covers. Having seen both in the flesh I must definitely side with Su's cover. It has far more atmosphere. The rising red mist against the tidbits of blue sky as Starscream emerges triumphant leave one in awe.
The Roche one suffers because the colours are just two vibrant. Almost kiddy. The more significant problem is Megatron's lips are just a bit two high. Next we have both Megatron and Starscream seemingly in unison... doesn't quite compute.
Plot:
Central Plot: Reapers vs. the Decepticons
Subplot 1: Humans are revived.
Subplot 2: Prowl underlines how undermanned the Autobot Earth force is at the moment. Hardhead, Prime and himself the only ones active.
Subplot 3: The hunt for Ironhide featuring Wheeljack and Hot Rod
Subplot 4: Hunter completes his transformation into a Headmaster, makes a getaway.
Subplot 5: The humans call in an all-time favourite.
Art
Congratulations to EJ Su who's a father now. His return is welcomed. I think the attempts to mimic his style haven''t been as appealing. There are better artists imo than Su but his technical/mechanical style has grown on me. His pencils here are well done - especially on the first splash page. And he does a wonderful job of capturing Sixshot in full flight.
There was a jarring miscolour in this issue. Thundercracker, I believe. And the different colourists working on the issue really hurt the consistency of the book. It's a pity b/c in the interim between the guest-artist issues there really was an effort to keep the art consistent.
A minor point though.
Appearances of Interest: Optimus Prime, Prowl, Hardhead, Ratchet, Sunstreaker, Hot Rod, Wheeljack, the Reapers, Thundercracker, Blitzwing (characterised very well here) Runabout, Runamuck, Astrotrain, Megatron, Jetfire, said unnamed fan favourite.
Issue Review
There's a reason this mini-series in what really is an ongoing series has been called Devastation. One is supposed to feel an immense amount of destruction and chaos, that the fragile state of affairs will deteriorate rapidly. With one issue remaining till the end of this mini-series, does issue #5 deliver?
I'm afraid not.
Firstly, my major criticism originally of this series was the overwhelming number of subplots that unfortunately weren't moving with any great deal of conviction and have instead diminished the force of the central plot. This problem isn't as prevalent here as it has been previously. The subplots are intermingled better and flow better. In fact, the 5th subplot isn't placed as jarringly as others have been in the past. It leaves the issue with a cliffhanger.
That said, both the Sunstreaker and hunt for Ironhide subplots are exhausting any reader's patience.
- We started out in issue #1 with a search of Ironhide. Issue #2 continued the chase. Issue #3 the same. Issue #4 more of the same. Issue #5. That's right. You guessed it. Still the same. Incredibly lame. The Hot Rod/Wheeljack subplot seems even more weak when one recalls in issue #1 Wheeljack and Hot Rod know they've got a very limited time span to locate Ironhide. The slowness of this subplot's progression is downright pathetic. It is once again saved by a cool sequence involving Hot Rod. Very delightful. That though doesn't excuse poor writing and pacing.
- Sunstreaker's been headless for what? The good part of 7 issues since Escalation? Viewed in that light, that's pretty appalling. It's almost certainly clear who is behind this. Heck, it was on Sunstreaker's lips in the issues prior. There is no point for it being dragged out. Yes we are eager to see how it unfolds. But no the reader is not interested in seeing the plot progress at the rate that grass grows.
That said, I believe both of those subplots will function far more effectively in trade form. The wait between issues not accentuating the failures of the plot's pacing.
To the core of the issue. If you were expecting more from the Reapers, prepared to be immensely underwhelmed. These aliens are the generic all-powerful enemies that have rocked up. They do not progress beyond the word generic. The reason for this is b/c they aren't fleshed out, aren't given individuality. All we know is they want to recruit Sixshot. So in effect they end up being nothing more than a convenient counterpoint to the Decepticons that might make Sixshot depart the ranks of the Decepticon army. It doesn't work. It's stupid.
I imagine this is one of the issues of contention. Some will posit that this is Furman making Sixshot a multi-layered character. Some will say this mess of plot makes their neural circuits sizzle. I for one believe in multi-layered characters. More than any other comic characters, the Transformers have generic personalities in need of further development. However, Furman's attempt is clumsy, if not farcical. With no real counterpoint to the Decepticons, the question of Sixshot's loyalties become superficial. There is no character development.
In fact, Furman himself pretty much acknowledges the convenience of the Reapers in his plot. Sixshot is adamant he will remain loyal to the Decepticons until the re-emergence of Starscream. It is at that point that he turns. Not because of what he believes in, not because of some level of complexity within. But because he and Starscream have bad blood.
The Reapers are a joke. They were a waste of space in the Six Shot Spotlight. They're an embarrassment to TF fiction here.
Moving on, there's the issue of Megatron and Starscream. I won't elaborate on the specifics but this is one of the marvels of this issue. It's one of the things that keep this issue from diving into a bottomless pit. The theatre here, the dialogue is supreme. It makes both characters respectable and fearsome without insulting the intelligence of the other as was the case in G1.
Bltizwing too gets some great moments. There's no denying that. Same with Astrotrain. The Decepticons are getting some good kicks in.
The same can't be said for the Autobots though one should recall this is effectively a Decepticon focused issue.
One and a half pages is devoted to the humans that suffered injuries in the teleport of the previous issue. All I can say here is Furman's dropped a very obvious ball as to where they might be "connected" to next.
Jazz and Prowl pretty much sum up the Autobots lack of numbers but over more pages than necessary. Nightbeat is getting creepier. And there's a mention of Jhiaxus. A very interesting one that hints at what may lie upon the horizon.
The only plot point of interest (and a significant one at that) is the evacuation of the Autobots from Earth. The word convenience hits you in the face once again. This happens out of the blue. Prior to this, there has been no suggestion of that trouble. Now it all of sudden - in the 5th issue of a 6 issue mini-series - occurs. Really that's just lazy storytelling. It's worst than fanfic. It takes the story into new unchartered territory and makes me hypothesise what may follow. But it fails b/c the plot point occurs too late. It makes little sense. And I highly doubt it'll be resolved in the remaining single 22 page issue. Sure it ties into another Spotlight but this is a story about Devastation.
And that returns me to my starting point. Are we feeling the sense of utter chaos and devastation. No. We are not. We are left with what is clumsy and convenient storytelling that only hardcore Transformer fans can tolerate. Have IDW looked at their sales charts lately and compared them to late DW figures? It's dwindling and there's a reason for it. If I weren't a TF fan, I honestly wouldn't be reading this as a story on its merits.
What Furman ultimately relies on is undying G1 loyalty. We are spoonfed some awe-inspiring moments amidst a sea of subpar story elements. The ending really only works b/c the fan favourite is who he is. Put Wheelie or Overdrive in there and see if anybody cares. The Reapers are just a joke. A rogue Decepticon faction would have been a far superior way to unfold the plot. The storytelling is awfully convenient. Tension is created almost artificially. The series isn't devastating very much.
That said, I have a load of undying G1 loyalty. I'll stick with the G1 series no matter how bad. I may however at some point be tempted to convert to trade though at this rate.
Extras: We have a Mosaic featuring Blurr. I didn't quite follow it. If anyone can clarify, I'd be appreciative.
Worth Buying Individually or Should I Just Wait For the Trade?
Wait for the trade. I'm pretty much putting my money on the trade being better reading. There will be less gripes and tantalising lack of movement. Furthermore, most of the subplots won't be tied up by issue #6 at this rate so you're going to be waiting a while till August/September when the series continues with a new mini anyway.
Best not to frustrate yourself and be left wondering between the issues when you already have to wait 6 months plus lateness to see these plots dragged out.
Overall: 4/10
There were great moments. Starscream's return, Megatron's understanding of what his troops were up to. Hot Rod's showdown. The basis of the IDW universe is fine. But if there's a word that I hate, it's "convenience". And it was what this issue unmistakably reeked of.