Comic review - Transformers Infestation

[Paulbot]

This issue is part one of a two part limited series, that's part of a broader IDW wide crossover. With only two issues the story can't be that deep, but then what would you expect from a series that is "Transformers vs Zombies".

The basic plot of this issue is that Galvatron's ship crash lands in Las Vegas and a stream of human zombies and robot (and maybe Transformer?) zombies emerge with Galvatron and his seekers right behind blasting them away. Galvatron seems a bit more like crazy UK comic Galvatron than the previous IDW incarnation.

The Autobots arrive with unremarked upon but incredible speed to the crash site with a couple of Spike's troops in robot fighting suits. The suits don't however prove enough protection from the zombie robots. The Autobots erect a forcefield and subduing Galvatron long enough to get an explanation of what's going on.

Roche's art here is good quality but his Transformers are more cartoony than ever. I like it but it wont be to everyone's taste.

For a book about zombies there's very little of them to be seen. The robot zombies are odd and it looks like one (or more) of the Sweeps is a zombie too but it's not really made clear. How these undead differ from the Dead Universe, and what these zombie robots are also needs more explanation, but that's for part two I guess.

It's also odd to me to see a zombie story where characters know what zombies are, with reference given to the directors of Zombie films. The generally convention of a zombie story is that zombies have never existed before in the fiction (or reality) of the world which allows the zombie apocalypse to occur.

Continuity wise, the Autobots are led by Bumblebee but accompanied by Optimus Prime. The dialogue, that makes it clear that Bumblebee is in command, may have been a later editorial correction. Other than that there's no real clue as to where it fits with the ongoing series.

There is however a major status quo change for one of the characters. Spoilers with Kup loosing his cy-gar and remembering the events of his spotlight. It's a good fit for the story though but seems more important a plot development than I would expect in this series.

[SharkyMcShark]

zomg how dare IDW make a new character for this when they could have used an old and obscure character etc.


It was alright. There's a bit too much in there for a two issue run though - this one in particular felt very crammed.

[griffin]

Hehehe, we complain about their usual issues of 'nothing much happening', so now when they finally give us a crammed issue, does it not work, or is it just not something you're not used to so feels wrong?

[SharkyMcShark]

It felt like Spotlights Doubledealer or Sideswipe (which had several issues worth of content crammed into each of them).

[Tallestblue]

I thought it was neat for what it was, and itmade a bit more sense when i read Infestation #1. Issue two should be neat.

Are Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning taking over the ongoing as well? Not sure if that's news or if I've got my wires crossed somewhere, but would be good as the their Legion Of Super Heroes was awesome.

[Seraphim Prime]

Are Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning taking over the ongoing as well? Not sure if that's news or if I've got my wires crossed somewhere, but would be good as the their Legion Of Super Heroes was awesome.

I remember hearing something similar too, though I wasn't quite sure from where I had heard it. I do remember thinking that it was a little unfair on Mike Costa to be replacing him mid story though. Though I also heard something about another mini-series so thought that they could be working on that.

But yeah, not sure.

[i_amtrunks]

So issue 2 was.... interesting.

Certainly not a jumping on point for newbies, although to make sense of this issue, you only really had to have read Spotlight Kup and a single Coda issue (15?), although the Dead Universe stuff would certainly help.

Good to see Prowl being back to his old self, instead of the 180 weirdo he was in his spotlight. too bad that awesome storyline Roche had set up and running in the background got dragged out and shot dead in a fairly lame crossover.

[Lord_Zed]

So Is it worth picking up? I was tempted, Dan Abbnnet is a decent (but not amazing) writer of scifi and war for Warhammer 40k and Action Force long ago but IDW haven't done much good of late.

There's no poll? we need a poll.

[i_amtrunks]

I wouldnt really recommend it.

Its not something I feel that I'll ever read again.

All it really did was reintroduce Galvatron and his crew, as well as destroy all of the good work Roche did with Kup and Prowl over the past few years.

[Lord_Zed]

I wouldnt really recommend it.

Its not something I feel that I'll ever read again.

All it really did was reintroduce Galvatron and his crew, as well as destroy all of the good work Roche did with Kup and Prowl over the past few years.

Sucktackular.

Well at least that saves me from buying it in a weak moment.