IDW Transformers ongoing [spoilers]

[GoktimusPrime]

Not sure about Silverbolt turning into his Universe 2.0 toy (joints and sound button included!) but there's at least another new look for a familiar character that looks really good.

I liked it! Toy accuracy FTW! I wish all the Transformers were drawn like their CHUGUR toys (where possible)! Okay, enough exclamation marks.

[i_amtrunks]

Transformers #27 takes us back to Earth, and I'm thinking it would have been better for the three-parter to have happened while the other Autobots travelled to Cybertron. Because now we've got the situation where the big important stuff is happening on Cybertron and we cut back to rather mundane happenings on earth.

Couldn't agree more, it makes these Earth issues feel like space fillers, and on their own they have made okay (if somewhat dull) comics, but when sandwitched between the more action packed Chaos issues, they pale in comparison.

I quite enjoyed the Streetwise and Prowl dynamic. I like seeing the two Autobot police cars as policemen, but I really like seeing Streetwise being treated as someone more than Defensor's leg.

It's easy to tune out though during the human scenes. The ongoing comics's never made the human soldier characters all that interesting. I'm quite ready for this storyline to be wrapped up and put aside for the Chaos storyline to proceed.

I love that we get two characters that play similar roles, but behave so differently. I'm loving that Prowl is more or less the same character we first really got to see when Roche wrote his half issue story back in the AHM Coda, until then he had been a background filler. Streetwise is just a great character to act as a counterpart.

Chaos ends in December, so really only a few weeks after the Earth based story wraps up, then we get the whole "been there, done that" vibed comics in the spotlight. Could be either good and interesting, or AHM level of stupidity.

[Paulbot]

I liked it! Toy accuracy FTW! I wish all the Transformers were drawn like their CHUGUR toys (where possible)! Okay, enough exclamation marks.

I don't mind that the design is based on the toy, but to include the toy's gimmick button?

[tinyJazz]

I just wanted to chime in and say how absolutely in love with Ramondelli's art I am. aauughg it's so beautiful! :C

It reads like a film colourboard, the level of depth, atmosphere and emotion is greater than I've seen with any other Transformers comic.

It's just gorgeous! In fact, I'm so distracted by the art I don't pay a lot of critical attention to the story. C: sorry!

[i_amtrunks]

Just read the ongoing third collection (revenge of the Decepticons storyline) in trade form, and I must say it does not read well.

The mini time skips and greatly differing art styles are less noticeable when reading the individual issues weeks apart, but these differences become jarring when reading back to back. The main story holds up well enough, but the skips back to the weapons cache landing really throw out the flow. However the big thing I noticed was the massive jumps in art styles. While not problematic to the point of not knowing who charscters are from issue to issue it is annoying to have to double check that everyone is who you think they are.

Overall I'd recommend waiting for another larger collection, there is one double page of art and regular covers for each issue at back of the collection, nothing you would not have seen in the individual issues.

[i_amtrunks]

Preview is up for issue 28, no surprise as to what ol Megsy (with a very TMNT Shredder-esque helmet) has gone and done, but what will be interesting is the relevation of where the cons are now...

After reading about the Cons dire lack of resources to survive, let alone construct anything other than Meg's new body... so how some characters have appeared and how they arrived should make for:
a) interesting reading
b) conveniently glossed over

Issue 27 was slow and the new human character they have introduced for all of 2-3 issues was wasted due to the reveal at the end of the issue.

These earth based stories have their moments (so far all tf based) but really they are just stagnating now until chaos goes all "exxxxtreeeeme".

[i_amtrunks]

After reading about the Cons dire lack of resources to survive, let alone construct anything other than Meg's new body... so how some characters have appeared and how they arrived should make for:
a) interesting reading
b) conveniently glossed over

Surprising me, the answer given in issue #28 is both! It is only an Autobot theory as yet, but I like it! Love that the combiner tech can be hampered logically, and at least so far, one death has continued to mean dead.

There wasn't much given away in issue 28, but I really enjoyed it. The art works in this grand scheme of things, there is some great continuity and character driven bits and piees that correlate not only with recent ongoing events, but older Furman-verse elements as well.

Seems that whatever evil thingy (cant remember that dead zombie crossover crud too well) is coming to Cybertron that ol' Galvy is intent on stopping can control Cons, I did like the writers taking Drift out of the picture, however temporary it may be (Thanks for ruining a potentially happy moment/misdirection there press release! )

Maybe it is just because it is a Friday, but I realy enjoyed this issue, and overall I've enjoyed the past 8 or so issues (even the earth based few past issues have been doing something character driven, with a good lead character in Prowl.)

Since it is all meant to come to a head in issue 30, and issue 29 will wrap up the Earth story, I fear for the old furman-verse "Too much it the final issue" syndrome, bring it on!

If you have read the preview, this issue is incredibly short, but some of the double page action spreads are beautiful, if lacking in detail, but it really lends itself to the dark story.

[Paulbot]

I'm still struggling to tell who everyone is at times, but it will really make a wonderful looking book.

I quite enjoyed this chapter, in particular spoilers Sunstreaker's defeat of Devastator, Bob vs Ravage, and the surprise return of Arcee's return.

Some gripes, the Sweeps spoilers are traditionally great trackers, but somehow managed to miss a lot of the station's crew, or just didn't care about the escape pod.

I also don't recall all those Decepticons on Earth but to be honest I do need to reread the issues about their return.

If you have read the preview, this issue is incredibly short

Which is why I avoid the previews these days. They show too much of the issue.

Seems that whatever evil thingy (cant remember that dead zombie crossover crud too well) is coming to Cybertron that ol' Galvy is intent on stopping can control Cons,

It's actually the dark force (that's pretty much IDW Unicron) from the Hearts of Darkness mini-series. The Infestation crossover is actually pretty much unrelated to, well anything except for the spoilers status quo change for Kup.

[i_amtrunks]

I also don't recall all those Decepticons on Earth but to be honest I do need to reread the issues about their return.

Most of the cons were seena t one point or another during AHM, which is primarily when we saw who was on Earth, all were oon (or returned to) the rock/dead planet that Megatron was taken to during the ongoing.

No need for spoiler tags, since the whole point is to talk about the comics.

I figured the sweeps didnt care about survivors, they were after Kimia itself.

Agree that it is hard to tell characters apart, thankfully the constant name drops help a fair whack, the hiding of prominant features like helmets and the overal ashed out colours dont help.

Still wouldnt mind some nice a3+ versions of some of the pages though.

And whats the bet Arcee is just back to murder Jhaxus all over again?

[Paulbot]

After the Prelude to Chaos, Chaos, and Last Earth stories, I'd forgotten that there were Decepticons on Earth that Megatron had left behind when he surrendered. Did the Autobots forget them too, it never really seemed to come up. My first thought was of the stragglers from earlier in the ongoing, and seeing Shockwave I recall him helping rebuild Megatron but still don't recall him coming to Earth. I see they wanted the "big name" Cons there but since none of them show any characteristics, I'd have preferred more random choices.

Re the Sweeps, the 'fuel' bath of the first Chaos issue is a little less effective with the number of survivors, but yes they were just after the station so it kinda makes sense that they ignore escape pods (and that the Technobots had the right sort of advanced tech to cloak themselves) but I can't see why the scientist-bots are necessary for the conclusion (but they were some nice comic relief).