Comic review: Robots in Disguise season 2: #28 onwards

[Paulbot]

Latest issue was easily my favourite so far this season. Nightbeat was fantastic, calling back the Furman era and the whole "Roberts thing" of making a supernatural / deity figure just a fan/regular joe was a great touch.

Megatron not being part of his season two seems to be no longer a big thing, the end page was amazing and really hit home to both me as a reader and to the character of Megatron as well.

Art was spectacular, I had no idea that we had a different artist. Certainly a high point for the last year or so!

Wrong review thread. Good issue though

[i_amtrunks]

Wrong review thread. Good issue though

Dad nammit. Can't half tell that it is week 9 of the school term!

[SMHFConvoy]

It's so nice to read a TF comic that has an artist who can draw people like they're people instead of the chunky blocks of flesh that Andrew Griffiths draws.

[GoktimusPrime]

Guh... the story's just getting silly with the whole Earth being a Cosmic deus ex machina MacGuffin that can make anyone into some ridiculous gestalt or unmake existing gestalts. I understand that Hasbro's likely pushed them to introduce characters like Victorion and Sky Reign, but this is just getting stupid with literally every Tom, Dick and Harry becoming gestalts. (-_-) And the art in the current issue doesn't suit this series IMO. It was fine for Windblade, but doesn't seem to suit the tone of RiD. The worse one was when we first see Optimus Prime shooting back at the humans -- it's so badly drawn. Optimus Prime is just standing still like a poorly articulated G1 toy and shooting at the sky without looking up. It's as if this were an illustrated photocomic using G1 toys.

The story otherwise had potential, but is burdened by such a silly plot device. It's even worse than other toyline-driven stories like The Rebirth. Imagine if The Rebirth decided to make everyone into Headmasters and Targetmasters, like say Optimus Prime, Galvatron... oh wait, that's Titans Return.

[i_amtrunks]

I am in agreeance with you about the issue Gok. The art itself is okay, and the human characters do not look terrible (I love the dismembered Blackrock face) but it does not suit the series. The only other art choice that would have been worse is Livio's and that's only because with all this stupid and dues ex machina combining would look terrible in his blocky style.

The story is becoming sillier by the issue, such a shame that it seems Hasbro has put heavy restraints and demands on a series that was finally looking like it was finding its place in the mythos after the brainwashed Prowl cop-out (pun unintended).

This comic does not need to sell toys, the numbers aren't good enough and the toy main demographic does not match the comic audience.

[GoktimusPrime]

The silliness seems to go beyond just selling toys. Having seemingly random characters combine makes no sense, unless Hasbro's gonna surprise us with upcoming new versions of these characters that can combine like this. To me it feels like Barber's having a "gestalt tantrum," almost as if...

"Hasbro wants me to write in more Combiners? Fine! Let's make everyone a freakin' Combiner! Dreadwing, Blitzwing, Astrotrain, Mindwipe, Acid Storm -- combine to form, Galvatronus!"

"John, none of those toys form Galv---"

"Shut up, it's Galvatronus! Now, Sky Lynx, Thundercracker, Sunstreaker, Cosmos and Slugslinger -- combine to form Sky Reign!"

"How is this even possible when Galvatron doesn't even possess the Enigma of Combination?"

"The entire Earth is now one giant Enigma of Combination!"

"Why?"

"Because reasons!"

"This is stupider than Revenge of the Fallen. Get off my shoulder, Barber!"

[GoktimusPrime]

#55

Thoroughly enjoyable! It had the right balance between political drama and action, including transforming! Seeing Optimus Prime and Soundwave fight side by side was awesome, and the moment where Buzzsaw and Laserbeak came to rescue Cosmos was both touching and provided good comedic pause within what is otherwise a pretty tense story.

Optimus Prime's execution of Galvatron was also a really interesting moment. I know that I've previously criticised Bayverse Optimus Prime for his cold blooded execution of Scavenger and Sentinel Prime, but IDW Optimus Prime's execution of Galvatron is - IMO - an entirely different concept. It feels more like Mace Windu's justification for wanting to assassinate Palpatine, because he's too dangerous to be left alive (and he was). The same holds true for Galvatron. There is no emotional malice in IDW OP's actions - he's killing Galvatron because he has to, not because he wants to. It's made clear that it's the only way to maintain peace for Cybertronians and humans, and of course, it allowed Optimus Prime to open dialogue with the humans to avoid further bloodshed. The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the individual.

Or was there another way? Would it have been possible for Optimus Prime and Soundwave to capture Galvatron and transport him back to Cybertron for incarceration? Or would Galvatron still have potentially posed a threat even from within imprisonment? I'm curious to know what others think... I feel that Optimus Prime was justified in his actions, but perhaps there are some of you who may disagree.