Comic review: Robots in Disguise ongoing

[kup]

Robots In Disguise #1 is a very good comic book. Yes the story is not as strong as More Than Meets The Eye #1, but it's still leagues beyond anything Mike Costa has ever written or will ever write. There's an '80s Budiansky/Furman feel to the title's focus on characters not from the core US G1 cartoon cast - Needlenose, Horri-Bull, Broadside, Ratbat and Metalhawk all get speaking roles, while Soundwave, Shockwave, Bombshell et al are eerily-silent window dressing. (On page nine, I chuckled at the fact that superfluous Decepticons stand around on platforms like they're on toy collection shelves.) Ratbat doesn't do too much this issue other than use reverse psychology, but we know he has a plan. Back with the Autobots, Regular IDW readers will recognise Prowl's partner in ruthlessness and their interaction does an amusing job of lampshading and retconning Costa's limp characterisation of everyone's favourite love-to-hate Autobot police car. This is not a decompressed comic - stuff actually happens, but it's still clearly building up to something in the next issues. It feels a lot like Marvel US #76 - Optimus Prime is gone, the Autobots and Decepticons are in a precarious truce of sorts, Cybertron is angry, a Decepticon Headmaster Junior is picking fights and Prowl is trying (and failing) to control everything. (Being like #76 is a good thing - those final five issues of the US Marvel comic are amongst the best Transformers issues ever produced.)

Andrew Griffith's art is fantastic - it's clear and crisp, and characters are identifiably themselves. Artwise, this title is set to be the stronger of the two ongoings since Alex Milne is taking over art duties on More Than Meets The Eye and his Transformers tend to look like constipated Gundam mecha (see his cover for #2 of MTMTE where it looks like he's trying to crap on Rollout). The only thing I'm pissed off about regarding the art in RID is that in the issue immediately before this one (The Death Of Optimus Prime), Sideswipe was in his G2 colours (and with his trademark bandolier of bullets.) They've already gone back to Sideswipe's Geewun colours, which is disappointing, but not Griffith's fault. Sadly IDW editorial is as strong as ever - there's already a typo by page 8 ("Autobot's" should be "Autobots'") and the preview for next issue reads "CYVBERTRON WILL RISE AGAIN!"

So now with two main ongoings per month and Autocracy in the gaps we're pretty much back to weekly G1 Transformers comics. It feels like the eighties again.

This certainly makes me feel a lot better. I am not asking for a masterpiece just a decent story that understands what Transformers is about and these two ongoings seem promising.

[i_amtrunks]

So since Phantomzonne parramatta failed to have stock on their shelves I apped the comic. Quality not as good as the real deal.

The issue is a slow burner, and does not have the charm and wit of MtmtE but in no way is it a bad comic. It is here to setup up a political and machination (not the headmaster version) series that has potential to be very interesting reading over the next few months until there is another soft reboot.

The art is different than MtmtE but is bright and easy to see who is who, without captions, something I could not say about the ongoing.

The choice of autobot characters looks like it might be a good mix for the future, however Ratbat and his sway over the "loyal" cons intrigues me, and it is this angle that has both the most potential and most chance of falling apart. Bumbleee and his issues as leader is less interesting, but I am sure it will be milked for all that it is worth, while Prowl has more emotions in this issue than ever before and it takes away from his cold calculating persona that Roche has setup so well (Prowl does get emotional but only when he loses his cool). It also appears that his conspiritor (who I think I know who it is, but have no idea why, if I am right, he would be conspiring with Prowl or what benefits either or both of them) is rruning the shots in the Autobot camp, or at the least heavily influencing Prowl.

Metalhawk is the unknown quantity for now, but I sense that it wont be long till he is under the sway of Ratbat, who then uses him to assume control of Cybertron (politically) before the new Decepticon uprising... Hopefully with some twists and turns on the way.

Well worth continuing with both titles for now, both offer something different than we've seen before and both creative teams have potential if given time.

[Sky Shadow]

It also appears that his conspiritor (who I think I know who it is, but have no idea why, if I am right, he would be conspiring with Prowl

POTENTIAL SPOILERS: I don't think 'he' is the correct gender of Prowl's co-conspirator.

[i_amtrunks]

Ahhh, and here I was thinking it was a non aligned character, but know I think about it, I dont think that character survived Chaos...

I'll have a better look at the page when I have a paper copy, digital versions just dont quite cut the mustard.

[GoktimusPrime]

The US version of Metalhawk is an interesting new character too but is far removed from the Japanese version

Yes, but so were IDW's Dai Atlas and Wing. Oh wait, apparently they didn't mean for Wing to be Wing... umm... *brain 'splode*

The art is nice (although Horri-Bull looks an odd shade of yellow).

Sun-faded.

There's an '80s Budiansky/Furman feel to the title's focus on characters not from the core US G1 cartoon cast - Needlenose, Horri-Bull, Broadside, Ratbat and Metalhawk all get speaking roles, while Soundwave, Shockwave, Bombshell et al are eerily-silent window dressing.

This is not a decompressed comic - stuff actually happens, but it's still clearly building up to something in the next issues. It feels a lot like Marvel US #76 - Optimus Prime is gone, the Autobots and Decepticons are in a precarious truce of sorts, Cybertron is angry, a Decepticon Headmaster Junior is picking fights and Prowl is trying (and failing) to control everything. (Being like #76 is a good thing - those final five issues of the US Marvel comic are amongst the best Transformers issues ever produced.)

+1 QFT

So since Phantomzonne parramatta failed to have stock on their shelves I apped the comic. Quality not as good as the real deal.

I got my ish from Parra PZ, although it was in my standing order... perhaps a lot of people ordered this comic for their standing order and they didn't have much left for the shelves?

[Cat]

I liked this better than MTMTE.

Only downside was the humour of Prowl's co-conspirator. TF's just have too unique a shape to blend in. It was immediately apparent who it was.

Overall, a great start, can't wait to see where it goes. I REALLY enjoyed the political angle, hope that gets played up. Also had parts that reminded me of modern Battlestar Galactica (and that could NEVER be a bad thing!)

[Sky Shadow]

Mild spoilers ahead...

Issue 2 was pretty much the Starscream and Prowl show. Prowl's partner in crime is exactly who it obviously was last issue, so no surprises there, and the character behaves exactly the way IDW readers would expect. Unfortunately, things become much more Geewun by the end of this issue: we're left with Needlenose, Metalhawk and the cartoon cast, which is depressing, so hopefully some more interesting characters show up soon. Since the main NAILs in this series so far have been Japanese exclusives (and... um... Noddy's car), maybe we'll meet some more as the series progresses. Art is great; the story is nowhere near as bad as an issue by Mike Costa, but it's nothing special. About a quarter as good as More Than Meets The Eye #2. (Speaking of which, as of this week, I have now supported Last Stand Of The Wreckers as single issues at the time of release, then the trade paperback and now the hardcover. Hopefully sales send a message to IDW, but it's becoming expensive since they keep including better and better extras with each subsequent release!)

[Sharky]

Mild spoilers ahead...

(Speaking of which, as of this week, I have now supported Last Stand Of The Wreckers as single issues at the time of release, then the trade paperback and now the hardcover. Hopefully sales send a message to IDW, but it's becoming expensive since they keep including better and better extras with each subsequent release!)

same here.. The HC is such a great presentation of this story.. i am glad i splurged and grabbed it..

picked up my comics this weekend to find #2 of RID missing from my box.. apparently the store got shorted some comics.... next week for me.. (or ill app it if i cant wait....)

[GoktimusPrime]

An interesting enough story. Didn't see the whole Starscream thing coming and Arcee's appearance was also a surprise (she certainly is a homicidal little bunny, isn't she?). So... why is this story called "Robots In Disguise"? They're not on Earth any more and I certainly don't see any of them skulking around in disguise. (o_O)

Seeing Prowl smack down Skywarp with nightsticks was kewl... although in one panel he's holding one of this nightsticks inverted from how he was holding it in the panel before (visual continuity error much). Anyway, interesting seeing Prowl deal with a teleporter.

[i_amtrunks]

As long as Prowl continues to be the Roche Prowl and runs the show, this comic will be a good read. Backup from Wheeljack and Starscream will be interesting.
The hint about Ironhide's revelations in issues to come intrigue me, will they try to tie in to the mess that was the Ironhide mini or will Ironhide have other secrets to tell?

So far two solid issues but as they try to tie in more political machinations with Metalhawk and co, this may get less interesting to me, give me Prowl stories anyday.

Glad that the bat is gone too!