IDW Transformers solicits for Mar. 2010

Comics Continuum has been updated with IDW's solicits for March 2010. And it looks like next year is shaping up to be a great year for the Transformers! The appearance of the Stunticons, Bumblebee saving a girl and the fate of Fortress Maximus and Garrus-9! Here:


THE TRANSFORMERS #5

Story by MIKE COSTA
Art by DON FIGUEROA
Colors by JAMES BROWN
Covers by Figueroa, ANDREW WILDMAN

Optimus Prime and Spike Witwicky have a chat that could define the future of AUTOBOT and human relations! But lest you think it's all talky-talk, back at Rodimus' camp something big happens, something very big. A game-changing event in IDW's TRANSFORMERS, with a Don Figueroa double-page spread that has to be seen to be believed!


TRANSFORMERS: BUMBLEBEE #4

Story by ZANDER CANNON

Art by CHEE YANG ONG

Colors by MOOSE BAUMANN

Covers by Chee, GUIDO GUIDI

When Bumblebee has a change of heart and goes back to help a little girl whom he had used to discover her father's secrets, he finds himself pursued by the terrifying and unstoppable Skywarp! Bumblebee's big adventure as leader of the Autobots comes to an explosive and thrilling conclusion!


TRANSFORMERS: LAST STAND OF THE WRECKERS #3

Story by NICK ROCHE & JAMES ROBERTS
Art by NICK ROCHE
Colors by JOSH BURCHAM
Covers by Roche, TREVOR HUTCHISON

Trapped inside a maximum-security prison, surrounded by Decepticons, and outgunned at every turn, it's time for the newest Wreckers to earn their stripes. But as the horrors of Garrus-9 are laid bare and the fate of Fortress Maximus is revealed, Springer realizes his team has bitten off more than it can chew.


TRANSFORMERS: NEFARIOUS #1

Story by SIMON FURMAN
Art by CARLOS MAGNO
Colors by MOOSE BAUMANN
Covers by Magno, BRIAN ROOD

The sequel to Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen starts here! What is The Initiative? More to the point, why doesn't the all-seeing Soundwave know anything about it? How did they come to reanimate/control Ravage? Soundwave must find the answers, and he'll destroy anything in his path to get them!

Posted by Fanbot at 3:42 pm, TUESDAY 22 December

TRANSFORMERS #2 REVIEW

Hi guys. I'm really really sorry about the delay on this review. My country got this one late and I've had Xmas commitments. But finally I can sit down and pick apart IDW's The Transformers2 (WARNING: spoilers!) ...

THE TRANSFORMERS #2 (IDW, 2009)

Story by MIKE COSTA

Art by DON FIGUEROA

Colors by JAMES BROWN

Covers by Figueroa, ANDREW WILDMAN

SYNOPSIS: Leaving a booty call in Albuquerque, Spike Witwicky receives the call from Skywatch personnel informing him of the attack on their holding facility; they request his attendance to deal with the surrender of Optimus Prime.
Back at their base, the Autobots discuss Prime's actions; Cliffjumper theorizes that it may be a test of some kind, although Hot Rod credits it to his inability to handle the situation. While the others call for a leadership vote, Hot Rod states his desire to leave the planet despite the protests of Brawn. The former asks if anyone else wants to join him in his desertion, and Jetfire, Red Alert, Prowl, Sandstorm, Silverstreak and Mirage do so to Bumblebee's obvious disappointment. Back at the Skywatch facility, Spike holds a conference call with his father regarding the status of Prime, and the commander nixes Optimus's transport to the command center. He implies disappointment with Spike's abandonment of his duties, and says that he'll be conferring with the other chiefs before making any plans.
The Autobots who remained at the base resume their plans for a leadership election, and when asked who he would nominate, Cliffjumper chooses himself.

In the desert, Hot Rod, Mirage, Red Alert and Prowl discuss plans to find another world with Omega Supreme. Although alone he lacks the energon to reach orbit, they figure they can escape Earth by pooling their resources. However, on hearing of Prime's surrender, Omega Supreme refuses to leave.
The group are being monitored by some of the Decepticons abandoned on Earth, including Swindle, Scrapper, Thundercracker and Tankor; they had been planning a revenge attack on Omega Supreme but now see a better alternative. After a brief skirmish, Swindle calls for a ceasefire.
At Skywatch, Spike orders the transformation suppressor removed from Prime; as the latter resumes robot form, Spike offers to talk.

Swindle appeals to both the Autobots and Decepticons, reminding them that there is no longer a need to fight since the war is over; he suggests they work together in order to go home. Prowl is suspicious, but Hot Rod decides to put it to a vote.
At the Autobot base, Wheeljack brings in the results of the leadership election; much to Bumblebee's surprise, he has won. Cliffjumper laments that it was just a 'popularity contest', but Ratchet assures Bumblebee that the rest of the Autobots consider him trustworthy and dependable. They are interrupted by the arrival of a Cybertronian ship and go out to meet it as it lands. Ultra Magnus emerges and demands to know who is in charge. With the others looking at him, Bumblebee confirms that he is...

THE ART:  Figueroa continues to demonstrate his artistic expertise, every page stunningly rendered in exquisite detail. There are cool, subtle differences in style for different objects; the smooth, simple form of the humans, which is a tad too simplistic. Don obviously needs to work on his people drawing skills as his faces are all very similar and show little expression. The TFs, on the other hand, are drawn almost flawlessly and look beautiful on the page. The issue's highlight had to be Don's awesome new body design for Brawn. When I watched Brawn in the G1 cartoon I hated him. His design lacked flair and individuality. But Don changes this and dips him in awesome sauce. Yay! As for the rest, Don renders the bots well and gives sleek new designs to Jetfire, Cliffjumper, Swindle, Octane (and more) that look awesome. But I don't like the sleek, sharp way he's drwn Ultra Magnus' ship as it clashed with the complex, angular and sharp look of the rest of the TF architecture. And I'm disappointed at the drop in standard of Don's beautiful, elegant backgrounds (seen in Stormbringer). They've lost their visual oomph and look very mediocre. Sad, very sad. Lastly, James Brown colored the issue up well. My only complaint is that his backgrounds look very fake and computer-generated.

THE STORY: Mike Costa has shown us that he isn't afraid to do things differently. The fact that Bumblebee is elected leader of the Autobots turns everything we've seen before inside out and on its head. This is something I never anticipated in a million stellar cycles. If this doesn't make you sit up and pay attention to the ongoing, then what does? And Swindle of all bots suggesting they join forces with the Autobots is strange also. For those of you new to this franchise, his name says it all. But ... although Costa puts our bots into unique situations, they act and react in them in keeping with the personalities of their G1 cartoon counterparts. This is a very crafty and clever thing Costa has done and it will please fans on both sides of the spectrum; the story is new and different while still harking back to the G1 cartoon days. I really like how Costa is referencing previous canon while keeping things new and taking risks. Hot Rod continues his "Rodimus" style badaft, no-nonsense attitude; Brawn is grumpy and aggressive; Omega Supreme states the obvious and is stubbornly loyal to Optimus Prime. So, the results all up:

ART RATING: 9 out of 10

STORY RATING: 9 out of 10

OVERALL RATING: 9.5 out of 10

ERRORS: Jetfire, Red Alert, Brawn, Silverstreak, Sandstorm, Swindle and Dead End all make unexplained appearances. Costa makes no attempt to justify their being on Earth. My view? I think that maybe they came to Earth in search of their respective leaders, only to be trapped there and forced into hiding. Oh, and Hot Rod is identified as "Rodimus" on the Con scanners. Bit early there guys!

FAVE QUOTE: Omega Supreme: I must warn you that there is a phalanx of Decepticons cresting the ridge.
Hot Rod: What?
Omega Supreme: I suggest you take evasive action. [Omega states the impending attack with a calm only he can muster.]

VERDICT: a thouroughly written and beautifully drawn issue that excels in all areas. I absolutely love it! Great to see Costa is expanding the cast more. Can't wait for issue 3. Rated 9.5 out of 10. And a huge thank you to IDW's editor in chief Chris Ryall for providing a digital copy of this comic for the review.

Posted by Fanbot at 9:52 pm, SUNDAY 20 December

Going Backwards - Spotlight: Cliffjumper review

Hi guys, I'm really sorry about the delay on posting but it's nearing Christmas and I'm flat out making  presents for the family. But here you go; a more in-depth review of Transformers Spotlight: Cliffjumper than the last one I did.

TRANSFORMERS: SPOTLIGHT: CLIFFJUMPER

Written by SHANE MCCARTHY

Art by ROBBY MUSSO

Colors by JOANA LAFUENTE

Covers by Musso, DON FIGUEROA, CASEY COLLER

SYNOPSIS: In the darkness, Cliffjumper speaks to an unknown being. Some time earlier, he crash landed on a planet and was attempting to make a transmitter to contact the Autobots when he was greeted by two natives. Kita and her younger brother Coll were orphaned when their parents died and struggle to maintain their family's farm. Others of their kind help out from a nearby settlement. After some introductions, Kita doesn't believe that Cliffjumper would hurt a fly, as hurting others is a great evil in her peoples' eyes. He hurriedly changes the subject and they later head to the farmhouse where Cliffjumper refuels on synthetic energon. He believes he will be there for awhile and suggests he help with Kita's farm. Time passes and the farm is now thriving. While Cliffjumper and Kita discuss flowers, a Decepticon ship flies overhead and lands near the farm where Coll is playing. They rush back to the farm, where the Decepticons are threatening Coll (who mistakes them for "Autosmots"). As they try to pry info out of Kita, Cliffjumper kills three of the landing party. They finally use her as bait to lure out Cliffjumper, and are surprised to learn he is but one Autobot. To humiliate him, they tell Kita that Cliffjumper is a killer who sabotaged a Decepticon ship. She is saddened and wishes to leave.

They let her go but only to shoot her in the back and then toss a bomb toward her and her brother. Cliffjumper uses his body to protect his friends and then rushes them to the barn. In the present, Cliffjumper consoles the dying Kita and tells Coll to stay with the body while he tends to his enemies. The Decepticons had called for backup, who chastises them when he finds out it was but one Autobot. However, when he figures out it is Cliffjumper, he quickly tells the team to arm themselves, but it is too late, as the furious Autobot unleashes on the 'Cons and destroys them all. Cliffjumper later plants a memorial for Kita, banging it down with the head of the 'Con who threatened Kita. He places her favorite flowers on the gravestone and sees to it that Coll is raised by a new family. He then takes off in the Decepticons' ship to rejoin his own family, the Autobots.

THE ART: I'm fairly new to the Transfandom and so have never seen Musso's other work (on Spotlight: Ultra Magnus), but from this issue I can see he is a very talented artist. The art is breathtaking and smooth, with every line looking like he spent an hour on it. The robots' facial expressions are very realistically done, which is something rarely seen in today's Transformers comics. I wasn't so sure about the anime facial styling on the flashlings, but. Joana Lafuente returns to her shiny, soft-light coloring style seen in Spotlight: Blurr and Maximum Dinobots3-5, and she does an excellent job at conveying the serene, anime-style environment of Kita and Coll's planet. I absolutely love the artwork and think the anime flair makes it interesting and different. An instant classic.

THE STORY:  Shane McCarthy again. Hmm. I'm a bit at odd for what to write for this one; sitting at my computer, the little blinking cursor mocks me; "What you gonna put? Huh? Huh? Huh?" Shut up, little cursor. Shane McCarthy has done a reasonable, though in no way perfect, story for us today. The plot is pretty standard -- a lone warrior (who turns out to be not all he seems) comes to a peaceful land to escape his enemies, and in doing so brings his war to the land. Nothing we haven't seen before, but McCarthy has made is unique enough to make the story enjoyable. I am still really annoyed that the awesomely cool internal monologues characteristic of Spotlights have disappeared. CJ only does this on the last page -- literally. The only place you find the int/monos is in Tales of the Fallen, and I don't even read that! The killing off of Kita borders on sentimentalism, and I think McCarthy shouldn't do this again. But I like it, kind of. The story flows well, and I like the idea that CJ is so feared by the Cons that a warlord and his unit are scared of him -- not to mention him slagging them all single-handed! The dialogue isn't very natural or smooth and seems very plot-driven. But I think Coll's rendition of "Autobots" is so cute! ("Autosmot." "Uh, don't touch that.")So, Spotlight: Cliffjumper's results overall:

ART RATING: 9 out of 10

STORY RATING: 7.5 out of 10

OVERALL RATING: 8 out of 10

FAVE QUOTE: Decepticon 1: Did you say "little red runt"?
Decepticon 2: Yeah, little red-
Decepticon 1: Small?
Decepticon 2: Yeah.
Decepticon 1: About so high?
Decepticon 2: Yeah.
Decepticon 1: Horns?
Decepticon 2: Yeah, but-
Decepticon 1: Arm yourselves! [The Cons slowly realize they are so dead.]

VERDICT: A reasonably-plotted story with purely breathtaking art that blew me away. Robby Musso and Joana Lafuente have really outdone themselves this time. An instant classic worth every cent. It's out in the All Hail Megatron Vol.3 TPB now. Next month: who knows? Stay tuned! Rated 8 out of 10.

Posted 9:53 pm, SATURDAY 19 December

Tales of the Fallen: Ravage preview

The informative fansite TF Archive has been updated with a four page preview of the Transformers: Nefarious tie-in, Transformers: Tales of the Fallen: Ravage. Finally, the return of Alex Milne! he is so much better than Carlos Magno in every respect. And I love Ravage! Here's the preview:

TRANSFORMERS: TALES OF THE FALLEN: RAVAGE
Written by SIMON FURMAN
Art by ALEX MILNE
Colors by JOSH PEREZ
Covers by Milne

The momentous event that is Transformers: Nefarious kicks off with the sudden, shocking -- and silent -- reappearance of stealth agent Ravage. Thought destroyed in Revenge of the Fallen, Ravage is back. But who is pulling his strings, and what is his mysterious but crucial mission?

There you go. I probably will get this one, but Christmas has stretched my wallet thin so it ain't a certainty. If I do you'll get the review as soon as possible. See you then!

Posted by Fanbot at 9:24 pm, SATURDAY 19 December

Going Backwards - Spotlight: Blurr review

This Spotlight is a tad old and out of order for my Going Backwards reviews, but I still love it. Casey Coller rocks! And I think he's doing the upcoming Spotlight: Prowl in April. But anyway, onto the review of Transformers Spotlight: Blurr...

TRANSFORMERS SPOTLIGHT: BLURR

Written by SHANE MCCARTHY

Art by CASEY COLLER

Colors by JOANA LAFUENTE

Covers by Coller, TREV HUTCHISON, GUIDO GUIDI

SYNOPSIS: Blurr, the best sportsbot on Cybertron, wins his latest race and sets a new track record. Though he’s barely aware of his assistants like Piston he and competitor Fasttrack are friendly enough to follow up the race by going to the Circle, the most exclusive club on Cybertron.

Outside a reporter asks him about the current political unrest but Blurr couldn’t care less. That is until a Decepticon terrorist attack destroys the main racing arena, resulting in Zeta Prime shutting down the races for good. An annoyed Blurr finds Piston (one of his race helpers) cleaning out his stuff, the worker having decided to join the Autobots. His efforts to persuade Blurr to join as well fall on deaf ears, as even without the races Blurr still has no shortage of parties to go to.
But the Circle is now deserted, with everyone either hiding or fighting. Without even his adoring crowds anymore Blurr seriously considers plugging into a addictive virtual reality device but is interrupted by the arrival of Starscream, who tries to persuade him to join the Decepticons.
Travelling home with much on his mind Blurr wanders into a firefight, where he finds Piston and Fasttrack -- now on different sides -- have killed one another. A young Autobot commander called Optimus approaches him and explains the group they were fighting were a Decepticon assassination squad out to kill Zeta Prime. Communications are being blocked and no one on Optimus’ team is fast enough to get to Zeta in time to warn him. After an impassioned speech about Blurr’s true nature the speedster decides to help, and races off to beat the Decepticons…

THE ART: Ah, Casey Coller. He was a complete newcomer to many TF fans who didn't read Mosaics. But his clean, simple style makes me feel tingly inside. The panels convey action well and you really get a feel of the moods in the story; the loud, strobe-lit bar looks alive and bustling, but when Blurr comes in during the fighting it feels really, really empty. It sent a little tingle up my spine when I read it. And although the inconsistencies of Cybertronian mode with Screamer and Warp annoy slightly (this issue takes place just after Megatron Origin), the designs for the characters look very cool and have obviously been well planned. Blurr's design in particular is very well done; his sleek body and Hermes-style helmet wings (or is this a pop culture reference to the Flash?) fit his racer personality perfectly. Damn you Figueroa, for making Blurr look like his Animated counterpart. And I love how she put lots of tiny cameos into the race scene; seen in the stands are (very hard to see); Blaster, Optimus, Jazz, Sunstreaker, Sideswipe, and Starscream. Joana Lafuente does a beautiful job on coloring this baby up; her use of soft light and muted tones makes for excellent viewing. I almost hate her for changing her style to a more painted one, but it still retains her soft light look. Great job guys, I love it.

THE STORY: Shane McCarthy. Those two words can turn a room into a riot. His highly controversial and -- frankly -- very clunky writing makes for bad reading. But in this case the story is simple and good quality with interesting plot and great characterisation. I like McCarthy's portrayal of Blurr as an egotistical prick turned cheery good guy, and Ops' natural ability to inspire bots. The way Blurr talks to others and interacts with them makes it very clear what he thinks of them. Very cool. I like this one. So, Spotlight: Blurr's results overall:

ART RATING: 9 out of 10

STORY RATING: 7.5 out of 10

OVERALL RATING: 8 out of 10

VERDICT: A stunningly done issue that shows the beauty that Casey and Joana bring to the Transformes franchise. A true goldmine of wonderful art. Next review: who knows? Rated 8 out of 10.

Posted by Fanbot at 12:09 pm, MONDAY 14 December

Transformers: Bumblebee #1 preview

TF Archive has updated us with a cool six page preview of the maxi-spotlight miniseries Bumblebee, by Zander Cannon with art by Chee. This mini spins out of the events in the Transformers #2. I really like Chee's artwork after this cos' he conveys the story very well. Kudos to Zander for including Omega. It's out December 16. Here's the pages:

TRANSFORMERS: BUMBLEBEE #1
Written by ZANDER CANNON
Art by CHEE YANG ONG
Colors by MOOSE BAUMANN
Covers by Chee, GUIDO GUIDI

In this first-ever Bumblebee miniseries written by Zander Cannon (Top Ten), it's a shakeup in Autobot leadership! Bumblebee finds himself leading a group that believes him to be unprepared for the job. An opportunity to radically improve the Autobots reputation arises. Bumblebee accepts the challenge despite his reservations, and embarks on a clandestine mission for the human military to find and disable all remaining rogue robots.

Posted by Fanbot at 8:38 am, MONDAY 14 December

Umbrella Academy: Dallas #1 review

Hi everybody! I'm taking a break from Transformers for a while since where I come from the second issue of the ongoing doesn't come out until 16 December! So as an interim measure, I'm reviewing the awesome superhero series from Dark Horse, The Umbrella Academy. I know you're gonna like this one...

THE UMBRELLA ACADEMY: DALLAS #1

Written by GERARD WAY

Art by GABRIEL BA

Colors by DAVE STEWART

Covers by JIM LEE

SYNOPSIS: the issue opens with a flashback. The Monocle (founder of the Umbrella Academy) and US President Kennedydiscuss a problem only the Academy can solve. Meanwhile, the Lincoln Memorial attacks The Umbrella Academy but is stopped when the rumor says she heard Lincoln was assassinated, thereby manifesting a statue of John Wilkes Booth. The statue then kills Lincoln with a Derringer. The Monocle applauds their efforts. Number 6 (The Horror, now deceased) complains that they don't get ice cream any more. Rumor tells him to grow up. We then jump forward to present day. Vanya has no memory of her involvement in Ocrchestra Verdammten, Seance has become famous, Luther watches TV and eats cookies, Allison has lost her voice and hates Vanya, and Kraken investigates. Number 5 goes to the dog races and loses. On the way out he is attacked by a large number of dudeds called the Temps Aeternalis. He quickly and bloodily kills them. One of the Temps calls for someone called Hazel and Cha-Cha to come. Number 5 is horrified at this, saying, "We're already dead."

THE ART: I really like Gabriel Ba. His stylized artwork really fits the story. His expert use of line and shadow convey the story perfectly. Though his panel shots and layout are nothing out of the ordinary, he seems to have a great idea fof slowly paying off the action. There's always a character just out of view that we can't quite see until the last minute, which is great for this plot. We don't know what happened to the characters since Apocalyse Suite, so he does a great job of making it interesting. Dark Horse's colorist extraordianaire Dave Stewart does a stunning job on coloring this baby up, bringing out the best in Gabriel's lines. Somewhat disturbing is his uncanny knack for coloring the bloody conflict of Number 5 against the Temps Aeternalis. He makes the copious amounts of blood stand out like a chocolate bar in a swimming pol, which is awesome and disgusting at the same time. But then again, Stewart is the colorist for Hellboy, Witchfinder, and BPRD, so I guess I shouldn't really be surprised. Great job overall, I have no complaints whatsoever. I love this.

THE STORY: Gerard Way has done a superb job writing this issue. I read the Apocalyse Suite TPB (last Umbrella series) a couple months ago and loved it instantly. And it's the same here. He has come up with some of the most crazy and yet very realistic events that advance the story while asking questions and intriguing the reader. The Lincoln Memorial Statue coming to life and being defeated by a similar statue of John Wilkes Booth ("Sic semper tyrannis!") is awesomely nutty, while the reappearance of the Temps Aeternalis is interesting; Number 5 got attacked by them in the last arc and they obviously have had dealings of some sort in the past. Exactly what did Number 5 do in the sixty five years or so he was trapped in the future? And I just love Spaceboy sitting at home getting fat. He was the best in the team, because he was the front line of protection against Earth attack. Now that the danger is over he has nothing to do in life and so watches TV while eating cookies. Sad, though. Is this what the great Spaceboy does with his life now? Not exactly the reaction I thought he'd take, but a good one nonetheless.So Gerard writes extremely well and is the king of a slow pay-off. The overall results are:

ART RATING: 8.5 out of 10

STORY RATING: 9 out of 10

OVERALL RATING: 9.5 out of 10

FAVE QUOTE: Monocle: --Your lie manifesting into an equally graven image of John Wilkes Booth, armed with a Derringer, no less [...] How were you certain that was going to work[...]?
Rumor (No.3): I wasn't. [Oh snap!]

VERDICT: A well-scripted and innovatively executed issue. Gabriel and Dave were by far the best guys in the creative team for this one. But great work all round, and stunning inside flap synopsis. Next month: the arrival of Hazel and Cha-Cha! But who are Hazel and Cha-Cha? Rated 9.5 out of 10.

Posted by Fanbot at 1:47 pm, SUNDAY 13 December

TRANSFORMERS #2 REVIEW DELAY

I know that the Transformers #2 is already out and that I haven't reviewed it yet. The review will be up in a couple of days. Until then, stay cool! And someone find operate432 and tell him my reviews are up. Goodbye.

Posted by Fanbot at 10:39 pm, FRIDAY 11 December

Andy Schmidt Q & A at TFW 2005!

I have absolutely no idea when this thing went up but it is very informative to what the hell. TFW2005 had an interview with IDW editor and writer of Continuum Andy Schmidt. There's a lot of waffle contained in this Q & A but the most important thing that Schmidt mentions is ... wait for it ... is ...

THERE'S A SPOTLIGHT PROWL COMING OUT IN APRIL!!

So there you have it. Check out that article (click here) NOW! Go! Go!

Posted by Fanbot at 9:21 pm, FRIDAY 11 December

Going Backwards - Stormbringer #4

And once again Fanbot comes to the end of another great miniseries. The last issue of Transformers: Stormbringer is about to be dissected. Here we go.

TRANSFORMERS: STORMBRINGER #4
Written by SIMON FURMAN
Art by DON FIGUEROA
Colors by JOSH BURCHAM
Covers by Figueroa

SYNOPSIS: As Thunderwing speeds through hyperspace toward Cybertron, Optimus Prime and the Wreckers frantically prepare for his arrival. They're not the only ones; under Megatron's orders, the Predacons aboard the Decepticon warship Thanatos prepare to bombard Cybertron from orbit in order to destroy Thunderwing once and for all, though Razorclaw harbors reservations. As the Autobots engage Thunderwing, Razorclaw orders Divebomb to take a group of Decepticons and fight alongside the Wreckers.
Jetfire finally uncovers an item in Bludgeon's files; if Thunderwing is subjected to a massive assault, he will drain his supply of Ultra-Energon ever faster. Dogfight reprograms Bludgeon's remaining Centurion drones (of which there are many), adding to the combined Transformers' firepower. As the drones are destroyed, Razorclaw orders his Decepticons back as the firing threshold draws near. Optimus moves in, blasting Thunderwing until he runs out of energon and becomes still. Razorclaw cancels his warship's bombing run literally at the last second.
Returning to the Autobot command hub aboard Ark-27, Optimus receives a communique from Jetfire, who has uncovered further information in Bludgeon's files—a Decepticon plan involving a planet called Earth. Linking this info with the update he received from Prowl's unit, Prime orders a change of course.

THE ART: I shouldn't really have to say anything about this by now. Don continues his expert rendering of the Transformers, conveying action in perfect detail with interesting and slightly abstract panel layouts that are a delight. Kudos to him , with some honorable mentions going to the panel with Thunderwing transforming into his "ultra"mode and the sequence where Ops blasts the crap out of him - I really like this cos' Don uses blocks of black instead of lines to convey the stark explosion light glancing off Ops' body. Every detail of the Cybertronian landscape is expertly drawn, along with the billowing clouds of smoke and Thunderwing's ionising black lightning stuff. Once again the prolific Josh Burcham colors the issue up something awesome. His soft light in the flashback scenes is awesome to behold and everything looks beautiful. I cannot think of a better colorist in the whole of comics - including anything put out by the Big Two. Why can't IDW get him to color the ongoing? Maybe I should be thankful. After all, he's doind Last Stand of the Wreckers, so that's a bonus. And lastly, the sound effects done by Sulaco Studios are awesome! They convey the onomatopoeia perfectly, and the emphasised dialogue that spills out of the speech bubbles is cool. Pity that their tail skills need a lot of work. Those things are ugly.

THE STORY: Very good, Mr. Furman, very good indeed. I continue to be impressed with his writing cred. The action is fast-paced and well panned out, and he ties everything up very nicely while raisng a whole lot more questions (as Ops said in the G1 cartoon: "every answer led to a bigger question.") that intrigue the reader. They'll be investigated further in Escalation. Which I don't have. Dammit! But anyways, Furman has done a great job on this series and is truly an Eisner-worthy man. My only complaint, if I had to make one (this is both a good and bad thing), is that the Cons' nuclear firing threshold is aborted one nano-klik before detonation. Talk about drawing the suspense out! But funny nonetheless. So, issue #4's overall results:

ART RATING: 8.5 out of 10
STORY RATING: 8.5 out of 10
OVERALL RATING: 8.5 out of 10

FAVE QUOTE: Jetfire: "This so-called Ultra-Energon contains radically unstable elemental matter. The more Thunderwing draws upon its fissionable core, the greater the obverse catalytic reaction."
Optimus: "In plain language, please."
Jefire: "Right. Of course." [You and me both, Prime.]

VERDICT: Another great issue and an expertly done end to what I think has been a tremendous series. Bring on Last Stand of the Wreckers! Next month: the Spotlights! Rated 8.5 out of 10. Woohoo!!

Posted by Fanbot at 9:13 pm, FRIDAY 11 December

Going Backwards - Stormbringer #3

Welcome back. Let's cut the slag and get straight into the revew, shall we? Here's Fanbot's scoop on Transformers: Stormbringer #3 ...

TRANSFORMERS: STORMBRINGER #3

Written by SIMON FURMAN

Art by DON FIGUEROA

Colors by JOSH BURCHAM

Color assist by GRUNGEWORX

Covers by Figueroa

SYNOPSIS: Thunderwing continues to devastate the surface of Nebulos, while on Cybertron, Bludgeon prepares to submit himself to thepolydermal grafting process. On the dead planet's surface, Nosecone and Afterburner are attacked by Centurion drones, but are rescued by the Wreckers, who have arrived with Optimus Prime. The Autobots breach Bludgeon's bunker and rapidly overcome his team-mates. Iguanus flees to the pressure vat chamber, seeking Bludgeon, only to discover a massive figure wielding a glowing sword.
Darkwing orders the Decepticon infiltration unit on Nebulos to attack Thunderwing, but the monstrous being eliminates over half the attacking Decepticons within seconds. After their own attacks prove ineffective, Darkwing and Dreadwind abandon Nebulos. They send a message to Razorclaw, who in turn contacts the High Command. After being briefed, Megatron authorizes Razorclaw to do what ever is necessary to stop Thunderwing, even if it means destroying Cybertron in the process.
The Wreckers breach the pressure vat chamber and discover a catatonic Bludgeon within his shell. Iguanus, dying from being cleft in two by Bludgeon's sword and Jetfire, who tells Prime to shut Bludgeon's control throne down. Jetfire gets to work on the data in Bludgeon's computers, but an orbital warning sounds—with Bludgeon's control system destroyed, Thunderwing is returning home...

THE ART: Heaven. It is terribly, awesomely, trouser-shatteringly beautiful. Don could not have done a more expert job with his lineart. I find myself completely blown away by the sheer ease with which Don seems to convey the story. He makes full use of some effective (albeit a bit different) panel angles as well as some carefully executed point-of-view shots. The action sequences on Nebulos where the resident 'Con infiltration team get themselves completely mashed by Thunderwing are beautiful to behold, and the sheer, blatant apocalyptical destruction on the first three pages is just plain fraggin' magnificent. Absolutely nothing wrong with this issue and if there's anyone who disagrees then comment and tell me why the hell you think that. And who could forget Josh Burcham. His always awesome colors completely beautify this issue, expertly rendering everything on the pages, from Bludgeon's growing shell to the  fiery explosions from Thunderwing. Great job.

THE STORY: Simon Furman continues to impress with his expert writing skills, the action well-paced and beautifully written. Bludgeon's dialogue at the start is awesome and I like Furman's new portrayal of him as one of those misguided zealots who ultimately has his homeworld's interests (if not perhaps its best) at the heart of his reign of chaos. Furman also continues his barrage of obscure characters, with Crankcase, Roadgrabber, Ruckus, Darkwing, Dreadwind and Thrust being added to the mix. Oh, and Predacon Razorclaw! So all in all Simon continues to do a great job on this awesome limited series. And so here's the overall results for this issue:

ART RATING: 9.5 out of 10

STORY RATING: 8.5 out of 10

OVERALL RATING: 9.5 out of 10

ERRORS: Iguanus has a different design for his face during his "death" scene.

FAVE QUOTE: Springer: Suppose there's no point in asking you to stay up here, out of the firing line."

Optimus Prime: "No." [Optimus doesn't do the whole "leader-behind-the-scenes" thing.]

VERDICT: Another greatly done issue from an expert creative team. The boys have once again proved that perfection can be achieved and surpassed. I love you Don, your drawings are so cool! Rated 9.5 out of 10. Next month: Thunderwing comes home, and the Predacons move in. But what for?

Posted by Fanbot at 1:06 pm, FRIDAY 11 December