Going Backwards - Transformers: Maximum Dinobots #4 review

Welcome back to Going Backwards Reviews! Sorry for not reviewing these sooooo long, really couldn't be stuffed and I had other reviews to do. Anyway, back to the review. As with the rest of the Maximum Dinobots series, the action kicks up a notch with every issue that passes. I'm left stunned, gripped and cheering for more. Simon Furman, Nick Roche, Josh Burcham - is there any creative team better (apart from Nick Roche, Nick Roche  and Kris Carter)? So, let's see what they have in store for us this time...

Synopsis: In Portland Oregon, Ravage and Laserbeak finally locate Soundwave and forcibly rescue him. Returning him to Mount St. Helens, Soundwave is left unsure what he can do next as he has no way of getting out of cassette player mode. Shockwave appears and explains the technology freezing Soundwave was of his design, and that they can help each other.
In Dallas, Hot Rod leaves the Machination Headquarters in time to let the real Sunstreaker in. Though he pleads with the Headmaster to wait until they can get back up, Sunstreaker has had enough and wants to be whole again immediately. As he goes inside a disappointed Hot Rod goes to call for help.
As the Monsterbot ship flies from Fallon to Texas, Grimlock brokers a deal with the outcast Autobots, for an extension of the alliance he’ll give them the encrypted data they stole from Shockwave’s ship before destroying it. However he finds the other Dynobots are still unsure of their current fugitive status.
Hot Rod takes the painful step of boosting his internal comm. system through with a Machination power source, blasting it through several satellites before it heads in the direction of Ultra Magnus’ space ship.
Sunstreaker feels he’s getting close to his head when Scorponok blasts him from behind. Gloatingly he explains he knew Sunstreaker was in the building all along as each real Headmaster has a unique recognition stamp. His gloating is cut short however when he realises Hunter has disengaged from the now lifeless body. He goes to hunt the human down but is interrupted by a message telling him of the imminent arrival of the Monsterbot ship.
Onboard the ship, the Dynobots argue about why they even need to go after Scorponok, arguing they should just leave the planet at once. Grimlock though considers this personal, and once the ship’s weapons have taken care of the main Machination defences he charges into battle. After a seconds hesitation, the others follow him and they begin taking on the Headmasters
Hunter meanwhile has found Sunstreaker’s head. Feeling there were no options remaining he disconnects it, which in effect instantly disables all the Headmaster’s outside. The Dynobots are confused, and an attempted explanation from Hot Rod only adds to this. The conversation is cut short when Scorponok blasts Sludge down, immediately followed by Shockwave who wants revenge on the Dynobots himself.
In space, Ultra Magnus hears Hot Rod’s distress call and vows that this time Scorponok will not escape…

The Good: This issue is almost as good as the rest, though not quite. See The Bad for more on this. Anyways, Nick Roche does his usual amazing job on art duties. His lines are like a drug to me, I can't live without them. Best panel is when Sunstreaker gets blasted in the chest by Scorponok, fluid spraying in all directions and molten metal congealing around the balst hole. This panel is just slagging awesome. I love it. Simon Furman's plot is well-done and seems to go along very well. Haven't detected any plot holes yet. His story leaves me gripped and cheering for more, and that's how it should be. Fill-in artist James Raiz does well, although I never liked his style he can draw better than me any day and I applaud him or stepping up to the mark for this. But...

The Bad: OK, James Raiz is a good artist but the fact remains that he is not, and never will be, Nick Roche. His art style is NOTHING LIKE NICK'S. I mean they could at least have got someone with an art style remotely resembling Nick's, like Emiliano Santalucia or even Casey Coller. The art changes are very jarring, and Joana Lafuente's colors continue to annoy me. Where are you Josh Burcham? ("On AHM you noob", I hear as I type) But other than that, the comic is great.

The Ugly: Sludge is drawn differently between the two artists. James' Sludge head has a nose and features while Nick's head is flat with no nose. I mean if they're going to have different artists they could at least have the same designs! Nothing else.

Verdict: Quite good, but the creative team goes seriously downhill at this issue. The story is great and I enjoyed reading this. Rated 8 out of 10.

Posted by Fanbot at 5:31 pm, WEDNESDAY 23 September