2007 seems to become an important year for Transformer Fandom.
The movie is only one example of this, I for one am hoping that it will be a success so that the originally proposed trilogy can go on as planned.
also I hope that it may bring a good many contributors to the club. there seem to be a handfull active members, be it comic or magazine wise or just to write excellent articles such as the brilliant comic reviews.
I wish to thank the contributors( you know who you are) for their efforts and am hoping to see an continued commitment from all already involved. who knows, maybe it can persuade someone to actually contribe stuff.

I think this goes for everyone but I wish all the Transformers fans a good 2007 !!!!
greetings johan

Balance of Power...

BOP #29 is done and available for ordering! It costs $3/US issue for those who want the whole thing (that is, the physical issue). Email me at tkphoton@hotmail.com to get a copy!



Also, the stories from BOP #28 are now up and readable at www.karmicsalt.com/boparchive.html


(FYI, issue #29 was for November but it wasn't until December it got out. I plan to try and get BOP #30 out during January some time).

I have plans for a couple more TF projects at some point in the future as well... more on those when I get time to get further with them.


- Thunder

Comic Capsule Reviews...

A quick look at recent TF comics that came out...

Transformers Timelines
Dawn of Futures Past **Retail Edition**

Writer: Forest Lee and Peter Sinclair
Artist: Dan Khanna, Alex Milne and Marcelo Matere

Summary: The Pre-Beast Wars tale that brings all our heroes together (Same as convention edition).

Comments: This is the exact same thing as the convention edition. Its differences are: a new cover; Prime and Megatron profiles; new ads for the TF club (instead of a convention schedule).
This is not worth buying if you already have the convention version... (I have both and wish I hadn't bothered for all the little differences there are in this one). I do like the cover to this one better then the actual con version had, btw. If you don't have the con version already, you might want to check it out for the story--it's decent enough (though nothing spectacular). See the full review from early October for more story/art details.


(Retail Cover)




(Convention Cover)

***

Transformers Spotlight #3
Hot Rod

Writer: Simon Furman
Artist: Nick Roche

(Covers by Nick Roche and James Raiz)

Summary: Hot Rod undertakes a dangerous covert mission to rescue a former comrade from a high security Decepticon prison.

Comments: Great art and a good story (although I liked the Shockwave one best of this series, thus far). I like that Furman is trying to bring in Hot Rod and flesh him out as a character a bit more then has been done before. (I bought the Roche cover this time around, btw).

Recommended.




***
Transformers Escalation #1

Writer: Simon Furman
Artist: E.J. Su

(covers by E.J. Su, Klaus Scherwinski)

Summary: Megatron holds a conference with his warriors, asking them if they will still be loyal to him. If not, he'll destroy them. All agree to remain loyal. Elsewhere, the humans are to be returned to their lives, as per Optimus Prime's orders. Ironhide and Sunstreaker will escort them home... the Machination plan to take on the Transformers and even know where their base is located. As the two Autobots emerge, they are followed and then the trap is sprung!

Comments: A good first issue to this next chapter of the story. The art is consistent and the story seems to be moving into an action phase... little of great relevance happens, imo, except for the beginning of the Machination's plans and Megatron's apparent desire to step things up on Earth.

Mildly Recommended.

Official TF club toys now available...

Just got this email from the TF club...


"To order Astrotrain or Airazor, please follow the directions below as we will
NOT take phone orders until Thursday. Emailed orders will take priority. We
will start processing and making callbacks today from our list of emails. We
will get to you in the order the emails were received. Again, we will NOT take
any calls on these items until Thursday.

Please send an email to angie@mastercollector.com with the following
information:

If you need to have someone call you back, just include your phone number and
name. If you have a credit card on file (which most of you do) please give us
the last 4 numbers of the credit card and expiration date, verify your shipping
address in case it is different from your mailing address, make sure you put
your first and last (not your screen name) name and daytime phone number on your
request.

Then tell us what you want to pre-order. These two pieces are currently
scheduled to arrive here in late January.

We are limiting the quantities you can order to two of each (two Astrotrains,
two Airazors) until December 11, to give all members a chance to order what they
want. Some people are not online and they will not see the announcement until
they get their newsletter. There are only 2,000 pieces of each item.

You must be a member to order these items. If someone is not a member, they can
join at the same time.

Astrotrain is $87 +shipping, Airazor is $42 +shipping. Shipping is $7 domestic
for the first item and $1 for each additional item. Foreign shipping will vary
by country. If you are placing a foreign order, we will calculate the airmail
cost and add it to your order.

Example order: if you are domestic and order one Astrotrain and one Airazor the
total cost will be $137.

Also, if you are a foreign member and need a call back, we will call you though
the time of day might be very late or very early.

We have put these rules in place to make this process as easy, simple and fair
as possible. Please follow them.

In case you are wondering why we are not taking orders online: the programmers
are working on a pre-order module for the store but it is not finished. Also it
is not a good idea to test new code with such an overwhelming amount of
processing. We would prefer to test it in a simpler environment to ensure there
is not another Nemesis Prime problem.

Thanks for your support! If you have a question please put it in the Ask Brian
area in the members forum and I will answer it. Angie and the other support
staff will be a bit busy.

Brian"

---

I haven't seen the Airrazor toy yet... hope it's cool! :)

- Thunder

TransMasters Magazine Issue #3--Finally done

Well, fellow Transfans, here is Issue 3, short as it is.
Work's been keeping me VERY busy. So here it goes:

TransMasters Magazine Issue 3

Yes, I know, on Geocities again? Ah well that's how it is for now.
This issue includes:
--Big Beast Wars KO-Korner
--More Cheap Wal-Mart Video Reviews
--Four more parts of the Cybertron Story (Which I hope to wrap up in the next issue of the Comic)
--And... Big Suprize here...Trans Formers: Balance Of Power has Returned!!! Yea.
Thanks. Hopefully I can get more time in the future. I really want to do some work on the new Classics Line...I'll wait to judge the new Movie toys until I see them all.

Comic Review...

Transformers Stormbringer #4

Writer: Simon Furman
Artist: Don Figueroa
(Covers by Don Figueroa)

Synopsis: Thunderwing returns to Cybertron while the Autobots prepare for his arrival. In orbit, the Predacons prepare to bombard the planet as per Megatron's orders. Thunderwing experiences flashes of memory before landing on the surface and unleashing his raw power. The Autobots employ hit and run tactics against him to no avail. Jetfire deduces that if they can get Thunderwing to expend enough power he might run out of steam. The Decepticons in orbit launch two assault teams to try and aide the Autobots before they are required to nuke the planet. Optimus has his warriors re-program the Centurion droids and have them attack Thunderwing as well. Thunderwing is slowed down until he converts to a new secondary form that is more armored. The Decepticons decide to pull out and it's up to Optimus Prime to finish off the Pretender with his own firepower. Thunderwing runs out of power as predicted and goes immobile. The Decepticons call off their attack and leave while Optimus wonders what more damage Thunderwing may have caused wherever he went. Later on, Jetfire finds a trail leading to Earth and Optimus decides to head there immediately.

Comments: Someone else mentioned that this story didn't really need to be it's own mini-series--that could've fit the regular series just fine as a storyline (although IDW's way of doing things seems to be that every storyline is a mini anyway). At any rate, I agree this story didn't really need to be hyped up as a big event because it really wasn't. However, it does fit the main IDW continuity very well, revealing another piece of the puzzle. I enjoyed Stormbringer overall, both as a story and the art as well. While it wasn't a big epic, it wasn't the letdown that I felt Beast Wars and Hearts of Steel were. I felt something was accomplished with this tale and appreciate that.

This issue: Highly Recommeded.

Series overall: Recommended.

Comic Review...

Transformers Spotlight #2
Nightbeat


Writer: Simon Furman
Artist: MD Bright
(Covers by MD Bright, James Raiz and Nick Roche)

Synopsis: One of Nightbeat's contacts tells him he's found part of a log to the long lost original Ark. Nightbeat is immediately interested but his contact dies when he arrives at his ship to get the log. The log is gone so Nightbeat traces his path back to Gorlam Prime--where the log was found. He finds a people slowly evolving from organic to mechanical and upon further investigation, finds a deep tunnel below the surface. There, he finds an interdimensional hole in the ground. The Sports Car Patrol show up then and give chase, subduing him and bringing him back to the beings in the portal. Nightbeat is given some sort of brain implant and then released, apparently unable to remember the whole incident. Later, Optimus Prime contacts him and tells him he's needed on Earth.

Comments: Not a lot happens really but I liked this issue anyway. Nightbeat is very much in character with Furman's old Marvel Universe depiction (yay!) The story poses many interesting questions, giving us a better look at this world without actually telling us anything. The original Ark was lost millennia ago but apparently didn't crash on Earth... its insinuated it may have crashed on Gorlam Prime and influenced that world's evolution. But where did this interdimensional portal come from? And what do these beings want with Nightbeat and the Transformers? Sooner or later we'll find out, I suspect and I look forward to the answer (may it be worth the wait).
MD Bright was brought back to TF comics by Tim Finn's suggestion IDW track him down (according to Tim). His art is more blocky then some of the recent artists but I like his style and it works well with this story. I also liked his cover art.
(This comic is a special Botcon exclusive edition of the TF Spotlight: Nightbeat and comes with all the variant covers in one edition. A great value for that reason alone).

Highly recommended.

Comic Review...

Transformers: Evolutions #4
Hearts of Steel, part four

Writer: Chuck Dixon
Artist: Guido Guidi
(covers by Guido Guidi)

Synopsis: The US army tries futilely to stop the Decepticon Astrotrain as it roars through their blockade with ease. Elsewhere, Muldoon, Clemens and the others arrive on a train at some station somewhere and encounter Bumblebee, the other Autobots and John Henry. All join forces and continue in pursuit of the Decepticons. As they close in, Starscream launches Scourge (a blimp) and has him bombard them from the air. Scourge is shot down finally but not before Starscream attacks again, this time bombing the Autobots and their allies, trapping several in a tunnel. Bumblebee and John Henry pursue them solo. They get around the Decepticons and hit the track switch, sending the Decepticons and their allies plummeting helplessly into a canyon beyond. Epilogue: The good humans get rescued and the Autobots return to their slumber.

Comments: A decent end to a decent story. I was bit surprised by the abrupt ending of the story. "That was it?" was my thought upon reading it. It also didn't answer all the questions either. Shockwave (a boat) was unaccounted for and what happened to those Decepticons in earlier issues that appeared to be planes? Surely they all didn't go down with the train so why are the Autobots so confident in the end? Or was there a plan to possibly do a sequel? I was also disappointed we never got to see the cannon Megatron make an appearance in the story--he looked cool but I guess he was just something they designed for fun rather then for the story. Oh well... I wish this story had gone another issue and given us a little more action after so much build-up.

This issue: Mildly recommended.

Series as a whole: Pass (unless you're really a hardcore fan and must own it)

Comic Review...

Transformers Timelines
Dawn of Futures Past

Writer: Forest Lee and Peter Sinclair
Artist: Dan Khanna, Alex Milne and Marcelo Matere


Synopsis: Tigatron and another Maximal pursue some Predacons who are after the Golden Disk--an relic of great importance of Maximal High Command. Tigatron's partner is injured, leaving him alone to pursue their enemies. Elsewhere, Megatron holds the disk and plans to use it for his grand designs. Dinobot wants to stay and fight but Megatron tells him his plan is more important. They leave. Elsewhere, a mysterious Predacon tells Laserbeak and Buzzsaw to make certain Megatron accomplishes his ultimate goal but to remain hidden at all cost. Megatron and co. get on their new ship, the Darksyde, leaving Tigatron to find a nearby vessel and commandeer it. Fortunately its pilot, Airrazor, is okay with a fight and happy to help. The Maximals order the Axalon and its crew to pursue the Darksyde as well and they do, despite Optimus' concerns over their cargo (i.e. Protoform X). A big space battle ensues, with Lasorbeak/Buzzsaw almost destroying the Axalon before Tigatron/Airrazor come along and stop them. As Airrazor/Tigatron's ship is about to destroy itself from the battle damage, Rhinox uses some kind of remote spark transfer thingy to beam their sparks into two blank protoforms. The Axalon then gives chase to the Darksyde and both jump into a transwarp portal. Epilogue: some time later, mysterious figures muse over the ultimate fate of the Golden Disk, Megatron and the others fates. It is revealed these are in fact the Predacons of the G1 era! Divebomb tells Razorclaw now that he has returned, it is time he lead the Predacons to ultimate victory over the Maximals!

Comments: I usually hate Forest Lee's mini-comics in the TF club newsletter. Imagine my surprise when this story came out readable and even decent. I'm not sure if this is because of Sinclair's involvement, much editing or just the fact that with enough space even Lee can do something different storywise. I give them credit for not referring to most of the famous BW toys pre-show names, thus getting around the sticky issue of what they may have been (or having to go through legal and finding usable names). Obviously, Rattrap's pre-show name started with an "R" as this is what Optimus starts to say before he's conveniently interrupted (and the first place I really noticed the absence of proper names). The characters all sounded correct--like I would imagine the show characters speaking (something far too few writers pay attention to in the comics). I do wonder about Megatron's battle armor. I know it was to help make symmetry between what we see in Beast Wars, part one and this toy form but I really think a bunch of robots wearing battle armor is redundant when they can just be built with weapons inside them. One final comment on the writing: too many instances of long, rambling sentences with no commas in them that come across feeling like info dumps instead of dialogue.
As to the art... well, its okay. I noticed Rattrap's head design changes twice throughout the issue--from the terrible looking toy head (part of the BC set) to the more familiar BW show head back to the toy head again (look how many people drew this issue, though, and such mistakes are inevitable). A few frames suffered from being unintelligible in terms of what the hell was happening (common to fan comics and, it seems, Botcon comics). The art generally doesn't stand up to IDW's wonderful artwork.
I loved the appearance of the Predacons at the end of the comic and hope that this is not the start of some new and long storyline but just a throw away thing. (Incidentally, there were fan made BW Predacons at the convention for the story--I got pics!)
A decent effort, it does it's job as convention promotional item...

Mildly recommended.

"The circle is complete."

My pics are now up.

http://s114.photobucket.com/albums/n245/tkthunder/

I took over 200 pics but only posted the more interesting stuff... I didn't bother rehashing the toy pics because I figure all the sites out there already did that anyway.

t.k.

Botcon 06 report!

Find it here:

http://www.karmicsalt.com/bc06report.html

A bit long winded...not for those who just want the straight-up facts (I like to talk about everything I
did so I can remember it years later).

My pics aren't up yet but will be soon and I'll post when they are.

Comic Capsule Review...

(There's been so many comics coming out lately and not enough time in the day so I'm going to do three mini reviews here and now to catch up.)


Transformers: Evolutions #3
Hearts of Steel, part three

Writer: Chuck Dixon
Artist: Antonio Vazquez and Luis Czerniawski
(covers by Guido Guidi)

Synopsis: A human leads a caravan into the middle of the desert and meets with Starscream. He wants to make a deal with the Decepticons. Elsewhere, Ravage tracks down Muldoon and attacks him at his refuge. Clemens helps to defeat it and Ravage retreats for the time being. The Decepticons inadvertantly learn of the Autobots resurrection from their new human allies while Bumblebee tells John Henry he must leave to rejoin his fellow Autobots and take the fight to the Decepticons. Elsewhere, the army finds the Decepticon base too late to do anything to stop them, as they have already left. Muldoon figures they're headed for New York and says they must stop them. Bumblebee leads a train along with John Henry and his friends in pursuit of the Decepticons.

Comments: The story continues and it is still interesting. Unfortunately this is issue three of four and we still haven't gotten to an actual confrontation between the two sides--one of those annoying nuances of comics nowadays. Still, the story is moderately interesting and it's nice to see someone other then Furman doing a TF story for a change. The art also continues to be good.

Recommended.





***


Transformers Stormbringer #3

Writer: Simon Furman
Artist: Don Figueroa

(covers by Don Figueroa)

Synopsis: Thunderwing attacks Nebulos, inflicting mass carnage and the Decepticons try futilely to stop him. When its clear they can do nothing, Darkwing and Dreadwing make their escape. On Cybertron, Bludgeon crates his Pretender shell but bonds with it too soon and goes mad. The other Decepticons present are attacked by Optimus Prime, Springer and his Wreckers--and taken out. Elsewhere, Razorclaw tells Megatron that Thunderwing is back and Megatron orders him to do whatever is necessary to eliminate this new threat. On Cybertron, the Autobots detect Thunderwing returning to the base.


Comments: Bludgeon is defeated to make room for the battle against Thunderwing in the final part. Not a bad issue--a lot of action and it seems more clear where Furman is taking this new TF continuity. Excellent art as always (and I actually got the cover I wanted for once! Hooray!)

Recommended.



***


Transformers Spotlight #1
Shockwave

Writer: Simon Furman
Artist: Nick Roche
(Covers by Nick Roche and James Raiz)

Synopsis: In the past, Shockwave foresees the enviromental disaster coming to Cybertron and sets about seeding other worlds with energon stores. Some time later, he goes to a primitive world (Earth) and starts his plan by stabilizing the Energon available there. The Dynobots have followed him, however, intent on revenge for a past battle. They assume organic dinosaur forms and take out his ship. On the surface they face off and Shockwave easily defeats them. As he is about to leave, he falls victim to Grimlock's back up plan--a bombardment from the Dynobots ship that blows open a nearby volcano and takes him out. Centuries later, two human archeologists find his hand sticking out of the ground (indicating that he is most certainly buried but not totally destroyed).

Comments: Possibly the best IDW TF comic done so far in terms of story. It's all in this one issue, a complete story and focus on a character. No multiple parts, no cliffhangers--one issue and it works well, accomplishing what it set out to do (spotlight Shockwave). I wish we could see more of this type of thing in a mainstream comic series (but IDW seems to prefer one-offs and mini-series to tell it's overall story instead of steady ongoing series).

I also think the artwork was fantastic--I knew Nick Roche ten years ago and he was a great artist even then. I'm glad to see he can pull off an entire issue of sequential art and make it work. Not all artists are capable of such a feat (Dan Khanna, for example). Shockwave's antennae are a bit longer/angled then I would do but I think that's intended as a stylistic choice rather then anything else. I hope Nick does many more comics in his career. Way to go, Nick!


Highly recommended.

More Blogger Blues

Well as you are probably aware, we still ended up having more adult related spam junk. Thanks to Tony K. for keeping a close eye on this. I was shocked because I had turned on the Comment Moderation feature. Coupled with that I should not have had more of these, but since someone seems to be good at faking out my email adddy, I've done a couple more things. One, I've changed the our blog email addy and kept it from being published. If you want it you'll have to email me directly. Second, and I was very reluctant to do this again, I've changed it back to the "members of this blog only". While I was in the process of doing this another spam message arrived with my name on it. This time it did not send out, I hope. It had some kind of military career title but was marked as a draft. I immediately deleted it.

I guess Blogger doesn't think I should have to moderate myself?

Still working on Mag, going to be another very late one. My work is putting way too many hats on an already over taxed neck. Gotta Roll into bed.

Comic Review...

Transformers: Evolutions #2
Hearts of Steel, part two

Writer: Chuck Dixon
Artist: Guido Guidi


(Covers by Guido Guidi)


Synopsis: John Henry hammers some rails down while a newfangled contraption (Bumblebee in disguise) does the same nearby but faster. The humans marvel over the machine but John is annoyed that a machine is capable of replacing him. Their boss nearby wants to get a dozen more machines... Elsewhere, Tobias Muldoon is taken underwater by Shockwave and shown what the Decepticons are doing, constructing some sort of base/something. Shockwave introduces the others to Tobias and Starscream is all too happy to have Tobias' aide in their plans. He tells him how the Decepticons will help the humans usher in a new, glorious golden age for all humanity. Tobias says they will need lots of money to help him create his designs and he explains the monetary system to his new allies. Elsewhere, its night and John Henry looks at the new machine and says it will never replace him... Bumblebee transforms and reveals himself, telling John he has no interest in replacing him, merely helping his kind. John is stunned at first but quickly accepting of someone else who wants to earn their own way in life... they shake hands. Elsewhere, a train full of money is robbed by the Insecticons. The soldiers can't believe their eyes... Out in the desert, the Decepticons stand with Tobias, who explains he will need to set up a big operation and it won't be easy or cheap. The Insecticons return with lots of money then, to Tobias' astonishment. Shortly after, he has wagonloads of supplies brought out to the middle of nowhere to begin their operation. John Henry and his friends are working when one reads a newspaper about giant monsters attacking the train and soldiers. The men think its crazy but Bumblebee overhears what they say and goes to the other Autobots, telling them what's going on. Ratchet says they'll have some catching up to do--they also need to find where the Decepticons are located and what they're up to. Cut back to the middle of the desert and a burgeoning Decepticon base. Starscream studies some flying machine specs that Tobias designed, commenting on how airpower will give them superiority. Already, Skywarp has been converted into the new form (Skywarp is red in these scenes, for some reason--not sure if its a mistake or intentional). Tobias overhears them speaking and how they plan to subjugate the Earth under their rule and destroy Megatron. They also mention "the Astrotrain" twice (some sort of future plan, no doubt). Tobias is shocked at what he hears and runs off. A week later, he returns to San Francisco and the home of his girlfriend. He tells her, her father and Sam Clemens (Mark Twain) that he has grave news--a danger that threatens all of mankind! Clemens wants to hear more...

Comments: A simple enough tale but I'm liking it so far. The art and writing continue to be interesting... one thing that did get on my nerves, though, was that Starscream calls Tobias "Tobias Muldoon" *every* single time he addresses him. It gets annoying fast. Also, I guess I was wrong--the Transformers do come from Cybertron in this story not Earth (but I think that would've been cooler for an alternate universe tale, personally). I think I might like this story a bit better then Stormbringer at the moment (new blood in the writing department is a good thing sometimes).

Likewise with Stormbringer #2, I got one of those alternate sketch style covers (I got to the comic shop a week later then the issue came out). Once again, I would've preferred the Shockwave cover for this story--I like story relevant covers better personally. I wish they'd drop the multiple covers...


Recommended.

Comic Review...

Transformers Stormbringer #2

Writer: Simon Furman
Artist: Don Figueroa

(Covers by Don Figueroa)

Synopsis: Jetfire tells Bludgeon and his followers that he's insane! He can't control a reactivated Thunderwing! Bludgeon tells him he need not control it, merely guide it toward his purpose. The two have an exchange and Bludgeon reveals that he is trying to replicate Thunderwing's grafting process. Elsewhere, Optimus Prime recieves a distress call from the Calabi-Yau and decides something is wrong on Cybertron. He tells Searchlight to contact the Wreckers. Elsewhere, the Wreckers fight a major battle against the Decepticons... Springer, their leader, is contacted and told the Wreckers are needed on Cybertron. On Cybertron, Jetfire and Bludgeon verbily spar over reactivating Thunderwing. Bludgeon orders his minions to bring him to life and Jetfire tries valiantly to stop them but fails and is taken away. In hyperspace, Springer communicates with Optimus Prime over the comm and discuss the situation. Prime believes Thunderwing may be involved in things somehow. They agree to meet up near Lunar Two and Springer advises him to burn Cybertron, if it comes to that. Prime tells him he'll consider it and ends the communication. He thinks back to how Megatron told him the very same thing at the end of the original conflict and Prime resisted--telling him he'd fight Megatron every step of the way should he try to do that. Megatron tells him fine and walks away, but tells him this will be on his head should it come back to haunt them. On Cybertron's surface, we find Afterburner and Nosecone have survived the destruction of the Autobot ship. They evade some Centurion drones and continue seeking shelter. Finally, they collapse and are found by Centurions! On Nebulos, the Decepticon infiltration unit observes something closing fast on the planet. A ship arrives and converts into the reborn Thunderwing!


Comments: Another chapter of the story... I liked it even though not a lot really happens throughout the issue. Its clear now that Thunderwing saw the coming environmental catastrophe on Cybertron and used it somehow to upgrade his power greatly, becoming a Pretender in the process (although the shell is mostly irrelevant thus far in the story. Its merely a gimmick for him to be uber powerful). I like that aspect, to be honest, since the Pretenders are often dumped on as a gimmick. The art was good, as usual.

One minor complaint is the whole cover gimmick thing. IDW has cut down to only two or three covers per issue now (two, not counting the dealer incentive one). It seems like every comic shop I go to always has the cover I don't really want in-stock...in this case, I got the b/w wrap around cover. Its not a bad image, actually, but I hate the b/w part of it--I wish they'd put all of it on the front and in color. Also, I wouldn't have minded the other cover either but never even saw it here... What's the point in having two covers when the shop will order a small amount of one and the bulk of the other? Or maybe just one cover period? Sigh...




Recommended.

An Extremely late TransMasters Comic 3 is posted

Because I can't seem to log on right, I've been forced to post this on the Geocities site. It seems they've instituted some kind of hourly quota so if you can't get it all the first time please try to be patient and try again later.


TransMasters Comic Issue 3

It's shorter than before and I hope you'll forgive a couple of pages that looked wipped together. Thanks again to Backbreaker for his work. Maybe next issue I can actually get some more funny stuff in there. I want to wrap up the Cybertron story soon, probably in the next 2-3 issues of the mag and only 1 more of the comic?

I'll get right to work on the next issue of the Magazine and let's hope it comes out faster since it is already late. I've changed to an "It'll get out when it gets out schedule so we'll see."
Thanks for your patience.

Email Change

I am so sorry to all of you if you have been trying to get ahold of me lately. My ISP account died August 14th. (Though my computer crashed two days prior to that and I've been too busy with life and stuff lately.)

I really am going to finish the 3rd comic soon. Then I hope to get the magazine out ASAP on its heals. My job's been crazy and so has my car so I've had very little time lately to work on stuff. It seems like all my free time's gone now. I sure hope that things will settle down a bit in September and I can get everything else done. I've only been at this job just under 7 months and I've gone from grunt to Shift Lead and now might get to become trainer. It's moving too fast for me...not sure if I want to continue.

So, for right now I've changed to my Juno email account: peterphelps@juno.com and I hope to soon have some better ISP. We'll see.

Thank you for your patience, best wishes to you all.

Comic Review... (belated)

Transformers: Stormbringer #1

Writer: Simon Furman
Artist: Don Figueroa

(Covers by Don Figueroa)


Synopsis: Jetfire and the Technobots investigate Cybertron for energy readings and find something on the surface below. They go to the planet and find a ruined world full of storms and desolation. Scattershot asks Jetfire what it was like back when the "incident" happened and Jetfire recalls it (but they don't reveal what happened). Elsewhere, Optimus Prime ponders things when Searchlight interrupts him and tells him Prowl's group has sent him a message. Prime finds that Earth's Decepticons are moving faster then scheduled and tells Searchlight to monitor things and keep him updated. Prime thinks of some apocalyptic event and how it never ends (tm). Back on Cybertron, Jetfire recalls what happened back when Cybertron was decimated (but again, we only get vague hints). Suddenly, the Autobot team is attacked by invisible enemies and beaten. On their ship in orbit, Nosecone and Afterburner detect several missiles coming their way... they launch a distress buoy and are presumably destroyed along with the ship. Prime flash to a big battle and how Cybertron somehow stopped their great foe's advanced... epilogue: Jetfire awakens in a cavern beneath Cybertron's surface--there, he finds several warriors worshipping Thunderwing!

Comments: Another story set in the Universe of Infiltration/the IDW "Alpha" Universe (although that story bears little relevance here so far). I see a potentially interesting story in this mini-series but unfortunately the opening issue beats around the bush a little too much for my tastes. I like foreshadowing as much as anyone but this issue was a bit annoying. All we get is that:
A) Cybertron was decimated sometime in the past in this continuity.
B) The world is (apparently) slowly regenerating from said-catastrophe.
C) Somehow, Thunderwing is the cause of the original decimation. He was apparently some sort of unstoppable enemy that briefly united the Autobots and Decepticons and was thought to have been destroyed somehow in a final effort on Cybertron's part.
I just wish we could've gotten a little more--like a decent flashback instead of bits and pieces (mostly from Optimus' memory, apparently). Otherwise, the art was good (as usual) and the writing competent. I was worried that Simon Furman might not be able to find a way to sneak his trademark phrases into these new comics but I see that was a misplaced fear. This issue sees the appearance of "It never ends." Now, if he can just find some way to have someone say "It is over. Finished." (I think it must be in his contract to have these sentences continually sneak their way into every TF story he's ever written). A decent story in general. I just hope we get more into the meat of things next issue (and I really, seriously hope that Thunderwing isn't a minion of Unicron! I'm so tired of that old fallback--try something new already, somebody!)

feel the hate?

"Robo Rob" presents...

http://www.robohate.com

Which is, basically, a new TF zine he's doing. Apparently, it will be both webzine and physical zine sometimes too (see his website for more info).


Just thought I'd pass that along in case anyone's interested... :)

Password change

Due to someone posting as me about some sort of ebay scam, I've changed my password to the TransMasters Blog. Hopefully that will keep it from happening again anytime soon. I appologize to you all for being already over a month late with the TM comic #3...I'm working on it with every free moment my job allows right now. I have just 1 more page I want to complete. Issue 3 of the Magazine should then follow quickly on its footsteps with all things going well. (ie..my fingers don't fall off while I write and code it out.) I was able to attend the Sac Anime Con this year so I should have a good article about it and Niel Kaplan since he was there. If you're good bots and cons perhaps I'll get some video of his panel online somewhere for viewing.

Thanks for being patient.

Transformers Comic Review...

Transformers Infiltration #6

Writer: Simon Furman
Artist: E.J. Su

(Covers by E.J. Su, Guido Guidi, Klaus Scherwinski and Nick Roche)


Synopsis: Starscream charges up on the new Energon they'd discovered while his troops worry about facing Megatron. Elsewhere, Ratchet gets the three humans to safety and thanks them for their help--its time for them to step back and let the others deal with matters. Wheeljack, Jazz, Prowl, Sunstreaker and Ironhide travel to the Decepticon's current base while Bumblebee is already there and keeping tabs on what's going on. Megatron materializes and yells Starscream's name. Starscream dispatches Astrotrain, Runamuck, Runabout and Thundercracker to take him on... however, Megatron warns them they risks their lives going against him so they promptly stand down. Starscream emerges, disgusted at his warriors cowardice and attacks Megatron. The two duel while the Autobot team arrives and save Bumblebee when Runabout notices his presence. Megatron finishes off Starscream, blasting a large hole through him and takes his warriors back inside the base. He is informed of the Autobots presence but all he says to them is the words "phase two" before retreating. The Autobot team retreat to their Ark base under Lake Michigan, unaware a covert team of humans is watching them as they do. Below, the strike team talk and Prowl says its time to call in Optimus Prime, unaware he has already arrived...

Comments: So Infiltration ends and we await the direct continuation in Escalation #1. I'm not sure why IDW is taking this type of strategy, where one story is a series and then the next story starts back at issue one again. I would think that would be more confusing to the casual reader then to just continue on with issue seven. Oh well... As for the story itself, it was both what I was expecting as the pay off and simultaneously a bit of a letdown. Starscream gets his butt kicked which was cool but we know he will survive his damage and come back to scheme another day. In considering the entire six issues, I think there could've been more story although this still wasn't a bad tale overall--at least some stuff happened (unlike back during the Dreamwave days when we could go an entire series and have nothing at all happen!) I liked the human characters, who weren't annoying, and hope they continue to be in the story despite the fans who hate humans. I liked some of the gradual revealing of many of the story aspects as well. The artwork was consistent and fairly good all around. I also don't think the story was anything truly revolutionary but at least it was entertaining... in the future, I hope we get more Transformer and human characterization as well as some unexpected story twists.

Highly recommended.

Transformers Comic Review...

Transformers: Evolutions #1
Hearts of Steel, part one

Writer: Chuck Dixon
Artist: Guido Guidi

(Covers by Guido Guidi)

Synopsis: The story begins with two Transformers fighting on a distant world while their world begins to suffer severe weather. As they fight, native flora and fauna begin to die, going extinct from the cold. Eventually, over time, a group of the mechanoids retreat to the subterranean depths of their world and shut down, awaiting a time when surface conditions improve and they can once again return. Centuries pass then millennia then epochs... finally, one is awaken by a hammering sound far above him. It turns out the Transformer is Bumblebee and he decides to investigate before awakening Optimus Prime and the others. He emerges on the surface to find a forest and realizes they've been there a long time. Below him, he finds men working on a rail track for a locomotive. A large man, John Henry Irons, drives rail spikes into the new metal. Elsewhere, Mark Twain, Jules Verne and a ship's Captain watch the sea looking for something... just then, a man named Mr. Muldoon arrives in a large submersible vessel he calls a "submarine". The men are astonished by Muldoon's invention until it abruptly sinks into the ocean. The wreckage sinks to the ocean's floor and uncovers another mechanoid (possibly Skywarp). Muldoon is on the ship now and says he sunk all his money into his invention--he'll return home broke. Twain tells him Verne is quite taken with his idea--perhaps he will be able to help in some way. Verne looks thoughtful and agrees. Irons and his coworkers eat dinner and discuss life unaware that they are being observed by Bumblebee and others of his kind. They discuss this new creature, man, and his inventions--non-living machines! Bumblebee tells him he believes they've been down there a long time. Prowl says they should go dormant again, await a time until humankind has advanced more technologically. Ratchet says they should allow Optimus to remain offline and Prowl agrees, saying they'll wait another hundred years or so. However, Bumblebee has different ideas and has already moved closer to investigate. He's nearly seen but quickly transforms, becoming a likeness of a locomotive. Irons and his associate are baffled by the fact this locomotive appeared out of nowhere and has no driver's cab. Elsewhere, Muldoon dines with one of his investors and tells him what became of his submarine. He can't even pay for dinner anymore and has to wash dishes for the investor (who owns the hotel they're at). Later on, Muldoon walks among the docks and thinks aloud about what a failure he is. He is confronted by an inanimate voice around him and then Shockwave reveals himself, telling him he is there to reshape the future of Earth.

Comments: The first issue of IDW's new "Elseworlds" style series, written by comic book legend Chuck Dixon. An interesting tale and a good start, I think. I was surprised to see that Cybertron and Earth are one and the same in this story but it was a good twist--this time, the Transformers can't go back to their homeworld--the humans world is their world. I like the bizarre mechanical beast versions of the TFs in this story. Like Beast Wars in a way but more mechanical and sharp--almost like a line of dino knock-off toys. One strike against this tale is the formulaic need to include historical figures to somehow validate the era. Did this tale really need John Henry Irons, Mark Twain/Samuel Clemens or Jules Verne? I think not... we could just as easily have had some generic figures and still have the story work. The art is good as usual, Guidi delivers the goods. I look forward to reading more of this tale and hope it goes some unusual and interesting directions for the duration.

Rating: Recommended.

Transformers Comic Review...

Transformers Infiltration #5

Writer: Simon Furman
Artist: EJ Su


(Covers by EJ Su, Andrew Wildman, Guido Guidi and Nick Roche)


Synopsis: Bumblebee asks Ratchet if he's alright (he was run over by Blitzwing last issue). Ratchet gets up and the two watch as the Decepticons continue bombing their former base. Bumblebee says they have to get the humans out before the base becomes their tomb! Inside the base, Jimmy's gotten to the cable they came down while Hunter is still on his way. Hunter hopes Verity is safe, wherever she is. Verity, meanwhile, has found Megatron in another chamber. He looks at her and she at him. He seems to turn back to what he is doing and she gets a shot of him on her camera (not sure if he doesn't see her or if he does but doesn't consider her a threat). Then, the chamber starts falling in on them and she runs away. Jimmy gets to the surface and convinces Hunter to come up as well--in case Verity needs to get up there in a hurry, he won't slow her down. Elsewhere, Astrotrain switches on a drilling machine of some sort while Starscream waits impatiently. Astrotrain tells him there's much more yield of ore here--all they need to do is take it. Starscream is gleeful--he can't wait for his medicine. In Nebraska, the Autobots show up and get the humans out as the base begins to collapse in on itself. Verity comes back just in time and they save her from being buried along with it all. Above them, Skywarp and Blitzwing watch the base collapse with satisfaction and as they start to withdraw, Megatron bursts up out of the ground. He takes out Skywarp in one shot. Ratchet, Bumblebee and the humans stop as they realize he is there on Earth. Blitzwing attacks Megatron but is also quickly subdued by him. Megatron hisses "Starscream" and moves off. Ratchet tells Bumblebee to return to base and he'll transmit all their collected data to Prowl and the others. Afterward, Ratchet transmits to Prowl and Ironhide, telling them that it appears the Decepticons found some kind of new super Energon/unclassified ore and moved to the new base in order to get more of it. In doing so, they engaged "siege mode" which broke protocol and Ironhide comments that Megatron's here to put his house in order. The trouble is, there's no telling how powerful his infiltration unit is and the Autobots are stuck in the middle.

Comments: Another excellent issue of Infiltration with one more issue still remaining of this arc (before it turns into Escalation). The story and art are consistently good. This issue revealed precisely what Starscream was up to and why he was defying Megatron openly... the picture comes clearly into focus now. From what I've seen, Prime should come along next issue... One minor complaint--no Raiz cover this issue (which sucks! I was buying all his covers and really liked them). Instead, I went with Su's Megatron cover (which part one of a split cover with next issue's).

Highly Recommended.

Transformers Comic Review... (belated)

Transformers Beast Wars #4
The Gathering


Format: Limited Series (part four of four)

Writer: Simon Furman
Artist: Don Figueroa

(Covers by James Raiz, Guido Guidi, Nick Roche and Don Figueroa)


Synopsis: Grimlock and Magmatron fight it out while the Maximals prepare to try and signal Cybertron elsewhere. Magmatron bests Grimlock, who falls to the ground offline. He plans to send the unconscious Megatron back to the future when Razorbeast reveals himself and challenges him. Elsewhere, Wolfang, B'Boom and the others are found and attacked by Ravage and his Predacon force. Wolfang tells the others to get out of the cave and keep the Predacons busy while he completes sending the message off. Razorbeast uses his chronal armband to phase in and out of time sync around Magmatron and keep him off-balance. Meanwhile, Ravage's Predacons herd the Maximals together and plan to finish them off when a bunch of Maximal reinforcements show up in the nick of time and attack them. As Magmatron is busy, Optimus Minor steals the time transponder thingy off Megatron, effectively removing him from being able to return to the future with Magmatron. Razorbeast knocks Magmatron into the time machine platform and he is sent back to the future and Cybertron alone. Elsewhere, the surviving Predacons retreat and the various Maximals compare notes. The transwarp signal was successfully sent but they don't know if it got through or not--and even if it did, how long it will take for them to be found. Two weeks go by and Razorbeast thinks how he could've removed Megatron as a threat permanently but chose not to. Prowl tells him he did the right thing ultimately...

Comments: A satisfactory ending to this mini-series. Honestly, I kind of wish we could've had a more engaging story with more on the line. This story was okay and a good introduction to IDW's Beast Wars continuity but not terribly satisfying on its own. The characterization was enjoyable as was the wonderful artwork. I hope the inevitable future stories will make some more interesting plots as they come. (I bought the Guidi cover, btw).

This issue is mildly recommended.
This series on a whole is mildly recommended.

TransMasters Magazine Issue 2 Done

I know you've all been waiting on the edge of your keyboards just to see what
we've come up with in this issue. I hope you all enjoy and forgive any spelling/
grammar errors I might have made. It's all good fun anyway.

Check outIssue 2 NOW!

This issue includes two great stories, two good KO Korner entries and more.
(Let me know if that background on the front page is too much, I tried to
tone it down quite a bit from the original.)

Now if I can just get Issue 3 of the comic done on time....

Optimus time!

Found this via a post on ATT...

A guy did some cgi of Optimus Prime. Check it out here:


http://www.3dblasphemy.com/OPTIMUS/OPTIMUS.html

(there's a little video short too).

Transformers Comic Review...

Amazing Fantasy #20
"Death's Head 3.0 - Unnatural Selection" (Part six of five)

Format: Ongoing (multi-issue story arc)

Writer: Simon Furman
Artist: James Raiz

(Cover Art by Lucio Parrillo)

Synopsis: In Geneva, GEIST watches as the delegates report in for the AIM/UN conference. They hope everything will run smoothly--little do they know that Death's Head is already there and has just killed a perimeter guard. Meanwhile, in France, Raymond Hidalgo is now not dead and has to speak to Agent Braccia urgently, despite his injuries. He tells her via videoscreen that Death's Head impaled him but also used its sub-conscious to somehow re-animate him. He tells her he briefly touched DH's thoughts and discovered all about the Uni-power and its desire to serve and "empower the disempowered". He tells her he has to get to Geneva--only he can stop Death's Head! In the AIM Euro-Hub, Goddard holds Breski and Heinkel against their wills and tells them they are watching history in the making--her evil plan is coming to fruitition! In Geneva, Death's Head fights the guards at the conference atop the roof of the auditorium. He breaks through the dome and goes after his target but Hidalgo gets there and shuts him down before he can carry it out. Later on, Braccia and Hidalgo speak... she asks how he knew how to disable Death's Head and he explains that DH showed him how when they were briefly linked earlier. Goddard escaped to parts unknown and allowed Breski and Heinkel to be released safely. She also tells him Death's Head will remain deactivated, despite having Goddard's programming stripped away--it's best this way. In the epilogue, we find out the truth--that DH is actually very much alive and now operating as a covert operative for GEIST (doing the wetworks which they can deny their involvement in).

Comments: This issue refers to part five as part six, so I wonder if I missed a part somewhere... apparently the Hulk has the DH droids in its Hulkworld storyline right now. Not sure if part five was published there or what but it felt like some information was missing. How did Goddard get Braccia/Heinkel and why? The whole "DH saved Hidalgo" thing came out of nowhere as well. That something happened was obvious but it seemed like a bit of a stretch to toss all that in there casually in this part. If they did publish another segment in another comic somewhere then I am disappointed and annoyed--I hate b.s. like that and it only serves to annoy people who invested the time and effort in buying all these comics. Apparently AF #20 is also the last issue of this comic series--I guess the series wasn't selling well enough (no big loss from what I can tell). Raiz returned to do this part's artwork and I am glad he did since I didn't care for the previous issue's artist. Hidalgo's post-DH encounter had him with one eye either missing or injured--making him a good, mirror version "father" to Goddard's evil "mother" one (interesting idea for the story). As to the story itself... it was an adequate ending but not the greatest one. This whole story felt rushed in places--like Furman either didn't get enough time to work on it or simply didn't care enough to do a good job. The format of AF wasn't conducive to the story either. Short abrupt chunks here and there as opposed to either a real limited series or better yet a graphic novel format. I also disliked that there was no real resolution to Goddard's fate--like Furman wanted to keep things open in case a series was green-lit later on. I would've rather seen her die/something rather then abruptly vanish off-camera.

All in all, a tepid effort. This part is mildly recommended.

The entire story is a pass, in my opinion.

Transmasters COMIC #2 finally up

Hopefully, if there are no problems with this host I'll get the mags and comics all placed there soon. But for now here is:

http://transmasters.batcave.net/02/index.html

Issue 2 of the comic. Very late and I appologize.
Hope you like it.

Transformers Comic Review... (slightly belated)

Transformers Infiltration #4

Writer: Simon Furman
Artist: EJ Su

(Covers by James Raiz, EJ Su, Andrew Wildman and Guido Guidi)

Synopsis: The issue starts with a flashback to Verity's youth, a scant three years ago and a social worker who psycho-analyses her. Cut to now, and Verity is the first being lowered down into a dark pit where the Decepticon base is. Above, Hunter and Jimmy watch then follow after her. The three set up a flare and then go off in three different directions, searching for evidence of the Decepticons ultimate plan--each has a hand scanner to pick up data for Ratchet to analyze later. Elsewhere a mysterious group, the Machination, speak of the recent loss of their operative (from issue one) and how he left them a homing beacon to follow in the event of his death...a new operative, Drake, is called in to pick up where he left off. Back at the former Decepticon base, the humans continue investigating and Verity finds a dead human body in a tube of some kind. She freaks out for a moment but then composes herself and acts like nothing is wrong (because she's such a tough cookie and all). Outside, Ratchet and Bumblebee are attacked by Skywarp and Blitzwing just then. Ratchet deduces they're there to destroy the base and tells the humans to get out ASAP. The two men are agreeable but Verity finds one more area she wants to check out first. Bumblebee takes on Skywarp and manages to damage him. Ratchet attacks Blitzwing but he retaliates and apparently incapacitates Ratchet. Inside the base, Verity has found another room and hears someone talking... the speaker is present in the room--it is Megatron!

Comments: Although my synopsis doesn't really cover it, Verity's toughness is a recurrent theme throughout the issue. It starts with the social worker who says she thinks Verity's toughness is all an act. We see this is true when Verity finds the body and freaks out. Afterward, when she finds Megatron, the look on her face betrays her true fear. I applaud Furman actually trying to make an attempt to develop some of the humans in the story--it's been too long since someone made the effort (Dreamwave just had people in their stories but didn't seem to really care about them). I do hope we get a lot more character development--both on the human and TF sides of things. The art continues to be very good (if you like that style anyway). I have a feeling that Decepticon hologram avatars have infiltrated Earth's government/business structure. The conversation with the Machination has only one guy speaking and all the other "humans" are silent. Are these people truly humans or holograms? (I may be reading too much into this, though. Perhaps they are human and Furman just had no lines for them?) I loved that Bumblebee took on Skywarp and emerged victorious (or apparently victorious). It's about time B.B. got to do something useful instead of just getting captured or something... I also like Megatron's new half G1/half War Within appearance. It will be interesting to see exactly what he changes into (I'm guessing a tank of some sort).
Distribution continues to be a bit of a problem where I live. I only found one copy of the comic when it came out and that was the Guidi cover, which I didn't like at all... I finally hunted down the Raiz cover (best of the bunch, as usual) at another shop. I don't think shops are ordering enough of these comics and that's not a good sign.

Highly Recommended.

Comics And Mag up again

For right now both the past issues of the Comic and The Magazine are both online again. The host I wanted has decided to do an upgrade to their server (2 days after I made the account there) and so another delay. So, I'm moving these to my fortunecity account for now:

Comic:
Issue 1/2
Issue 1

Magazine:
Issue 1

Issue 2 of the comic is real close to being done....really. I know I promised to get it done this weekend...but it was cut shorter than I thought by a 12 hr shift. I'm coloring as fast as I can.
Thanks.

Happy Easter !!!!!!!

Hi everybody !
I just wanted to say Happy Easter!!! Pleasant holidays and lookout for those eggs. you may never know what's inside them ..... :)

greetings from Johan Piest.

Transformers Comic Review...

Transformers Beast Wars #3
The Gathering

Format: Limited Series (part three of four)

Writer: Simon Furman
Artist: Don Figueroa

(Covers by James Raiz, Guido Guidi, Nick Roche and Don Figueroa)

Synopsis: Razorbeast and his team enter the Ark, moving right past Optimal Optimus, Cheetor and Rhinox without their noticing (Razorbeast and co. are still out of time phase). Elsewhere, Transquito leads a team into a swamp to locate some more reactivated protoforms. There, they are attacked by the BW Mutants (Soundwave, Icebird and Poison Bite) and Icebird warns them off. The survivors flee (Retrax and Transquito are apparently killed and Powerpinch is injured--apparently left to fend for himself). Elsewhere, Magmatron resurrects Ravage (in Tripredacus Agent's form). Back to Razorbeast and his team on the Ark who find equipment he figures they can use to activate the transwarp signal booster to work long enough to signal Cybertron. Snarl has activated a Maximal probe and observes Magmatron's Predacons moving toward Megatron's base. Magmatron and his warriors attack Megatron and subdue him then take him out of time-phase with them (before Inferno and Quickstrike come to the rescue). Razorbeast tells his men that Magmatron means to bring Megatron back with him to Cybertron to make the Tripredacus Council happy--this can work to distract them while he lays the groudwork for his coup. He orders Bonecrusher and Snarl back to base with the equipment they took while he and Optimus Minor go to try and stop Magmatron from leaving this time period. To their east, Ravage orders five Predacons at his command to search out Razorbeast's encampment and report it's location back to him--he'll do the rest. At the encampment, Ramulus, Wolfang and B'Boom wait and worry, unaware of the lurking danger. Magmatron and his team put Megatron in place, readying him for the journey back to Cybertron while Razorbeast and Optimus Minor watch them from a hiding place. Razorbeast plans to do something and tells him they'll need a distraction... just then, an intruder encroaches on Magamtron and the
group--it's Grimlock!

Comments: Whew! I was worried for a moment there that Furman might not get his favorite Transformer of all time snuck into the story somehow but it seems I was worried for naught. Here's Grimlock! The way this guy talks, he certainly seems like the classic G1 character (although whether he is or not is uncertain until next issue). Otherwise, I have to say I love Wolfang's face/head design! It, like Razorbeast's head, is really distinctive looking (and cool!) This issue was interesting and lots happened in it but I do worry that this mini-series won't resolve much ultimately. We all know Megatron can't go back to Cybertron (and certainly won't) so there's no real drama there. I also get the feeling Furman was setting up some future tale with the Mutants (or just accounting for them--but that seems like a waste of time to me). I do hope the Mutants get a future tale--their one comic tale so far (in the Botcon Wreckers comic) was terrible--they got killed in one issue, relegated to death off-camera and never got to actually do anything! Er, yeah... anyway. As to the main story... will Magmatron ultimately be defeated? And, if so, what will the follow-up comics do with the Beast Wars? Or will we have to suffer the "you beat me--THIS time!" scenario and look forward to multiple attempts on his part to undermine the timeline.
All in all, a good issue...
(My comic shop had only two copies left. One of the Figueroa cover and one of the Guidi cover--I went with the Guidi one. I liked it slightly better).


Mildly Recommended.

TransMasters Comic

I appologize to you all for the lateness of issue 2. I've been busier than normal with most free time ending up in my car. Don't worry, I will get it completed hopefully within the week. I've set up a new web host so I also hope to bring both the mag and comics back into view by all. Tekcities hasn't been up more than they've been down so we're switching off from that account. The new issue will feature some great work by Johan "Backbreaker" Piest as well as loads more of my crazy stuff.

Thanks for your patience.

Transformers Comic Review...

Amazing Fantasy #19
"Death's Head 3.0 - Unnatural Selection" (Part four of five)

Format: Ongoing (multi-issue story arc)

Writer: Simon Furman
Artist: Shannon Gallant

(Cover Art by Lucio Parrillo)

Synopsis: The story starts off with Ray Hidalgo rushing to hide in a church. He starts to do something with a welding torch when Death's Head bursts in on him. The rest of the story flashes back six hours where Agent Braccia is concerned that he hasn't checked in with her. She asks his colleague, Ms. Breski, about him but she doesn't seem too concerned since they're all busy with the upcoming treaty. Elsewhere, Ray has used AIM's computer to figure out exactly what Goddard is up to and tries to send an email to warn someone about it. Goddard has shut down the comm systems that reach out of the base however, so he sends it somewhere else. Breski shows up then and tells him his mother is ill...he saves what he's found to disk and rushes off with her. Later on, we learn his mother has been dead for years and Agent Braccia had used Breski to get him out of there, fearing he was in trouble. He tells her he knows everything and she tells him to meet her at the Madrid safehouse for extraction. Elsewhere, Hub Controller Avi Flint (the guy in charge of AIM's eurobase) recieves Ray's email and reads it. He goes with others down to confront Goddard. She surprises them however when she emerges from her high tech iron lung and tells them her nanotech has regenerated her to the point she no longer needs it. She kills them... Elsewhere, Hidalgo's car is attacked by Death's Head and he escapes from it's flaming wreckage while his driver/bodyguard tries futilely to stop DH. Hidalgo steals an old mo-ped and makes some distance on Death's Head, but the android shoots his bike, forcing him to flee as best he can on foot, injured. Agent Braccia and GEIST show up at the church Hidalgo took refuge in and find they're too late--he's already dead!

Comments: The action really heated up in this part, which was something I appreciated since the first three parts were all set-up. Hidalgo's dead. It looks like I was right about that happening in my last review (he wasn't essential to the story). The art this time was by someone new (James Raiz did the first three parts) and I didn't like their style as much--it wasn't terrible per se, but different from the other parts (I hate it when they switch artists in a short enclosed story like this). The new artist is less for details in the frames then Raiz was and it's annoying. Otherwise, the story was pretty interesting and I look forward to the finale in part five. Will Death's Head go through with the assassination? Will Goddard get what she wants or what's coming to her? I suspect DH will be able to overcome his programming in time... also, Hidalgo was doing something with a welding torch--I have a feeling this may play into events in part five (something that happened which hasn't been revealed as of yet).

Recommended.

Transformers Comic Review...

Transformers Generations #1

Writer: Bob Budiansky
Artist: William Johnson, Kyle Baker

(New Covers: Ashley Wood, Nick Roche)

Synopsis: This is the premiere issue of Generations, a "new" comic that reprints the classic Marvel comics in a new edition with new covers. This first one reprints Issue #7 of the original Marvel U.S. comic, titled Warrior School! If you need a memory refresher, the story chronicles Ratchet as he ponders what to do now that all the other Autobots are incapacitated while Shockwave and his Decepticons are roaming free, large and in charge. Ratchet returns to the Ark to assess the situation for himself where he encounters Megatron. The Decepticon plans to eliminate him but Ratchet realizes he has lost control of the Decepticons to Shockwave and convinces him to let him go so that he can go find the Dinobots and reactivate them--they can take out Shockwave. Megatron decides to do just that...

Comments: A nice walk down memory lane... of all the TF comics that have gone before, I loved the Marvel series (odd bad issue not withstanding) so this is kinda neat. Of course, we all had access to the TPB collections of the original comics in recent years so anyone that really wanted them likely got them already. Still, this series introduces new readers to the classic stories for cheap (which is always a plus). It's a shame they couldn't start at the beginning and go in order, but since some of the earlier issues involves stuff like Spiderman showing up, they couldn't print that (since Hasbro owns the TFs and stories but not Marvel's stuff). On that note, how come they can reprint this issue when it clearly mentions The Savage Land (i.e. a Marvel thing)? Or did they figure Marvel wouldn't notice/care? (maybe they didn't even notice the reference themselves?) Next issue jumps ahead to reprint issue #13 of the Marvel comic--the one where Megatron is damaged and found by a two-bit thug that uses him for his own agenda.
A typo found in this issue: Ratchet tells Megatron (on page 20) "Help you... defend Shockwave!" Obviously, he meant "Defeat Shockwave". I never caught that until now, but I'm pretty sure it's a mistake from the original comic (IDW just scanned and reprinted this as far as I know).

All in all, you'd only need this comic if you haven't already seen the original comic. If you own either the original or TPB version, skip it (unless you want the nice new cover art--I got Ashley Wood's painted cover. I liked Nick's cover too, but didn't want to spend money on two copies).

Transformers Comic Review...

Transformers Beast Wars #2

The Gathering

Format: Limited Series (part two of four)

Writer: Simon Furman
Artist: Don Figueroa

(Cover A by Don Figueroa, Cover B by Nick Roche, Cover C by Guido Guidi, Cover D by James Raiz)

Synopsis: On prehistoric Earth, Magmatron organizes his troops, both old and new (apparently some of the stasis pods were turned into new Predacons, after all). He tells them they must hunt down Razorbeast and his comrades before returning to Cybertron in the future. Drill Bit asks him where they should begin and Magmatron says there is only one place they could be going--Razorbeast will certainly try to contact Cybertron and warn them of what's going on. Elsewhere, Razorbeast and his five new comrades rush to the site of where Ravage's ship crashed (they hope to recover a transwarp signal amplifier). Both groups get to the ship and fight it out. Razorbeast gets the upper hand on Magmatron and buries him under rock while Optimus Minor and Snarl retreive the amplifier from Drill Bit. The Maximals discover the amplifier is broken but Razorbeast tells them he might be able to fix it with the proper tools. Bonecrusher asks where on Earth they can find the right equipment to fix it and Razorbeast tells them everything they need can be found on the Ark. Elsewhere, Magmatron and his Predacons discover that while Ravage was destroyed, his spark survived...

Comments: Another part of the story... this issue answers the question I had last issue of whether or not all the protoforms became Maximals or not (not. Some are Maximals while most are Predacons). Some interesting characterizations and potential plot directions emerge this issue. It will be interesting to see how things play out--I'd love it if, for a change, the Preds succeed in getting back to Cybertron with their new reinforcements and a follow-up series with a new civil war (but I seriously doubt it will go that way. More then likely, the good guys will win this one). Good art this issue (as with last time).


Mildly Recommended.

Transformers Comic Review...

Transformers Infiltration #3

Writer: Simon Furman
Artist: EJ Su

(Covers by James Raiz, EJ Su, Andrew Wildman and Guido Guidi)


Synopsis: The Autobots watch their new human guests on a monitor as Verity yells at the camera in their holding room and threatens to erase the data on the PDA she's carrying unless they're set free. Ratchet and Prowl argue over what's to come next--Ratchet insists that the Decepticons are going to act openly soon and Prowl is more interested in how Ratchet disobeyed orders, endangering the humans and alerting them to the Autobots presence. Prowl tells him to get that data from Verity and wanders off. Ratchet appeals to Ironhide then goes to the humans. He downloads the information from the PDA and finds several pictures of an abandoned Decepticon base in Nebraska--which is odd since Autobot intel had indicated the Decepticons were situated in Oregon. Meanwhile, Skywarp and Blitzwing go about the country, destroying evidence left behind from earlier--the trailer the dead man (who'd been carrying the PDA originally) was living in, the bus he rode on, the garage that Jimmy Pink owned, etc. Also, Ironhide decides to send a message directly to Optimus Prime, alerting him about what's going on (Prowl had decided not to alert Prime but Ironhide appears to feel otherwise). The humans convince Ratchet to take them to Nebraska so they can help him gather evidence that the Decepticons are moving into "seige mode". Ratchet is reluctant to take them but realizes they can probably get inside easier then he can and Bumblebee agrees. He decides to tag along with Ratchet and the humans. Elsewhere, Starscream orders Skywarp and Blitzwing to destroy the last piece of evidence--the Nebraska installation!


Comments: Like the first few issues, this comic continues the overall story and keeps things interesting. I speculate that Starscream was trying to start a coupe against Megatron, which is why there are two Decepticon bases (one was official, the other secret). His conspirators got sloppy, the humans noticed them and now they're trying to eliminate the evidence at all cost so Megatron doesn't find out what's afoot (notice how the first Decepticons we see are Runamuck and Runabout? Two of Starscream's conspirators from the original US comic!) I guess time will tell if I'm right or not...
The story is well written and the characterization is abundant even though there's not as much action (I prefer this type of approach, though). Pages two and three have an old school group shot with everyone's name in word balloon beside them--it's silly in a way, but like something Marvel would've done (silly, since the inside cover has their names anyway--assuming a reader is new and doesn't already know who everyone is).
The art is consistent with previous issues. For some odd reason, Su chose to inverse Bumblebee's chest design (the windows are on his back now). He still becomes a classic Volkswagen Beetle, though, which is weird (shouldn't he be the newer model?) Starscream also has a more sleek design, although I think I like it. Also, Bumblebee's driver hologram is a young attractive woman (I only mention this because it's neat that we get to see more "drivers" and that the Autobots didn't all make them men).


Highly Recommended.