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.