Comic Reviews...

Transformers Spotlight
Grimlock

Writer: Simon Furman
Artist: Marcelo Matere

(cover by Marcelo Matere)

Synopsis: Skywatch switches on Grimlock, despite the warnings by one of it's scientists to his boss that the process just isn't ready... Predictably, Grimlock goes haywire and escapes into the world... we learn that it's due to a Cybertronian virus The Machination put into play to ensure Skywatch would lose control. Grimlock wanders around wondering where he is and what's going on. Scorponok beams in then and offers him an alliance. Grimlock refuses and the two fight. Scorpy gets the upper hand and Grimlock uses his last trick--trying to beam up to his old ship. It succeeds--the ship still exists somewhere on the surface and he arrives safe and sound. Meanwhile, Scorponok tells his men to ready the other Dinobots--they will be used as instruments to destroy Grimlock!

Comments: Reads like a set-up for the Maximum Dinobots storyline more then as a solo character spotlight story. I guess there is that aspect where he awakens alone and confused in a new setting but it's quickly overshadowed by Scorponok and all the scheming for the future. An okay tale but does deviate from the character spotlight aspect pretty fast.

Mildly recommended.

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Transformers Timelines
Shattered Glass

Writer: Ben Yee and Peter Sinclair (story)
Artist: Don Figueroa

(cover by Dan Khanna)

Synopsis: Classics Cliffjumper arrives in a dark tunnel somewhere. He's tackled by Crankcase, who is quickly put down by a dark colored Rodimus. He takes Cliffjumper back to the Autobot headquarters where everything is dark and twisted--the Autobots act all evil! Cliffjumper is freaked out, objects and Prime hauls off and shoots him. They dump his lifeless body in the Rad Zone, where the Decepticons find him. CJ is revived by the Constructicons. There, is greeted by Megatron and Sideswipe. Sideswipe surmises Cliffjumper is from another universe and explains this world's history to him--how it was Optimus Prime who rose to power and became evil and how it was Megatron and his resistance fighters who tried to stop him. Prime's current scheme is to launch a large vessel called The Ark and go conquer the universe with it... Megatron's determined to stop him and with Starscream, they devise a plan to destroy the ship's launch pad, thus crippling Prime's plan. The Decepticons attack the Autobots and CJ joins them, since he's philosophically on their side anyway. During the battle, Megatron takes a blast from Optimus intended for Cliffjumper (who was thinking how everything is different here, etc). CJ takes the initiative and uses his Glass Gas to finish off the Ark's launch pad and win the day for the Decepticons. It is a major victory and the Decepticons retreat while Prime screams they will pay for their resistance, blah, blah... CJ is glad he's picked the right side.

Comments: Another story that sells the toy set very well. However, this time the use of a non-toy set character (Cliffjumper) gives the story a little more steam then they normally have (plus CJ's always been a fav of mine). The story is simple enough in context but it works and entertains. I am a bit unimpressed by using the cheesy old Mirror Universe schtick here but it works well enough for the story. The art is pretty good and there aren't any frames where I wasn't sure what was going on (unlike what happens with IDW sometimes).


Recommended.