Review: Transformers: Punishment

Transformers: Punishment

Writer: John Barber
Artist: Livio Ramondelli
(cover by Livio Ramondelli)

Available: Now
Price: $5.99 (cover)


Summary:  OPTIMUS PRIME RETURNS TO CYBERTON! And someone is killing Decepticons. PRIME teams with WINDBLADE to uncover the identity of the vigilante… but the answers will uncover darker secrets than anyone expected!

Comments:  This story was a whodunnit set on Cybertron basically. When Optimus finds out Decepticons are mysteriously ending up dead in the ghettos of his homeworld he sets out to track down the killer and bring them to justice. The Decepticons dregs don't trust him nor does Starscream. Fortunately, he has the help of Windblade, the speaker for Metroplex.
   The art is typical Ramondelli. Stylish but sometimes difficult to make out exactly what we're supposed to be looking at. He has gotten better as time has gone by but I would prefer a more conventional artist for interiors.
   The actual story is okay. The resolution isn't the biggest shocker. In fact, it's fairly by-the-books in that respect. The story does touch on some of the darker aspects of the War... how everyone is ultimately a victim when they're expected to kill one another over ideology. We get a few character moments but most of them seem forgettable in the grand scheme (nobody really changes in any significant way in the story).
   As I've said previously, I am tired of the peaceful Cybertron setting. For several years we've gotten a "things-are-at-peace-but-for-how-long?" scenario. To be honest, I'm sick of it. Stuff needs to eventually hit the fan and change. Continually teasing the uneasy peace becomes tired after a while. Starscream needs to do something nefarious--or the Decepticons need to rise up--or an outside force needs to destabilize things already. The status quo is, quite frankly, boring. Even Dark Cybertron seems to have done little to make much of a lasting difference (yes, a couple of characters died. But, for how long?)

Verdict:  Average. Worth checking out if you like the current IDW continuity but not really a must-buy.

Review: Transformers Monstrosity

Transformers: Monstrosity

Writers: Christ Metzen and Flint Dille
Artist: Livio Ramondelli
(covers by Livio Ramondelli)
Price: $19.99 USd
Format: TPB (collected edition of previous web series)
Available: December 2013


Summary:  In the early days of the war on CYBERTRON, OPTIMUS PRIME puts everything on the line to unify the planet-but not everyone agrees that this new Prime should be in charge! Meanwhile, the fallen DECEPTICON leader, MEGATRON, begins a journey that will change everything.


Comments:  Monstrosity is the follow-up to the Metzen/Dille story, Autocracy (also a IDW web comic to begin with). Where the first series chronicled the rise of Optimus Prime in the midst of Cybertron's darkest time, its sequel comes off as feeling like it's meandering with no ultimate point. We eventually get to see Trypticon rise and wreak havoc against our heroes but the rest of the story seems scattered... Megatron is exiled only to survival his trials and return. Optimus struggles to lead the various factions under his command and fails miserably in the end to conquer his greatest challenge to date.
   Other then Trypticon being the titular "monstrosity" the story doesn't seem to know what it wants to do. There's not much thematically pulling it all together (contrast this with Autocracy's themes of power corrupting those who possess it). Megatron is challenged and rises above while Optimus has naysayers and self-doubt and ultimately is revealed to be nothing more then a leader with a dream of unity and peace. The thing is, Optimus should be Megatron's equal and while Megatron uses his sheer cunning and will to achieve his ends we should get to see Optimus use his own skill set to succeed. To use him as a whipping boy just dishonors the heart of a character who should be a heroic inspirational leader. There's hints of it in there but ultimately Optimus seems to achieve nothing substantial storywise.
   Ramondelli's artwork is improving as he goes but there is still the odd occasion where I view a panel and have no clue what it is I'm supposed to be looking at. The very first reveal of Trypticon, for example, left me confused. Only the later descriptions of the creature lead me to realize what it was.
   Another annoyance is the robots referring to themselves as "gentlemen" repeatedly (human terminology for robots really distracts me away from a TF story. I also disliked James Roberts usage of a "cyber-aneurysm" in Last Stand of the Wreckers). Grimlock speaks normally in this story too for some reason.
   The story also implies that the Dynobots have dinosaur modes because of the creatures under Cybertron's surface while an earlier tale (Spotlight: Shockwave) stated they got them from Earth when they chased after Shockwave. Presumably the early era of IDW is still in-continuity so I'm at a loss to understand how this makes any sense.
   Megatron encounters a Quintesson (is this the first time we've seen one in IDW?) and somehow uses his Spark to power himself up on planet Junk. I've never seen Sparks referred to as power sources--they're an analogy for souls. This story detail made no sense to me.
   After their first attempt, I found Monstrosity to be a poorly told disappointment... Perhaps the forthcoming Primacy will be more pleasing? 


Verdict:  Average. A pass for me personally... some decent dialogue and mostly good art elevate to an "Average" rating.

Comic Review...

Transformers Spotlight: Bumblebee

Writer: John Barber
Artist: David Daza

Covers: David Daza (A), Livio Ramondelli (B), Clayton Crain (RI and Convention Exclusive covers)


Summary:  ESCAPE FROM EARTH! Before Cybertron was reborn—BUMBLEBEE lead the Autobots on Earth. In this untold tale, he must take the reigns of command… and he’s got hundreds of rogue Decepticons standing between him and respect!


Comments:  This is yet another story set during the Mike Costa era, a series I patently hated and don't need to be reminded of. Bumblebee's scouring Earth looking for any remaining Decepticons while most of the Autobots have returned to Cybertron to deal with Galvatron.
   Overall, the story is logical and decently written. Like the Megatron spotlight, it has no real bearing on current events but it a good look at Bumblebee's character and what he has to face while being in command of the Autobots (Who ever thought that putting him in command was a good idea?)
   My real complaint is with the terrible artwork. Drawn by David Daza (this is my first exposure to his work) everything looks cartoony and ill-defined. Can IDW not afford good artists? Yuck!

Verdict:  Average. A decent story with terrible art.

Cover "B" by Livio Ramondelli

Comic Review...

Cover "A" by Nick Roche

Transformers Spotlight: Megatron

Writer: Nick Roche
Artist: Nick Roche
(covers by Nick Roche, Livio Ramondelli, Clayton Crane (RI) and Alex Milne (RE))


Summary:  MEGATRON IS BACK! Writer/artist Nick Roche takes us back to the last time MEGATRON returned--when he found his DECEPTICON forces in tatters under the control of STARSCREAM. In this never-before-revealed tale, we learn exactly how Megatron reacted… and how Starscream survived!


Comments:  Megatron is reborn in his new stealth bomber form (during the Mike Costa series) and is surprised by how his forces have crumbled to all but nothing under Starscream's command. He is also stunned by how even Starscream seems to have given up his will to rule in the face of having insubordinate troops. He sets out to resolve this by engaging Starscream in a short battle, forcing the other to snap out of his stupor and return to normal. He then rallies the troops, plotting his next terrifying strike against their enemies.
   This issue is a bit of a mixed bag. The plot is good, as stand-alone stories go. I found the dialogue a bit long-winded for Megatron though. It seems to me like he should act more and talk/think less. In this case, Roche could've let his art do the talking a bit more in the action scenes. Instead we get long thought boxes with Megatron thinking about everything and using long, formal style sentences for it all.

   The Megatron/Starscream dynamic in this story works fine (generally) but the state of their relationship in IDW is a bit confusing. Megatron all but killed him in the earlier Furman stories (remember how he shot a big hole through Starscream at one point?) Later, Starscream all but shames the Autobots over their victory and the loss of Megatron in AHM. Then, he seems fine with Megatron being out of commission in the subsequent stories so that he can rule and finally, here he's lost all hope and resolve. Granted, this is different writers doing different things but it makes things confusing if you were actually paying attention all this time.
   One could argue that Megatron doesn't really care all that much about Starscream and all this attention to getting him psyched back up for battle seems like a bit too much effort on his part. I always saw Megatron as more of a user of his troops to get what he wants rather then really being too concerned about their well-being (but I admit I might be nitpicking here).
   Also, this story is set during the ongoing TF comic/Costa era. A series I truly hated and have no interest in nor wish to recall. This story is largely irrelevant to the current stuff and doesn't really advance either character along in my estimation (also, Megatron rallies the troops then enacts his plan, beats the crap out of Optimus and surrenders to him afterward. The chronology is bizarre and inconsistent, isn't it. Why be so gung-ho to return to glory in this story but then ultimately seem to give up in the Costa stuff?)
   The art (also by Roche) is pretty good and it's always nice to see him draw more when he can.


Verdict:  Average. I didn't care for it but it seems to be about par for the course with IDW's output.

Cover "B" by Livio Ramondelli

Comic Review...

Transformers Spotlight: Orion Pax

Writer: James Roberts
Artists: Steve Kurth (pencils), Juan Castro (ink)
(covers by Steve Kurth, Livio Ramondelli, Clayton Crane)


Summary:  BEFORE OPTIMUS PRIME—there was Orion Pax! Four million years ago, the future leader of the AUTOBOTS disappeared into the Cybertronian wilderness to save a friend. What happened next would take him to the very brink—and have startling repercussions on the current comics!


Comments:  Orion Pax gets a new body, temporarily, that resembles his G1 cartoon form and goes on a mission to rescue Ratchet from the Decepticons. He also gets strapped to a rocket and then escapes it before it hits Iacon and detonates. The end.
   I have to admit I have no idea what the point of this comic was. I get the impression it forms a larger story along with the forthcoming Thundercracker and Megatron spotlights. On its own, though, it's a largely irrelevant and unsatisfying. Like other Roberts comics, Rung gets a cameo and we also see Pax chumming around with Zeta Prime (the villain of Autocracy from earlier this year). Alphatrion also helps him out in the field. 
   The art by newcomer Steve Kurth is fairly good and tells the story visually quite well. It didn't blow my mind or anything but it's functional and that's all that really matters.

   My problem is that there's little characterization, heart or point to the tale. Roberts, of late, seems fixated on explaining all of Cybertron's prewar and early war history. He does it without any real story relevance in the bigger sense, though, and that ultimately makes it uninteresting. So what if Orion Pax did this or that? Did it ultimately affect him as a character? Did it make him the Autobot he is today? Does it relate to the greater story of More Then Meets The Eye? If not, why should the reader really care?


Verdict: Pass. A waste of time and money.

Cover "B" by Livio Ramondelli

Comic Review...

Transformers: Robots in Disguise #6

Writer: John Barber
Artist: Livio Ramondelli

(covers by Casey Coller and Livio Ramondelli)

Cover "A" by Casey Coller

Summary: ONCE HE WAS: OPTIMUS PRIME! The Autobot gave up his title-returned to his role as ORION PAX! But that doesn't mean the fight's over! A shattered planet leads Pax and a squad of fan favorite characters on the trail of the deadliest Decepticon of all... SHOCKWAVE!


Comments: Orion Pax meets up on a space station with Hardhead and is directed to the dead world of Arduria. Wheelie, Garnak and Hardhead all come along with him as does Hardhead's prisoner, Jhiaxus (who had been catatonic until this incident when he began to come alive again, in response to a mysterious signal originating from the dead world). They discover the dead beings on the world are Shockwave's handiwork and wonder exactly what he did here and how. They find Monstructor and some kind of rocket absorbing all the heat in the area... Monstructor awakens and attacks them and on the ship, Bludgeon appears, attacking Wheelie and Garnak. He rescues Jhiaxus and together with the Monster Pretenders, they escape aboard Bludgeon's ship. Hardhead extrapolates that they are on course for the planet Wheelie and Garnak had escaped from. Orion orders a pursuit course...
   It seems this story will involve some kind of treasure hunt after Shockwave's varied experiments he performed centuries ago. It might also possibly follow up on the Quintesson plot thread left behind some time ago in the Wheelie Spotlight issue. All in all, a good story set-up even if we don't yet know the endgame for it all. It's nice to see Orion/Optimus in action again and to know he hasn't been totally forgotten  in the story (now if somebody would just figure out where the heck Megatron is).
   Livio does the art this issue. It's mostly good--although his Monstructor is a bit hard to figure out who he is. (To be fair, though, Monstructor was never intepreted all that well in comic form. He seems like he might look a bit generic in combined form and that's what we get here. The color scheme in all of Livio's art is that murky painted look, which could be responsible for further distorting the appearance of the Monster Pretenders. They were quite bright as I recall but this style doesn't really allow for that).

Verdict: Good. 

Cover "B" by Livio Ramondelli

Comic Review...

Transformers: Autocracy #11 and #12

Writers: Chris Metzen and Flint Dille
Artist: Livio Ramondelli

#11 cover by Livio Ramondelli

Summary:  (#11) With CYBERTRON in the hands of the DECEPTICONS, it's up to OPTIMUS PRIME and his small band of heroes to take control. But if he wants to free a world-- PRIME will need someone to rally the people!
(#12)  Its time for the endgame! OPTIMUS PRIME comes face-to-face with MEGATRON and the fate of their world hangs in the balance! Nothing will be the same after this EXTRA-LENGTH conclusion!

Comments:  Issue #11 was a bit of a breather, with Optimus Prime rallying the troops to his banner while issue #12 wrapped everything up neatly, chronicling the final battle between the Autobots and Decepticons (well, "final" in the context of the story anyway). Issue #12 also pays homage to the final battle between Prime and Megatron from TF:TM. I'm not sure if that's cheesy or brilliant (the very definition of an in-story homage, is it not? :)
   The story wraps up on a positive note and doesn't really offer any surprises. Having said that, it's a solid tale overall and managed to hit all the right story points so I can't really complain. No, it didn't astound me but it didn't disappoint either so there's something to be said for that.

#12 cover by Livio Ramondelli

   Livio Ramondelli's art was well suited for this series and his cover images, as always, seem to be one of his strong points. The internal art was also much improved from his time on Chaos in the older TF ongoing series. I didn't have any problems figuring out what was going on anywhere this time around.

Verdict: (Issues# 11 and #12): Excellent.
(Series overall): Excellent.












The entire series is available via digital download on www.comixology.com. If you don't want to go the digital route, the series will be released in TPB form in July. 

Comic Review...

Cover by Livio Ramondelli

Transformers: Autocracy #10

Writers: Chris Metzen and Flint Dille
Artist: Livio Ramondelli


Summary:  MEGATRON victorious! All hope seems lost, as the DECEPTICONS tighten their grip! The shattered remnants of the Autobots struggle valiantly-- but their chances seem slim. If ever CYBERTRON needed a hero, the time is now!

Comments: The Autobots are under arrest. Hot Rod is offered another path by Megatron but when he realizes Megatron's true ambitions, he goes to their aid instead. Elsewhere, Optimus Prime senses some kind of presence in the ruins of Nyon and determines to discover its origin.
   Things are coming together and it looks like the story will end with a bang (we have two issues remaining). Orion/Optimus has found his way, the Autobots stand assembled and the end of the issue reveals a very big, very powerful ace up their sleeve. It looks like the real war is about to begin...

Verdict:  Excellent.




Available online only (from www.comixology.com for 0.99 USd)

Comic Review...

Transformers: Autocracy #9

Writers: Chris Metzen and Flint Dille
Artist: Livio Ramondelli



Summary:  Betrayed by MEGATRON, ORION PAX faces his future head-on! Will he rise to stop the onslaught of the DECEPTICONS...? And what will that mean for his fellow Autobots?

Comments:  After being tossed to his doom in the last issue, Orion Pax feels something to calling him in the ruined catacombs beneath the city... Meanwhile, the remaining Autobots on the surface discover Megatron has betrayed them and vow to go down fighting. Orion Pax finds the Matrix and is recreated by its power. He has a new clarity of purpose and vision. He determines to fight for a better tomorrow...
   I enjoyed this issue immensely. Sometimes it's nice to have the hero have an epiphany and reaffirm his desire to defend the weak and helpless. Too many stories of late, generally, have had selfish unheroic characters so this story is a nice breath of fresh air. It's also nice to know we're three issues from the epic conclusion. I look forward to seeing how this all plays out...

Verdict:  Excellent. 

Cover by Livio Ramondelli

Available online only (from www.comixology.com for 0.99 USd)

Comic Review...

Cover by Livio Ramondelli

Transformers: Autocracy #8

Writers: Chris Metzen and Flint Dille
Artist: Livio Ramondelli


Summary:  ORION PAX-- Autobot hero and one-day OPTIMUS PRIME-- stands side-by-side with MEGATRON, leader of the DECEPTICONS! But even together, will they be able to defeat ZETA PRIME and his forces?

Comments:  Zeta Prime has made his move and openly declared war on all who oppose him! Orion Pax, his Autobots and the Decepticons join forces and take him on.
   Another excellent issue in the mini-series...both the writing and the art are first rate. I also love Ramondelli's covers for this series overall (covers are definitely one of his strengths). Zeta Prime's destruction is satisfying yet seems to come very quickly. He fights Pax and Megatron for two and a half pages of the story--one almost wishes their fight could've lasted a tad longer after all this build up to it. Otherwise, I have no complaints regard the story.

Verdict:  Excellent. 



Available online only (from www.comixology.com for 0.99 USd)

Comic Review...

Transformers: Autocracy #7

Writers: Chris Metzen and Flint Dille
Artist: Livio Ramondelli


Summary:  ORION PAX-- the 'bot who will someday be Optimus Prime-- lies defeated. Cybertron is in flames. ZETA PRIME is poised to conquer all. Does any hope remain-- or is this a very short chapter?

Comments:  After the awesome cliffhanger last time, I was expecting something very impressive here. Unfortunately, we get a bit of a filler story instead. Megatron and the Decepticons show up and basically Zeta Prime's Vamparc weapon is overloaded. He beats a hasty retreat rather then fight Megatron head-on (wimp!) The Decepticons take the Autobots back to their headquarters and repair them. Megatron proposes they join forces to take down Zeta Prime before it's too late. Optimus reluctantly agrees... (Hot Rod apparently joins them as well).
   I found this issue a bit of a letdown. I'm hoping the next issue and going forward will be as exciting as this story should be (there's also only five parts left to go so they can't waste much more time getting to the resolution). I also hope it makes sense with the Blurr spotlight (where Zeta Prime and news of his death are first mentioned).


Verdict: Average.

Cover by Livio Ramondelli

Available online only (from www.comixology.com for 0.99 USd)

Comic Review...

Cover by Livio Ramondelli

Transformers: Autocracy #6

Writers: Chris Metzen and Flint Dille
Artist: Livio Ramondelli

Summary:  ZETA PRIME MAKES HIS MOVE! When the Autobot leader strikes out, ORION PAX--the future Optimus Prime--witnesses scenes of devastation beyond his wildest imagination! Will Pax be changed? Or will he fall?

Comments:  The Omega Destructors (basically, Omega Supreme clones) attack Torus-City Nyon. Zeta leads the way, using his new Vamparc weapon to absorb Energon out of the citizens as he goes. Orion Pax and his team attempt to slow down the giant robots but have little success. Hot Rod finally detonates all his bombs, annihilating the city in the process (with the thought that it's better to kill them himself then let Zeta use the innocent civilians to power his war machine). Orion laments Hot Rod's difficult decision--and then his team is attacked by Zeta, who quickly drains them of their Energon!
    Another exciting chapter. I've been enjoying the story so far and this part pays off quickly with the action and drama. I can't wait to see where it all ends up.

Verdict:  Good. 




Available online only (from www.comixology.com for 0.99 USd)

Comic Review...

Transformers: Autocracy #5

Writer: Chris Metzen and Flint Dille
Artist: Livio Ramondelli
(cover by Livio Ramondelli)

Summary:  THE HUNT IS ON! ORION PAX's strike team follows the trail of a young rebel into the ancient ACROPLEX! But what they find there is more than a single dissident-- it's a secret that will shake CYBERTRON to the core!

Comments:  Orion Pax and his team go to the ruins of the old Acroplex to pursue their target, one Cybertronian named Hot Rod. After a short chase, they emerge in a large complex to find various dying neutrals, low on Energon. Hot Rod explains that this is Zeta Prime's doing and says he showed Orion this because he believes he's different then Zeta. He's seen the holo-vid of Orion calling out the Senate on their corruption. He tells Orion he has a choice--carry on with things as they are or join them against the real threat. Later, Orion Pax and his team are outside considering his words when they notice a fire on the horizon and a Guardian robot in its midst. Zeta has begun to make his move!
   Another exciting chapter in the story and a very clear indicator that Orion is about to defy Zeta Prime (a logical choice at this point). The art continues to be fairly good (I can't think of anything wrong about it). It will be interesting to see how this tale all ends...

Verdict:  Good. Check out the series if you haven't already!

Cover by Livio Ramondelli

Available online only (from www.comixology.com for 0.99 USd)

Comic Review...

Infestation 2: Transformers #1

Writer: Chuck Dixon
Artist: Guido Guidi
(covers by Guido Guidi and Livio Ramondelli)

Summary:  The Infestation threat has broken the boundaries of time and the Lovecraftian monsters invade the world of Transformers: Hearts of Steel! It's a steam-punk world in the grips of panic as terrifying beings from the depths of the ocean corrupt both humans and Decepticons! Only one man knows how to stop the Infestation, and it's up to him to awaken the Autobots in time to prevent full-scale cataclysm!

Comments:  Infestation returns! This time, the Hearts of Steel universe is under attack. To be perfectly honest, I never followed the rest of this sort-of crossover IDW did the first time nor did I read any of this follow-up series. I don't really understand why these Lovecraftian monsters are attacking multiple comic concepts (obviously, to sucker fans into buying them. But I mean, why are they bothering in the story sense? Does anybody ever bother to explain that?)
   Dixon does an adequate job in the comic of explaining what's going on--at least, to a point. Since it's a small cog in a larger story, someone just tuning into this issue specifically has no idea what the broader context is (that would be me). The characters presented here--Bumblebee, Ironhide, Hound, etc. don't get any real characterization and even the humans--Tobias Muldoon and Nikola Tesla predominantly--exist to move the plot along with little development (incidentally, why does Tesla have to get into every damn story set in this era? He's always the mad scientist du jour in these things). Not a lot really happens either. Evil monsters are attacking and the Autobots must stop them before it's too late so they go up to the Artic (or some place cold) and try to resurrect Optimus Prime. End of issue one.

Cover "B" by Livio Ramondelli

   One minor little story note I liked--Dixon picked out a small Quebec town as a location near where the Autobot train is. Saint Felicien, Quebec--where my cousin lives in real life! I didn't think anyone had ever heard of the place other then me.
   The art is competent but not outstanding. So much of the story focuses on the human characters and they're drawn in a cartoony/anime kind of way (a la Dreamwave). I prefer a bit more detail then that and felt it subtracted from the comic's appeal. The "B" cover by Livio Ramondelli (which I got) is a pretty nice picture of Shockwave (who's not even in this issue).

Verdict: Pass.  The whole Infestation conflict is flawed. It dips into several comics but doesn't really focus on the same characters all the time and I feel that hurts the concept. We don't get a good feel for the whole scope of the story and thus don't really care. Also, Hearts of Steel, while conceptually cool was never fully explored like it could've been. It had some neat ideas but the story was shallow and ended up as mostly eye candy. Doing a two issue follow-up that does an even worse job doesn't help it's case.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cover "A" by Guido Guidi

 (Special thanks to Zavian Sildra for the copy of this issue which I reviewed). 

Comic Review...

Transformers #30

Writers: Mike Costa and James Roberts (story), Mike Costa (script)
Artist: Livio Ramondelli
(Covers by Livio Ramondelli)

Summary:  Chaos, part 4, brings events to a devastating head: Megatron confronts his most formidable opponent yet! The Autobots scramble to keep out of the way of the Decepti-god's unstoppable rampage and Optimus Prime faces off against Galvatron, in a battle where the fate of the whole planet rests on the outcome! CHAOS concludes here and TRANSFORMERS will never be the same again!

Comments:  Between the two recent storylines, this has been the one I've found more interesting of the two (which is not to be construed as praise though). In this issue, we pick up the Arcee and Hardhead (I had thought he was dead!) thread where they rescue the survivors of Kimia plot and have them all set course to join the main story on Cybertron (which they later do). They also casually drop in the idea that Galvatron's being duped by D-Void via the Heart of Darkness. This very quickly becomes fact (there's no prior hints in any of the story that this is the case--which would've been nice. Even some subtle foreshadowing completely escaped Costa's grasp). On Cybertron, Megatron continues to battle the dark Decepti-beast thingy while the Autobots cower. In the core, Optimus Prime and Hot Rod confront Galvatron and his cronies but they are too late! Galvatron has just used the Heart of Darkness on Cybetron's core! Prime uses the Matrix and saves them all (Galvatron disintegrates but not before realizing something is wrong. He did the right thing! Arghh!) The story ends with Optimus Prime alone somewhere quite blue (the remains of the Dead Universe? Cybertron? It's unclear). As I said, there was no hint at all that Galvatron was being duped by D-Void/Heart of Darkness (although I had suspected as much some time ago). Showing hints of that before the very ending might have been nice--even a suggestion something might be amiss would've been intriguing to the reader. Instead it's just dumped at the end as a fact, which it apparently is. A more interesting take might've been to have had the Heart be part of D-Void (a terrible name, btw) but corrupted somehow by a sense of heroism (like how the Matrix had a taint of evil to it in the old Marvel series). A straight interpretation of the story was boring, frankly. They could've developed this story more--even used the space they wasted on the Prowl/Earth segments to flesh it out further and actually make people care. As it was, it felt somewhat superficial and ultimately irrelevant. (Since "The Death of Optimus Prime" is coming up, perhaps he was trapped in the Dead Universe--or something--as a result of the ending? But even that is pointless since he dies all the time and never stays that way for long).
   The art is more of Ramondelli's murkiness. It makes a dull story pretty in the technical sense but hard to decipher what's going on half the time. Art in a comic should easily convey the story and its natural progression. When a reader can't figure out what a panel is supposed to represent, it fails to do its job (to be fair, a large number of modern comic artists have this problem though).

Verdict: Average. I'm glad this story is over! I wonder what they'll do for the two remaining issues--a lot of pontificating by the characters over the fall-out? (Is the sky blue?)

Cover "A" by Livio Ramondelli

Comic Review...

Cover "A" by Livio Ramondelli

Transformers #28

Writer: Mike Costa and James Roberts (story); Mike Costa (script)
Artist: Livio Ramondelli
(covers by Livio Ramondelli)


Summary:  CHAOS part 3 rocks Cybertron as the return of an unlikely Decepticon faces off against Sunstreaker who is looking for a little redemption--Megatron suits up for what might very well be his final battle--and you are introduced to something we had to call--the DeceptiGOD! 'Chaos' goes insane!



Comments:  The battle for Cybertron continues! We still don't learn precisely what's going on in this issue and we get more fighting on Cybertron but somehow I didn't mind this issue quite as much. It felt like the plot was moving along at least a bit.
    We have a prologue with some Autobot refugees in an escape pod (are they from Kimia? Or somewhere else?) who are rescued by Arcee (apparently she finally crawled out of that hole on Gorlam Prime). The prologue's significance, if any, is not revealed in the rest of the story (perhaps it's just an attempt to account for everyone?)  The rest of the issue is about the battle on Cybertron. The Decepticons from Earth come to Cybertron via a space bridge transponder Megatron had on his body (according to a theory by Jetfire anyway. The reinforcements say nothing otherwise). Again, I think they're there to tie up that plot thread more then anything else. The Decepticons stop moving eventually, start spouting binary code and all come together (along with the Sweeps and "Galvatron's army"--which has been visually absent in the art but apparently still exist) to form a giant monster (called "DeceptiGod" in the solicitation). It attacks the Autobots, who try to fight it off. Elsewhere, Galvatron tells Optimus Prime that only the Heart of Darkness can destroy the planet's core and save the Universe. He races off to do that... Optimus is contacted by Cliffjumper--who's communicator is taken by Megatron (he did not merge with the rest of the Decepticons). Prime tells him to hold off the monster, if he can, in order to save the planet. Megatron says he will do his best... Optimus goes after Galvatron.
    The art is still murky as hell, making some panels had to decipher while others look not too bad.
    The story, as I said, is decent and advances somewhat over the previous couple of issues on Cybertron. I wonder why the Decepticons are affected by the darkness/whatever-it-is but not Megatron or the Autobots. One thing that would greatly improve this story is if they would drop a few hints about what is really going on. We got a set-up in the Heart of Darkness mini-series but since then Costa (and Roberts) have played it too close to the chest. I understand we're coming to a big story revelation shortly but dropping a few hints here and there would help pique curiosity and so far we've gotten nothing at all. It is my hope next issue of Chaos actually gets to the pay-off but we'll see...

Verdict:  Average.