Comic Review...

Transformers: Heart of Darkness #2 (of 4)

Writers: Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning
Artist: Ulises Farinas

(Covers by Ulises Farinas and Casey Coller)


Summary: Galvatron is on the move! With the mystery surrounding Gorlam Prime still unsolved, Cyclonus and Scourge are tasked with helping raise an army! But an army to do what?! Find out as the ROAD TO 'CHAOS' finds its first travelers!


Comments: Ugh! My eyes! The art--it's so bad! Wherever did they find this guy? Thankfully I got the Casey Coller cover this time around but it's too bad he couldn't have done the interiors too. Ulises Farinas should never have been let near a professional comic book with his terrible lack of skill. As to the story... it's actually not bad. Galvatron finds some answers to the main mystery of the story--namely, where did the inhabitants of Gorlam Prime go. This stands in stark contrast to many other recent TF comics where they go four issues and essentially nothing happens. We know the Dead Universe is the enemy and it is awakening. It goes by the moniker "D-Void" (which is kind of silly sounding. I suspect it will eventually go by the name "Unicron"). I suspect the Dark Universe will be revealed as Unicron and, indeed, it is a logical outcome here. The Dark Universe is devoid of life and alive, seeking to devour cybernetic life energy... it only makes sense and if the writers decide to make it something else, it seems like both a wasted opportunity and a bit redundant (especially if Unicron shows up some other time later on to have two nearly identical villains). A decent story and I look forward to issue three.

Verdict: Recommended.


(Cover "B" by Casey Coller)

Warlog Weekly 2011-03

Warlog continues!

Ratbat returns with a surprise announcement.



Comments are very welcome.

for those who missed the other stories, I am compiling the old ones into one file. Coming soon.

-UNB

NEXT WEEK: Who or What is the mentor ? It will have to wait because next week promises ACTION as it's Soundwave VS Hotrider !

Comic Review...

Transformers #18


Writer: Mike Costa
Artist: Alex Milne

(cover art by Nick Roche and Marcelo Matere)


Summary: The Autobots have been beaten down, backed into a corner, and harried into making a huge mistake. But the biggest blow has yet to fall, as Prime sets out to face Megatron one-on-one in the final chapter of REVENGE OF THE DECEPTICONS. Nobody dies... but somebody's gonna wish they had.


Comments: From reading the solicitation synopsis above, one would assume this issue is mind blowingly awesome. That would be wrong. It's not a terrible issue per se but, frankly, not a lot really happens. After last issue's dramatic ending I had hoped for a real follow-up. Instead, the whole Jazz thing is all but ignored and Optimus goes storming off to fight Megatron. Megatron beats him but then surrenders himself--he wants to watch the chaos that is coming. Optimus is given suspicions that his human allies might not be as copesetic as they pretend... The Prime/Megatron battle is dull and the rest of the issue is set-up for future things (at least, I think it is. Costa doesn't seem to understand how to write comics very well. If you're going to set up a story element then pay it off! Don't set it up and ignore it because you suddenly had some other whim to pursue).

Verdict: Mediocre.



(Cover "B" by Marcelo Matere)

Warlog Weekly 2011-02

Warlog continues!
Larry(Kasmun) was left alone last week so Ratbat could deal with an Autobot threat.
Let's see how he copes.



Comments are very welcome.

for those who missed the other stories, I am compiling the old ones into one file.

-UNB

enjoy, until next week !

Warlog Weekly 2011-01

NOT AN APRIL FOOLS PRANK !

Warlog Weekly is back.

The story of Kasmun continues with more conflict and intrige.


for the previous installments of the story i refer to:

part 01(Transmasters comic 4, sadly currently not available)
part 02(Transmasters comic 5)
part 03(Warlog weekly 2009 series)


or the previous post which is a small audio file

View or download image here

enjoy. untill next week.

-Backbreaker.
comments are welcome.

W.A.C. - I am called Kasmun audio version

----edit. alternate location-----

(currently file under experiment)

Warlog Audio Comics presents:


I am called Kasmun.

Duration 3:43
Size: 8.5 Mb
Quality: 320 kbs

description: This is an audio version of the preview story "I am called Kasmun", to listen to on your Ipod or whatever. This is my first production, I may do more in future. Warlog Weekly will be back on April 1st, 2011 with the continuation.

Comments are welcome !!!

Download here or view the newsitem

Comic Review...

Transformers: Heart of Darkness #1


Writer: Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning
Artist: Ulises Farinas

(Covers by Ulises Farinas and Casey Coller)


Comic Summary: GALVATRON. Last seen, he was leading a team of Decepticons through space. Clearly, he has a purpose, an agenda, and a vendetta. But how it will play out and to what end has been shrouded in mystery. That mystery is about to be revealed!


Comments: Wow! That is some really bad art! Going off Cover "A" I would've thought the art was good but the more I saw of Ulises Farinas art the more I hated it. Many of his panels look cartoony (at best) and just terrible at worst. I cite the pics of Galvatron looking shocked as an example as well as the art of Arcee near the end. Yuck! Were all the good artists busy with other stuff or what? (I know, I know. My own art isn't spectacular--but I actually had to pay money for this and I expect better from a professional comic). The story is decent but with some inconsistencies from the Furman stories it follows off. For example, Gorlam Prime was not a techno-organic world nearly identical to Cybertron. Furman's story stated it was an organic world in a state of some kind of evolutionary flux, changing from organic to techno-organic. It was not already there and thriving as this story states. The story also says Galvatron was "dead" for years before re-emerging but that can't be right either. The previous stories stated that the Dark Universe TFs (except Galvatron) could only exist outside that realm for small amounts of time before dying in this one (so how could Cyclonus and Scourge now exist for so long in a decomposing state?) I don't know if the writers messed up the details by accident or intentionally as some kind of retcon but I don't like it. Without knowing their intent, it feels lazy to me. Going off Furman's stuff, I'm thinking the Anti-Matrix/Heart of Darkness was possibly the soul of Unicron, brought from a Universe he'd already devoured into this one (likewise, the Matrix is likely the soul of Primus). I also think these new guys might be leaning in that direction as well. I guess we'll find out in time... I also don't like Galvatron's new tank mode--I much preferred his cannon form (is the tank an attempt to make it jibe with the Universe toy?) All in all, a decent tale with terrible art.

Verdict: Mildly recommended.



(Cover "B" by Casey Coller)

Comic Review...

(WARNING: The following review contains story spoilers for the issue's ending).


Transformers #17

Writer: Mike Costa
Artist: Alex Milne

(Covers by Marcelo Matere and Nick Roche)


Summary: Megatron's plan enters its second stage as the Autobots continue to fall under attack from heavily armed humans. Elsewhere, Starscream attempts to initiate a plan of his own with an old ally. Costa and Milne aren't bringing everyone out of this issue in one piece as the REVENGE OF THE DECEPTICONS continues!


Comments: We start the story with Optimus and company finally being accounted for after missing for a couple of issues (they were shot down). Anyway, it's mentioned in passing that Megatron either shot them down or ordered it. He sends them a message and we find he has the Autobots from last issue as hostages. What makes no sense is that when last issue ended, it seemed like he'd left after having taunted them so I guess he turned around for some reason and captured them all anyway. The rest of the story makes sense otherwise and ends on an attempt at drama. Jazz does what any of the Autobots would've realistically done and kills a human when he sees it threatening fellow Autobots with a Megatron gun (unless we're supposed to assume they're all retarded or something. Why wouldn't they defend themselves rather then allow humans to kill them?) What he didn't realize is that the others had all but talked the man down (oops!) I look forward to seeing this resolved. Hopefully Prime will stick up for Jazz and not just have him be lead off and disassembled or killed.

Verdict: Recommended.


(Cover "A" by Marcelo Matere)

Andrew Wildman Graphic Novel...

Andrew Wildman, the well known Marvel G1 comic artist is working on a self-created Graphic Novel. He's taking preorder donations so that the project can happen. Check it out here:

http://www.indiegogo.com/horizon


(the project's Facebook page is here:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Horizon/205112842835102?sk=wall


I think this is cool and have already donated $20 to it. Why not? :)

Thunder

Opening Shots, part two...

It's done finally. Newly added to the TM Winter Magazine, is Opening Shots, Part Two:

http://transmasters.angelfire.com/tmmag/issue9/os_page7.html


This continues the first part from the Summer 10 issue, which is available here:

http://transmasters.angelfire.com/tmmag/issue7/openingshots.html


Eventually, the story will be finished in part three or four (I have 22 pages plotted out). Part two was a bit rushed art-wise but I hope people like it (I also hope people can read the text okay. I might need to fix some of it?) Comments are welcome (hint, hint).

- Thunder