BIG SMALL COMIX.com

I'M LEAVING BIG SMALL COMIX ;(

2010-02-02T20:20:00.002+13:00

You may have noticed the link on my sidebar to Comic Book Revolution, a prestigious, high-quality review site for comics of all kinds. And I've been accepted as a reviewer there, so all my reivews will be under the username minimus-minor. This means that BSC will become an archive for my previous reviews, but very little new stuff will be posted. It's been good. See you on the other side!

Posted by Fanbot at 8:21 pm, TUESDAY 2 February

Cover for Last Stand of the Wreckers #1 2nd printing + Springer quote poster

2010-02-02T20:14:00.004+13:00

Woot woot Last Stand of the Wreckers gets a second printing! Inevitable though...

Posted by Fanbot at 8:13 pm, TUESDAY 2 February

IDW Transformers solicits for Feb. 2010

2010-02-01T10:50:00.004+13:00

The start of another month marks the time when BSC reminds you Transfans out there of what to expect for the coming month. Here's what IDW has to offer this February:

THE TRANSFORMERS #4

Written by MIKE COSTA
Art by DON FIGUEROA
Colors by JAMES BROWN
Covers by Figueroa, ANDREW WILDMAN

His ambivalence cost him his allegiance. His betrayal set the stage for Autobot victory. His name is Thundercracker, and this issue reveals what he's been doing these past three years after his brutal expulsion from the Deceptiocons in All Hail Megatron! Costa and Figueroa show you perhaps the most unique transformation of all...

32 pages, USD$3.99.

TRANSFORMERS: LAST STAND OF THE WRECKERS #2

Written by NICK ROCHE and JAMES ROBERTS
Art by NICK ROCHE
Colors by JOSH BURCHAM
Covers by Roche, TREVOR HUTCHISON

The Autobots' finest begin their descent into hell, and all bets are off. The true nature of the Wreckers' mission is revealed and the reappearance of an old enemy drastically reduces the chances of anyone making it back alive.

32 pages, USD$3.99.

TRANSFORMERS: BUMBLEBEE #3

Written by ZANDER CANNON
Art by CHEE YANG ONG
Colors by MOOSE BAUMANN
Covers by Chee, GUIDO GUIDI

"Things Fall Apart," Part 3: After leaving a decoy for the Skywatch colonel, Bumblebee embarks on a solo quest to find the device that will free the Autobots. He befriends the child of the one man who holds the device they need, and finally has to ask himself if what he's doing is right.

32 pages, USD$3.99.

Fanbot highly recommends Nick Roche's Last Stand of the Wreckers #2, as the art and story surpass anything else (including Mike Costa and Don Figueroa's ongoing) IDW has to offer. Expect to see these comics reviewed here at Big Small Comix very soon, so stay tuned!

Posted by Fanbot at 10:53 pm, MONDAY 1 February

Last Stand of the Wreckers #1 review

2010-01-30T12:38:00.004+13:00

Sorry for the lateness on this one; been on holiday. But finally, here's the deal on Transformers: Last Stand of the Wreckers #1...

SYNOPSIS: Garrus-9 penitentiary, 3 years ago. The prison is being overrun by the Decepticons. Kick-Off smells an inside job, while Fortress Maximus handles the situation efficiently. Meanwhile, Skyquake and some other Cons witness Overlord’s arrival. Overlord tries to take control of the situation but Skyquake’s having none of it. Overlord blasts Skyquake in the back and proceeds to lead the Cons to victory, proclaiming he’ll liberate and entertain the Cons on Garrus-9. Fort Max is thrown to the Con hordes. Time jump to eight months ago. New Wreckers Pyro, Ironfist, Guzzle and Rotorstorm are scolded by a superior for blowing up a fuel depot. They’re picked up by Ultra Magnus’ ship, and greeted by none other than Verity Carlo of Earth. They’re dubious as to her being a Wrecker, but Springer walks in (with Twin Twist, Kup, Perceptor and Topspin) and informs them that none of them are, yet. The situation on Garrus-9 is explained; it’s been overrun by the Cons, but any attempt by other Cons to get in has been blown out of orbit. The new Wreckers are there to investigate. Springer explains to the new guys the dangers of Wreckership. Back on Garrus-9, Overlord and some Cons chase an Autobot for sport.

A purple Con subdues the Autobot, but his cockiness catches him off guard and the Autobot leaps at his throat. Overlord kills the Autobot and then the purple Con, explaining to the others that he was careless and so wasting Overlord’s time. Elsewhere, on Magnus’ ship, Ironfist feels hyperspace-sick. It’s revealed he was a journalist who wrote extensive datalogs on the Wreckers, under the alias Fisitron. Wreckers old and new talk, while Springer notices Ironfist may be hiding something. He seems burdened by the danger of Wreckership. Kup remarks that Springer can’t stop thinking about Impactor. Springer replies that it’s hard but not impossible. Time jump to one month ago. Con Borehole and now-crazy Autobot Kick-Off are in a pit fight. Kick-Off brutally beats and rips Borehole’s head off. Overlord is pleased and invites Kick-Off into his quarters for a reward. Back on Magnus’ ship, the Wreckers go to a Con ship that sent a distress signal, where is promptly blows up. But a shadowy figure approaches the ship, riding on the explosion. Everyone’s stunned to see that it is…

…IMPACTOR.

THE ART: Four words can sum up this issue perfectly well; NICK. ROCHE. JOSH. BURCHAM. A creative team made in Transfandom nirvana. Take a look at the interior images on this review and see for yourself the amazing job Roche does on this issue. Elegantly drawn bots, Kirby-esque smoke and explosions and simple backgrounds culminate into one beauty of a comic. The only downside to his artwork is the thick, clunky lines of assistant inker John Wycough; his inks detract from the art and look extremely unprofessional. But the gold medal definitely goes to colorist Josh Burcham. As you can see from the pages around, his coloring has no equal. The warm, vibrant palette enhances and complements the artwork perfectly, expertly rendering everything from the bloody-red sunset of Garrus-9 to the lurid magenta body fluid and explosions that splash across the pages. He also does a crafty subtle difference in coloring style between Garrus-9 and the rest of the scenes. Whereas the scenes with the Wreckers are clean and smooth, Garrus-9 has a gritty, pastel-like texture to the colors that emphasizes the chaotic, dirty mood on the prison planet.

THE STORY: Where do I start with this one? The plot is not what would have been expected from one such as Roche (and James Roberts). Interestingly, most of the issue consists of exposition - outlining what has happened on Garrus-9 in the past 3 years, introducing new characters and old, and only in the last few pages or so does the bombshell of Wrecker leader Impactor's appearance come. And what a bombshell that was. I'm sure that in Roche and Robert's interview at One Shall Stand.com, they said Impactor wouldn't be making an appearance. But this is a good thing! Roche fills out the story with a stellar cast of obscure characters from the UK and Europe - Pyro, Ironfist, Guzzle, Rotorstorm - as well as wild cards like Overlord from Masterforce and Kick-Off from the Action Masters toyline. This shows that Roche/Roberts can deliver quality characters without resorting to mainstream bots like Prime and Bumblebee. The story has good pace and the time jumps are smooth and not at all jarring. And no-one can write dialogue like Roche. The quirky, idiosyncratic way the bots (and Verity - interesting choice to bring her back as a Wrecker) talk with each other; Pyro's calm and desire to sort out problems, Verity's brash cheeriness, Twin Twist and Topspin's ribbing each other. And Overlord's breaking away from the rest of the Decepticons is very interesting and will no doubt affect the rest of the series. Woo! So much coolness! Roche, Roberts, you rock! The results:

TRANSFORMERS: LAST STAND OF THE WRECKERS #1
Written by NICK ROCHE and JAMES ROBERTS
Script by NICK ROCHE
Art by NICK ROCHE
Colors by JOSH BURCHAM
Covers by Roche, TREVOR HUTCHISON

ART RATING: 8.5 out of 10
STORY RATING: 10 out of 10
OVERALL RATING: 9.5 out of 10

FAVE QUOTE: Pyro: "We'll be seeing you, sir."

Dipstick: "Hah! You think so? You're joining the Wreckers... what makes you think you're coming back?"[Pyro doesn't know what being a Wrecker means yet. Poor guy.]

VERDICT: Beautiful. Wonderful. An exquisitely executed issue on every front imaginable. I couldn't be more happier (well, OK. Roche could have inked the whole issue.). If you haven't yet got this issue then get off your computer and get it! Go now!

Posted by Fanbot at 12:39 pm, SATURDAY 30 January

Last Stand of the Wreckers banners

2010-01-30T11:58:00.001+13:00

The trouser-shatteringly awesome TF artist Nick Roche has updated his blog with some banners of the hit series Last Stand of the Wreckers, done by some of his colleagues. Not really that important but they look cool so I thought I'd post them anyway.

BELOW: by Rycochet.
BELOW THAT: by Shaun Knowler.

ABOVE: by Kris Carter. Spot the trouser-shattering joke.

ABOVE THAT: by Matthew C. Adams.

Hope you enjoyed that. I know I'm stalling, yes. My review of Last Stand of the Wreckers #1 will be up very, very soon. See you then!

Posted by Fanbot at 11:57 am, SATURDAY 30 January

EXTRA! Transformers: Last Stand of the Wreckers #1 images

2010-01-29T22:12:00.006+13:00

Before I give you my review of Transformers: Last Stand of the Wreckers #1, I thought you'd like some images from the comic. Be warned, there are spoilers, so don't scroll down if you haven't got it yet. The spoiler-ey ones are at the bottom for your convenience.

ABOVE: Overlord and the 'Cons have some fun with an Autobot. Wingblazer thinks he's very cool (even though he ain't doing anything!).

ABOVE: Ironfist makes gestures with his enormous Roche-hands.

ABOVE: Kick-Off goes crazy on a Decepticon while Overlord gloats like a typical villain.

ABOVE: Springer explains the situation to new Wreckers (clockwise from left) Ironfist, Pyro, Rotorstorm, Guzzle and Verity.

ABOVE: Only geeks read Last Stand of the Wreckers for the robots.

Hope you enjoyed those images. Nick Roche and Josh Burcham are a creative team made in heaven. The review will be posted as soon as I'm finished. Go now!

Posted by Fanbot at 10:17 pm, FRIDAY 29 January

Andrew Wildman variant cover for TRANSFORMERS #6

2010-01-29T21:15:00.000+13:00

The variant cover for IDW's TRANSFORMERS #6, out April 2010, courtesy of the legendary Andrew Wildman! Be sure to check out his site for more.

Posted by Fanbot at 9:16 pm, FRIDAY 29 January

Transformers: Last Stand of the Weckers preview

2010-01-26T16:18:00.002+13:00

It came! It finally came! The Stormbringer-esque miniseries by demi-gods Nick Roche and Josh Burcham! We find out what happened to the Transformers death row on Garrus-9 in the three years between AHM #12 and ongoing #1. Here you go!

TRANSFORMERS:LAST STAND OF THE WRECKERS #1 (IDW)
Written by NICK ROCHE
Art by NICK ROCHE
Colors by JOSH BURCHAM
Covers by Roche, TREVOR HUTCHISON

The AUTOBOT special ops crew, THE WRECKERS, are sent to investigate Garrus-9, a prison that fell to the DECEPTICONS three years ago with no communication in or out since. Who’s really behind the prison siege, and what dark secret awaits SPRINGER there? Writer/artist Nick Roche (Maximum Dinobots) does all the dirty work.

32 pages, USD$3.99.

Posted by Fanbot at 4:18 pm, TUESDAY 26 January

Hellboy: Bride of Hell oneshot review

2010-01-26T10:24:00.003+13:00

This one had sold out at my regular shop ages ago so I didn’t get to review it when it came out in December. But I found this one elsewhere (Yay!). I’ve never read enough Hellboy to justify getting it but after this one, that might change…

SYNOPSIS: At the Bureau for Paranormal Research & Defense HQ, a TV reveals the disappearance of eighteen-year-old Teresa Cipriano. ~~The BPRD~~ A special branch of the US government” is reported to be involved … meanwhile, in northern France, the girl is about to be sacrificed in some sort of occult ritual. Hellboy sneaks up on it but a bear trap on his leg reveals his presence. A dark, winged figure materializes and tries to carry off the girl. Hellboy shoots it and grabs her off it, running into the forest. He wonders why the demon doesn’t follow, since it could easily get through the trees. He then sees some Christian ruins and an old monk who tells him of Saint Hagan, whose followers set up a church there, but were all killed by the demon, who followed them from the East. Hellboy leaves Teresa in the church, locates the demon’s lair and is attacked by it – the demon who turns out to be Asmodeus. Back at the ruins the monk tells sleeping Teresa of how Asmodeus was captured by King Solomon but was eventually driven into the desert, where he garnered many followers and wives who were very dear to him. But they were all killed by Hagan’s followers, so for this, Asmodeus killed them. He’d been telling the same story to Hellboy, and Hellboy remarks of how he stole many women in modern times. Asmodeus reveals they gave their lives willingly, showing his mark (which was shown on Teresa’s leg). Meanwhile, at the ruins, Teresa awakes and is horrified at the cross held by the monk. She knocks it out of his hand, shouting about how Asmodeus – her husband – will “bust him up”. The monk disappears, and his words (of how evil things in this place will die) are spoken by the corpse of a knight, rising from a nearby crypt. Meanwhile Hellboy quickly beats the hell out of Asmodeus. He rushes back to the ruins, where he sees the corpse kill Teresa, explaining that she was a “bride of hell” and must go to hell to serve the devil.

THE ART: First off let me say this. Mignola originally drew Hellboy and his simplistic, shadowy artwork was a breath of fresh air from the perfect, dream-body drawing of the Big Two. But Mignola no longer draws Hellboy, and many fans have criticized new artists Duncan Fegredo and (in this case) Richard Corben for being bad “imitators”. Dark Horse editor Scott Allie said what everyone should have figured out; they aren’t imitators. They’re artists who are telling the story in the style of Mignola. They don’t have to mimic him. And Corben does an excellent job of this. His simple lines nonetheless convey the action and pulp-horror mood extremely well. His slightly different use of shadow, greater use of lines and an overall more fluid, organic feel to the artwork. A very capable artist who expertly conveys the action. Colorist Dave Stewart does an exquisite job on rendering the art as usual, his washed out palette (with slightly more rendered tones than usual) enhancing and complementing Corben’s lines perfectly. A flawlessly drawn issue.

THE STORY: an extremely simple yet gripping tale that intrigues and compels the reader to continue. It’s a mark f Mignola’s writing skill that he can take such a simple concept (a woman being sacrificed in an occult ritual) and make a story out of it, complete with drama and events that set it in motion over 700 years ago (Asmodeus’ talk with Hellboy, p16-21). With this story Mignola proves that all is not always as it seems in the Hellboyverse – Teresa willingly being sacrificed to Asmodeus is something I hadn’t seen coming. There is perhaps a little too much exposition (10-12, 16-21) but that can be accepted since with Mignola’s style and genre of work, exposition is inevitable. So, the results:

HELLBOY #45: BRIDE OF HELL one shot
Written by MIKE MIGNOLA
Art by RICHARD CORBEN
Colors by DAVE STEWART
Cover by MIKE MIGNOLA

ART RATING: 9.5 out of 10
STORY RATING: 9.5 out of 10
OVERALL RATING: 9.5 out of 10

ERRORS: Not so much an error, but something that seems amiss. Asmodeus is an immortal demon from hell and yet he seems to be decaying and not healing. The wounds HB inflicted on him shouldn’t be a problem but his whole body looks like it’s been dragged out of the ground. There’s nothing in the story which I think justifies his decayed state, but knowing Mike there’s probably a reason.

VERDICT: skillfully written and exquisitely drawn (kudos to both Corben and Stewart), this issue will delight old fans and bring new ones into the fold. A perfect introduction to Hellboy. Rated 9.5 out of 10.

Posted by Fanbot at 10:25 am, TUESDAY 26 January

Transformers: Bumblebee #2 review

2010-01-25T18:49:00.001+13:00

OK, here we go. Another review. Ho-hum. But here we go; Fanbot's analysis of IDW's Transformers: Bumblebee #2...

SYNOPSIS: Blurr races across the New Mexico desert. After unsuccessfully trying to contact Hot Rod, he notices a figure in the distance, which makes him transform and stop right in front of Bumblebee. This startles Blurr to the point where his concentration is broken, making him speak uncontrollably fast. Bee tries to explain the situation with Skywatch and how the have to bring Blurr in, but Blurr is having none of it and blasts Bee in the chest. He’s quickly subdued by the other Autobots but Ratchet notices that Blurr’s blast hit Bee’s Skywatch badge and absorbed the blast. Bee announces they won’t be turning Blurr in to Skywatch. Back at Autobase, Colonel Horiuchi is informed by Bee that they won’t turn over Blurr, that they’re done doing his dirty work. Horiuchi tries to activate Bee’s kill-switch but because Blurr blasted it, it won’t work. However, Ratchet convinces Bee to pretend that it worked, then pretending that Bee’s stuck in vehicle mode. This will make Horiuchi send a team to fix Bee’s faulty badge. Ratchet and the others refuse to talk. Bee realizes that they’re still being monitored on the Skywatch radio; meaning Bee s the only one who can speak or move freely. Meanwhile, Skywarp broadcasts a message into space, telling Megatron of his artillery-gathering antics and how he is nearing completion of a weapon that will kill the Autobots. Back at Autobase, Blurr doubts Bee’s leadership credibility, but Bee explains that he’s asking Blurr as a comrade. Bee then makes Blurr find a substitute VW Bug for Skywatch to examine, and before leaving Autobase Bee gives a speech to the Autobots of how their dilemma with Skywatch is his fault and that he will get them out of it. He then leaves, informed by a text-only message from Ratchet that a rare secret substance called darmstadtium. Bee locates a large shipment of darmsadtium, and is investigating it when he notices a repainted Scavenger, hiding from the humans. Bee tries to convince him that they need to earn the respect of the humans, but Scavenger attacks him, disgusted at the Autobots’ weakness for lower life forms. Bee transforms and drives away into the desert.

THE ART: Though nothing special by any means, Chee steps up his artwork to another level. The artwork shows little skill in the way of perspective but is nevertheless very dynamic and in a way is very G1 in its mood and style. The chiaroscuro shadows are very well done and give a very good sense of mood, even if the figure drawing is extremely basic. Once again colorist Moose Baumann does an exquisite job on rendering Chee's dark inks. Like Josh Burcham, though in a slightly different way, his palette adds so much to the artwork. So good work on that front. But once again those Geewun body designs are butt-ugly. Inconsistency is unprofessional, demeaning and slashes up continuity like nothing else. That part continually annoys me and frankly ruins the comic.

THE STORY: I'm slightly unsure of what to think of Zander Cannon's job on this issue. The story is reasonable enough but as with the last issue shows little in the way of substance. A large portion of the issue is taken up by Bee talking and giving speeches, which is very boring to read. But at least Cannon is actually making the characters do something; characters'ctions are beginning to intertwine and new developments are being made. Skywarp obviously has some kind of plan other than stocking up on guns, though Cannon writing him wrapped in a tarp, broadcasting his voice into space is slightly ludicrous. And it does not help continuity at all that he's writing Blurr as a fast talking no-spacebar bot. Blurr's lack-of-spaces talk is extremely hard to read and blatantly contradicts previous continuity. Despite the interesting developments in this issue Cannon has let us down with this sub-par, continuity-breaking, mindbogglingly dull story. Whether or not he can rectify his mistakes in the next two issues remains to be seen, but already, half this miniseries has gone down the drain.Disappointing. So, the damage today is:

TRANSFORMERS: BUMBLEBEE #2

Written by ZANDER CANNON

Art by CHEE YANG ONG

Colors by MOOSE BAUMANN

Covers by Chee, GUIDO GUIDI

ART RATING: 8 out of 10
STORY RATING: 7 out of 10
OVERALL RATING: 7.5 out of 10

ERRORS: Blurr sported an Earth-based alternate mode in "A Rude Awakening". However, here he is drawn in his Cybertronian alternate mode. Although not apparent last issue, this issue's dialogue makes it fairly clear that the badges Horiuchi gave the Autobots are supposed to be covering their Autobot insignias: Blurr claims there is something wrong with Bumblebee's insignia and is described as shooting him "dead center" (where his insignia is), and yet only hits his badge. The art doesn't reflect this, putting Bumblebee's badge on his upper-right breast, leaving his insignia unobstructed and making Blurr's dialogue and the fallout of his actions make little sense.

VERDICT: a slightly less disappointing - though this is no great feat - issue that although contains some interesting developments, is decidedly lacklustre. The inconsistencies with the ongoing only add to its shame. Disappointing. But the art is getting a lot better. Rated 7.5 out of 10.

Posted by Fanbot at 6:52 pm, MONDAY 25 January

IDW Transformers solicits for April 2010

2010-01-21T10:58:00.004+13:00

In another spur of goodwill, IDW has given out their solicits for April 2010. And it looks like this year is shaping up to be a year of new things for the Autobots; the return of E J Su, the return of the Spotlight. Here's the scoop for April:

THE TRANSFORMERS #6

Written by MIKE COSTA
Art by DON FIGUEROA
Colors by JAMES BROWN
Covers by Figueroa

It’s the AUTOBOTS versus the biggest foe they’ve faced since DEVASTATOR! But with OPTIMUS PRIME in captivity, do our heroes stand a chance? The action keeps coming courtesy of Mike Costa and Don Figueroa!

32 pages, USD$3.99.

TRANSFORMERS SPOTLIGHT: PROWL

Written by MIKE COSTA
Art by E J SU
Covers by Su, NICK ROCHE

The end of the war between AUTOBOTS and DECEPTICONS had profound changes throughout the ranks, even for the coldly logical PROWL. Learn of his change of heart and its impact on his actions in the ongoing series.

32 pages, USD$3.99.

TRANSFORMERS: LAST STAND OF THE WRECKERS #4

Written by NICK ROCHE & JAMES ROBERTS
Art by NICK ROCHE
Colors by JOSH BURCHAM
Covers by Roche, TREVOR HUTCHISON

The Wreckers have found Aequitas, and things have suddenly become a whole lot more complicated! As the Autobots' special ops team stands on the brink of dissolution as the fatalities mount, Perceptor realizes that drastic action is called for-but having come this far, who among his teammates is prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice?

32 pages, USD$3.99.

TRANSFORMERS: NEFARIOUS #2

Written by SIMON FURMAN
Art by CARLOS MAGNO
Colors by JOSH PEREZ
Covers by Magno, BRIAN ROOD

Layers within layers are revealed as the massive global conspiracy that is Project: Nefarious continues to unfold. OPTIMUS PRIME wants answers, and he's prepared to go to any lengths to get them. But how far is too far? And by committing his forces to stopping SOUNDWAVE, is Prime just playing right into The Initiative's hands?

32 pages, USD$3.99.

See you in April guys!

Posted by Fanbot at 10:59 am, THURSDAY 21 January

Transformers: Bumblebee #1 review

2010-01-18T12:27:00.001+13:00

Woo! This is the last review of my December haul - yes, I know its January now. Below I present to you my review of Transformers: Bumblebee #1, but first, the cover (above). I've never been a fan of Guido's cartoony style and think it demeans his artistic prowess. But colorist extraordinaire Josh Burcham colors it up something awesome with very cool-looking old style filters that make it look like an old 80's comic. Hmm? Oh yes, the review:

SYNOPSIS: The election of Bumblebee as Autobot leader is full of cheer, but within a few days, Bumblebee wishes he could give up the title. Tensions are high as the Autobots either stay in hiding, or forge out on their own. Ratchet rebukes a disrespectful Wheeljack. Meanwhile, Skywarp kills some humans who don't give him information on something he's looking for. He then teleports away from Allodyne Systems. Back at Autobase, Wheeljack receives a transmission from Colonel Gordon Horiuchi. While Bumblebee is explaining to Omega Supreme that he must hide in a very uncomfortable cave, Wheeljack listens to the Colonel, who states that he is part of a small group of rebels within Skywatch who want to work with the Autobots to capture Decepticons. Wheeljack decides to make contact.
Bumblebee and Ratchet are furious when they find out, but agree to meet the Colonel anyway. Meanwhile, At a neutral location, Horiuchi meets with Bumblebee, explains the desire to work with the Autobots, and gives them a set of badges that will mask their signal from Skywatch's scanners. Bumblebee takes the badges back to base where they are soon installed on each Autobot.

Shortly, the Autobots capture six Decepticons, the latest being Frenzy, who's lost without Soundwave. The next on the list is Scavenger, but instead, Horiuchi wants them to capture Blurr, who had earlier left the team. Cliffjumper blusters out that the Colonel is crazy if he thinks they will capture one of their own. Horiuchi has his tech activate an immobilizer built into Cliffjumper's badge, locking him into vehicle mode. The Autobots are aghast, but Horiuchi merely explains it is until he calms down. The Autobots all realize that they are now pawns for Horiuchi, who will use them as he sees fit to capture friend and foe alike.

THE ART: Chee Yang Ong's artwork as met much criticism from the fandom. His art is basic, demonstrates only basic perspective skill, and his decidedly geewun designs are inconsistent with the ongoing. As I've said before, giving employees creative freedom is great, but this is too far. It angers regular fans, confuses new readers and messes up continuity like there's not tomorrow. The hands are drawn with the skill of an eight-year-old, and the poses look unrealistic. The artwork's only saving grace is colors from the skillful Moose Baumann. His expertly rendered, highly detailed colors enhance Chee's basic artwork and make the comic look very well done. The only complaint I have would be his coloring of Frenzy (pictured above) is a very dubious, dark blue that, along with the red blood on him, makes him look like his G1 counterpart. I have no problem with this (Frenzy is red in my book) but at first glance it looks like a canonical inconsistency which, again, is something IDW seems to be doing a lot these days. Overall the art is half-terrible, half-quite-cool. Go figure.

THE STORY: Zander Cannon certainly makes an impression, though not as much as main man Mike Costa did with the ongoing. The situation of humans pretending to work with the Autobots and then forcing them to work for them is nothing new, but it's just different enough that it becomes interesting. However, there is very little substance to the issue. The first ten pages are literally 100% exposition, recapping the events of ongoing #1-3. It's very word-heavy and frankly, very boring to read. Even when the new development of Colonel Horiuchi offering the Autobots come work for Skywatch, there's three pages of featureless, blah-blah-blah of what the Skywatch badges do and why Horiuchi wants to help the Autobots. Only when you get to the last three pages does anything remotely resembling exciting happen. The only good thing about Cannon's writing is that he slots in a few obscure characters like Cindersaur, Gutcruncher, Axer and Squawkbox. So, the result for thi disappointing issue are:

TRANSFORMERS: BUMBLEBEE #1
Story by ZANDER CANNON
Art by CHEE YANG ONG
Colors by MOOSE BAUMANN
Covers by Chee, GUIDO GUIDI

ART RATING: 7.5 out of 10

STORY RATING: 7 out of 10

OVERALL RATING: 7.5 out of 10

ERRORS: Silverstreak was listed as having left with Hot Rod in Ongoing # 2, but a very Bluestreak-looking Autobot is among those cheering for Bumblebee on the second page. Perhaps Silverstreak is a different character? Or maybe it's supposed to be Smokescreen? Oh, and the designs of the bots are inconsistent with the ones in the ongoing. That sucks.

VERDICT: a thoroughly DISAPPOINTING first issue that fails to impress on both literary and visual fronts. Not a good start guys. Moose Baumann is the only one who's done a decent job. Next time: Bumblebee does something! Will it be important? Probably not. Rated 7 out of 10.

Posted by Fanbot at 12:31 pm, MONDAY 18 January

Transformers: Bumblebee #2 preview

2010-01-16T09:59:00.003+13:00

The good folks at IDW have kindly provided me with this preview of Transformers: Bumblebee #2. I don't think anyone else has this yet so I guess that makes this article an exclusive! Awesome! But anyway, here's the pages:

TRANSFORMERS: BUMBLEBEE #2

Written by ZANDER CANNON
Art by CHEE YANG ONG
Colors by MOOSE BAUMANN
Covers by Chee, GUIDO GUIDI

“Things Fall Apart,” Part 2: BUMBLEBEE’s human-allied Skywatch team tracks down their latest target: the AUTOBOT BLURR. With this forced betrayal, the team’s morale takes a deep plunge until BUMBLEBEE and WHEELJACK devise a dangerous mission to free them all from the kill-switches that compel them to obey Col. Horiuchi’s commands.

32 pages, USD$3.99.

I must say that the sheer amount of freedom that IDW is giving the artist on Transformers is getting really confusing. Redesigns, yes. Don is doing an awesome job, but frankly almost every artist (and writer) is doing things their way 100% which makes for somewhat inconsistent personalities and plotlines. The body designs for the bots have no consistency which is very annoying. I understand that IDW's giving their employees freedom and I think it's a great idea! But this is too much of a good thing. It's kinda like free beer; great if you use it wisely, but very easy to overindulge and make a mess. But anyway, this is intriguing and I'm definitely getting the comic now. It's out on January 20.

Posted by Fanbot at 10:02 am, SATURDAY 16 January

IDW Transformers solicits for Jan 2010

2010-01-16T00:14:00.007+13:00

Sorry these are a bit late, but I reckoned that these might be wanted anyway. Enjoy.

THE TRANSFORMERS #3

Written by MIKE COSTA
Art by DON FIGUEROA
Colors by JAMES BROWN
Covers by Figueroa, ANDREW WILDMAN

HOT ROD’s desire to get off-planet leads to some desperate measures, OPTIMUS PRIME and Spike sit down for an unpleasant conversation, and a new arrival to the AUTOBOT camp comes at their most vulnerable time possible. Costa and Figueroa continue to make history, bringing the AUTOBOTS to their (almost) darkest hour.

32 pages, USD$3.99.

TRANSFORMERS: BUMBLEBEE #2

Written by ZANDER CANNON
Art by CHEE YANG ONG
Colors by MOOSE BAUMANN
Covers by Chee, GUIDO GUIDI

“Things Fall Apart,” Part 2: BUMBLEBEE’s human-allied Skywatch team tracks down their latest target: the AUTOBOT BLURR. With this forced betrayal, the team’s morale takes a deep plunge until BUMBLEBEE and WHEELJACK devise a dangerous mission to free them all from the kill-switches that compel them to obey Col. Horiuchi’s commands.

32 pages, USD$3.99.

TRANSFORMERS: LAST STAND OF THE WRECKERS #1

Written by NICK ROCHE
Art by NICK ROCHE
Colors by JOSH BURCHAM
Covers by Roche, TREVOR HUTCHISON

The AUTOBOT special ops crew, THE WRECKERS, are sent to investigate Garrus-9, a prison that fell to the DECEPTICONS three years ago with no communication in or out since. Who’s really behind the prison siege, and what dark secret awaits SPRINGER there? Writer/artist Nick Roche (Maximum Dinobots) does all the dirty work.

32 pages, USD$3.99.

TRANSFORMERS: TALES OF THE FALLEN: ARCEE

Written by CHRIS MOWRY
Art by ALEX MILNE
Colors by JOSH PEREZ
Covers by Milne

Setting out in search of OPTIMUS PRIME and the AUTOBOTS, ARCEE is captured by the vicious THUNDERCRACKER. And what better punishment for this AUTOBOT warrior than being the catalyst for a new squad of DECEPTICONS? ARCEE must learn that a good leader conquers all, especially in war.

32 pages, USD$3.99.

Posted by Fanbot at 12:15 am, SATURDAY 16 January

TRANSFORMERS #3 REVIEW

2010-01-15T23:36:00.001+13:00

OK. I'm sorry. I really haven't done enough on this blog. I promise I'll make an effort to do as as much as I can without inconveniencing certain people. But anyway. Here's my first attempt at an unbiased, general-comics-fan-approach review for IDW's Transformers #3...

SYNOPSIS: In an old army hangar, Jetfire whines about a headache. Hot Rod comes in and reveals he's changed his mind about getting off Earth ASAP, instead wanting to get all the Autobots in human custody out as well. He shows JF their new Decepticon comrades, saying there are no sides anymore. Meanwhile at Autobase, Ultra Magnus explains to the bots he's here to investigate what they've been up to. Bumblebee explains the situation, from which Magnus somehow discerns that Ironhide has died. The scene cuts to Skywatch HQ, where Spike tries to talk to Optimus. Spike wants to make things easier for him but Optimus just accepts his fate and broods. Spike's colleague asks why he's doing this and Spike says he's trying to have something to give his dad when he arrives. Back at Autobase, Magnus investigates the events on Earth as if it was a crime scene. He thinks that Bee might not be a capable leader, especially when more Autobots - Hoist, Tracks, Beachcomber and Blurr - leave. Magnus leaves to find Hot Rod. Back in Hot Rod's group, Jetfire says he can't build things, to which Roddy replies that he isn't building, just disassembling. Also, Red Alert and Mirage aren't too keen on their new Con comrades. At Skywatch, Spike has detected Blurr's group and sends guys to capture them. Blurr thinks his friends are slow when a Skywatch mine blows him up. Hoist, Beachcomber and Tracks are quickly subdued by Skywatch, but Blurr runs away, breaking the sound barrier. The others are brought back to Skywatch where Spike asks Prime again if he wants to talk.

THE ART: I have to say that I was dubious of Don's new art style at first. But he seems to have made it a bit better - the radiator grille teeth are gone, thank Primus. And the artwork is once again takin on the stunning, oh-my-god factor that he used to have. The bots are wonderfully drawn, and though the faces all look the same (which is very annoying since it can confuse less educated readers) the expressions are realistic and cool - Swindle's expression on page 15 is priceless! Don continues to give distinctive and cool redesigns to some obscure generic bots from the G1 cartoon - as well as giving Magnus a sweet-looking altmode reminiscient of his original car carrier mode - which further demonstrates his artistic cred. James Brown continues to deliver highly detailed, expertly rendered colors that complement Don's art very nicely.

THE STORY: Mike Costa does an overall great job on scripting for this series, putting our bots in different situations that make them react differently than we'd think - but at the same time acting relatively in keeping with their original 1984 cartoon personalities. He also gives some obscure characters that don't get a lot of pagetime some spotlight, Huffer (depresed little truck), Seaspray and Hoist among others. But unfortunately some holes show in his story. We're told why Magnus has come to Earth but the reasoning is dubious since he couldn't have known anything about the events previously and he hadn't done anything about the other Autobots' antics in Infiltration-Devastation. This is slightly confusing. Roddy, also, seems to be very aimless in his motivations. He is trying to get off Earth which is understandable but now has changed tack on a whim (Prowl would have loooved that) and wants to get the captured Autobots from Skywatch - which he wanted to in issue 1 and forgot about in issue 2. But overall the dialogue and action is well-paced (the little scene with Swindle trying to cuddle up to Mirage is funny. So, this issue's results are:

THE TRANSFORMERS #3 (iDW, 2010)

Written by MIKE COSTA

Aart by DON FIGUEROA

Colors by JAMES BROWN

Covers by Figueroa, ANDREW WILDMAN

ART RATING: 9 out of 10

STORY RATING: 8 out of 10

OVERALL RATING: 8.5 out of 10

VERDICT: An enjoyable though slightly boring issue where not much happens. Don's artwork continues to amaze and has regained it oh-my-god factor. Costa continues to cameo obscure characters which should keep the geewunners happy for a couple days at least. A well-executed issue overall.Next month: Thundercracker returns! Ooooooooh! Rated 8.5 out of 10.

Posted by Fanbot at 11:37 pm, FRIDAY 15 January

Extra TRANSFORMERS #3 page

2010-01-14T13:32:00.000+13:00

An extra page from Seibertron.com. Stupid UM, he assumes Prime's dead.

Posted by Fanbot at 1:34 pm, THURSDAY 14 January

TRANSFORMERS #3 PREVIEW

2010-01-13T16:11:00.000+13:00

Newsarama.com has updated the fandom with a five page preview of IDW's Transformers #3. Here it is:

THE TRANSFORMERS #3
Story by MIKE COSTA
Art by DON FIGUEROA
Colors by JAMES BROWN
Covers by Figueroa, ANDREW WILDMAN

HOT ROD’s desire to get off-planet leads to some desperate measures, OPTIMUS PRIME and Spike sit down for an unpleasant conversation, and a new arrival to the AUTOBOT camp comes at their most vulnerable time possible. Costa and Figueroa continue to make history, bringing the AUTOBOTS to their (almost) darkest hour.

32 pages, USD$3.99

Posted by Fanbot at 4:13 pm, WEDNESDAY 13 January

Bumblebee poster art

2010-01-13T09:28:00.000+13:00

A pic of Bumblebee I colored up in Photoshop. Go to my deviantart page (minimus-minor.deviantart.com) for more of my art. See you soon!

Posted by Fanbot at 9:27 am, WEDNESDAY 13 January

RFC #1 redo: A FANBOY'S REVENGE

2010-01-10T18:05:00.002+13:00

I've just finished my new RFC~ webcomic redo. I can't get it onto this blog but you can view it on my deviantart page here.

This isn't really how I feel about Shane, but it was very fun to do. Word on the grapevine is he's doing another Transformers book, and I'd bet my fanboy status that he's writing the Spotlight: Prowl coming out in April (and I'd also bet that Casey Coller's drawing it!). Anyway, enjoy ...

Posted by Fanbot at 6:05 pm, SUNDAY 10 January

Hellboy: Pancakes - Happy 2010!

2010-01-06T21:13:00.007+13:00

A little two-page story that demonstrates in essence the mix of comedy and paranormal horror that is Mike Mignola's Hellboy (he wrote and drew this). Enjoy, and happy 2010!

Posted by Fanbot at 10:24 pm, WEDNESDAY 6 January

Tales From Outer Suburbia book review

2010-01-05T22:01:00.119+13:00

Another book from Aussie surrealist goes under the knife. I received this one along with The Lost Thing for Christmas 2009. This one’s a real pick ‘n’ mix of stuff, so here it is … a synopsis isn’t really applicable. It’s a collection of short stories, so see below for the lowdown. And I think that you're all really going this one!

SYNOPSIS: Tales From Outer Suburbia features, among other short stories:

BROKEN TOYS – A Japanese man in an old diving suit shows up in suburbia and brings happiness to a grumpy old woman. Painted in flat, Japanese print-style that fits the story perfectly.
DISTANT RAIN – a magical explanation for where all your unwanted poetry goes. Again, the change in art style (a haphazard collage) is tailor-made to perfectly fit the story’s subject.
GRANDPA’S STORY – A story of how things were done back in the day – though not what you’d expect (Wild televisions for one thing). Drawn in loose, expressive pen illustrations.
STICK FIGURES – photorealistic artwork tells of upside-down sapling people in a hostile environment. Poignant and more than a little eerie.
ALERT BUT NOT ALARMED – innovative suburbians find better uses for thermonuclear missiles. Done in Tan’s usual style.
OUR EXPIDITION – two brothers discover the unnerving reason for maps stopping at a certain point. Loose, flowing pastel artwork adds to the surreal mood.

And several more I can’t fit in.

THE ART: Straying away from his usual surrealist/ steampunk painted artwork, this book is largely experimental; Tan plays around with different and varied media in each short story. It’s a very clever thing that he does; each story features different art styles that fit the story exquisitely. The wide range of media includes sgraffito, pastel, acrylic, oil, pencil and biro. The layout of the book is simple and elegant, in a mail package graphic style that goes well with the haphazard, compilation-style way the book is written and drawn. Tan blows newcomers away with his diverse range of art and deceivingly simple prose, while still adding in some references for regular fans – the textbook collage, hand-written layout for Make Your Own Pet (previously seen in The Lost Thing), the matter-of-fact, let-the-art-tell-the-story writing (Lost Thing again) and Arrival-esque art in Eric. All up this book is beautifully illustrated and stunningly packaged. An artistic masterpiece to be sure.

THE STORY: This short story menagerie is a clear demonstration of the different things Tan can do with words. The tales carry varying amounts of meaning; some are just fun and simple (The Water Buffalo, Make Your Own Pet, and Distant Rain) while others carry dense, deep symbolic meaning that really makes you think. There are themes of environmentalism and oppressive society (Night of the Turtle Rescue); cultural issues, societal hostility and racial differences (Stick Figures) and more. Tan is a sophisticated writer who delivers exquisite quality writing. Therefore, I say:

ART RATING: 9 out of 10

STORY RATING: 8.5 out of 10

OVERALL RATING: 9.5 out of 10

VERDICT: a meaningful and elegantly written book that shows the cred that Shaun Tan wields in the arts. Perhaps not as dystopian and postmodern as his other works (a la The Lost Thing and Red Tree) but still enjoyable. Rated 9.5 out of 10. Go to shauntan.net for info!

Posted by Fanbot at 9:34 pm, Wednesday 6 January

Tales of the Fallen: Arcee preview

2010-01-02T12:44:00.002+13:00

TRANSFORMERS: TALES OF THE FALLEN" ARCEE
Story by CHRIS MOWRY
Art by ALEX MILNE
Colors by JOSH PEREZ
Covers by Milne, CARLOS MAGNO

Setting out in search of OPTIMUS PRIME and the AUTOBOTS, ARCEE is captured by the vicious THUNDERCRACKER. And what better punishment for this AUTOBOT warrior than being the catalyst for a new squad of DECEPTICONS? ARCEE must learn that a good leader conquers all, especially in war. 2 regular covers will be shipped in a 1-to-1 ratio.

32 pages, $3.99.

Posted by Fanbot at 12:46 pm, SATURDAY 2 January

Final cover for Last Stand of the Wreckers #1

2010-01-02T12:18:00.000+13:00

It's finally here! The final, trouser-shatteringly awesome final for IDW's Transformers: Last Stand of the Wreckers #1. Here it is, in all its glory:

Posted by Fanbot at 12:21 pm, SATURDAY 2 January

The Lost Thing book review

2010-01-01T12:02:00.003+13:00

Hi everybody, I'm sorry I haven't done anything on BSC for ages 'n' ages - I was planning to do a Christmas post but I just had no time - so much stuff! Now that I've settled down a little (I'm currently in Nelson) I've finally been able to sit down and do some serious reviewing! This book is not really what I usually do here but since Shaun Tan is such a brilliant and awesome artist I just had to. Here's the low down:

THE LOST THING (LOTHIAN, 2009)

Story & art by SHAUN TAN

Reprinted FIFTEEN TIMES

SYNOPSIS: A young bottle-top collector stumbles upon a strange creature on the beach. It seems friendly enough but seems to have no real place -- it is just lost. He takes the lost thing home but realizes he can't keep it hidden forever. A shady organization offers to take it away but the boy eventually finds a place for the lost thing to live -- a utopia of other lost things. At the book's end, the boy reflects on how he doesn't see many lost things anymore; "Maybe there aren't many lost things around anymore. Or maybe I've just stopped noticing them. Too busy doing other things, I guess."

THE ART: Shaun Tan is a brilliant surrealist with a wacky fetish and a slight steampunk fixation. He is an expert painter, and this books demonstrates fully the masterful work he does. The exaggerated, surreal and yet quite mundane setting is expertly rendered and, despite the slight looseness of the painting, it looks amazingly realistic. The architecture and objects suggest a grubby, rubbish-infested, conformist, half-utopian half-dystopian society that has little time or place for anything out of the ordinary. The background on which the photo-like illustrations are placed is a collage of Shaun's father's old physics textbooks, which gives a scrapbook look that is simply beautiful. Though the characters are cartoony and surreal, they interact very well together. Shaun's plain weird design for the lost thing amazes me; a giant pebble-crab-cum-squid creature inside a large bright red pot-belly stove - that eats Christmas decorations? That's cool. Shaun obviously wanted to create something that would be completely out of place in this suburban town - it's umcomfortably large, organic, and has no apparent purpose - hence the little time others have for it. Truly, this sophisticated picture book is a work of pure art. A surrealist triumph.

THE STORY: With this book I was tempted to focus only on the art and not touch on the story, but it must be done. Though this book can be enjoyed by all ages, it works on multiple levels and has immensely deep meaning; the "retro-future" setting references to dystopian futures, the suburban setting showing the spread of humanity across everywhere - there are virtually no animals or plants left (only pets). The lost thing is the embodiment of anyone that has been excluded from life, anyone who never seems to fit in and is alienated by everyone. Shaun Tan has packed this book to bursting with symbolism, and if you know where to look you'll fins it in almost every panel. One of the recurring symbolistic devices is the squiggly arrow that the boy uses to locate the lost thing utopia appears on every page, usually juxtaposed by another, straight and ordinary, arrow that points the other way; signifiying the utopia goes against the norm, that no-one's interested in it. The boy's ending words (seen in the synopsis) clearly show that much-used - though not cliched - theme of kids losing their imagination and ability to notice magical/ weird creatures. The matter-of-fact prose gives nothing away of the nature of the creature or setting, instead the art combines beautifully with it to create a quirky and well-executed book. And the last images of the tram, zooming out into an eerie image of thousands of trams driving along. A conformist reference that intrigues and scares. So, the results overall:

ART RATING: 10 out of 10

STORY RATING: 9.5 out of 10
OVERALL RATING: 10 out of 10

FAVE QUOTE: Boy: I hid the thing in our back shed and gave it something to eat, once I found out what it liked. [The lost thing likes to eat Christmas decorations. Go figure.]

VERDICT: A beatiful book with stunning art that blows you away. Able to be enjoyed by all ages but with deeper meaning that suggests a darker side. Prose and art combine synbiotically to make a masterful sophisiticated picture book. This one will probably be at your local library, and check out Tan's website! Rated 10 out of 10.

Posted by Fanbot at 11:59 am, FRIDAY 1 January

IDW Transformers solicits for Mar. 2010

2009-12-22T15:40:00.012+13:00

Comics Continuum has been updated with IDW's solicits for March 2010. And it looks like next year is shaping up to be a great year for the Transformers! The appearance of the Stunticons, Bumblebee saving a girl and the fate of Fortress Maximus and Garrus-9! Here:

THE TRANSFORMERS #5

Story by MIKE COSTA
Art by DON FIGUEROA
Colors by JAMES BROWN
Covers by Figueroa, ANDREW WILDMAN

Optimus Prime and Spike Witwicky have a chat that could define the future of AUTOBOT and human relations! But lest you think it's all talky-talk, back at Rodimus' camp something big happens, something very big. A game-changing event in IDW's TRANSFORMERS, with a Don Figueroa double-page spread that has to be seen to be believed!

TRANSFORMERS: BUMBLEBEE #4

Story by ZANDER CANNON

Art by CHEE YANG ONG

Colors by MOOSE BAUMANN

Covers by Chee, GUIDO GUIDI

When Bumblebee has a change of heart and goes back to help a little girl whom he had used to discover her father's secrets, he finds himself pursued by the terrifying and unstoppable Skywarp! Bumblebee's big adventure as leader of the Autobots comes to an explosive and thrilling conclusion!

TRANSFORMERS: LAST STAND OF THE WRECKERS #3

Story by NICK ROCHE & JAMES ROBERTS
Art by NICK ROCHE
Colors by JOSH BURCHAM
Covers by Roche, TREVOR HUTCHISON

Trapped inside a maximum-security prison, surrounded by Decepticons, and outgunned at every turn, it's time for the newest Wreckers to earn their stripes. But as the horrors of Garrus-9 are laid bare and the fate of Fortress Maximus is revealed, Springer realizes his team has bitten off more than it can chew.

TRANSFORMERS: NEFARIOUS #1

Story by SIMON FURMAN
Art by CARLOS MAGNO
Colors by MOOSE BAUMANN
Covers by Magno, BRIAN ROOD

The sequel to Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen starts here! What is The Initiative? More to the point, why doesn't the all-seeing Soundwave know anything about it? How did they come to reanimate/control Ravage? Soundwave must find the answers, and he'll destroy anything in his path to get them!

Posted by Fanbot at 3:42 pm, TUESDAY 22 December

TRANSFORMERS #2 REVIEW

2009-12-20T21:50:00.006+13:00

Hi guys. I'm really really sorry about the delay on this review. My country got this one late and I've had Xmas commitments. But finally I can sit down and pick apart IDW's The Transformers2 (WARNING: spoilers!) ...

THE TRANSFORMERS #2 (IDW, 2009)

Story by MIKE COSTA

Art by DON FIGUEROA

Colors by JAMES BROWN

Covers by Figueroa, ANDREW WILDMAN

SYNOPSIS: Leaving a booty call in Albuquerque, Spike Witwicky receives the call from Skywatch personnel informing him of the attack on their holding facility; they request his attendance to deal with the surrender of Optimus Prime.
Back at their base, the Autobots discuss Prime's actions; Cliffjumper theorizes that it may be a test of some kind, although Hot Rod credits it to his inability to handle the situation. While the others call for a leadership vote, Hot Rod states his desire to leave the planet despite the protests of Brawn. The former asks if anyone else wants to join him in his desertion, and Jetfire, Red Alert, Prowl, Sandstorm, Silverstreak and Mirage do so to Bumblebee's obvious disappointment. Back at the Skywatch facility, Spike holds a conference call with his father regarding the status of Prime, and the commander nixes Optimus's transport to the command center. He implies disappointment with Spike's abandonment of his duties, and says that he'll be conferring with the other chiefs before making any plans.
The Autobots who remained at the base resume their plans for a leadership election, and when asked who he would nominate, Cliffjumper chooses himself.

In the desert, Hot Rod, Mirage, Red Alert and Prowl discuss plans to find another world with Omega Supreme. Although alone he lacks the energon to reach orbit, they figure they can escape Earth by pooling their resources. However, on hearing of Prime's surrender, Omega Supreme refuses to leave.
The group are being monitored by some of the Decepticons abandoned on Earth, including Swindle, Scrapper, Thundercracker and Tankor; they had been planning a revenge attack on Omega Supreme but now see a better alternative. After a brief skirmish, Swindle calls for a ceasefire.
At Skywatch, Spike orders the transformation suppressor removed from Prime; as the latter resumes robot form, Spike offers to talk.

Swindle appeals to both the Autobots and Decepticons, reminding them that there is no longer a need to fight since the war is over; he suggests they work together in order to go home. Prowl is suspicious, but Hot Rod decides to put it to a vote.
At the Autobot base, Wheeljack brings in the results of the leadership election; much to Bumblebee's surprise, he has won. Cliffjumper laments that it was just a 'popularity contest', but Ratchet assures Bumblebee that the rest of the Autobots consider him trustworthy and dependable. They are interrupted by the arrival of a Cybertronian ship and go out to meet it as it lands. Ultra Magnus emerges and demands to know who is in charge. With the others looking at him, Bumblebee confirms that he is...

THE ART: Figueroa continues to demonstrate his artistic expertise, every page stunningly rendered in exquisite detail. There are cool, subtle differences in style for different objects; the smooth, simple form of the humans, which is a tad too simplistic. Don obviously needs to work on his people drawing skills as his faces are all very similar and show little expression. The TFs, on the other hand, are drawn almost flawlessly and look beautiful on the page. The issue's highlight had to be Don's awesome new body design for Brawn. When I watched Brawn in the G1 cartoon I hated him. His design lacked flair and individuality. But Don changes this and dips him in awesome sauce. Yay! As for the rest, Don renders the bots well and gives sleek new designs to Jetfire, Cliffjumper, Swindle, Octane (and more) that look awesome. But I don't like the sleek, sharp way he's drwn Ultra Magnus' ship as it clashed with the complex, angular and sharp look of the rest of the TF architecture. And I'm disappointed at the drop in standard of Don's beautiful, elegant backgrounds (seen in Stormbringer). They've lost their visual oomph and look very mediocre. Sad, very sad. Lastly, James Brown colored the issue up well. My only complaint is that his backgrounds look very fake and computer-generated.

THE STORY: Mike Costa has shown us that he isn't afraid to do things differently. The fact that Bumblebee is elected leader of the Autobots turns everything we've seen before inside out and on its head. This is something I never anticipated in a million stellar cycles. If this doesn't make you sit up and pay attention to the ongoing, then what does? And Swindle of all bots suggesting they join forces with the Autobots is strange also. For those of you new to this franchise, his name says it all. But ... although Costa puts our bots into unique situations, they act and react in them in keeping with the personalities of their G1 cartoon counterparts. This is a very crafty and clever thing Costa has done and it will please fans on both sides of the spectrum; the story is new and different while still harking back to the G1 cartoon days. I really like how Costa is referencing previous canon while keeping things new and taking risks. Hot Rod continues his "Rodimus" style badaft, no-nonsense attitude; Brawn is grumpy and aggressive; Omega Supreme states the obvious and is stubbornly loyal to Optimus Prime. So, the results all up:

ART RATING: 9 out of 10

STORY RATING: 9 out of 10

OVERALL RATING: 9.5 out of 10

ERRORS: Jetfire, Red Alert, Brawn, Silverstreak, Sandstorm, Swindle and Dead End all make unexplained appearances. Costa makes no attempt to justify their being on Earth. My view? I think that maybe they came to Earth in search of their respective leaders, only to be trapped there and forced into hiding. Oh, and Hot Rod is identified as "Rodimus" on the Con scanners. Bit early there guys!

FAVE QUOTE: Omega Supreme: I must warn you that there is a phalanx of Decepticons cresting the ridge.
Hot Rod: What?
Omega Supreme: I suggest you take evasive action. [Omega states the impending attack with a calm only he can muster.]

VERDICT: a thouroughly written and beautifully drawn issue that excels in all areas. I absolutely love it! Great to see Costa is expanding the cast more. Can't wait for issue 3. Rated 9.5 out of 10. And a huge thank you to IDW's editor in chief Chris Ryall for providing a digital copy of this comic for the review.

Posted by Fanbot at 9:52 pm, SUNDAY 20 December

Going Backwards - Spotlight: Cliffjumper review

2009-12-19T21:52:00.001+13:00

Hi guys, I'm really sorry about the delay on posting but it's nearing Christmas and I'm flat out making presents for the family. But here you go; a more in-depth review of Transformers Spotlight: Cliffjumper than the last one I did.

TRANSFORMERS: SPOTLIGHT: CLIFFJUMPER

Written by SHANE MCCARTHY

Art by ROBBY MUSSO

Colors by JOANA LAFUENTE

Covers by Musso, DON FIGUEROA, CASEY COLLER

SYNOPSIS: In the darkness, Cliffjumper speaks to an unknown being. Some time earlier, he crash landed on a planet and was attempting to make a transmitter to contact the Autobots when he was greeted by two natives. Kita and her younger brother Coll were orphaned when their parents died and struggle to maintain their family's farm. Others of their kind help out from a nearby settlement. After some introductions, Kita doesn't believe that Cliffjumper would hurt a fly, as hurting others is a great evil in her peoples' eyes. He hurriedly changes the subject and they later head to the farmhouse where Cliffjumper refuels on synthetic energon. He believes he will be there for awhile and suggests he help with Kita's farm. Time passes and the farm is now thriving. While Cliffjumper and Kita discuss flowers, a Decepticon ship flies overhead and lands near the farm where Coll is playing. They rush back to the farm, where the Decepticons are threatening Coll (who mistakes them for "Autosmots"). As they try to pry info out of Kita, Cliffjumper kills three of the landing party. They finally use her as bait to lure out Cliffjumper, and are surprised to learn he is but one Autobot. To humiliate him, they tell Kita that Cliffjumper is a killer who sabotaged a Decepticon ship. She is saddened and wishes to leave.

They let her go but only to shoot her in the back and then toss a bomb toward her and her brother. Cliffjumper uses his body to protect his friends and then rushes them to the barn. In the present, Cliffjumper consoles the dying Kita and tells Coll to stay with the body while he tends to his enemies. The Decepticons had called for backup, who chastises them when he finds out it was but one Autobot. However, when he figures out it is Cliffjumper, he quickly tells the team to arm themselves, but it is too late, as the furious Autobot unleashes on the 'Cons and destroys them all. Cliffjumper later plants a memorial for Kita, banging it down with the head of the 'Con who threatened Kita. He places her favorite flowers on the gravestone and sees to it that Coll is raised by a new family. He then takes off in the Decepticons' ship to rejoin his own family, the Autobots.

THE ART: I'm fairly new to the Transfandom and so have never seen Musso's other work (on Spotlight: Ultra Magnus), but from this issue I can see he is a very talented artist. The art is breathtaking and smooth, with every line looking like he spent an hour on it. The robots' facial expressions are very realistically done, which is something rarely seen in today's Transformers comics. I wasn't so sure about the anime facial styling on the flashlings, but. Joana Lafuente returns to her shiny, soft-light coloring style seen in Spotlight: Blurr and Maximum Dinobots3-5, and she does an excellent job at conveying the serene, anime-style environment of Kita and Coll's planet. I absolutely love the artwork and think the anime flair makes it interesting and different. An instant classic.

THE STORY: Shane McCarthy again. Hmm. I'm a bit at odd for what to write for this one; sitting at my computer, the little blinking cursor mocks me; "What you gonna put? Huh? Huh? Huh?" Shut up, little cursor. Shane McCarthy has done a reasonable, though in no way perfect, story for us today. The plot is pretty standard -- a lone warrior (who turns out to be not all he seems) comes to a peaceful land to escape his enemies, and in doing so brings his war to the land. Nothing we haven't seen before, but McCarthy has made is unique enough to make the story enjoyable. I am still really annoyed that the awesomely cool internal monologues characteristic of Spotlights have disappeared. CJ only does this on the last page -- literally. The only place you find the int/monos is in Tales of the Fallen, and I don't even read that! The killing off of Kita borders on sentimentalism, and I think McCarthy shouldn't do this again. But I like it, kind of. The story flows well, and I like the idea that CJ is so feared by the Cons that a warlord and his unit are scared of him -- not to mention him slagging them all single-handed! The dialogue isn't very natural or smooth and seems very plot-driven. But I think Coll's rendition of "Autobots" is so cute! ("Autosmot." "Uh, don't touch that.")So, Spotlight: Cliffjumper's results overall:

ART RATING: 9 out of 10

STORY RATING: 7.5 out of 10

OVERALL RATING: 8 out of 10

FAVE QUOTE: Decepticon 1: Did you say "little red runt"?
Decepticon 2: Yeah, little red-
Decepticon 1: Small?
Decepticon 2: Yeah.
Decepticon 1: About so high?
Decepticon 2: Yeah.
Decepticon 1: Horns?
Decepticon 2: Yeah, but-
Decepticon 1: Arm yourselves! [The Cons slowly realize they are so dead.]

VERDICT: A reasonably-plotted story with purely breathtaking art that blew me away. Robby Musso and Joana Lafuente have really outdone themselves this time. An instant classic worth every cent. It's out in the All Hail Megatron Vol.3 TPB now. Next month: who knows? Stay tuned! Rated 8 out of 10.

Posted 9:53 pm, SATURDAY 19 December

Tales of the Fallen: Ravage preview

2009-12-19T21:24:00.000+13:00

The informative fansite TF Archive has been updated with a four page preview of the Transformers: Nefarious tie-in, Transformers: Tales of the Fallen: Ravage. Finally, the return of Alex Milne! he is so much better than Carlos Magno in every respect. And I love Ravage! Here's the preview:

TRANSFORMERS: TALES OF THE FALLEN: RAVAGE
Written by SIMON FURMAN
Art by ALEX MILNE
Colors by JOSH PEREZ
Covers by Milne

The momentous event that is Transformers: Nefarious kicks off with the sudden, shocking -- and silent -- reappearance of stealth agent Ravage. Thought destroyed in Revenge of the Fallen, Ravage is back. But who is pulling his strings, and what is his mysterious but crucial mission?

There you go. I probably will get this one, but Christmas has stretched my wallet thin so it ain't a certainty. If I do you'll get the review as soon as possible. See you then!

Posted by Fanbot at 9:24 pm, SATURDAY 19 December

Going Backwards - Spotlight: Blurr review

2009-12-14T12:10:00.006+13:00

This Spotlight is a tad old and out of order for my Going Backwards reviews, but I still love it. Casey Coller rocks! And I think he's doing the upcoming Spotlight: Prowl in April. But anyway, onto the review of Transformers Spotlight: Blurr...

TRANSFORMERS SPOTLIGHT: BLURR

Written by SHANE MCCARTHY
Art by CASEY COLLER
Colors by JOANA LAFUENTE
Covers by Coller, TREV HUTCHISON, GUIDO GUIDI

SYNOPSIS: Blurr, the best sportsbot on Cybertron, wins his latest race and sets a new track record. Though he’s barely aware of his assistants like Piston he and competitor Fasttrack are friendly enough to follow up the race by going to the Circle, the most exclusive club on Cybertron.

Outside a reporter asks him about the current political unrest but Blurr couldn’t care less. That is until a Decepticon terrorist attack destroys the main racing arena, resulting in Zeta Prime shutting down the races for good. An annoyed Blurr finds Piston (one of his race helpers) cleaning out his stuff, the worker having decided to join the Autobots. His efforts to persuade Blurr to join as well fall on deaf ears, as even without the races Blurr still has no shortage of parties to go to.
But the Circle is now deserted, with everyone either hiding or fighting. Without even his adoring crowds anymore Blurr seriously considers plugging into a addictive virtual reality device but is interrupted by the arrival of Starscream, who tries to persuade him to join the Decepticons.
Travelling home with much on his mind Blurr wanders into a firefight, where he finds Piston and Fasttrack -- now on different sides -- have killed one another. A young Autobot commander called Optimus approaches him and explains the group they were fighting were a Decepticon assassination squad out to kill Zeta Prime. Communications are being blocked and no one on Optimus’ team is fast enough to get to Zeta in time to warn him. After an impassioned speech about Blurr’s true nature the speedster decides to help, and races off to beat the Decepticons…

THE ART: Ah, Casey Coller. He was a complete newcomer to many TF fans who didn't read Mosaics. But his clean, simple style makes me feel tingly inside. The panels convey action well and you really get a feel of the moods in the story; the loud, strobe-lit bar looks alive and bustling, but when Blurr comes in during the fighting it feels really, really empty. It sent a little tingle up my spine when I read it. And although the inconsistencies of Cybertronian mode with Screamer and Warp annoy slightly (this issue takes place just after Megatron Origin), the designs for the characters look very cool and have obviously been well planned. Blurr's design in particular is very well done; his sleek body and Hermes-style helmet wings (or is this a pop culture reference to the Flash?) fit his racer personality perfectly. Damn you Figueroa, for making Blurr look like his Animated counterpart. And I love how she put lots of tiny cameos into the race scene; seen in the stands are (very hard to see); Blaster, Optimus, Jazz, Sunstreaker, Sideswipe, and Starscream. Joana Lafuente does a beautiful job on coloring this baby up; her use of soft light and muted tones makes for excellent viewing. I almost hate her for changing her style to a more painted one, but it still retains her soft light look. Great job guys, I love it.

THE STORY: Shane McCarthy. Those two words can turn a room into a riot. His highly controversial and -- frankly -- very clunky writing makes for bad reading. But in this case the story is simple and good quality with interesting plot and great characterisation. I like McCarthy's portrayal of Blurr as an egotistical prick turned cheery good guy, and Ops' natural ability to inspire bots. The way Blurr talks to others and interacts with them makes it very clear what he thinks of them. Very cool. I like this one. So, Spotlight: Blurr's results overall:

ART RATING: 9 out of 10

STORY RATING: 7.5 out of 10

OVERALL RATING: 8 out of 10

VERDICT: A stunningly done issue that shows the beauty that Casey and Joana bring to the Transformes franchise. A true goldmine of wonderful art. Next review: who knows? Rated 8 out of 10.

Posted by Fanbot at 12:09 pm, MONDAY 14 December

Transformers: Bumblebee #1 preview

2009-12-14T08:34:00.013+13:00

TF Archive has updated us with a cool six page preview of the maxi-spotlight miniseries Bumblebee, by Zander Cannon with art by Chee. This mini spins out of the events in the Transformers #2. I really like Chee's artwork after this cos' he conveys the story very well. Kudos to Zander for including Omega. It's out December 16. Here's the pages:

TRANSFORMERS: BUMBLEBEE #1
Written by ZANDER CANNON
Art by CHEE YANG ONG
Colors by MOOSE BAUMANN
Covers by Chee, GUIDO GUIDI

In this first-ever Bumblebee miniseries written by Zander Cannon (Top Ten), it's a shakeup in Autobot leadership! Bumblebee finds himself leading a group that believes him to be unprepared for the job. An opportunity to radically improve the Autobots reputation arises. Bumblebee accepts the challenge despite his reservations, and embarks on a clandestine mission for the human military to find and disable all remaining rogue robots.

Posted by Fanbot at 8:38 am, MONDAY 14 December

Umbrella Academy: Dallas #1 review

2009-12-13T13:23:00.034+13:00

Hi everybody! I'm taking a break from Transformers for a while since where I come from the second issue of the ongoing doesn't come out until 16 December! So as an interim measure, I'm reviewing the awesome superhero series from Dark Horse, The Umbrella Academy. I know you're gonna like this one...

THE UMBRELLA ACADEMY: DALLAS #1

Written by GERARD WAY

Art by GABRIEL BA

Colors by DAVE STEWART

Covers by JIM LEE

SYNOPSIS: the issue opens with a flashback. The Monocle (founder of the Umbrella Academy) and US President Kennedydiscuss a problem only the Academy can solve. Meanwhile, the Lincoln Memorial attacks The Umbrella Academy but is stopped when the rumor says she heard Lincoln was assassinated, thereby manifesting a statue of John Wilkes Booth. The statue then kills Lincoln with a Derringer. The Monocle applauds their efforts. Number 6 (The Horror, now deceased) complains that they don't get ice cream any more. Rumor tells him to grow up. We then jump forward to present day. Vanya has no memory of her involvement in Ocrchestra Verdammten, Seance has become famous, Luther watches TV and eats cookies, Allison has lost her voice and hates Vanya, and Kraken investigates. Number 5 goes to the dog races and loses. On the way out he is attacked by a large number of dudeds called the Temps Aeternalis. He quickly and bloodily kills them. One of the Temps calls for someone called Hazel and Cha-Cha to come. Number 5 is horrified at this, saying, "We're already dead."

THE ART: I really like Gabriel Ba. His stylized artwork really fits the story. His expert use of line and shadow convey the story perfectly. Though his panel shots and layout are nothing out of the ordinary, he seems to have a great idea fof slowly paying off the action. There's always a character just out of view that we can't quite see until the last minute, which is great for this plot. We don't know what happened to the characters since Apocalyse Suite, so he does a great job of making it interesting. Dark Horse's colorist extraordianaire Dave Stewart does a stunning job on coloring this baby up, bringing out the best in Gabriel's lines. Somewhat disturbing is his uncanny knack for coloring the bloody conflict of Number 5 against the Temps Aeternalis. He makes the copious amounts of blood stand out like a chocolate bar in a swimming pol, which is awesome and disgusting at the same time. But then again, Stewart is the colorist for Hellboy, Witchfinder, and BPRD, so I guess I shouldn't really be surprised. Great job overall, I have no complaints whatsoever. I love this.

THE STORY: Gerard Way has done a superb job writing this issue. I read the Apocalyse Suite TPB (last Umbrella series) a couple months ago and loved it instantly. And it's the same here. He has come up with some of the most crazy and yet very realistic events that advance the story while asking questions and intriguing the reader. The Lincoln Memorial Statue coming to life and being defeated by a similar statue of John Wilkes Booth ("Sic semper tyrannis!") is awesomely nutty, while the reappearance of the Temps Aeternalis is interesting; Number 5 got attacked by them in the last arc and they obviously have had dealings of some sort in the past. Exactly what did Number 5 do in the sixty five years or so he was trapped in the future? And I just love Spaceboy sitting at home getting fat. He was the best in the team, because he was the front line of protection against Earth attack. Now that the danger is over he has nothing to do in life and so watches TV while eating cookies. Sad, though. Is this what the great Spaceboy does with his life now? Not exactly the reaction I thought he'd take, but a good one nonetheless.So Gerard writes extremely well and is the king of a slow pay-off. The overall results are:

ART RATING: 8.5 out of 10

STORY RATING: 9 out of 10

OVERALL RATING: 9.5 out of 10

FAVE QUOTE: Monocle: --Your lie manifesting into an equally graven image of John Wilkes Booth, armed with a Derringer, no less [...] How were you certain that was going to work[...]?
Rumor (No.3): I wasn't. [Oh snap!]

VERDICT: A well-scripted and innovatively executed issue. Gabriel and Dave were by far the best guys in the creative team for this one. But great work all round, and stunning inside flap synopsis. Next month: the arrival of Hazel and Cha-Cha! But who are Hazel and Cha-Cha? Rated 9.5 out of 10.

Posted by Fanbot at 1:47 pm, SUNDAY 13 December

TRANSFORMERS #2 REVIEW DELAY

2009-12-11T22:38:00.003+13:00

I know that the Transformers #2 is already out and that I haven't reviewed it yet. The review will be up in a couple of days. Until then, stay cool! And someone find operate432 and tell him my reviews are up. Goodbye.

Posted by Fanbot at 10:39 pm, FRIDAY 11 December

Andy Schmidt Q & A at TFW 2005!

2009-12-11T21:19:00.006+13:00

I have absolutely no idea when this thing went up but it is very informative to what the hell. TFW2005 had an interview with IDW editor and writer of Continuum Andy Schmidt. There's a lot of waffle contained in this Q & A but the most important thing that Schmidt mentions is ... wait for it ... is ...

THERE'S A SPOTLIGHT PROWL COMING OUT IN APRIL!!

So there you have it. Check out that article (click here) NOW! Go! Go!

Posted by Fanbot at 9:21 pm, FRIDAY 11 December

Going Backwards - Stormbringer #4

2009-12-11T21:11:00.000+13:00

And once again Fanbot comes to the end of another great miniseries. The last issue of Transformers: Stormbringer is about to be dissected. Here we go.

TRANSFORMERS: STORMBRINGER #4
Written by SIMON FURMAN
Art by DON FIGUEROA
Colors by JOSH BURCHAM
Covers by Figueroa

SYNOPSIS: As Thunderwing speeds through hyperspace toward Cybertron, Optimus Prime and the Wreckers frantically prepare for his arrival. They're not the only ones; under Megatron's orders, the Predacons aboard the Decepticon warship Thanatos prepare to bombard Cybertron from orbit in order to destroy Thunderwing once and for all, though Razorclaw harbors reservations. As the Autobots engage Thunderwing, Razorclaw orders Divebomb to take a group of Decepticons and fight alongside the Wreckers.
Jetfire finally uncovers an item in Bludgeon's files; if Thunderwing is subjected to a massive assault, he will drain his supply of Ultra-Energon ever faster. Dogfight reprograms Bludgeon's remaining Centurion drones (of which there are many), adding to the combined Transformers' firepower. As the drones are destroyed, Razorclaw orders his Decepticons back as the firing threshold draws near. Optimus moves in, blasting Thunderwing until he runs out of energon and becomes still. Razorclaw cancels his warship's bombing run literally at the last second.
Returning to the Autobot command hub aboard Ark-27, Optimus receives a communique from Jetfire, who has uncovered further information in Bludgeon's files—a Decepticon plan involving a planet called Earth. Linking this info with the update he received from Prowl's unit, Prime orders a change of course.

THE ART: I shouldn't really have to say anything about this by now. Don continues his expert rendering of the Transformers, conveying action in perfect detail with interesting and slightly abstract panel layouts that are a delight. Kudos to him , with some honorable mentions going to the panel with Thunderwing transforming into his "ultra"mode and the sequence where Ops blasts the crap out of him - I really like this cos' Don uses blocks of black instead of lines to convey the stark explosion light glancing off Ops' body. Every detail of the Cybertronian landscape is expertly drawn, along with the billowing clouds of smoke and Thunderwing's ionising black lightning stuff. Once again the prolific Josh Burcham colors the issue up something awesome. His soft light in the flashback scenes is awesome to behold and everything looks beautiful. I cannot think of a better colorist in the whole of comics - including anything put out by the Big Two. Why can't IDW get him to color the ongoing? Maybe I should be thankful. After all, he's doind Last Stand of the Wreckers, so that's a bonus. And lastly, the sound effects done by Sulaco Studios are awesome! They convey the onomatopoeia perfectly, and the emphasised dialogue that spills out of the speech bubbles is cool. Pity that their tail skills need a lot of work. Those things are ugly.

THE STORY: Very good, Mr. Furman, very good indeed. I continue to be impressed with his writing cred. The action is fast-paced and well panned out, and he ties everything up very nicely while raisng a whole lot more questions (as Ops said in the G1 cartoon: "every answer led to a bigger question.") that intrigue the reader. They'll be investigated further in Escalation. Which I don't have. Dammit! But anyways, Furman has done a great job on this series and is truly an Eisner-worthy man. My only complaint, if I had to make one (this is both a good and bad thing), is that the Cons' nuclear firing threshold is aborted one nano-klik before detonation. Talk about drawing the suspense out! But funny nonetheless. So, issue #4's overall results:

ART RATING: 8.5 out of 10
STORY RATING: 8.5 out of 10
OVERALL RATING: 8.5 out of 10

FAVE QUOTE: Jetfire: "This so-called Ultra-Energon contains radically unstable elemental matter. The more Thunderwing draws upon its fissionable core, the greater the obverse catalytic reaction."
Optimus: "In plain language, please."
Jefire: "Right. Of course." [You and me both, Prime.]

VERDICT: Another great issue and an expertly done end to what I think has been a tremendous series. Bring on Last Stand of the Wreckers! Next month: the Spotlights! Rated 8.5 out of 10. Woohoo!!

Posted by Fanbot at 9:13 pm, FRIDAY 11 December

Going Backwards - Stormbringer #3

2009-12-11T12:16:00.088+13:00

Welcome back. Let's cut the slag and get straight into the revew, shall we? Here's Fanbot's scoop on Transformers: Stormbringer #3 ...

TRANSFORMERS: STORMBRINGER #3

Written by SIMON FURMAN

Art by DON FIGUEROA

Colors by JOSH BURCHAM

Color assist by GRUNGEWORX

Covers by Figueroa

SYNOPSIS: Thunderwing continues to devastate the surface of Nebulos, while on Cybertron, Bludgeon prepares to submit himself to thepolydermal grafting process. On the dead planet's surface, Nosecone and Afterburner are attacked by Centurion drones, but are rescued by the Wreckers, who have arrived with Optimus Prime. The Autobots breach Bludgeon's bunker and rapidly overcome his team-mates. Iguanus flees to the pressure vat chamber, seeking Bludgeon, only to discover a massive figure wielding a glowing sword.
Darkwing orders the Decepticon infiltration unit on Nebulos to attack Thunderwing, but the monstrous being eliminates over half the attacking Decepticons within seconds. After their own attacks prove ineffective, Darkwing and Dreadwind abandon Nebulos. They send a message to Razorclaw, who in turn contacts the High Command. After being briefed, Megatron authorizes Razorclaw to do what ever is necessary to stop Thunderwing, even if it means destroying Cybertron in the process.
The Wreckers breach the pressure vat chamber and discover a catatonic Bludgeon within his shell. Iguanus, dying from being cleft in two by Bludgeon's sword and Jetfire, who tells Prime to shut Bludgeon's control throne down. Jetfire gets to work on the data in Bludgeon's computers, but an orbital warning sounds—with Bludgeon's control system destroyed, Thunderwing is returning home...

THE ART: Heaven. It is terribly, awesomely, trouser-shatteringly beautiful. Don could not have done a more expert job with his lineart. I find myself completely blown away by the sheer ease with which Don seems to convey the story. He makes full use of some effective (albeit a bit different) panel angles as well as some carefully executed point-of-view shots. The action sequences on Nebulos where the resident 'Con infiltration team get themselves completely mashed by Thunderwing are beautiful to behold, and the sheer, blatant apocalyptical destruction on the first three pages is just plain fraggin' magnificent. Absolutely nothing wrong with this issue and if there's anyone who disagrees then comment and tell me why the hell you think that. And who could forget Josh Burcham. His always awesome colors completely beautify this issue, expertly rendering everything on the pages, from Bludgeon's growing shell to the fiery explosions from Thunderwing. Great job.

THE STORY: Simon Furman continues to impress with his expert writing skills, the action well-paced and beautifully written. Bludgeon's dialogue at the start is awesome and I like Furman's new portrayal of him as one of those misguided zealots who ultimately has his homeworld's interests (if not perhaps its best) at the heart of his reign of chaos. Furman also continues his barrage of obscure characters, with Crankcase, Roadgrabber, Ruckus, Darkwing, Dreadwind and Thrust being added to the mix. Oh, and Predacon Razorclaw! So all in all Simon continues to do a great job on this awesome limited series. And so here's the overall results for this issue:

ART RATING: 9.5 out of 10

STORY RATING: 8.5 out of 10

OVERALL RATING: 9.5 out of 10

ERRORS: Iguanus has a different design for his face during his "death" scene.

FAVE QUOTE: Springer: Suppose there's no point in asking you to stay up here, out of the firing line."

Optimus Prime: "No." [Optimus doesn't do the whole "leader-behind-the-scenes" thing.]

VERDICT: Another greatly done issue from an expert creative team. The boys have once again proved that perfection can be achieved and surpassed. I love you Don, your drawings are so cool! Rated 9.5 out of 10. Next month: Thunderwing comes home, and the Predacons move in. But what for?

Posted by Fanbot at 1:06 pm, FRIDAY 11 December

Going Backwards - Stormbringer #2

2009-12-10T21:17:00.027+13:00

Hello again readers! Ive had some barriers on my internet access so there might be a slight drop in the frequency of posts. However, I will try to give you as much reading material as possible. Here's the full, in-depth review for Transformers: Stormbringer #2...

TRANSFORMERS: STORMBRINGER #2

Written by SIMON FURMAN

Art by DON FIGUEROA

Colors by JOSH BURCHAM

Covers by Figueroa

SYNOPSIS: On Cybertron, Bludgeon proceeds with his plan to remotely nudge Thunderwing's reanimated corpse into attacking and devastating other worlds. Why? Because he feels his fellow Transformers have used and abandoned theirs. Three of the Technobots and Jetfire have been captured and are being lasered apart for components and materials, with the disappearance of their science vessel just now being noticed by Autobot command. Optimus Prime recalls the Wreckers, a specialist strike force, and plans to meet them at Cybertron to investigate the possible reappearance of Thunderwing. He's tormented by the memory of previous events. Elsewhere, the remaining two Technobots survived the destruction of their shuttle but are caught in a weakened state by Centurion drones. On Nebulos, the resident Decepticon infiltration unit witnesses the arrival of Thunderwing!

THE ART: Once again, Don Figueroa shows us just how good he is. His finely executed lines perfectly convey the action and adapt to the mood; from the spiky, organic landscapes of Nebulos to the clean, sterile halls of Autobot Orbital Command, all are beautifully rendered in every detail. Don truly is the master. His Kirby-esque clouds and smoke and awesomely spiky energy is just plain, purely awesome. Now I know why Don has been hailed as the only choice for an ongoing series. And once again Josh Burcham perfectly renders and enhances Don's already top notch artwork. Is is possible that Don and Josh have upped their game since last issue? Impossible, you would say. But Burcham really completes this issue. His colors can make even the most simplistic artwork look like something made a god. And what I still can't believe is that Don did two wraparound covers for this issue! The man is a legend! I could not be more happy with this issue. Exquisite in every detail.

THE STORY: Simon Furman continues to impress us with his quality writing skills. The Marvel-esque dialogue is smooth and realistic, conveying Jetfire's deep broody thoughts. A tad predictable for my taste but still very well done. A cool use of repetition at the start and end (Optimus' reflection on the first coming of Thunderwing). And not stopping at the Technobots, Furman continues to bring us cool, more obscure characters to fill out the cast. The Wreckers, Iguanus, Skullgrin, Finback, Bomb-Burst, Thrust and many more make it nice too read about some bots other than the Sunbow cast. And Dogfight (pictured left)! Awesome little cameo! And more onto the subject, the action is very well-paced and reads like a well-edited movie. Some nice little flashbacks provide further insight into Cybertron's history and the events that made it a barren husk. So while not as mind-bogglingly exquisite as the last issue, Furman continues to impress. So, the result:

ART RATING: 9 out of 10

STORY RATING: 8.5 out of 10

OVERALL RATING: 9 out of 10

ERRORS: The inside cover of issue #2, solicited for August 2006, shows the publish date of the issue as June 2006, one month before the last issue.

VERDICT: a highly satisfying issue that shows the great job Simon and Don always do. Nots as purely awesome as the last issue but awesome still. So a nice 9 out of 10. Next month: Optimus gets involved! And Thunderwing lays waste to Nebulos. Who will stop him?

Posted by Fanbot at 9:31 pm, THURSDAY 10 December

Going Backwards - Stormbringer #1

2009-12-09T22:16:00.009+13:00

TRANSFORMERS: STORMBRINGER #1
Written by SIMON FURMAN
Art by DON FIGUEROA
Colors by JOSH BURCHAM
Covers by Figueroa

OK, my fellow Transfans! Welcome back to another one of the Fanbot's Going Backwards reviews, where we take a look back at some of the best Transformers comics from IDW. This week my offering is a review of Transformers: Stormbringer #1. Let's dive straight in and see "what lies beneath" (Dreamwave comic joke. Whether or not you get it may define your Transfandom):

SYNOPSIS: In flashback, a dark figure stands amidst roiling flames, as someone (later revealed as Optimus Prime) narrates. Shirting to the present, Jetfire and the Technobots are in orbit around Cybertron, where we learn that the planet has been uninhabitable and off-limits for around seven hundred stellar cycles. Discovering an Energon trace, they break protocol, activate shields and head down to check it out. Prime's flashback continues to describe Autobots and Decepticons united against the menace, interrupted by a priority signal from Prowl's detachment of Autobots on Earth. On Cybertron, Jetfire recounts the warnings by Thunderwing (a Decepticon scientist) that the planet was dying due to the stresses placed on it by the Transformers' civil war. Then the landing party is attacked by a group of Decepticons whilst the other two Technobots back on the shuttle are taken out by further attackers. They regain consciousness to the sight of Thunderwing's as-yet-unmoving body and the chanting group who are trying to resurrect him...

THE ART: Obviously Don Figueroa drew this before taking on his highly controversial movie-eqsue art style. And although in my newness to the Transfandom I have not seen his other work with Dreamwave, the art for this is just top notch. Expert use of lines that convey perfectly the pure grittiness and hardcore of Cybertron as a dead husk of a world. His storytelling has almost no equal -- the scenes with Bludgeon and co. in their light-warping armor, and the purely beautiful cover to the right. No matter his style, Don has the TFs absolutely down pat. Josh Burcham with his painted style sends the artwork to new heights of pleasure. His warm palette is great for the copious amounts of fire and brimstone (Revelation much?) and makes my purchase totallyworth it. But wait, there's more. Read on for the full scoop.

THE STORY: Ah, Simon Furman. The great one. of course, his overuse of cliches and the infamous, used-as-every-second-word Furmanisms annoy slightly, but make me smile and enjoy the issue even more. I am always happy with the complex and realistic (if sometimes a bit too Marvel with the fallibility factor) character. Jetfire is the brooding, quiet, and philosophical scientist he should be, the Technobots brilliant and wordy yet with some definite flair and fun that makes them more interesting.

A calculating, antisocial bunch of Autobot prodigies? Hello, that's what we have Perceptor for. Strafe (pictured above) with his reluctance and timidness is good to see. And the portrayal of Cybertron of a barren, lifeless husk of a planet caused by the millions of years of war is very cool and realistic. A sort of Cybertron equivalent of Watchmen, if you will. So all round the story is well-crafted and is a great portrayal of a more realistic Transformerverse -- Marvel Ultimates eat your heart out. So, results overall:

ART RATING: 9.5 out of 10

STORY RATING: 10 out of 10

OVERALL RATING: 10 out of 10

ERRORS: On the cover, Jetfire sports Autobot symbols from a fan-made font, one that erroneously gives the symbol three hashes on each side of the forehead instead of two. The placement of symbols is particularly bad in this issue, with the contours rarely conforming to the contours of the surface they're placed on. In fact, the symbols on Jetfire are so badly photoshopped in they actually erase some of Don Figueroa's pencilling near the edges of the symbols. In the flashback on page 7, Megatron's chest is missing the "squiggle" design seen in all the other flashbacks featuring him. On page 19, all three word balloons are attributed to Afterburner, though they read like they should be attributed to Afterburner, Nosecone, and then Afterburner again. This error was corrected when the issue was published in trade paperback.

VERDICT: A beautiful and expertly executed issue that demonstrates the cred of both Furman and Figueroa. Burcham adds his awesome palette to the mix as well. A solid 10 out of 10! Next month: THUNDERWING!!

Posted by Fanbot at 10:45 pm, WEDNESDAY 9 December

Blastosaurus Halloween Special review

2009-12-07T21:52:00.005+13:00

BLASTOSAURUS HALLOWEEN SPECIAL (SQUARE PLANET 09)
Written by RICHARD FAIRGRAY & TERRY JONES
Art and Covers by Fairgray

With creator Richard Fairgray signing on with Jeff Katz's American Original Press, Blastosaurus has fully left obscurity and is breaking into mainstream press at last. As a sort of parting gift to all the fans who read Blasto when he was self-published, Fairgray and Jones made the Halloween Special, available only at the Auckland Armageddon Expo. Here's the scoop:

SYNOPSIS: Freak Out City, the day after Halloween. A mum walks into a bookshop, looking for something to quiet her babbling son Patterson. The cashier, a weird man called Lloyd who speaks with random inflections, begins his tale...

There was once an insane man who lured kids into a forest and killed them in horrific ways. He was eventually caught but escaped from the asylum!

Meanwhile, Blasto's kid friends -- Alana, Sam, Emma and leader Richard -- come to the insane "wizard's" house. He convinces the kids to accompany him to the forest. Elsewhere. Blasto is relaxing in his flat when his colleague Naomi Fenton walks in dressed as a zombie. She tries to get him to come to the police Halloween party, but fails. Then they receive word that the wizard has escaped. So, while Fenton goes partying, Blasto goes to the asylum and is told that the wizard is obsessed with a book called the Grey Tales. The wizard wanted to kill monsters by taking their blood -- and thought the dressed-up kids were the monsters. Blasto is called by Richard's mum Paula, who can't find him. By sheer coincidence, he disappeared off a street where the wizard "used" to live.

Meanwhile in the forest, the kids have been hung in the trees, surrounded by the skeletons of past kid victims. They try to escape when the wizard cuts Richard's hand and takes his blood.

Blasto enters the wizard's house and discovers bloody corpses hanging from the ceiling and passages from the Grey Tales written in blood on the wall.

Back in the forest, the kids finally get down and run for it. The wizard follows them just as Blasto arrives on the scene and arrests the wizard, who hallucinates Blasto as a distorted evil ogre.

Lloyd finishes his story and is told that this happened last night. The story has no effect on Patterson, who continues babbling about the wizard. His mum remarks that maybe he should go live with his father.

At the police station, Blasto tells Fenton that the wizard's book was blank and had nothing written in it. Just then, they walk into the wizard's cell to find it empty with the same passage in his house on the glass wall, scrawled in blood.

THE ART: I really like what Fairgray has done with the art style for this one shot. He enhances his typical with distorted, abstract panels, heavy use of lines and patterns -- which makes it look like a nouveau noir comic, which is so cool -- and distorted views of the wizard that make him look like something out of a hallucination. Fairgray has also improved his art quality, with the characters looking more real and more diverse use of angles. This adds a lot to the issue as a whole and makes it look just exquisite. The issue is printed on special paper with a hand-stamped title to add to its exclusive status. But the art is not without fault: Fairgray obviously needs to darken up the black lineart in Photoshop because it's blatantly clear where he's used a different pen. There are slight differences in the blackness which annoy me slightly. And lastly, I really like the speech bubbles Richard uses with the wizard but the hand lettering looks amateurish. The right computer font could really complete this series. But I am really very satisfied with the beautiful job Fairgray has done.

THE STORY: In typical Blastosaurus fare, the Halloween Special mixes puns and humor with gore and horror. Fairgray is good at puns and makes it funny, and is disturbingly good at creating horrific scenes (dead kids covered in blood hanging from ceilings? *Shudder*) that would make any horror nut chuck his popcorn up. The story flows well and reads like a good quality TV episode. The dialogue has real class and makes you laugh -- especially Paula not even knowing what a mummy is -- and Fenton's pun remarks jerk Commissioner Harris dressed as a bee is just classic. But there are a few flaws. Firstly, I don't believe Richard and co. would be SO stupid as to follow a weird adult into a dark forest. I know they're pretty confident, but they're fraggin' 12! Surely they'd be smart enough to not do so? But I'm not looking too far into this as I love the story and was gripped. Also, I'm a bit confused as to how the wizard kills kids who he thinks are monsters when we're told he wants to kill the other characters in the Grey Tales. I'm sure there's an explanation but I'm still kinda confused. The story overall is well-written and has good flow and realism to it.

ERRORS: On page 5, Lloyd describes Fenton and Blasto telling the doctor about the wizard when it should be him telling them about him. That is all, but see above for some more slip-ups.

FAVE QUOTE: Sam: "I got heaps of sour death balls."
Richard: "Trade you for the apple your mum gave me?"
Sam: "Do I look crazy to you?" [Says the kid dressed as a mental patient with a cage on his head.]

VERDICT: a thouroughly well-done send-off for the self-published Blastosaurus. Some minor plot slip-ups, but I really loved this one. Hope it gets reprinted by AOP. Rated 8.5 out of 10.

Posted by Fanbot at 9:52 pm, MONDAY 7 December 2009

operate432, where art thou?

2009-12-05T21:59:00.002+13:00

Big Small Comix.com's first follower hasn't been here for almost two weeks now. Does anyone know where operate432 aka Shadow is? Just trying to find him. Yes I know, this is kinda stupid, but it would be nice to know what my first fan is up to. Uh, that's all for now folks ... Oh wait, no it isn't. Welcome to comic review expert Rokk Krinn, who just started following BSC.com less than a week ago. Nice to have you on board! Check out Rokk's awesome high-quality comic blog at:

http://blog.comicbookrevolution.net/

See you soon for more of Fanbot's quality reviews, here at Big Small Comix!

Posted by Fanbot at 10:01 pm, SATURDAY 5 December

TRANSFORMERS #2 PREVIEW

2009-12-04T16:43:00.029+13:00

THE TRANSFORMERS #2 (IDW, 2009)
Written by MIKE COSTA
Art by DON FIGUEROA
Colors by JAMES BROWN
Covers by Figueora, ANDREW WILDMAN

“Things Fall Apart,” Part 1: After the shocking events at the end of last issue, the AUTOBOTS are in total disarray. An unexpected leader rises, and unlikely alliances are made as writer Mike Costa and superstar artist Don Figueroa continue their era-defining run!

32 pages, $3.99.

Pretty cool, don't you think? And it seems Costa and Figueroa are doing even more reinventing of our favorite bots. New designs and personalities in abundance! From this preview I've spotted:

Jetfire has been completely revamped into his new body (previously seen in the image section of this USA Today article) and has somehow come to Earth in the three years between now and AHM.
There's a strange new bot whom I can't recognize in the top left of page 5's last panel. Any ideas?
Is Spike Witwicky coming out of a prositute's house or something? He has obviously spent the night with some dodgy-looking woman. Naughty Spike, what would Daniel say about this?
Brawn has also made an unexpected appearance. How'd he get here?
Lastly, Omega Supreme, on the RI cover, has also been Donified with a movie-esque design and a predominantly white color scheme. Hmm, interesting...

Make sure you catch this one, out mid-this month! Farewell...

Posted by Fanbot at 5:23 pm, FRIDAY 4 December

Last Stand of the Wreckers interview w. James Roberts & Nick Roche at OSH

2009-12-03T20:11:00.006+13:00

The Transformers UK site One Shall Stand.com has been sent a beautiful gift from the publisher heavens; AN INTERVIEW WITH NICK ROCHE AND JAMES ROBERTS, CREATORS OF LAST STAND OF THE WRECKERS!! This is just too awesome. Their interview delves deeply into the minds of the creators and hints at a significant body count. Here's the full interview (contains teasers but no spoilers) at this URL:

www.oneshallstand.com/articles/wreckers.html

There, go and chew on that my Transfans! And, just because I'm generous, I've pasted below James Roberts' teaser on Last Stand of the Wreckers' plot:

OneShallStand: What can you tell us about the story[...]?

JR: Apart from the fact that it'll be one of those Transformers stories that defines the new century? Apart from confirming that it contains enough gloves-off, teeth-bared, spine-shattering robot violence to give even hardened TF fans palpitations? Apart from the hitherto unplumbed dramatic depths it, er, plumbs?
'Last Stand...' is firmly in the here-and-now, but it takes place far away form Earth and the mainstream TF storyline; and while it's absolutely rooted in the wider TF Universe, its remote, largely self-contained setting gives us a chance to do some unexpected things and hopefully pull the rug out from readers' feet now and then. Which is always good.

I think the story strikes a delicate balance between action and characterization, between widescreen set pieces and those intimate moments that maybe you don't get too often in the TF Universe. The prelude to the mission itself and certain 'catch-your-breath' sequences on G-9 lend themselves to quieter, dialogue-driven moments, and that gives us the opportunity to explore what it means to be a Wrecker. What sets them apart from their fellow Autobots? Why would somebody want to be join a glorified suicide squad? What happens once you've spent hundreds of years carrying out the kind of missions no-one else wants to touch? What does that do to you as a soldier - as a person?

We also had a chance to expand the Wrecker mythos - we've delved into their history a bit and gave them some sturdier roots. A proper backstory, with new characters and nemeses!

What I will say is that we've tried to push this story out in all directions. It's not just a then b then c then d; it's not a simple succession of events. There is mystery and intrigue and sustained delay. There are verbal asides and background details that become more significant as the series moves forward. I love it when seemingly innocuous comments or everyday events take on a new significance when considered in retrospect, and that's why we've aimed for in 'Last Stand...'. And besides, where's the fun in having everything laid out for you on a plate? Readers like to join the dots themselves. Guessing is good, and sometimes you can answer a question with another question - provided there's a pay-off at the end. And believe me, there's a hell of a pay off in issue 5.

You've gotta admit, that is pretty damn awesome. I just can't wait for this comic to start in January 2010. The rest of the interview basically says that James and Nick love working with each other and are a perfect team, that they're looking into what makes the Wreckers the Wreckers, they wanted to include Impactor (one-time Wreckers leader), and that the deaths will be significant to readers and have deep meaning. Looks to be a promising successor to Stormbringer. Here's that page by Roche and Burcham again:

Aaaand ... with that, Fanbot bids you farewell once more. See you soon!

Posted by Fanbot at 8:13 pm, THURSDAY 3 December

IDW Transformers solicits for Dec 2009

2009-12-02T16:57:00.009+13:00

Welcome to December, and Christmas is just around the corner. To get into the Christmas spirit I've started doing the comics I promised my parents, and persuaded my dad to look for Masterpiece toys. Hasn't the year flown by? This time last year we were entering the halfway point for McCarthy's All Hail Megatron. But anyway. Here's the comics that IDW has on offer for us this month:

THE TRANSFORMERS #2
Written by MIKE COSTA
Art by DON FIGUEROA
Colors by JAMES BROWN
Covers by Figueroa, ANDREW WILDMAN

"Things Fall Apart," Part 1: After the shocking events at the end of last issue, the Autobots are in total disarray. An unexpected leader rises, and unlikely alliances are made.

32 pages, $3.99.

TRANSFORMERS: BUMBLEBEE #2

Story by ZANDER CANNON
Art by CHEE YANG ONG
Colors by MOOSE BAUMANN
Covers by Chee, GUIDO GUIDI

After a shakeup in Autobot leadership, Bumblebee finds himself leading a group that believes him to be unprepared for the job. An opportunity to radically improve the Autobots reputation arises and he accepts despite his reservations, embarking on a clandestine mission for the human military to find and disable all remaining rogue robots.

32 pages, $3.99.

TRANSFORMERS BEST OF UK: PREY #5

Written by SIMON FURMAN

Art by VARIOUS

Colors by ANNIE HALFACREE

Covers by ANDREW GRIFFITH, interior art

Dinobot Swoop sets out alone to settle an old score with Divebomb, but gets more than he bargained for when the rest of the Predacons arrive. Continuing the collection of classic tales from across the pond.

32 pages, $3.99.

TRANSFORMERS TALES OF THE FALLEN: RAVAGE
Written by SIMON FURMAN
Art by ALEX MILNE
Colors by JOSH PEREZ
Covers by Milne
The momentous event that is Transformers: Nefarious kicks off with the sudden, shocking -- and silent -- reappearance of stealth agent Ravage. Thought destroyed in Revenge of the Fallen, Ravage is back. But who is pulling his strings, and what is his mysterious but crucial mission?

32 pages, $3.99.
And with that, Fanbot bids you farewell for now. Do NOT miss these!

Posted by Fanbot at 5:01 pm, WEDNESDAY 2 December

IDW Transformers solicits for Feb. 2010

2009-11-25T19:01:00.005+13:00

A couple weeks back Transfans were provided with covers for Last Stand of the Wreckers #2 and Transformers #4. Now IDW has gone the whole cyber-hog and provided the full Transformers solicits for February 2010 -- that's slaggin' ages away, but you don't hear Fanbot complaining. Here's the full TF scoop for Feb:

THE TRANSFORMERS #4
Story by MIKE COSTA
Art by DON FIGUEROA
Colors by JAMES BROWN
Covers by Figueroa, ANDREW WILDMAN

His ambivalence cost him his allegiance. His unexpected betrayal set the stage for Autobot victory. His name is Thundercracker, and this issue reveals what he's been doing these past three years after his brutal expulsion from the Decepticons in All Hail Megatron! Costa and Figueroa show you perhaps the most unique transformation of all...

32 pages, $3.99.

TRANSFORMERS: BUMBLEBEE #3

Story by ZANDER CANNON

Art by CHEE YANG ONG

Colors by MOOSE BAUMANN

Covers by Chee, GUIDO GUIDI

"Things Fall Apart," Part 3: After leaving a decoy for the Skywatch colonel, Bumblebee embarks on a solo quest to find the device that will free the Autobots. He befriends the child of the one man who holds the device they need, and finally has to ask himself if what he's doing is right.

32 pages, $3.99.

TRANSFORMERS: LAST STAND OF THE WRECKERS #2

Story by NICK ROCHE & JAMES ROBERTS

Art by NICK ROCHE

Colors by JOSH BURCHAM

Covers by Roche, TREV HUTCHISON

The Autobots' finest begin their descent into hell, and all bets are off. The true nature of the Wreckers' mission is revealed and the reappearance of an old enemy drastically reduces the chances of anyone making it back alive.

32 pages, $3.99.

OK, that's it for another month, Watch this space for all the newest info on everything Transformers and comics, and if you missed out on your copy of Transformers #1, be sure to get the second printing, out on December 2nd.

Posted by Fanbot at 7:01 pm, WEDNESDAY 25 November

Going Backwards - All Hail Megatron #12 review

2009-11-24T16:16:00.003+13:00

And so it ends ... well, at least until Coda and the ongoing series comes up. But for All Hail Megatron, the train stops at 12 issues. And what a wired journey it has been. A wonderful and intriguing strart quickly descended into a chaotic, inconsistent creative team that failed to impress at all. In the words of Christopher Lee; "let's see what the damage is..."

SYNOPSIS: A synopsis of this issue is available here at TF Archive.

THE ART: They've really done it this time. The creeative team really, really sucked in this issue. Guido for once does all the art, but the one man who has made this mess of a series bearable--Josh Burcham himself--has practically disappeared out of the issue. For the first 7 pages or so his awesome colors grace the pages (IDW previewed this to fool us into believing Josh was doing all of it, the deceitful skidplates), but then James Brown has to step in and completely ruin it with his sub-par coloring. He basically just does flat blocks that make Guidi's lines look messy and unprofessional. On top of that he makes loads of coloring errors--see errors section for the full story. So the art is terrible and frankly makes me sick. A despicable end. Good riddance to this issue.

THE STORY: I a rare display of half-decency, Shane doesn't actually do a bad job. Some good plot twists (Thundercracker saves the day!) and a story that feels reasonable. But Spike being a douchebag to the Autobots when they just saved NY from certain annihilation? Spike, you are a disrespectful spawn of a glitch. And Megs not killing Ops but leaving him to die (therefore not being able to confirm Op's death) is kinda creaky. And he killed off Hunter! I loved that guy. He was just starting to become an interesting character too. So for once, Shane McCarthy saves the day with this issue. But his convenient plot devices leave a bad taste in the mouth. Disappointing.

ERRORS:In the description of the Coda issues, #16 has Bumblebee's story as a second "Story 1" rather than "Story 2". Also, Guido Guidi is misspelled as "Guido Guido". When Prime talks to Spike on page 21, he's probably supposed to start with "Your people are free," not "Our people". James Brown continues to demonstrate his coloring fails by coloring the sides of Bumblebee's face yellow in one panel, making Thundercracker's vent-boobs boobs blue (they should be light grey), and Skywarp's vent-boobs dark grey (they should be light grey). Get it right, Brown.

FAVE QUOTE: Devastator: "No! You will not defeat Devastator! You are nothing!"
Omega Supreme: "Wrong. I am Omega Supreme!" [Omega gives his considerably more awsesome version of "I'm Batman."]

VERDICT: So, the damage is -- bad coloring, yucky messy art, and even more convenient plot devices. Not better than last issue, but somehow more satisfying. But overall a sub-par end to what seemed to be a cool series. Next month: well, now it's on to reviewing all my old issues. See you soon. Rated 6 out of 10.

Posted by Fanbot at 4:17 pm, TUESDAY 24 November

Tales of the Fallen: the Fallen preview

2009-11-23T18:26:00.003+13:00

OK, here's four pages of the fourth issue of Tales of the Fallen, with the spotlight falling on ... THE FALLEN! Here's the five pages:

Posted by Fanbot at 6:28 pm, MONDAY 23 November

TRANSFORMERS #1 REVIEW

2009-11-23T17:30:00.058+13:00

Finally, after three years of miniseries and over 80 issues, IDW has launched an ongoing Transformers series. For the first time, the issue no. will keep rising, which for a fan like me is immensely rejuvenating. So here's my in-depth review of IDW's Transformers #1...

THE ART: This issue features the long-anticipated return of artist legend Don Figueroa. His new controversial movie-esque style was done- he says, to make the bots look less cartoony. Now, that aside, his drawing prowess is second to none. The strong, bold lines intricate detailing looks exquisite. I was immediately in love the moment I looked upon this issue. But the thing that ruins it for me is the faces. They make everyone look fugly and grotesque. Drift is perhaps the worst, looking just wrong. No more stoic ninja expression for you Mr Drift. But Prime and Roddy look just awesome! Prime with his silent, venerable stance, and the bold, badaft Roddy getting up Prime's tailpipe. Very well done. James Brown has met a lot of controversy for his coloring skills and I have to say he could do better, but his coloring is very adequate and looks very good with Don's lines. He subtly complements and enhances the art without dominating the page. So the butt-ugly faces annoy, but overall the art is plainly awesomely beautiful. Very good job.

THE STORY: Mike Costa has done some very interesting things with the situation on Earth and the character's reaction. Though in a very different way to Furman way back in Infiltration #0, Mike has gone back to basics, while at the same time turning everything on its head. The Autobots are back to hiding, though this time from the humans. The characters have reverted back to their essential, G1 cartoon personalities. Optimus is weak and over-protective of the humans, and Rodimus is no nonsense, badass that gets things done no matter the cost. This is a very good example of what happens when two very different Primes come together in the same continuity. So Mike is doing very intriguing things with this direction he is going in, and I'm interested to see how it develops. The dialogue isn't as smooth as I'd like, but otherwise it's a very well done issue.

ERRORS: Wheeljack's flaps flow yellow instead of blue now. This may be just a coloring error (James Brown seems to make a lot of these) or a deliberate thing. Oh, and Ratchet's lower chin is colored red in one panel but its normal grey for the rest of the issue. Huh?

VERDICT: A well-exececuted (though nowhere near perfect) start to what looks to be a very promising ongoing series. WOOHOO!! Rated 9.75 out of 10.

Posted by Fanbot at 6:11 pm, MONDAY 23 November

Going Backwards - Transformers: All Hail Megatron review

2009-11-20T16:01:00.003+13:00

It's kinda warming to see my stack of posts for this month as I write. With the release of the Transformers #1 imminent I had to finish up my GBR reviews of All Hail Megatron. Here's Fanbot's gospel on the penultimate issue of AHM...

SYNOPSIS: A synopsis of this issue is available here at TF Archive.

THE ART: The art is good in the sense that Guido is finally back to drawing the comic solo, but atrocious with the art quality. On many pages Guido has done a horrible job of drawing. It looks like he did it in under an hour, like a speed drawing. This gets better toward the end, but it makes a good half of the issue an amateurish, simplistic eyesore. And Felix Serrano's awful fuzzy palette further destroys Guido's sub-part pages. Thankfully, his good pages are colored by savior Josh Burcham, who for the umpteenth time has pulled an AHM issue out of the dumps. But overall the art was a deep disappointment from a talented artist. Sad, so very sad.

THE STORY: Once again Shane McCarthy fails to impress with his creaky writing. The dialogue between Screamer and Megs, and Megs and Ops, feels clunky and unnatural. Meg's reasons for creating Devastator and the Cons doesn't seem very plausible. Feels extremely cliched and not real. Overall I'm very unsatisfied with this issue and hope to never see its like again. Though two solitary line in the issue is perhaps the best TF quote--EVER (see below).

ERRORS: Why is the plane (aka Tankor) carrying the nuke a propeller-driven one? Even the EU doesn't use these relics--they went out in the 50's and are little used anywhere. And why does Ops call out Meg's name from behind when he could have shot Megs in the back and be done with it? His "protect life" weakness strikes again? Lastly, when Dropshot reveals himself and starts destroying stuff, Hawke mistakenly gets a word bubble clearly meant for General Daniel Witwicky. ("Where else...")

FAVE QUOTE: Optimus Prime: Freedom is the right of all-"
Megatron: "Oh, SHUT UP."

VERDICT: Another disappointing instalment in what has become a half-assed, eyesore of a maxi series. Next month: Megs gets one hell of a headache, and the Autobots are saved by a broody Con. Rated 7 out of 10.

Posted by Fanbot at 4:07 pm, FRIDAY 20 November

IDW SPOILS THE SURPRISE.

2009-11-19T16:21:00.001+13:00

If that's spoiler enough for you my fellow Transfans, the read no further. Ryall has updated us with an article from the USA Today (viewable here) and a picture of Optimus Prime doing spoiler-ish stuff. I look at spoilers, I admit it, but IDW really has crossed the line! Giving us the last page is sheer blasphemy. It only came out yesterday and I haven't got it so I'm a bit pissed off. But anyway, that's all for now. See you soon!

Posted by Fanbot at 4:21 pm, THURSDAY 19 November

Going Backwards - Transformers: All Hail Megatron #10 review

2009-11-19T07:56:00.002+13:00

A shocking thing occurs in this issue--something actually happens! After five or so issues of pissing around doing bugger-all, Shane McCarthy finally gets the Autobots off Cybertron and the Cons fighting with each other in a poor attempt to tie up the series with what little time he has left. Read on, fans, for Fanbot's review of All Hail Megatron #10...

SYNOPSIS: A synopsis of this comic is available here at TF Archive. Sorry, it's just too much to fit into one review and let's face it, you don't really want to read that much, do you?

THE ART: I'm in two minds about this issue. For the first thirteen and last four pages the art are great--Guido is back with Emil and their art styles don't clash at all. The fact that Emil did sequences on a totally different location makes the creative team slip less blatantly obvious (a la issue 9). And because Josh Burcham colors both artist's lines, the transition is almost seamless. But for pages 14-19, TF Ongoing colorist James Brown (whose colors leave something to be desired) has to step in and screw it up with his fluro, badly-Fotoshopped background colors. The art looks terrible and ruins the issue for me. But wait, there's more!

THE STORY: Shane has outdone himself this time. The story is perhaps the worst seen in this franchise . Once again Shane gives an extremely convenient plot device--Omega Supreme, a thousand times bigger than in Spotlight: Optimus Prime, swoops in and slags the Swarm. WTF??? And the dialogue between Screamer and Megs on Earth is clunky and unrealistic. The good thing about comics is that the character are always good actors, but these two sound like they're improvising like in those cartoons where the goodies try to trap the baddies by speaking very unconvincingly. This is a big disappointment Shane, you have let the fans down with this one.

ERRORS: On the inner cover, "grisly" is misspelled "grizzly". On page 10, Scavenger's chinplate is purple like the rest of his face when it should be silver. In All Hail Megatron issue 8, the point of Sunstreaker's bridge-detonating sacrifice was that it destroyed "the only way to and from" the Autobots' bunker. Yet now Kup says that the Insecticons have "found their way around as expected." Worse, Emiliano Santalucia accidentally drew the Swarm crossing... a bridge. Doesn't that kinda make Sunstreaker's sacrifice for absolutely nothing?! What the hell?

FAVE QUOTE: Wheeljack: "[This gun] was never designed to be removed from the Trion so the power relay is bound to fry in seconds. You'll only have a few shots, so make them count."
Roadbuster: "Do you think we should give it a name? I think we should give it a name..." [Roadbuster reminds us of his mad love of blowing slag up.]

VERDICT: Even worse than last issue, which is saying a lot. James Brown ruined it with his amateur colors. Next month: Next stop, Earth! Rated 6.5 out of 10.

Posted by Fanbot at 4:09 pm, THURSDAY 19 November

TF covers for February 2010

2009-11-18T16:19:00.002+13:00

AWWWWESOME!!! Jubilation! In another spur of advance grace, IDW has gifted to the Transfans Andrew Wildman's variant cover for Transformers #4 and Trev Hutchison's variant cover for Last Stand of the Wreckers #2! BTW Thundercracker's appearance on this means that he survived getting blasted by Skywarp back in AHM #12. Also, Trev Hutchison pwns all with his cover! So cool that words are not worthy to describe it. Only grunts of surprise; "Guh..." and such.

Oh, and to refresh your memory, the covers for Transformers #3 and Last Stand of the Wreckers are viewable here and here respectively. See you next time!

Posted by Fanbot at 4:19 pm, WEDNESDAY 18 October

Going Backwards - Transformers: All Hail Megatron #9 review

2009-11-18T11:25:00.028+13:00

I really liked this series when it started off. Good art, great colors and a reasonable story that made me want more. With this issue, however (though Trev Hutchison's cover, shown left, is pretty awesome) the cool professional creative team is flushed down the crapper. Read on for Fanbot's views on the decidedly sub-par All Hail Megatron #9 ...

Synopsis: A synopsis of this issue is viewable here at TF Archive.com. I'm sorry but there's just too much info to fit into one article. Maybe next time.

THE ART: This issue is a very big disappointment and shows the lack of organisation that the creative team has. Intstead of Guido, we get Emiliano Santalucia and Robert Deas. Now I have no objection to Emil--his art is well-drawn and, though smoother than Guidi's, still serves the purpose very well. But for the sequences on Earth, I feel extremely let down. Robert Deas is really bad at drawing Transformers. His computer generated look completely jars with anything we've seen before and he could use some work on his figure drawing skills. And he frankly just SUCKS at drawing Transformers. I'm an amateur who's been drawing TFs for two years, and I can do better!

THE STORY: Once again, this is where the writing standard goes seriously downhill. The story is very clunky and feels like a badly edited video. A human-sized gun capable of taking out a Transformer? Goodbye reasonable plot, hello TF pwnage! I know that they got it from Shockwave, and the barrel is the right size but the power pack is piddly and wouldn't be able to power it. And Optimus Prime is back, fully revitalised. I'm glad this has happened but really? Ratchet got him back in an issue when he's just spent the past half of the series standing around. Here's where Shane uses his convenient plot devices to the extreme. Disappointing.

FAVE QUOTE: Spike: "You know what I hate? Button flies. I swear I could SEW a whole pair ... in the time it takes me to do these up." [Spike discusses his crotch problems with two complete strangers (one a girl!)]

VERDICT: A disappointing issue that fails to impress. I'm depressed. Next month: Something finally happens! And Omega Supreme turns up. Rated 7.5 out of 10.

Posted by Fanbot at 4:11 pm, WEDNESDAY 18 October

Going Backwards - Transformers: All Hail Megatron #8 review

2009-11-17T16:06:00.004+13:00

I'm kinda eating my web words right now. I declared, at the start of Going Backwards Reviews, that I'f have AHM wrapped up and fully reviewed by the time Transformers #1 came out. It comes out tomorrow! Slag, it's gone fast ain't it? One minute we're passing the halfway point on AHM, and all of a sudden Transfans are sitting on the cusp of a new era! But anyway, onto the review of All Hail Megatron #8...

Synopsis: Sunstreaker was been separated from Hunter, but was clearly traumatised and refused Ratchet’s request to see the human. The present: On Cybertron, Kup chews out Ironhide for attacking Mirage, but also explains the frustration he feels about not seeing this betrayal coming. As they finish, the group is suddenly attacked by the Swarm and flee once more.
On Earth, the Reflector robots have fun dissecting some humans as Starscream approaches the Insecticons to both apologise for the behaviour of the other Seekers and sound them out about the potential of moving against Megatron.
On Cybertron, Kup has set up explosives along the route they’re following that Perceptor detonates to destroy a bridge they are crossing and slow the pursuit down. The place where Kup’s team had set up their base is accessible by only one bridge, so doing the same trick there will give them a degree of breathing space. But after the Swarm injures Perceptor they are left with no one with a gun capable of detonating the explosives. As they debate this Ironhide suddenly notices Sunstreaker is gone…
On Earth, Starscream talks to a mysterious stranger about how his plans are ready to be set in motion.
Back on Cybertron, Ironhide finds Sunstreaker has gone to the explosives on the bridge and is preparing to detonate them. He explains that it was him all along that betrayed the Autobots. He did a deal with Starscream where the Autobots would ambush Megatron alone and kill him in exchange for the Autobots letting the Decepticons have Earth, and thus doing what Sunstreaker wants most, killing all the humans. Ironhide is shocked but can’t react further as the Swarm attack them. Drift appears and saves Ironhide, leaving Sunstreaker to detonate the bombs, blowing up himself, the bridge and the Swarm in range. As Ironhide recovers in a medical bay, Drift points out to him Sunstreaker couldn’t have given the Decepticons the codes they used to defeat the Autobots. They must have had more help.
On Earth, Bombshell watches over his captive, Hunter O’Nion, plugged right into the Decepticon computer…

THE ART: Guido Guidi kicks his art quality up three of four notches with this issue. The lines (partially inked by John Wycough) are simple and elegant, the extra grittiness adding the mood of disarray on Cybertron. The death scene of Sunstreaker and his flashbacks with Screamer are extremely well done, and it reads like a well-shot movie. Very good. Josh Burcham does his usual amazing job on the colors, putting lots more grit and flecks into the art which looks plain cool. The sole art disappointment is Kris Carter. I have nothing against him, and I love his colors, but he just shouldn't be here. His coloring style totally uglifies Guidi's work and the tones do not suit the comic's mood at all. Big annoyance for me.

THE STORY: This is probably the last issue where Shane actually does a very decent job. The story has good pace and flows pretty well. it doesn't feel clunky or unrealistic and the events/ dialogue make it very clear (though in a subtle way) that the Decepticons are getting ... well, bored of winning. Reflector tears some humans up but gets little satisfaction. Starscream finally starts his usual plotting against Megs, with the Insecticons of all bots. There's a movie-esque car chase scene, and Sunstreaker being the traitor seems to fit. His reasons were not evil; I'd do the same thing if all it would cost is one world (Yes, Earth included). So a misguided traitor. Good job ShaneI applaud you ... for perhaps the last time on this blog. For the rest of AHM, it's all downhill.

ERRORS: The speech letters on the first page are a size or two too small, which is kinda weird. No veritable explanation is forthcoming from IDW.

FAVE QUOTE: Ironhide: "You tryin' to get yourself killed?!"
Sunstreaker: "Yes." [It was a rhetorical question, Sunstreaker!]

VERDICT: A well-crafted and excellently written issue. Unfortunatley, it won't last very long. Next month: the creative team falls apart! Guido leaves and is replaced with Emiliano Santalucia and a guy who just can't draw Transformers. Rated 8.5 out of 10.

Posted by Fanbot at 4:03 pm, TUESDAY 17 November

IDW releases for November 18

2009-11-16T19:24:00.001+13:00

Pictured here is IDW's comic haul for November 18. What's important is that we get a look at a special cover of the Transformers #1, and a new book of AHM cover artiste Trevor Hutchison's art. Here:

24 Omnibus
Angel: Only Human #4
Legion: Prophets #1
Rip Kirby, Vol. 1
Robert Block's Lori
Star Trek: TNG: Ghosts #1
Transformers #1

Posted by Fanbot at 7:25 pm, MONDAY 16 November

Going Backwards - Spotlight: Drift review

2009-11-16T16:17:00.004+13:00

Hello again, my nonexistent fans. Fanbot will not piss around here. Let's get straight into Fanbot's dissection of Spotlight: Drift...

SYNOPSIS: In a bar on an alien planet, a clocked figure buys access to the local spaceship-docking platform on the black market. The seller warns him the ship he wants is Cybertronian and they’re a species best avoided, but is then shocked when she touches the buyer’s arm, realising that it’s metal and that he must be a Transformer as well.
The disguised Transformer is Drift, and the ship a Decepticon one carrying prisoners. Using the access codes and his own ninja skill, he manages to get onboard unseen. Such subtlety is wasted however when the Wreckers, led by Kup, just blast their way in through the side.
On the bridge, Commander Turmoil is alerted to the breech and instantly knows it can only be Kup. Below decks, Drift fights alongside the Wreckers, with Perceptor being incredibly impressed by his recently upgraded body. Drift tells Kup he has also come to rescue the Autobot prisoners, and leads them straight to the cells where the captives, a mixture of Wreckers and regular Autobots are held.
Perceptor keeps the Decepticons out by scrambling their locking system, but Turmoil simply blasts through both the door and Perceptor. Drift rushes Turmoil in an attempt to retrieve the fallen Autobot, but only succeeds in being recognised as the former Decepticon Deadlock. Turmoil then blasts through the floor with such force that both Drift and Kup are knocked to the floor below. After recovering from their fall, Kup reveals he knows Deadlock by reputation, and that he killed a lot of Autobots. He then adds that in the early days of the war there was a third faction who refused to take sides and left Cybertron never to be heard from again. The design of Drift’s sword suggests he found them. Drift agrees and explains that the consequence of that meeting led to him leaving the Decepticons and changing his outlook on life. Kup acknowledges the importance of second chances, and Drift offers to help him blow up the ship. He knows how as he used to be Turmoil’s second in command.
Soon they have reached the engine room and rigged it to explode, but are interrupted by an angry Turmoil. Drift pushes Kup out of the ship to safety, and the two former colleagues fight. Drift soon succeeds in pinning Turmoil to the wall and gives him a lecture on how much both sides have degraded each other. He then proves how much of a better person he is than Turmoil by not killing him personally, instead leaving him to die in a massive explosion instead. Before the detonation, Drift rescues Perceptor and gets out just in time. As the Wreckers head back to the Trion, Kup offers Drift both Autobot membership and the chance to join a new team he’s putting together, despite Springer’s misgivings. Drift accepts.

THE ART: The art. Hmm. Where does Fanbot start in his review of the art? I know, I'll start at the beginning, with Casey Coller's lineart The art is simple and serves the purpose well, albeit Coller could do with some facial lessons. Not quite dull surprise (that would be downright insulting), but not very expressive either. The panels flow well and he draws the 'bots very well, but there's virtually no different tier angles than 90 degrees. The fight scenes don't look very dynamic and this kinda makes them seem dull, which is a pity since Casey did a very good job of Drift fighting Turmoil. New girl Joana Lafuente uses a new, flatter, softer coloring style than her previous shiny glowy one used on the AHM covers. Personally Fanbot thinks it fits in with the comic's brooding, almost Alien-ish feel to it. So all in all the art is reasonably well done. Feedback to Coller: be more expressive and put more dynamics into your fight scenes. That is all. You have done very well overall.

THE STORY: For once, I have nothing bad to say against Shane McCarthy's writing. The story is credible enough with no annoying convenient events that prop the story up. The plot flows like a well-made action movie and is satisfying to read. That's right, I positively loved it! Very good, Mr McCarthy, very good indeed. The Aussie done well!

FAVE QUOTE: Kup: "Deadlock."
Drift: "I don’t go by that name anymore."
Kup: "That’s helpful, considering Deadlock happened to have slaughtered quite a lot of Autobots." [Drift changes his name and presto! He's an Autobot.]

VERDICT: Shane McCarthy does a good comic. Not an oxymoron apparently. In all areas a great comic that's worth buying. Rated 9 out of 10.

Posted by Fanbot at 4:17 pm, MONDAY 16 November

Going Backwards - Transformers: All Hail Megatron #7 review

2009-11-16T15:36:00.003+13:00

Welcome back! I'm feeling slightly depressed as of now - virtually no-one has found this site and my follower Shadow has dropped off the face of the Earth. So here's my review of All Hail Megatron #7, even though no-one's reading... (BTW Trev's cover is just so cool I just had to make it exta big).

SYNOPSIS: Before: On Cybertron, scientist Deluge has created the Swarm, nearly three thousand twisted deformed Decepticons, in the hope of producing the perfect breeding ground for evil genius. Though Thundercracker is unhappy at the treatment of fellow Decepticons it has produced one notable success, in Bombshell. Megatron takes the new Transformer to meet someone … Now: On Cybertron, the Autobots race to find a more secure base before the Swarm find them. As they travel, Jazz explains how they came to their current predicament. Having both Prime and Megatron on Earth had resulted in a stalemate, with the Decepticons eventually vanishing from sight. Eventually the Autobots received word via Mirage that Starscream had made a power play resulting in a broken split force. Preparing a raid on what they expected to be a small group of ‘Cons, Optimus lead his troops into a textbook ambush by the full Decepticon force. Despite this, they managed to hold their own until Devastator tipped the balance, resulting in everyone falling and Megatron taking the Matrix.
Kup interrupts the story to order a brief rest, allowing Sideswipe to get Sunstreaker alone. He tries to persuade his teammate that he and Ironhide need to leave Mirage alone as it’s ripping the team apart. He then tries to talk to him about his terrible experience as a Headmaster, but Sunstreaker brushes him off.

Jazz continues recounting to Kup, explaining that after they were defeated Megatron gloatingly told them that the Autobots had been betrayed by a traitor within their own ranks. After breaking them with this news, the Autobots were forced into a Space Bridge to Cybertron with the intent of them being fed to the Swarm, but last man in Prime did something that destroyed the Bridge but badly damaged him as he was thrown through. This effectively left the Autobots trapped on Cybertron.
As this conversation continues, Sunstreaker angrily tells Ironhide how Sideswipe has told them to back off. This so outrages the security chief that he goes off to where Mirage is standing alone and starts arguing with him. Though Mirage protests he’d reported the information in good faith, Ironhide refuses to believe him and beats him to the ground.

THE ART: Guido Guidi does his usual great job on the art, and captures the tense mood of Ironhide beating the crap out of Mirage (nice reference to the G1 cartoon with the "blame Mirage" affair). But the absolute star of this issue (sorry Burcham, it was close) was prolific E J Su. His flashback scenes are just beautiful. I've never thought about it before but I miss his complex, lots-of-hatching style. The shot of Megs ripping the Matrix from Prime's chest is just fraggin' exquisite! Kinda reminiscent of his shot of Megs standing over Prime in Escalation. Josh Burcham, I love you. Your colors are amazing, and take Guidi's and Su's lineart to a higher level of existence. Well done all around. I'm extremely satisfied with this issue and would have paid more than what I got for it happily ... OK, maybe not.

THE STORY: Shane's story is good enough--any writer who puts an obscure G2 character like Deluge (pictured left) knows something about what he's doing. But there are a lot of little details that make the story a bit incredible. Jazz says the storms on Cybertron are getting better and they can walk around normally, albeit in pain (remember Cybertron is a metal wasteland with electrical storms abundant). This is highly convenient for the Autobots as they arrive on Cybertron just as the storms stop. This one I'm prepared to take, but all the earth-bound Autobots going into a steep, enclosed canyon is just nuts! I mean come on, Shane McCarthy, do you actually think us Transfans are that stupid? It's like something out of the G1 cartoon. Not good. But if you ignore these, and you can with reasonable and surprising ease, then the story is very well done and makes me want more. But Fanbot is easy to please, as regular viewers will know.

ERRORS: Josh Burcham mixes up Skywarp and Thundercracker's colors in panel 1 of page 2. TC's on the left in panel 1 but in the rest of the page he's on the right. Honest mistake. In Su's flashbacks, Cliffjumper is missing his chequerboard patterns that go on the sides of his forearms.

FAVE QUOTE: Skywarp: "Hey. [Megatron] knows what he's doing."
Thundercracker: "That's what bothers me." [It's taken TC how long to figure out he's on the wrong side?]

VERDICT: a well-executed though slightly clumsy exposition of how the Autobots got the crap beaten out of them. E J Su's return is a definite win for AHM. Next month: Sunstreaker dies! And Bombshell begins to doubt his creator. Rated 8 out of 10.

Posted by Fanbot at 3:37 pm, MONDAY 16 November

TRANSFORMERS #1 8 page preview!

2009-11-15T12:29:00.007+13:00

IDW just doesn't know when to stop, do they? First those mind-shattering pages of Ironhide getting slagged, then this! AN EIGHT PAGE PREVIEW! This is too much and I'm lovin' it! Bring on November 18! Here's the eight pages:

Posted by Fanbot at 12:31 pm, SUNDAY 15 November

Review: And Another Thing...

2009-11-13T16:01:00.074+13:00

AND ANOTHER THING... (Eoin Colfer) Douglas Adam's Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, book 6 of 3

When sci-fi writer extraordinaire Douglas Adams died in 2001, fans across the world were shocked. He had planned to write a final sequel to the very bleakly ended Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Mostly Harmless. We were left hanging with Ford, Trillian, their teenage daughter Random, Ford Prefect and an alternate version of Trillian about to be blown up on an alternate Earth by the Grebulons. Needless to say, all your characters about to die is a pretty frustrating ending, so Doug's wife asked Eoin Colfer (Artemis Fowl) to write the last book. And here it is. The title is an in-joke line from HG2TG: So Long, and Thanks For All the Fish:

"The storm had now definitely abated, and what thunder there was now grumbled over more distant hills, like a man saying "And another thing…" twenty minutes after admitting he's lost the argument."

Funny to those of us who have read the series. Anyway, here's the review:

Well, technically, because Eoin wrote this and not Adams, And Another Thing... is fan fiction. But it is an exquisitely done fan fiction. The story flows well and is gripping, with believable, complex characters that fit the story perfectly. Colfer has written in Adam's style to the letter. It actually sounds more Hitchhiker's-esque than the other books (though Guide Notes replace the random, narrative comments). The story ticks along in the same backwards, insane way that Adams wrote for all the books past Restaurant at the End of the Universe. You never see any of the events coming until they actually happen; Wowbagger's re-appearance, the room made of sky, and even some Norse Gods (the piece de resistance) thrown in. The ending, which I won't spoil for those of you, is very Adamsian in its ridiculosity (is that a word?) and kind of fits in a weird way. Because this one's written in postmodern times, there are a lot of references and subtle plot devices that reflect the time it is written. Wowbagger's uber fast Sub-Etha connection leaves our superfast broadband in its wake. Throw in some multiple universes, alternate selves, a virtual world and previous events that haven't happened yet (with who else but the ONE-headed, three-armed Zaphod), this is Colfer at his finest. Douglas would be pround of you. "You have done well Lord Vader."

VERDICT: An exquisitely executed end to the best sci-fi series in the world. I'm proud to own it. Rated 10 out of 10.

Posted by Fanbot at 4:36 pm, FRIDAY 13 November

Going Backwards - Transformers: All Hail Megatron #6 review

2009-11-12T18:32:00.001+13:00

Welcome back to Going Backwards reviews, and the illustrious Fanbot apologizes to you, his viewers, for not posting a GBR review in such a long time. For those of you who have just joined us, we're up to issue 6 of the controversial All Hail Megatron. Let's dive in without further ado, shall we?

Synopsis: On Cybertron, Kup and Jazz discuss both the loss of the Matrix and the way the Decepticons broke their computer codes to bring their systems down. However, Kup’s attempt to take leadership of the group and exert his authority over Jazz creates a rift between them.
In Israel, Megatron surveys the devastation and recalls a conversation he had with Starscream where the Air Commander gloatingly points out that winning is the worst thing the Decepticons could have done as they now have no purpose and have beaten the only worthy foes they are ever likely to have. He points out the entire attack on Earth is little more than a distraction to keep the troops busy.
This seems to be born out in Beijing, where an argument erupts between Skywarp and Bombshell that nearly turns into a full fight between the Insecticons and the Seekers. Even after the Insecticons have been driven off, Skywarp and Thundercracker argue over the latter’s lack of interest in carnage.
Back on Cybertron, Kup decides not to tell the others about the Matrix as they need the unity of faith in it brings. He also decides to use the Energon left over from the Trion to fix Prime. Outside their base, Ironhide is about to broach the idea of dealing with Mirage to Roadbuster when they are disturbed by a member of the Swarm – part of a vast army of Insecticon clones that had been dumped on Cybertron as a failed experiment that only produced three useful Transformers. Perceptor and Drift take care of it before it can bring others, but Kup decides they’re too exposed and prepares everyone to move.
In France, a meeting of representatives of the major world governments leads to the decision to destroy New York.

THE ART: Well, the art is still very well done. I'm pleasantly satisfied with Guidi's lines. The action is well-set out with good pace, and the picture in picture device of Megs beating the slag out of Israeli military (so much for the greatest army in the world) looks almost weird next to the cold and quiet flashbacks of Megs and Screamer talking. Very well done. I especially like the scene with Skywarp (love that guy) and the Insecticons, the art is probably the best there. Josh Burcham, as always, is just truly awesome at his coloring duties. The moods are conveyed to perfection; Earth's bleached, sun-drenched chaos and Cybertron's gritty, grey disarray. Exquisitely done.

THE STORY: Shane, being the unpredictable Aussie that he is, actually does quite a good job with this issue. The pace starts to pick up--not much, but enough--and the story flows well with good use of sequence and panels. Woah, I actually find myself thanking him for this issue (cue ripping of the fabric of universe).

ERRORS: This first error is kinda weird. The flashback sequences of Megs are extremely inconsistent: Meg's helmet is drawn in some panels in the normal, G1 way, but in others it is drawn in Guidi's more bevelled, less smooth style. Why? On page 8, Shrapnel is to Kickback's left at first, but on the next panel he is suddenly to Kickback's right. On page 12, the word "feuds" is misspelled "fueds" twice. Page 12 also sees a tense error: the feud is meant to be in the possible future, yet 'gave' is used rather than 'give'.

VERDICT: very well done, a well-crafted issue. The Megs' helmet thing niggles and annoys though. Good job all round. Rated 8.5 out of 10.

Posted by Fanbot at 6:34 pm, THURSDAY 12 November

Extra Transformers: Continuum page

2009-11-12T17:23:00.001+13:00

From the reactions seen on many Transformer fansites, I'm guessing that Transformers: Continuum was pretty crappy in standard. All Ken Christensen did was a cover, and even that has met lots of critiscism from Transfans. Personally I'm very disappointed, but I like the art so it's nice for me to look back once in a while. Anyway, above is an extra page that's been put out. The original article with the other five pages is viewable at this URL:

http://bigsmallcomix.blogspot.com/2009/11/transformers-continuum-preview.html

Posted by Fanbot at 5:23 pm, THURSDAY 12 November

Last Stand of the Wreckers update! Final press release from IDW

2009-11-12T07:44:00.035+13:00

Finally! IDW gives us their final, detailed press release for their extremely promising five issue mini, Last Stand of the Wreckers by Nick Roche, Nick Roche and Josh Burcham. Here's what IDW has to say on Last Stand (edited slightly for space:

Fan-favorite writer and artist Nick Roche helms this five-issue series, which spins out of IDW's new ongoing Transformers series. This story line gives fans a taste of what's been happening off of Earth as the Wreckers investigate a prison planet that fell to the evil Decepticons three years ago. "Transformers fans craving that outer-space action need look no further," said IDW editor Andy Schmidt. "Wreckers is straight science fiction and action-robots in space with the highest of stakes! But don't look for all cheery fun and games here. It's not called 'Last Stand' for nothing!"
Transformers: Last Stand of the Wreckers plots a course to a prison planet conquered by the Decepticons during the war on Earth. With no communication in three years, the Wreckers face an unknown foe, who just might tear Springer, Kup, and their cadre of Autobot heroes apart. Roche and All Hail Megatron's Trevor Hutchison will provide covers.
Wreckers rounds out IDW's new trifecta of Transformers comics, which starts with the new Transformers ongoing series on November 18th and includes Transformers: Bumblebee, coming in December. "While Transformers the ongoing series and Bumblebee are both firmly rooted on terra firma, Wreckers gives fans a good indication of the impact the end of the Autobot vs Decepticon war is having on the rest of the Transformers universe," added Schmidt. "There is something great for every Transformers fan right now in the IDW line-up of Transformers comics."

Now does that sound pretty cool or what? Lots of hardcore Transformer action, and zero organics! This is Stormbringer all over again - pure TF action by an extremely talented artist? Nothing to dislike, really. Last Stand of the Wreckers comes out in stores January 2010. Don't miss it. Oh, and here's that fully colored page from issue 1 I showed you guys a couple months back:

Posted by Fanbot at 7:58 am, THURSDAY 12 November

Witchfinder loses the plot

2009-11-08T20:47:00.003+13:00

And so yet another mini series from Mike Mignola comes to an end. But definitely not the end I anticipated from a prolific writer such as Mignola. Read on ...

THE ART: Ben Stenbeck and colors by Dave Stewart. A very high quality standard of work from these two for the issue. The art flows well and is horribly gory, though not in the enormous splashes of blood everywhere kind of way. Everything's more disgusting and has that wince factor; the death throes of the monster and the mental patients bursting their heads open from banging against the cell bars - ewww, it's so icky. Awesome. Dave Stewarts colors, as usual, enhance Ben's lines to great effect, conveying the moods perfectly (namely the nice sepia sequence at the comic's end). Although the art doesn't go into my mark for the comic as a whole, it is still exquisitely done. Mignola's cover just looks fragging beautiful (I've recently seen his Hellboy work, and I now support those who complain of him not drawing Hellboy anymore). Very good use of light and shadowing. But unfortunately ...

THE STORY: Unfortunately, this is where Mignola lets himself down. The story flows well in itself and there are some good fight scenes - not to mention a nice, simple kill of the monster - but the end seems very truncated which makes me wonder if Mignola could have done with another issue to really tie up this series. I was told by Ben Stenbeck at NZ Armageddon that another Witchfinder series was in the works, but the end to this series seems like a rushed attempt to tie up a stand alone mini. Disappointing, but not totally worthless. The issue's front two thirds are written beautifully. It's only the end I hate. So the story is what affects my score for this issue.

VERDICT: a slightly disappointing end to what was all in all an exquisitely done series. But it was still pretty good. Bring on the next series please, Mike! Rated 7.5 out of 10.

Posted by Fanbot at 8:46 pm, SUNDAY 8 November

Transformers: Continuum preview

2009-11-08T14:22:00.005+13:00

Mine fellow Transformers fans. These next few months (Nov to Jan) will be the most revolutionary, shocking and jam-packed (not to mention expensive) of our fan lives. And now IDW has granted us a peek of the 80+ comics-encompassing one shot, Transformers: Continuum. Though we are given nothing of newcomer Ken Christensen's art, there's some nice panels from past issues (Megatron Origin, Stormbringer, and Spotlight: Blurr among others). Here's the five pages below:

Cool, eh? Look out for this promising one shot in a comic store near you, out in stores almost everywhere on November 18 You do not want to miss this. I ain't.

Posted by Fanbot at 2:21 pm, SUNDAY 8 November

IDW GOES CRAZY.

2009-11-07T21:57:00.006+13:00

OK, this page has just fricking EXPLODED onto pretty much every Transformers fansite there is since RyallTime and CBR gave it to us. Caused a hell of a lot of controversy I can tell you. Here's my view on this:

1: Ironhide getting killed off in the first fragging issue?! Woah, Costa, back up the spaceship a moment. Are you serious or are just going DC on us? Even the dreaded Aussie Shane McCarthy wasn't this blatant. As a man called Goldstein once said (NZ bank ad character), "The world really has changed."

2: What the slag is up with the speech bubbles? They look normal, no differentiation between the bots and the humans. Chris Mowry, Neil Uyetake, Robbie Robbins, whoever - what are you thinking? How are we supposed to tell the difference?

3: What do you think of Don's expressions and faces for the Transformers? For me, they scream three dreaded syllables: DULL. SURPRISE. Nooooo!!

In a Comic Book Resources article, IDW editor Andy Scmidt said on the TF's current situation:

"Transformers" #1, written by Mike Costa with art by Don Figueroa, picks up three years after the events of the recently concluded "All Hail Megatron" maxi-series. Most of the Decepticons have left Earth, Megatron is believed dead, and onetime Autobot ally, Spike Witwicky, is hunting all Transformers, good and evil alike, for the government. His attitude reflects the sentiment of most humans, who watched as a war between robots ravaged the planet. Optimus Prime and his crew live in hiding, but they can't hide forever."

He went on to say, essentially, that Ironhide's death was a sort of spring board from which the events of the series spiral out from. This makes killing off Ironhide understandable, but still very dangerous and almost inexcusable. I think that Costa is treading on thin, thin ice. And we don't even know whose idea it was in the first place to kill Ironhide off (Schmidt said he forgot) so we can't legally lynch them, dammit! Maybe we should just prosecute Costa anyway. he's the writer, it must be his fault. Anyway, if you happen to stumble across this site then please comment and tell me what you think of these controverises. See you very soon (Remember Transformers #1 comes out on November 21, and my original article on the preview is viewable here).

The world has changed. And as with all things in this universe we read of, "It never ends."

Posted by Fanbot at 9:54 pm, SATURDAY 7 November

TRANSFORMERS #1 preview

2009-11-06T07:56:00.003+13:00

And so it begins. Out November 18, IDW's long-awaited ongoing The Transformers series kicks off in an explosive way this month with Ryall providing us with three glorious pages from Don Figueroa. Here's what IDW has to say about the issue, and then the three-page preview below that:

TRANSFORMERS #1: (w: Mike Costa/ a: Don Figueroa) It’s been three years since the devastating events of All Hail Megatron. The Earth has been rebuilt, the AUTOBOTS are in hiding, and the next great era in the TRANSFORMERS saga is about to begin! Critically acclaimed writer Mike Costa is joined by superstar artist Don Figueroa for IDW’s biggest book of the year—the launch of the first ongoing TRANSFORMERS title in five years! This is what fans have been waiting for—you do not want to miss this!

That Mike Costa certainly doesn't piss about when it comes to characters. Just like Simon Furman in some ways (though without all that corny, overused, cliched dialogue). Does anyone have any fragging idea why the TFs are speaking with normal speech bubbles? This could get very confusing. Anyway, the art looks awesome as is usual for Don Figueroa. Don't miss this one!

Posted by Fanbot at 7:57 am, FRIDAY 6 November

Review - All FAIL Megatron #16

2009-10-30T16:57:00.005+13:00

And so it ends ... God, how many times have we heard that before? But as Simon Furman constantly reminds us, "It never ends." For once a cliched Furmanism fits the situation. IDW have dragged this maxi series out to 16 issues, so let's see how they wrapped it up.

The Art: For "The Man of Steel" (a: Guido Guidi/ c:Josh Burcham), the art is pretty well done at first glance. Guidi's strong lines and good use of storytelling are fully demonstrated in the 11 pages. Josh Burcham, using his more clean, semi-flat color style (maybe to suggest the new order and peace on Earth?) to enhance Guidi's lines. But upon closer inspection, Guidi seems to have done a sloppy job on several pages. The inks look rushed and unprofessional, with minimal detail. On other pages, they look fine, and on other pages still there is a lot of shadowy hatching that looks weird in the brightly lit scene of Spike's hospital room. But overall it looks pretty cool, especially the scenes of Ravage with his glowing eyes. Next, "Hidden" (a: Chee/ c: Moose Baumann). This one has much better quality art, even though I've never been a fan of Chee's style. Not enough realism and he's bad at perspective. But the shadowy art suits the mood, and Chee tells Zander Cannon's story well. Newcomer Moose Baumann's bright, surreal palette fits the story in its slight nightmarishness. The shot of Optimus Prime and co. standing over the humans looks just fraggin' awesome. Better job done than "The Man of Steel".

The Story: "The Man of Steel": the story is good in itself, but is essentially just a small exposition of what happened to Spike after All Hail Megatron. The fight scene with Ravage leaves a lot to be desired; no ouchworthy impacts, and no sound effects at all. Is this what you call an action scene Mr Costa? Well, I don't. The story's only salvation is Spike's dad Daniel Witwicky (role reversal lol)being named as the new head of Skywatch. Oooo ... so not bad, but not exactly good either. I'm left disappointed upon finishing. And "Hidden"? Well, unlike the art for this story, the quality is terrible. This is not a good start for new writer Zander Cannon (pray he does better in the Bumblebee mini). The story has no substance whatsoever. So Bumblebee gets spotted by some humans and gets a bit dinged up. Who really gives a slag? Not me. But a funny little bit of this story is the readouts on BB's optic viewer. "Range 20m", "Zoom" and such. Lol. So, worse than "The Man of Steel", which is saying something.

Errors: Quite a few in this one. Firstly, the nurses fawning over Spike are dressed in traditional white with red cross outfits that are never worn by modern nurses. WTF? Second, Chee draws Bumblebee, Ratchet and pretty much all the Autobots in robot forms perpetuated by Guido Guidi. So Bumblebee isn't in his IDW body. Ratchet has Animated Ratchet's sign on his shoulders, and Prime has wheels on his hips. Why must Chee draw them this way? Also, the Colonel seems to imply that Agent Red (former head of Skywatch) was not American. he looked and acted very American to me. Maybe he was Russian (Agent "Red get it?")? Then again, American government agencies are notorious for being run by foreigners.And lastly, one of the bashed-up Decepticons found in NY was Thrust (he was pictured). How did he get to Earth? The last we saw of him was when his Nebulos infiltration team was attacking Thunderwing. This is probably not an error but is nontheless a bit weird. Nothing else that I've been able to identify so far.

Verdict: a despicably low quality end to what I think was a great series. The art, although quite good, didn't make up for the sub-par plot. Rated 8 out of 10.

Posted by Fanbot at 4:59 pm, FRIDAY 30 October

The Gui has Transformers: Bumblebee #2 covered

2009-10-30T16:03:00.004+13:00

Sorry about the messiness of "covering" these series, the covers pop up all over the place (this one came from Guido Guidi's deviantArt page). Anyway, this is Guidi's variant cover for Transformers: Bumblebee #2, out January. Chee's normal cover is shown for reference below, and my original article on this is here. Here you go:

Posted by Fanbot at 4:03 pm, FRIDAY 30 October

Going Backwards - Spotlight: Kup review

2009-10-29T21:16:00.033+13:00

Picked this comic up from the Armageddon Expo on 25 October. I've been hunting around for it since the middle of last year, so when I saw it hiding behind a bunch of other old Spotlights, I had to buy it. This was Nick Roche's first full sequential comic job for IDW, and also his writing debut (See All Hail Megatron #15 and Last Stand of the Wreckers for more). Let's get our teeth into this sucker shall we? {{noises of paper being ripped and torn}}

The Art: Nick's sequential art debut is like a band's debut album--slightly alternative in taste, with strong themes and symbolism abundant. Nick fully makes use of symbolism: the sequences with Kup on the planet are drawn in a rough, scratchy way, with large shadow patches, crazy hatching and jagged panels showing the hallucinating, warped view that Kup has on the world. This contrasts with the scenes on Springer's ship, where the lines are clean and smooth and realistic. Andrew Elder's unique colors enhance this; Kup's scenes are colored in stark, semi-flat tones that are blatantly stark: yellow for day, blues and blacks for night. Springer and co.'s scenes are colored normally. All in all the art flows beautifully, with excellent use of panels and some lovely gore scenes (AWESOME!). Good job all around in this sector.

The Story: Since Roche hasn't done a lot of writing, I'm unsure as to the actual quality of his penmanship. But the story is quite cool in its simplicity, and the story flows well, and reads like a suspense/ horror movie (which it kinda is). Roche uses the frailty of Kup's mind to great effect, with devices making it very adult and scary. I mean, Kup is decapitating innocent mechs, killing his would-be rescuers and using his deactivated comrade's arm as a club. How freaky is that? The blackly funny pun, of Kup's interior monolog, shown in a panel of Kup holding Outback's arm: "He's a good kid, that Outback. Always willing to give a HAND." El mucho freak (Pity this is the last we'll ever see of the Aussie Autobot). And the blurb at the front of the issue makes a few nice references to Kup's war stories from the cartoon: "He's defeated Igyaks, fended off the Shrike-Bats of Dromedon, and remembers the day they inverted polarities..." All in all Roche gives us a nicely done stories with some clever references slotted subtly into the story. Nick Roche is fraggin' awesome.

Verdict: An extremely well-done one shot, with great plot and even better art. Nick Roche is fraggin' awesome. Bring on Last Stand of the Wreckers! Rated 10 out of 10.

Posted by Fanbot at 10:01 pm, THURSDAY 29 October

Cover for Transformers: Bumblebee #2

2009-10-28T07:47:00.002+13:00

Another cover's been released by IDW. This one is for Zander Cannon's BUMBLEBEE spotlight miniseries, drawn by newcomer Chee Yang Ong. Here's the publisher solicitation from IDW below:

TRANSFORMERS: BUMBLEBEE #2: Zander Cannon (w) Chee Yang Ong (a): "Things Fall Apart," Part 2: Bumblebee's human-allied Skywatch team tracks down their latest target: the Autobot Blurr. With this forced betrayal, the team's morale takes a deep plunge until Bumblebee and Wheeljack devise a dangerous mission to free them all from the kill-switches that compel them to obey Col. Horiuchi's commands.

Sounds very intriguing to me. Watch out for this one in January 2010. See you then.

Posted by Fanbot at 7:47 am, WEDNESDAY 28 October

Covers for Transformers ongoing #3

2009-10-27T20:18:00.003+13:00

The cover for IDW's all-new Transformers ongoing series just keep rolling in! Just put out into the net are Don Figueroa's and Andrew Wildman's covers for Transformers #3. They look pretty awesome, eh? Also provided for us raving TF fans was the publisher solicitation, shown below:

THE TRANSFORMERS #3: Mike Costa (w) Don Figueroa (a): Hot Rod's desire to get off-planet leads to some desperate measures, Optimus Prime and Spike sit down for an unpleasant conversation, and a new arrival to the Autobot camp comes at their most vulnerable time possible. Costa and Figueroa continue to make history, bringing the Autobots to their (almost) darkest hour.

These are gonna be so awesome. I just can't wait to get these in the flesh. Stay tuned!

Posted by Fanbot at 8:18 pm, TUESDAY 27 October

Last Stand of the Wreckers update! Colored page of issue 1

2009-10-27T17:24:00.000+13:00

Hi, just saw this posted on Josh Burcham's deviantart page (dcjosh.deviantart.com), where apparently he is just finishing the colors for issue 1 of Last Stand of the Wreckers, due out in January 2010. Anyway, it looks absolutely awesome doncha think? The big guy is Masterforce fave Overlord and the center figure in panel 2 is Banzaitron I think. Keep watching this space for more info on this series as it happens.

Posted by Fanbot at 5:25 pm, TUESDAY 27 October

Fanbot's Armageddon haul!

2009-10-27T16:35:00.005+13:00

Went to the Armageddon Expo on Sunday. Loved it. Helped Richard Fairgray out with his Blastosaurus stall, and there were loads of cool stuff there. Loads of cosplayers! And two Masterpiece Grimlocks sighted - unfortunately out of my price range, dammit! But anyway, here's the stuff I bought on that day:

TRANSFORMERS Spotlight: Kup cvr A (Nick Roche)

TRANSFORMERS: Stormbringer #1 (Simon Furman/Don Figueroa)

TRANSFORMERS: Stormbringer #2 (Simon Furman/Don Figueroa)

TRANSFORMERS: Stormbringer #3 (Simon Furman/Don Figueroa)

TRANSFORMERS: Stormbringer #4 (Simon Furman/Don Figueroa)

HELLBOY: Ghost & Hellboy #1

HELLBOY: Ghost & Hellboy #2

HELLBOY: The Wolves of St August TPB (Mike Mignola)

HELLBOY: Wake the Devil #3 (Mike Mignola)

HELLBOY: Wake the Devil #5 (Mike Mignola)

HELLBOY: Darkness Calls #6

BLASTOSAURUS Halloween Special (Richard Fairgray/Terry Jones)

BLASTOSAURUS #0 3RD Printing (Richard Fairgray/Terry Jones)

A comissioned sketch of Blastosaurus by Tuku Wiki-Pasene

That's all folks! See you next year!

Posted by Fanbot at 4:36 pm, TUESDAY 27 October

Real Effing Comix #1: Death to Shane McCarthy!

2009-10-25T17:04:00.006+13:00

Posted by Fanbot at 5:05 pm, SUNDAY 25 October

All Hail Megatron, G2 propaganda style!!!

2009-10-22T16:29:00.005+13:00

Hey, just put this pic up on my deviantArt page a couple days ago (minimus-minor.deviantart.com), and thought you guys might like to see it. I kind of wanted to portray him as a hardcore warrior leader who pwns all before him. The G2 Decepticon symbols at the back are kinda just to make it look like Decepticon propaganda. Below is the original line art, and the final, Fotoshopped version in all their Con glory:

Hope you guys enjoy these. There will be more to follow as soon as I have time to Fotoshop more. See you soon!

Posted by Fanbot at 4:30 pm, THURSDAY 22 October

I Fight Crime available at Armageddon Expo

2009-10-21T16:27:00.021+13:00

The following covers are for the chequebook-shaped collections of Richard Fairgray and Mary-Ann Cotton's webcomic I FIGHT CRIME, viewable here at the Blastosaurus website. They will be available at the NZ Armageddon Expo in a couple of days. These strips are actually quite clever so make sure you get one or two if you go to Armageddon (October 24-26). See you there!

Posted by Fanbot at 4:34 pm, WEDNESDAY 21 October

Tales of the Fallen: Jetfire preview

2009-10-18T11:04:00.005+13:00

After the disappointment of Tales of the Fallen: Sideswipe, the five-page preview of Tales of the Fallen: Jetfire looks to drag this miniseries out of the mud. With Carlos Magno clearly upping his art quality, and the prolific Moose Baumann on color duties, the quality of this issue looks to be the best yet. Chris Mowry is back to writing TotF, right where he should be. Finally, we learn of leaky, creaky ol' Jetfire's origins. Here's the five pages for viewing pleasure:

Look out for Transformers Tales of the Fallen: Jetfire, out on October 21. Don't miss this one. See you round. Fanbot has spoken!

Posted by Fanbot at 11:07 am, SUNDAY 18 October

Going Backwards - Transformers: All Hail Megatron #5 review

2009-10-14T16:27:00.002+13:00

Hi everybody, we're back with another instalment of your favorite ~~show~~ article: Going Backwards reviews! This week, your host Fanbot brings you thoughts on IDW's Transformers: All Hail Megatron #5. No messing around now, let's just get straight into the review...

Synopsis: ot Rod is brought back to the others and explains to Jazz how his team, lead by Kup on the Starship Trion, followed a Decepticon battle cruiser into a trap in orbit of Cybertron and were shot down when the Decepticons were able to penetrate their ship's systems. Once they crashed they expected to be followed or for the Swarm to turn up and so they hid, trying their best to conserve Energon whilst Hot Rod rigged a distress signal. His story finished, Kup and the other crew members arrive.
Outside New York, Colonel Witwicky’s son Spike arrives at the army camp. His father explains that the Decepticons are beginning to attack the rest of the country and the United Nations are getting nervous so America needs to solve this problem before the world starts to take extreme measures that could cost millions of lives. By studying Decepticon broadcasts they know Megatron is the leader and his death would leave the others directionless. Spike is to lead a team into New York and use a new weapon that was stored in the City to try to kill Megatron.
On Cybertron, Kup is unconvinced by Jazz’s leadership, but the head of Special Ops proves his worth as a rational leader by beating up Springer and Blurr. He then takes Kup to Prime.
Spike and his team try to cross the river into New York but barely get halfway before Ratbat seemingly kills all of them, leaving the Colonel broken.
Jazz explains to Kup that Prime was wounded by Devastator and is dying. Kup is able to guess what Jazz and Prowl have been keeping from the others; Megatron has the Matrix.
On Earth, Megatron gloats over his prize amongst the newly constructed buildings in New York, whilst by the river Spike has somehow survived and made it to the other side.

The Good: ART: Guido Guidi, you are slagging awesome (Casey looked good for his four pages too, but you can't beat the Gui.). The thick, bold lines, blocks of shadow, and gritty texture convey the, well, gritty, mood of the story. In contrast, sequences on Earth seem slightly smoother, as some order (of the Decepticon kind) is present. Josh's toned-down, expressive color palette enhances the artwork to new levels of beauty. COVER: Shown above, Trevor Hutchison's variant cover for the issue is pretty damn awesome, with the standoffish-looking Jazz and Kup standing as if from either sides of a duelling field. Notice that Jazz is black and Kup is white. This alludes to their (G1 cartoon) personalities. Very clever on all levels. STORY: Shane's plot is adequately believable and relatively straightforward. Shane, was going awesome up till now. See below...

The Bad: Here is where the story's reasoning goes a bit downhill. The super-weapon that just happened to be in NY and conveniently didn't get damaged in the Decepticons' totall pwning of the city? A little too convenient for it to be realistic. But then there's a whole lot of these when we read McCarthy's work. Also, the Autobots on the shuttle feel any damage inflicted on the ship as pain through their plug-in piloting system. That’s a tad daft dontcha think? An even though Megatron claimed to have conquered the entire Earth last issue. Colonel Witwicky here talks in terms of a solely American invasion, with the other world powers all ready to nuke America.

The Ugly: See above for all the uglies.

Verdict: The story starts to go downhill from here, but i still relatively believable and the art, as usual, is awesome. A well-executed issue, worth my money. Rated 8.5 out 10.

Posted by Fanbot at 4:28 pm, WEDNESDAY 14 October

Blastosaurus Halloween Special cover

2009-10-12T16:35:00.002+13:00

Just got updated on the Blastosaurus front! Legally blind NZ comic artist Richard Fairgray has released his cover for the "Halloween Special" of indie comic Blastosaurus (pictured above). This comic is a little gem, see my June 2009 archives for more on this or click on the "blastosaurus" label. Anyway, Richard has kicked his artwork up a notch for this one, developed his style a lot. It looks pretty awesome, don't you agree? I don't really know when this is coming out so stay tuned for more info as it happens. Here's what the man himself says on the cover:

"I can't give away much about it except that it has, funny costumes, a serial killer, bleeding children and Commissioner Harris dressed as a bumblebee. The final version will actually look cooler than this one, it'll be on fancy paper and the title will be stamped on so it looks all creepy and a bit like it's written in blood."

Posted by Fanbot at 4:35 pm, MONDAY 12 October

All Hail Megatron #14 preview--the end is nigh!

2009-10-12T16:19:00.005+13:00

The end is nigh, my Transfan brothers! This issue (All Hail Megatron #16) heralds the end of days for IDW's Transformers minseries run! From here on in, it's nothing but ongoing issue numbers as far as the eye can see, with four-issue Spotlights sprinkled here and there. I can't wait. Apocalyses can be awesome. But anyway, here's a totally awesome four-page preview of this issue. There is a fifth page you can see here at Ryall Time, but I can't get it off the page. If you're too lazy to go to Ryall Time now, you can just read Spike's dialogue below. Further below, the four pages for your viewing pleasure:

"After the New York incident, the US army had an entire division deployed to the city for over a year. For my part, I got a medal, got a promotion, and I got my own unit. They had plenty of people for the rebuilding effort. Me and my men had a different mission. We were gonna go hunt down whichever of those things were left."

AHM mainstay artist Guido Guidi and colorist extraordinaire Josh Burcham collaborate seamlessly on these beautiful pages. Though Josh seems to have opted for his flat color style as opposed to the gritty, textured style of his previous AHM work, and Guido has an overall, lighter, smoother inking look. Maybe this represents the restoration of order in the IDW-verse, and the new, fresh start. But anyway. Look out for Transformers: All Hail Megatron #16 (remember, this is the FINAL ISSUE!!!), out on October 14! See you there! Bye.

Posted by Fanbot at 4:21 pm, MONDAY 12 October

Random review - G.I Joe #9

2009-10-10T13:38:00.001+13:00

I've been a bit erratic with my GI Joe reviews, on account of financial difficulty forcing me to prioritise my comics purchases. GI Joe unfortunately goes out the window since it goes biweekly soon and I can't take that. But a comic is a comic and I review comics, so that's why this is here. Here goes nothing.

The Good: Art: Adequate for story's needs. Good coloring enhances the mediocre artwork. The story flows quite nicely, with subplots and characters beginning to culminate on each other. Mainframe shows up after his disappearance in Origins #7, and Snake Eyes looks his usual awesome silent ninja self - until he gets knocked out and falls on a hatch, blocking Mainframe's exit. Good use of cliffhanger there. Destro looks awesome and funny at the same time, with his menacing metal body clothed by a red dressing gown and fluffy red slippers. Cool.

The Bad: First off, the artwork, S L Gallant has very feathery, messy-looking inks that don't look very nice on paper. His storytelling could use serious work, lots and lots of white space on pages where none is needed. It was very confusing to read, and frankly ruined the experience for me. The cover was perhaps the highlight of the issue. Atkins was way better (see issue 4's review, here), at least he was on cover duty (not pictured) to haul this comic out of the slums. Next, a grumble about the story's dialogue; Dixon, do you really have to keep on doing Destro's Scottish accent so much? He don't use it when Destro converses with Baroness, so why at all?

The Ugly: No uglies identified.

Verdict: Good story, but S L Gallant's messy artwork let this one down. Big disappointment. Rated 7 out of 10.

Posted by Fanbot at 1:39 pm, SATURDAY 10 October