Out tomorrow, March 31st! Until then, an early review:

TFW2005 Reviews Transformers #5 - Transformers News

Pick it up tomorrow and discuss!

 

I'm not really enthused with the depiction of Hot Rod/Rodimus in this series, because it seems to reinforce the casual Transformers fan's stereotypical perception that Rodimus Prime was always useless (compared to Optimus Prime), which is somewhat at odds with how Hot Rod was previously depicted in IDW. Hell, the major screw up under Hot Rod's watch during Furman's run was because of Doubledealer, not because he was incompetent.

 

In this issue: Bumblebee looks even more Bay-ish than last time!

(Spoiler; he loses his voice in the next issue.)

 

I'm liking BB's new body design even if it is more movie-style than before. I can't wait to get this issue in the mail. Hopefully, it'll be this week.

 

I'm looking forward to this. The series has really begun to hit its stride of late.

 

It's not exactly showing that Hot Rodimus is a complete screw-up. It showing that even though he may be a valued soldier, as shown in IDW's previous storylines, he is not an effective leader. He's easily swayed, his focus is too linear, he trusts others too quickly, etc.

 

This was an interesting issue to read.

I'm glad that Prime is finally moving toward being... you know, useful again.

 

I am looking forward to seeing where this goes. It's nitpicky, I know, but I miss the days when upgraded, rebuilt, more mature Bumblebee was, y'know, Goldbug.

-ZacWilliam, the seperation of the two was REALLY arbitrary and pointless and screws up what would have been a neater moment here (IMO).

 

The characterization of Hot Rod really bothers me. He was so awesome up 'till now, sure he was a little impatient but he was incredibly compitent, enough to realize that something was going on with Double Dealer. And then his sticking behind on earth and fighting 'till his last "breath" in Maximum Dinobots, all of that was completely gone with the first issue of Ongoing and he became an impatient teenager who thinks he knows everything.

Beyond that the main thing that bothers me (I can get around the art) is it seemed completely pointless to give Bumblebee a mini instead of just writing that story into the main book.

 

The only reason Hasbro did that back in the day was to sell toys. instead of having some random blue robot space ship (who the F' is this guy?) they 'transformed' old characters into new ones. (oh....those are the Insecticons but different! there the 'Sweeps' now!).

A lot easier for kids to grasp I guess. I for one like keeping characters like that away from that trend. It makes for a larger cast and a new take on characters. Like Galvatron vs Megatron is something I'm waiting to see from IDW!

Writing that mini into the ongoing would have hurt the series if you really think about it. I do think we could've lived without it though but it was best to pace Bee's evolution over 4 of his own issues than to suck up time in the on-going being a wimp or to rush it with a "now I'm a bad ass moment, cause I fought

Spoiler

Skywarp

".

As for Rodimus, yeah it does feel like he's going backwards in his 'evolution'. But besides being a little slow, I love everything about this series, the faces seem to look a lot better also!

Something that's bugging me is....We know how the Autobots got back to Earth in AHM. But how did they return before that? Once that business with Nemesis Prime was done, how they get back to Earth why can't Rodimus use that ship?

 

It bothers me because there was so much major stuff that took place within Bumblebee's mini that those who don't read it are going to have to just pick up on what went on through exposition (which we don't yet know how much there'll even be). It's just so integrated into the main story that there was really no need to make a mini out of it other than to make some extra coin, which in turn ruins some of the integrity of the writing process.

All my opinion, just putting it out there.  

 

Most of those ships were probably destroyed by the Decepticons pre-AHM. Any that are left are probably too small or can't be used for the same reason Omega Supreme can't just shuttle them back: lack of energon.

 

That... somebody tell me please Optimus did not say that line. It's the biggest, most retarted thing anyone would put into a TFs mouth ever since the Bayformers movie's idiotic lines.

I think I need to make a signature of this...

All in all, now I have lost all interest in the series after issue #4 - the whole thing makes horribly little sense. Bots and Cons idly working together despite being at each others throats for millenia? Marvel handled that much better (see stuff after the Unicron storyline). Hot Rod becoming a leader without showing ANY great leadership qualities... Then, of all people, placing his trust into a decepticon whom even his own side had wanted for various crimes, and who proudly bears the name "Swindle". I mean, really. Prowl boldly following a guy several ranks below him, a guy whom he openly stated his dislike of in Escalation. Ultra Magnus bitching and getting ignored just like the previous continuity he seems to still hold on to. I won't be surprised if he breaks down and cries "I can't deal with all these reboots!"

Also, BB turning into a Camaro, Jetfire getting remade into a black jet... please IDW, stop lying to us that Hasbro is not forcing you to mash G1 together with Bayformers, we have been around longer then you have (I certainly have), we are not idiots.

Since the art, Don or no Don, also holds no appeal to me, I think I won't even bother to download the scans anymore. I'll read TFW2005's reviews of these issues, and invoke the name of the ancient egyptian god of disinterest and dismissive remarks: PTAH.

 

Thats the whole point brother LOL!  

The Spotlights got to that point where it was just telling a pointless story and not advancing the over-all arc at all. I say don't tell a story unless there's a story to be told. But in the end it's always about the money.

I really hope they pick up on Blaster vs Soundwave rivalry again :[

Duh....forgot all about the energon problem.
- Thanks

 

I want spoilers!! How do the Bots respond to Mensaur? How does Prime and Spike conversation go?

 

YES!!

I will be picking this up tomorrow. A lot of people have been this series grief but I personally love the designs and so far the story is pretty good.

 

also interested in spoilers. what's this not unexpected revelation that's supposed to be at the end of issue 5?

That being said, I'm not a big fan of making the comic like the Bayformers. On the other hand if they're willing to put other TF's storylines into the "core" story (beast wars, animated ect  then I could deal with a "cohesive" TF universe

 

I felt like this was the weakest issue of the ongoing so far just based on my initial read through. It could be because its following #4, or that issue #4 and LSotW have raised my expectations. Nothing happened in this issue. and there was no letters page. lame.

 

A lot of actions and plots set up in the first four issues of the monthly series get some resolution in this issue. Or if not resolution, then they get some explanations and major advancement.

The issue begins with Optimus Prime finally opening up to Spike about why he quit and turned himself in, and his reasoning ties in with the theme that Costa’s begun to develop about the stagnation of the Transformers as a race, and how they’re locked into the same patterns of behavior. On one hand it makes sense out of thousands or millions of years of warfare, if the combatants are incapable of genuinely learning and changing fast enough to get the advantage over the other side. On the other hand, it’s hard to grasp the concept of a race that is written to be so much like humanity when it comes to character and behavior, and yet have them so slow to apply their experiences in order to change and grow. The idea has merit, and offers a reason for the Transformers to remain on Earth in order to learn from humanity, but it needs some more development. If not treated carefully, it has real potential to make the Transformers look not so much inflexible as simply unintelligent.

And speaking of unintelligent… there’s Hot Rod. I’ll give him credit for trying to act on principle and trying to set aside the hatred and distrust of the war, but between the last issue and this one, he comes across as pretty naïve. I mean, the guy leading the Decepticons is named Swindle, for crying out loud. How trustworthy can he be? Ultra Magnus’ offhand remark about Swindle trading in gestalt technology last issue caught my attention, and it turns out to be deliberate as Swindle reveals his “newest creation”. Drag Strip and Dead End rescue Breakdown, and Swindle applies the combiner technology to him under the guise of repairing him. Ultra Magnus deputizes Bumblebee’s unit and returns to complete his arrests that he tried to make last issue, only to be confronted by Menasor.

I like Swindle’s evil look on the last page as he tells Menasor to “kill Ultra Magnus first”. Nice cliffhanger ending. How are they going to get out of this one? And it’s interesting that Thundercracker is still standing apart from the main Decepticon group, watching them the same way he did last issue. It’ll be interesting to see how he reacts next time.

Overall: the pace was starting to get a little slow for an issue or two, but we finally get some payoff. Prime’s reasoning makes sense, always assuming it doesn’t open an even bigger can of worms, and Menasor makes the third gestalt, which so far are all Decepticons. The Autobots better get around to evening the odds sometime soon.

 

On the negative, it read very short. The pacing of this series is much akin to Infiltration, as it is now apparent this story could easily be told in four issues. The most frustrating thing about the issue is the wasted page space. It's absolutely glaring. I mean, seriously, why waste an entire first page on a picture of an army base? Why waste half a page on Spike holding a bigass gun out a car window? I'll tell you why. Six issues equal a trade, not four.

A second negative is the predictability of what's unfolding. The cover solicits for future issues certainly don't help. We knew the Stunticons were going to get Breakdown back. We knew Swindle was going to screw over Hot Rod and gestaltify the Stunticons. Yet, those were the 'surprise' features of this issue. With LSOTW, we are pretty much in the dark. Anything can happen. That's how it should be.

There are still some positives that have been consistent throughout the series. Don's art being one. Whereas I complained about the wasted page splashes above, if you're going to use a double-page spread on something, that Menasor combining shot is the way to do it. Awesome. It's nice to see Costa bring back some actual significance to the combiners. They seem to be the threat they were meant to be. (thankfully consistent with what Simon did with Monstructor).

I really like the novel concept that, despite the technical superiority of the TF race, they are far less able to adapt to pressures that have an emotional foundation. Their failure to grasp this offers an intriguing explanation for why a war can actually last for millions of years. They are machines, and as such, have a difficult time 'going against their programming', so to speak. Only after witnessing Earth and it's populace does Prime now fathom this, and like Thundercracker, comes to realize that the TF have much to learn in the ways of true adaptation. Quite ironic, really. I give Costa credit for this take.

In the end though, have to give it a "C+". Pace slow, content lacking, predictable events make it harder for me to enjoy what's positive in it. And as I said with Infiltration before this, it will read much better as a trade.

On the plus side, it looks like the next issue will be a hoot, mainly because what's going to happen next can't be so easily predicted.