Actually, Alex Milne has confirmed that the so-called "mystery character" is Red Alert. He can be seen in color on the cover to #3.

While I must say that I love Nick's art and can't disagree with you more, Alex Milne is doing the art in this book from #2 onwards. Just sayin'.

 

You prefer Dreamwave art to this? Please tell me you're joking.

"Too hard to recognize anybody"? Are we even looking at the same picture? Seriously, these designs have more uniqueness and personality than most official Transformer art. There's no generic sameface going on here or features lost in a myriad of pointless detaily kibble or DULL SURPRISE expressions.

 

I love the designs. I really do. I don't mind that they are cartoony. I'll take it. I am absolutely in LOVE with Perceptor.

 

drift i thought it was blurr at first, all i can tell apart was magnus, rdoimus & cyclonus

 

Dat Nick Roche art!

Dem eyes!!!

Love it!

 

I dig Nick's art, it brings more life into the characters as oppose to when others draw Transformers they come off more cold feeling.

 

Also, upper left. That's Shockwave, isn't it?

 

Not a fan of the art. Yes, I agree this would work better if it's Animated TF. As for Chromedome, I thought it was Grimlock if someone hadn't pointed it out, eheh.

As for the upper left, I think that's Whirl.

 

Looks like Whirl to me.

 

Gotta say I love that Cyclonus wasn't banished to comics limbo, he's always been a fave. I really liked him snapping and going after Galvatron in #31.

 

Can somebody make a list of who's who?

 

I like this art a HELL of a lot more than the previous MTMtE covers they've released up until now.

Please tell me you're joking that everyone has to always jump on anyone for not joining the groupthink about Dreamwave art. Dreamwave art which included people like Guido Guidi and Don Figueroa except with often better coloring than they get now. It gets tedious seeing people's kneejerk and often hypocritical reactions every time DW gets mentioned.

Anyway, back to this cover, I love this and don't mind the cartooniness at all. I prefer it by a million miles over the more super-heroish cover released before for this book (although, ironically, this cover does seem to be an homage to Kevin Maguire's classic -- and often homaged -- Justice League cover).


And Chromedome! YES!!!

 

In my estimation, from top left:
Whirl, Ratchet, Cyclonus
Drift, Chromedome, Ultra Magnus, Red Alert
No idea*, Rodimus, Eject or Rewind.


*=Evidently this character is named "Rung," but in his few appearances he made precisely no impression on me.

 

And with Rodimus as Guy Gardner, Magnus as Batman, Cyclonus as Black Canary (!), Chromedome as Blue Beetle, Whirl (or Shockwave) as Oberon, Ratchet as Mister Miracle, Drift as Doctor Light, Red Alert (?) as Martian Manhunter, and whoever the front corner characters are as Doctor Fate and Captain Marvel.

 

Welcome to Transformers fandom, where there's always at least one person who disagrees with your preferences.

*tsk tsk* Where did I say that "everyone has to always jump on anyone for not joining the groupthink about Dreamwave art"? Sounds to me more like you have a chip on your shoulder about this.

And really, as they were forced to draw that way as part of the "house style", I'm not so sure that even Guido or Don would like to go back to drawing the Dreamwave way.

 

Yeah, that's what I'm saying to you. You'll notice I don't say, "Please tell me you're joking that you don't like Dreamwave art". You're free to not like it. You're the one trying to make the guy feel like an idiot for having a differentiating opinion. "Please tell me you're joking you like x." Really...?

 

What, am I not free to express disbelief at someone not only saying that Roche's art is "overly cartoony" (for a franchise based on children's toys, even!), but also saying that Dreamwave art is some sort of normal standard that the official comics should look to? Because that's pretty damn astounding to me.

I'm sure if Burnout has a problem with what I said to him he could respond himself. I doubt he needs anyone whiteknighting for him.

 

Yeah, okay. Funny how this seems to bother you so much though. All I did was express my disbelief at you. Weird that you see it as being so much different from what you did. "Welcome to Transformers fandom, where there's always at least one person who disagrees with your preferences."  

 

According to someone on the Allspark, the guy next to Rodimus is Rung.

Rung - Transformers Wiki

 

Yeah, that's Rung - the psychiatrist who did the character assessments in the Last Stand Of The Wreckers, and also the poor unfortunate whose battering by some up themselves cadets in Ongoing 22 led to a pre-war Impactor (and Megatron, through being there) getting banged up for taking matters into his own hands.

On the style, I think it's great. Fresh, dynamic and full of character.