Stormbringer #3 (SPOILERS)

Discussion in 'Transformers Comics Discussion' started by Lord Shockwave, Sep 7, 2006.

  1. Lord Shockwave

    Lord Shockwave Well-Known Member

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    Solid, solid issue through and through.

    Sometimes, that third issue in a four-issue limited series doesn't add much to the story. That was not the case here. Revelations are made, and the story progresses quite nicely.

    And how kickass was Bludgeon in this one? Didn't see his role as primary antagonist in this series coming, but its working great having Thunderwing as Bludgeon's weapon. Something tells me though that its Thunderwings time to shine in the coming final issue.

    Simon is doing a great job with the pacing here. He has also steered clear of being overly mystical, and I really appreciate that. I have to tip my hat to him again for achieving something I never thought possible--namely, giving the Pretender technology practical significance in a very cool way. With Cybertron's caustic enviroment, the Pretender technology finally makes sense. Well done, Simon.

    Don and Josh's work is, again, of the highest quality we could hope to find in a TF comic book. Who would have thought that the greatest penciller in TF comic books would also be one of our greatest inkers? Don just keeps getting better and better, which is almost scary when you think about how good he already is. When you get those offers from Marvel or DC, Don, remember who loves you most, okay?

    And ThunderCharger...that umbrella....good stuff

    Another solid "A" comic. To produce three outstanding issues in a row is hard to come by in any comic series these days, but IDW has done just that.
     
  2. Dalarsco

    Dalarsco Kickback=ROCK

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    I really hope that they bring back the Pretenders after Escalation, or maybe even during it. These are some damn good villains.
     
  3. Kickback

    Kickback @GeekWithChris Administrator News Staff

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    Simon Furman? Making Bludgeon the main villian?

    Yeah. WHO WOULD HAVE SEEN THAT ONE COMING? :p 
     
  4. Ops_was_a_truck

    Ops_was_a_truck JOOOLIE ANDREWWWWWS!!!!!!

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    I hope my comic book store gets in Stormbringer #3 soon... :( 
     
  5. IACON

    IACON "That's Vector Sigma?" TFW2005 Supporter

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    Did you guys notice how this issue connects us the readers, to the infiltration issues ? if not look closely in the panels where we see Megatron...
     
  6. Brave Magnus

    Brave Magnus Drawings from Argentina! :D

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    Awesome spoilers! I can't wait to get my copy.
     
  7. Beastbot X

    Beastbot X Old skool. In a lot of ways.

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    Yeah, I noticed that too, that was pretty cool.

    I still can't figure out what the heck it was exactly that happened to Bludgeon that caused his face to partially melt, but otherwise this was a pretty good issue.
     
  8. Gears

    Gears buh-buh-body ya Veteran

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    What a wild ride this series has become. I love seeing all these pre-earth designs. Very action packed and I look forward to the conclusion. Furman/ Figueroa Forever!
     
  9. King Starscream

    King Starscream <b><font color=blue>The Royal Seeker</font></b> Veteran

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    I'm surprised he hasn't sprung Grimlock on us in the IDW Universe. And I'm not counting his BW appearance.
     
  10. DON

    DON Well-Known Member

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    Now, why would I want to go anywhere? :D 
     
  11. Dalarsco

    Dalarsco Kickback=ROCK

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    I love Don's art, but I'm not sure it's right for anything human. I never read Macromasters, so I'm not sure if there were humans in there, but the biggest reason Don's art is so amazing is the tech designs themselves. Which is good, becasue that means that he will never be too busy with otehr projects to do TFs.
     
  12. Josh

    Josh Comic Color-guy

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    *latches to Dons back*

    you aint goin anywhere without me xD
     
  13. Vangelus

    Vangelus Long Live the New Flesh Moderator Content Contributor

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    Beautiful art, but the script really started to hurt. :(  First time I've been truly meh'd by Furman dialogue.

    "It's all gone to hell!" + a reminder of "NUKED the planet!" in the letters page = sad Vange. Having hardcore earth slang, especially when chronologically the TFs we're seeing should not really know any of it, is a negative point to me. Sorta reminds me of some of the lines I -hated- from DW Vol 1.

    The pacing also seemed to suddenly hypervelocity up about halfway through (Bludgeon reveal/assumed demise)...how many issues is this mini getting again? If it's only got 4, it's the classic "Furman pacing in a mini that's too short for him to write within" problem again. :/ Otherwise, I give a thumbs-up for not dragging the middle of the minirun again.

    Still, I like the ideas behind the story, and if there are -three- more issues to come then I have high hopes. :D 

    And as I said, the art's so preeeetty.
     
  14. Beastbot X

    Beastbot X Old skool. In a lot of ways.

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    Next issue's the last one.
     
  15. Denyer

    Denyer Shooty Dog Thing

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    Eh, I see a difference between "It's all gone to hell" and "What the hell does your kind know about evolution" or "Welcome back boys" -- they're not speaking English, but they'd probably have a good comparison for something hellish.

    Fingers crossed #3 turns up on Monday...
     
  16. IACON

    IACON "That's Vector Sigma?" TFW2005 Supporter

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    Same thing here. One of the lines that bothered me, was the line about the body bags...
     
  17. KidDynamite

    KidDynamite Do good recklessly Veteran

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    Totally agree. Earth slang in characters that have not been to Earth doesn't make sense to me. Sure, they might have equivalent Cybertronian slang as Denyer points out, but it's usually stuff like "slag" in place of "shit" or "inferno" in place of "hell". Outright using human slang seems very out of place, particularly in a book that continually goes out of its way to remind us "NO HUMANS". It's very jarring in my opinion.

    And yet I totally disagree here. The four issue mini (yes, Stormbringer is a four issue series) seems better suited to Furman's style of pacing that a six issue story. It forces him to keep things taut...his six issue series that he's done for Dreamwave and IDW have moved at glacial paces, with at least a couple of issues worth of filler to pad them out. These were the biggest flaws with the War Within books in my opinion, and my biggest complaint with Infiltration, which I otherwise liked.
     
  18. Lord Shockwave

    Lord Shockwave Well-Known Member

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    I agree, this is one of Furman's weak points as a writer. I always hated when he took Earthen slang to his Cybertron tales. Then I just assume they are not speaking English, but the Cybertronian equivalent.



    Again, I agree. The four-issue platform forces Simon to cut unnecessary corners, and refine his writing a bit. This is also where good editing is important. Simon should not feel constrained in his writing, but should write the story the way he wants. Its the editors job to pare it down to something that will not feel constrained in the four-issue format.
     
  19. Vangelus

    Vangelus Long Live the New Flesh Moderator Content Contributor

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    Thanks for the length clarifications, I honestly forgot. *shame*

    I dunno...I found that his 6-issues had major slowslowslowslow-OH CRAP FINAL ISSUE-rushrushrush problems (less so in Infiltration), but...I'm kinda feeling that the 4-issue set-up is only really condensing the problem. :/ Still kinda feels like the story realizes it only has so much time, and kicks itself a few steps too far to catch up. Then again, most of my focus here is on the Bludgeon reveal/buhbye.

    Either way, I haven't seen Issue 4 yet, so eh. :D  I'm still enjoying the mini overall, I think I just felt extra nitpicky when I replied.
     
  20. KA

    KA Well-Known Member

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    all around great issue. fantastic output by don and josh. nice pacing.

    i gotta disagree with you guys on the dialogue. its this kind of stuff that ive been missing from the old stuff. engaging, snappy dialogue. none of that stoic, scifi jibber jabber. sure its not realistic vernacular for robots from outer space, but the story of TFs has always been human in nature.