SPOILERS FOR SPOTLIGHT: ARCEE * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Actually, the Combaticons are under the command of Banzai-Tron; he sent them to Garrus-9 to capture the Monstructor team for the Decepticon Secret Service.
Motherf**ker!!!! I just got my issue 5 in the mail last friday (2/22), and issue 6 is in stores already????!!!!!?????? WTF is up with how IDW treats subscribers? (or maybe they just don't like me?)
Thanks Contrail, I guess Nemesis Prime does not have Monstructor. But the Combaticons don't have Swindle, so if they are hoping to use gestalt tech, they'd better learn to hop in place.
At this point, the entire IDW Transformers continuity reminds me too much of DC's Countdown -- where instead of a solid central plot, you get piles and piles of sub-plots scattered across tons of issues OUTSIDE the main title, each of which gets around 1 or 2 pages per issue, and none of which are actually worth giving a damn about. TF comics need a writer who actually knows how to WRITE, stat. -XCN-
10 or so Spotlight issues is tons? Granted, this story does have a ton of sub-plots going on but I'd have to say they've kept those stories pretty close to the main title.
I think it is a ton as well and it's the reason I dropped TF from my monthly pull list. 10 specials might not sound like a lot, but the $40 total dropped to buy said specials is a lot of cash. So, if you break down the numbers, you've spent: Series 1, issues 1-6 @ $3 ea = $18 Series 2, issues 1-6 @ $4 ea = $24 Series 3, issues 1-6 @ $4 ea = $24 Stormbringer, issues 1-4 @ $4 ea = $16 Roughly 10 spotslights @ $4 ea, = $40. Grand total = $122, $56 of which were sidestores with subplots that flesh out what's happening in the main story, which you've already spent $66 on just to have that. And, it looks like there's no end in sight to the spotlights. And the comic indstry wonders why they don't have more readers
You're counting Stormbringer as a side story? I'd really have to disagree with that. I believe it's supposed to be part of the main story. I'd agree that the side story sub plots is annoying especially when it takes place in issues separate from the main story, but it's not like they release a bunch of them every week. There have been 12 Spotlight issues total released so far over 3 years of a story that's been going for 4 year. Plus, this story is taking place more on a universal scale rather than just focusing in on a planet (or two). It makes sense that they'd have a lot of stuff going on all that same time.
A satisfyiing issue, nice to see lots action abound and happy to see my prediction about Galvy's arrival to Earth was correct. And I did notice that Su's art seemed a bit more stylistic and "sketchy" than usual, almost as if he was channeling Roche, Josh, or Lenil Yu at tiimes. I'm guessing it was a very tight deadline he had to fulfull given his new family obligations. Anyways, still enjoyed the art & colors. As for Jhiaxus, not really digging his Igor hunchback design...and what's up with the exhaust crotch? And the way Furman ended the Ironhide rescue was nice in that it sets up Hot Rod for later issues...but felt kinda unresolved at the same time, since we don't get to see what happened to Wheeljack and 'Hide. And I'm not too sure how to take that none of the Decepticons saw Galvatron assisting them...
Battle can get pretty chaotic. Look at pages 4-7,things are pretty hectic especially with two soldiers being killed and giving your enemy an advantage in numbers.
...but he's so purple and badazz! Galvatron's presence demands everyone's attention!!! Kidding aside, you do have a good point. Plus, I guess his dead-universe abilities may enable him to not be easily detected/seen.
yeah, i noticed this in ish 5 too, his style seems to be a bit looser now, which i think is for the better. the energys a bit better, compared to earlier he was a bit rigid if competent.
pretty good issue if a bit dense. There's basically 5 things going on so its easy to get lost. Stuff I liked: - thought battlechargers death were done well. - also like how meg n ss difference was resolved in dialogue. - scorponoks entrance was great. But I didn't get what hunter was trying to say just before he escaped?
So I finally got my issue in the mail today,(finally) and I enjoyed it. Not as spectacular as i'd hoped, but pretty good. Did anyone TELL Optimus about the whole Headmaster thing? Maybe he wouldn't haul everyone off the Earth if he knew about the situation.Loved how HR disobeyed orders to save someone he doesn't even like that much. I just wonder why they set up these unstoppable charachters and then have them die like screaming b****es in a couple of frames. Sixshot and the failsafe thing I can buy.....but the Reapers?? They were set up to be the baddest mofo's in the galaxy,the ultimate boogiemen, and in like 6 frames they're gone. Seems a bit too easy to me..... Of course, that's just my opinion,I could be wrong.........
As a whole, I liked Devastation, but the pacing was incredibly awful. Nothing much happened in this series, and my favorite issue was Ratchet vs. Sixshot, which really didn't do much to move the story forward. I did enjoy the story, but I have a few critiques: Ironhide. Damn, man. Either kill him or save him. The plot was dragging out way too long. Each issue, HR and Wheeljack fight some Headmasters and continue to search for Ironhide in a trash heap that looks to be about the size of Africa. I don't mind over-arching plot threads, but the Ironhide plot was just stretched way too thin. If Furman wanted to keep the Hot Rod cliffhanger, he should have perhaps introduced in issue 4 or 5 that HR and Wheeljack just discovered Ironhide was in that yard, and they have to go save him. Ditto with the Grimlock setup. I feel Issue 5 would be stronger with Grimlock's scene deleted and moved into Issue 6. As is, Issue 6's Grimlock scenes don't tell us anything new compared to Issue 5's scene. I guess the point is twofold. It feels like Furman wanted an epic G2-like story, which I'm totally cool with. But it also looks like he took this epic story, divided it by two, and then multiplied that segment by two. So it feels like we need another 2 issues to get some sense of finality, but also that this series only had the material suitable for 4 issues. Edit: one last thing to say. I think the Megatron-Starscream re-team was great, but instead of Starscream swearing loyalty (again), I'd have preferred something more in-character. Something like: Megatron: "Do you swear loyalty to me?" Starscream: "Uh, yeah, sure, whatever." Something like that.
I agree with the pacing. It seems like we drag on issues 1-5 and then the last issue of every arc its rushed. I am a big Furman fan but I just don't like the pacing especially issue #4 was it, the one with just sixshot and the ark dragging out half of the story line. Just blow the ship out of the sky. I think it went into two issues. Then we get a short fight scene with the reapers.
Their minds are melded now, right? From what I could tell, in issue 5 Sunstreaker downloaded his conciousness into Hunter (without telling him), which is why the process hurt so much, why Sunstreaker's head was unresponsive and slack-jawed afterwards, and why Hunter was able to dealt with the Machination scientist with such swift and lethal force - that's Sunstreaker's reflexes kicking in. Also explains why the Headmaster Sunstreaker clones have suddenly lost their 'edge' in battle - Sunstreaker ain't there anymore to (unwillingly) give them a hand.
