For some reason, I'm still buying this - I think it's just because I like Wheeljack and like keeping up with him. And to be fair, he's well written in this issue.

In fact, it's a step up from the first two in general, in some ways. The plot moves on at a lick, the Transformers get some panel time, *one* of the Visionaries characters actually resembles their original incarnation, and ... nope, sorry, that's it. That's the best I can say.

Most of the Visionaries are still complete nonentities or cyphers. Mortdred is the one who at least seems to be carried forth from the original show, but here Mags has done exactly what she said she was trying to avoid - kept him as a cartoon character. He's a sly, craven backstabber who, waddyaknow, betrays his allies. And that's the most development anyone gets in this issue. Arzon gets pages and pages of dialogue, and never gets any more complex than he was in the first few panels of the last issue - a cynic and doubter who grumblingly gets on with doing the right thing.

His exchange with Cryotek over the rights and wrongs of their positions is just painful - Arzon could easily point out that there are *other*, less risky ways for their people to survive than by waging war against a planet full of heavily armed robots, but instead he just goes with the old "We're the good guys" speech.

The magic still makes no sense - why doesn't Arzon transform into an eagle in order to explore the fortress more discreetly? It seems to have some pretty high ceilings. And Witterquick, as with last issue, has on-demand lightspeed that should mean he's able to find and assassinate Virulina in a jiffy. He uses it to make a recky of the throne room and then easily incapacitate Feryl. There's no excuse given for why he can't zip around everywhere unseen, plant a few knives in necks, and get out again lickety-split.

Finally, Wheeljack reverses the polarity on the magic, with accompanying technobabble, and it somehow reconstructs Breakdown's arm. I know it's magic, but surely shutting off a process of decomposition shouldn't mean an already-decomposed object suddenly regains its former shape. That's more like super-fast healing/cel regeneration. It looks like Wheeljack has invented some kind of total invulnerability for all Cybertronians.

As previously, the art for the humans is great - it's so-so for the TFs.

 

So reading the TFwiki it also sounds like more of the Spectral Knights have jumped on board the Genocide train too. Why are we supposed to like the Visionaries again?

 

The question this entire series scrupulously avoids answering.

 

Mortdredd was a sycophant. He didn’t betray people at the drop of a hat. Leoric certainly wouldn’t advocate assassinations. Mags has these characters so wrong, it’s comedic now.

 

So at least that's one way IDW is treating the Visionaries as well as the Transformers.

 

Yeah. I’m only on board because I had read somewhere at some point that Unicron would make an appearance in this series.

 

I have no attachment to the Visionaries, so any extreme differences in characterization between these guys and the originals doesn't bother me.

What bothers me is that they're unlikable. Leoric is literally the only one I feel invested in at all, probably because it feels like he's the only genuinely good person present. I mean, even with the whole "assassinate Virulina" thing.

 

This series is getting better, but it's still kind of meh. It's good enough that I'll see it through to the end, but not so good that I'll be rushing out to buy the TPB or anything.

The problem seems to be that it assumes a certain familiarity with the Visionaries that I don't have. It's like, "Here's character XYZ. You remember them from the cartoon right? Of course you do, so we don't need to bother explaining who they are here". Well I didn't watch the cartoon and I have no idea who anyone is. To be fair, that's also how they approached Transformers way back in the day, but it's still kind of annoying. Maybe I'm just not in the target audience, but then why launch Visionaries through a crossover with Transformers if your not going to make it that any old Transformers fan can pick it up and follow who everyone is?

And I'm not saying the characters aren't interesting. This issue had some great character stuff, like all the characters trying to decide whether to remain loyal to their respective leaders, and having to fight their former comrades. Interesting stuff, I just have no idea who anyone is, and as such can't really get invested in them.

I'm also a bit curious as to why Ironhide and Wheeljack haven't recruited any help from the surface. Were they all too busy with Windblade's election campaign or something?

I've also been wondering right from #1 whether we'd see Kup get revived by the end of the series. The fact that Wheeljack managed to "cure" Breakdown's arm, albeit only temporarily, suggests that we just might.

So all in all, a mediocre story with some definite flaws that need ironing out, but Waspinator was in it, so 10/10 - best comic - would read again.

 

Yet more junk, really. The art's still nice, it's got that going for it at least. No-one cleaned up the colouring mistakes on Cravex in the crowd shots at the beginning.
Totally agree that Mortdredd is a) no less "cartoony" than the version Visaggio slagged off and b) pretty much written with Lexor's personality. Confirmation here (three issues in!) that the Visionaries do actually turn into their totem animals, rather than just summoning them through the staff, but it still looks like the they leave the staff hanging about and have to go back through it and it still doesn't seem "streamlined".
Oh and look, a magical undo button for the killing of Transformers. I wonder if that will be used to revive Kup?  

 

An issue is that hardcore Visionaries fans don't know these characters either. Mags has changed everyone, from powers to personalities. These are pretty much new characters TO EVERYONE.

 

I dunno - my reading of the story is that he was working for Virulena all along, so he didn't do anything out of character.

As MGX says above, the characterisation is just as confusing to those of us who remember the original series well. Mortdred is roughly in character, with a bit of Lexor thrown in, but apart from that, and knowing that Darkstorm used to be the leader of the Darkling Lords, foreknowledge of the characters doesn't do you any good.

For contrast: in the Sunbow show, Arzon was young, impetuous and chivalrous to a fault. Sort of a Cheetor-type character but with Prime's sense of duty. Cindarr was a big, dumb brute with a secret heart of gold - he would break off trashing his enemies to rescue a kitten.

 

Yeah, this series has been by and large disappointing. I honestly can't tell if we're supposed to sympathize with the people of Prysmos or not.

But the entire conflict seems to be predicated on a combination of no one being willing to talk to each other and no one being willing to accept temporary compromises now for something more later.

 

More on my experience.
Sigh. I don’t know if it was comic overload since so much dropped this week, or if I have reached the pinnacle of dis-interest, but I only read the parts with the big robots in them. I entirely skipped everything with the Visionaries. It WAS the last book I read. So, partly tired, but I think also, let’s just get to the end.
Conversely, I’m not sure on the art. I think the artist does well with the Visionaries, but I’m not digging these TransFormers. Man, not at all.
Maybe I’ll give it another go this weekend.
Maybe.

 

G

Given that they have an obituary for Kup in the 1st issue, which also included a letter from the editor, I sincerely doubt it.

 

I'm only reading it for the TFs, which, sad to say, are barely in the issue. I would've cared more if Kup didn't die in the FIRST issue, and maybe if IDW would've brought him back. What really annoys me, is how they keep making it seem like Kup can come back, but they clearly said that Kup was not coming back. I'm still reading it, but I don't know why.

 

There is a possibility of a "BECAUSE YOU DEMANDED IT KUP RETURNS!" type thing. And the inevitable "No really we weren't going to bring him back, honest. He was dead and gone, it wasn't a publicity stunt. He was dead Jim, and you guys brought him back!" type of thing.

 

Considering this issue showed that

Spoiler

things destroyed by the Visionaries magic can be restored

, I'd imagine there's a decent chance of a return.

 

Yeah. No-one genuinely believes that Kup is properly dead for good, right? The obituary and letter from the editor totally oversold it to the point that I'd be more surprised if he didn't get revived given how obvious a "shocking twist" it is.

 

Coolest scene of the whole series so far IMO. Thrustinator.

 

You only had thirty years to watch a 13 episode show. Guess that just wasn't enough time.