I think this issue was just very disorganized. The transitions from one scene to another didn't really work for me especially the bar scene, which was really too out of place in the overall narrative. Windblade's realization that SS might have tried to kill her, also wasn't really developed properly imo. As for Windblade's origin it wasn't too surprising given how much foreshadowing there was in the beginning of RID of the different looking tfs amongst the neutrals that had emerged from the war.

 

That was amazing. Possibly the only TF comic I've ever read was something I could stare at, dialogues less, for hours. The fact that it would have been an excellent comic with even a mediocre artist is- well, awesome. It goes without saying that it sold me on a Windblade toy (not that I needed a push) - and now I want to go pick up that Armada Starscream I've been holding out on...

I have a feeling this miniseries will be special - one like Last Stand of the Wreckers, where people will look back at it years later and go 'Yep, that was a hell of a comic.'

 

No. The storytelling was very well done. Transitions were smoth and easy to follow. Art enhanced and supported the mood and storytelling really well. The bomb scene being the perfect example.

If you want disorganized hard to follow storytelling go look at anything Llivo has done. Stone however nails it

-ZacWilliam, and the bar scene fit in perfectly with the tone of the issue and made perfect sense with the plot. A gem.

 

Completely agree.

 

I liked it. The art was alright (points for the explosion scene in particular), and it does a good job setting up the rest of the series. I can only hope it at least sticks to that standard. It's certainly sold me on the Windblade toy already.

 

Really don't see any of that myself. The flow was good, the bar scene was fine.

 

I meant from a storytelling perspective not an artistic perspective.

 

I'm really hoping the bombing isn't Starscream's doing, as it's not where I'd like King Scream's character to go. I'm fine with Windblade doing bad detective work and jumping to the wrong conclusion.

Otherwise, it's just so... I don't know~ Obvious? Cliche?

 

My money's on Rat Trap.

 

Rattrap walking away right before the explosion? Yeah. Screamer is behind it unless Rattrap has his own agenda or just happened to see "who done it".

 

Very good start to a story and a great read. Much more improved on the doom and gloom and constant "omg more big bads!!!!" that was Regen One. There was actually some humour for a change which is nice. Given that this was a good read I hope this becomes the 3rd comic beyond it's 4 planned issues.

 

That is the face of someone who stumbled onto fchan for the first time.

 

Was their an option for japanese face paint and naive teenage girl attitude because I don't remember it.

 

I like em both

 

It was good, but I don't know if I'll keep reading.

The story was alright, the dialogue was good like Roche and Roberts, natural and everyone felt like they had their own voice. I actually found the bombing part very easy to follow. It was only one page, I don't see what was so mystifying.

The art in general was good but... I dunno, I really didn't want to be vocal about it, because I know how that ends, but it's just not clicking with me. I feel I like what it's trying to do more than what it is. It's a tad inconsistent. And I mean a tad as in small, not being snarky. It feels like half the time it is VERY cartoony with stretchy, inconsistent faces, then becomes quite reserved and characters don't change features for a while. I like the painted look, ten million times better than Riviloiolio, but it's just not... I feel like it's almost distracting with how amazingly well drawn and painted it is bit-by-bit, that it doesn't feel like art telling a story insomuch as just really, really pretty art with words over it.

You know how Roche is also cartoony, and has like really amazing, consistent drawings of characters, but his composition sometimes feels cramped or the staging is a bit weird? This feels like almost the opposite. Everything's staged and composed really well, and the drawings are very good, but they're not quite the level of character consistency within the book. Windblade's face makes her look like three totally different people throughout this book. I know people love this art, an it's good, but for some reason I'm not feeling immersed in the story. Plus, the painted-look sometimes over-rides details. Starscream also looked weird all the time, and I finally figured out why. His torso's really triangular and broad up top, but his head is fairly large and his arms are kind of skinny for such a broad chest.

It was good don't get me wrong, I liked it, but it just wasn't anything... special. And yet it felt like it really, really wanted to be. Better than RID for sure, at least to me. But unless something amazing comes next issue, I'm probably not going to continue. Just not for me.

Also, chiming in on current discussion: I think what IDW did to Rattrap is utterly fucking dumb. Just, what a way to completley misread things. Much like Sky-Byte and Waspinator, they've brought in a character who in no way logically fits based purely on popularity, and fumbled and removed every aspect that made them popular. Having him take part in a public bombing is absurd. About as absurd as if Optimus himself did it. It's a complete lack of greyzone or understanding. Rattrap was a sleezy guy, and that's what made him great. You don't really see a lot of sleezy Autobots/Maximals, so what do they do? Take away his faction, and make him a villainous sidekick. It's so lowbrow. They made him into just another goon the likes of Skywarp or any other generic Decepticon thug. What was even the point? It's not like Rattrap is like a lot of G1 character who are largely defined by how undefined they are. He's got more character than the original 84 cast of 'Cons put together, and they make him a villain's croney? Wasn't Rattrap's, like, entire thing in BW how much he hates Preds and Decepticons?

At least Waspinator and Sky-Byte are just bland and directionless, fading into the background due to the obvious lack of real narrative intent for the two. Rattrap is just taking a great character who was well-developed and making him a stammering goon. It's really upsetting. They should've used Waspinator instead. He's a goon, he's a villain, and taking what used to be a joke character and making him an actual bad guy would've been perfect. Animated took it in that direction, IDW only would've been taking it onestep further.

 

I adored the art, and the storytelling has major potential. I can't wait for the next installment!

 

...I don't think Rattrap blew up Windblade. If he did, then yeah his character has been totally misread. He's not a murderer.

I think he's going to be a red herring for Windblade to latch on to, and I'm fairly sure that Starscream himself is going to be that to some extent. Like, does Starscream want everyone to move back to Iacon? Yes. Does he resent Windblade for taking part of "his" authority? Yes. Would he blink an eye if Windblade and Metroplex died horribly? No. But I just don't think Scott has showed her hand this early.

Part of this is that both in- and out-of-universe, if Starscream stayed a psycho killer, it would be hard to accept him as the continuing ruler of Cybertron.

 

Loved it. The characters were all fun, Windblade's manages to be cool but fun at the same time, making her a great protagonist to follow around, Chromia has had some great lines, and the bar scene was filled with colour (Literally and figuratively). The Art was great to just stop at look at at times, ranging to all kinds of shifts in tone and colour while still flowing from panel to panel neatly. The expressions were fantastic as well, my favourite might have been Chromia's "You wouldn't... right?" face. love the little nod to the Ironhide/Chromia ship there. Otherwise the issue's done all that it's supposed to, introducing characters, setting up our main conflict, etc, etc.

I was a little iffy about Starscream being an antagonist after, y'know, developing into something beyond the petty backstabber, but I'm actuallyt liking how it's turned out, luckily his dialogue happens to still have that level of jerk-ass flare under him "Look who's not dead." Unfortunately his design is just... strange. Especially in the third panel of the fourth page, with the blue colouring, his entire torso looks like a triangle while his head seems a bit too big everywhere else. It's weird because that sort of anime inspired proportions seems to work for everyone BUT him, I feel like Stone had attempted to make him more human or maybe even Prime like but since his design is made with so much bulk it just comes off unbalanced.

Speaking of designs... well, I've already spoken my displeasure over Blurr's
Bishi inspired look... but the problem I have with him (and pretty much my only problem with the comic at all so far) is how he's being portrayed. It feels like Scott has tried to somehow merge his role as a fast talker in G1 with his sort of celebrity vibe in the comics to get... this. He's not a SUPER fast talker like his namesake, but he's around the level of talk that Swerve has, and maybe I'm the only one on this, but I find that really, really, weird. I'm all up for changes, hell mtmte changed characters in ways that have turned them into favourites of mine, but Blurr went from something not unlike his Armada personality to the kind of guy who could be best buds with Swerve. And- I don't know, it's just weird to me, especially after thinking of the guy as "annoying". So it 's not hard to understand what Starscream's trying to gain from all this, he's trying to put blame on Metroplex, and Windblade for the power outages which, as far as we can tell, are being used for something else. But what? WHAT?

So yeah, overall a good issue, I mean, I'm more excited for MTMTE still, but this is a good start. In fact, even if the story ends up sucking majorly I'd probably still buy this for the art itself, I guess I'm lucky I grew up watching anime at that.

So far my rating is: A lot better than Prime/10

 

Look on the bright side. At least Rattrap has a chance to develop into the character he was in BW. Look at what they did to Star Saber. I'm starting to think that if a leader didn't get an european release IDW will do horrible things to them.

Also at least some of the characters might be exectutive meddling from Hasbro. Wanting them to use characters who are getting Generations figures, so they can pack in the comics.

 

Starscream losing control over Cybertron would genuenly be the worst thing that can happened and I will resent the book if that happends.

Starscream as the ruler of Cybertron is easily one of my all time favourite story-ideas ever that also makes sence because Starscream is and should be cunning enough and paranoid enough to constantly stay at the top of his game, plus he already had leadership once and he failed miserably. He's not the type who will NOT learn from his mistakes and fuck up again.

That and the concept itself has insane amounts of potential. Wasting it away because a writer wants him to just be a regular old villain to be defeated or something would be a huge waste. Undermine his authority, have there be a parlament or something be made but keep him as the ruler. Don't turn him into Prime Starscream.

PLEASE don't turn him into Prime Starscream.

It wouldn't be the first time. Writers don't get Beast Wars guys. It's like Furman suddenly making Megatron a crazy prophesy-obsessed lunatic sprouting biblical dialogue.

Again I don't mind what's done to Rattrap I've learned to accept changes to characters to every character but at the same time it's kinda lame that they can take this really developed character with a unique personality and then strip it off of it and make him a generic thug.

Rattrap is not like Prowl or Sideswipe or any of the other interchangeable, characterless G1 block-men who's personalities go as far as "had a funny voice and turns into a red-car" he has a genuine personality and character. Not being able to make him at least as interesting as a 20 year old cartoon is kinda....well not good.

They took the most awesome TF design ever with the single most blandest,generic good-guy personality in the universe and made him into a kick-ass villain?

Yes please I want some of that shit on Rattrap if it means he'll actually be interesting!