I'm the Brains, You're the Brawn
A Seibertron.com Semi-Spoilerish Review of Lost Light #2
SynopsisRodimus and Co. find themselves in a dangerous place. Even more dangerous than on a planet that exploded from the inside. That’s already pretty dangerous. But where they are now? Oh boy.
Playing the day away StoryWell, where do I begin?
We'll start with this: we have some plot action moving forward, like a lot. We've wrapped up the DJD battles, and we have moved on and started to venture back into the quest, despite the fact that we aren't on the ship and no one from the ship even makes an appearance for yet another issue (it's been almost a year). Taking cues from Drift and another member of the cast, we are progressing towards something quest related. It also appears that another long standing plot point is set to be resolved, which is exciting and interesting the way that it will end up getting done.
A second point of contention for attention is Megatron. As revealed last issue, half of the storyline is now occurring in a universe where Megatron never existed. What can we expect out of this you may ask? Well, I can tell you that Megatron is an interesting character to watch. Seeing his reaction to his new surroundings as well as what has transpired certainly places Megatron in an interesting situation that, in this issue at least, receives a deal of interest from reader and characters in the story. Overall, the "Megatron in a universe where he never existed" arc is doing good, and is keeping with the established traits Megatron has started to show over the past year. While we have yet to see what will become of Megatron and the functionists, it is comforting to know that he is still sticking close and comfortable with his developed path thus far.
Yeah, don't forget these 2 The parts of the story touching on Tailgate and Cyclonus are very well done as well, and it will be interesting to see how these 2, Rung, and Megatron come through the rest of the arc.
ArtArt duties are once again taken up by Jack Lawrence, and 2 issues in I have yet to be completely impressed. The artwork, while not bad, does not feel like it fits the narrative of the book. The artwork comes across as slightly too exaggerated, with certain characters that have mouths suffering some with expressions. Proportions and some poses do not appear properly either, and characters such as the the Functionists enforcers and Swerve suffer for it. The enforcers just don't look as intimidating as they were portrayed originally, while Swerve pulls off a very awkward looking pose considering his design.
Yeah, I'm not sure his head is supposed to move like that Joana Lafuente takes up coloring duties once more, and she does some very good work with the different shades for the different settings of this book. The coloring of Cybertron is appropriately very dark and very dreary, and the mixes of the burning colors with dark reds and red mixes make for a very convincing dark age.
Now that is a scene straight from hell Meanwhile, the coloring of Necroworld is also well done, with the sunset painted in beautifully alongside the darkness of night when Cyclonus and Tailgate go for a stroll. It doesn't matter where it is, the colors work.
Lettering service and me service Once more, Tom B. Long delivers in his lettering. The various points in time when characters get thrown and slammed around are pronounced with very convincing and very entertaining lettering, and the dialogue is done very well. Once more, a bang up effort.
Final ThoughtsWhen my friend won't stop telling me our arrest was my fault Since the ending of
More Than Meets The Eye and the beginning of
Lost Light, I have had a hard time getting into the new book/season 3. While I can definitely state some positives, such as continuing with the same characters, touching more on the Functionists universe-a real treat really-and bringing another long-standing major plot thread forward, there is a disturbance in the force. A few complaints that I have.
The main complaint would be the art. It doesn't feel like it suits the book, and it feels at odds with what was previously established. It makes some scenes just difficult to look at and enjoy while reading the commentary. It feels more rounded, less detailed, and more "Robots in Disguise cartoon" than "More Than Meets The Eye."
The other major complaint comes from characters both new and not seen in forever. It was last March where we saw the mutineers take over the ship, and we have yet to touch on them again, which is a real disappointment for me. I've been aching to see this part of the crew and see what's happening in the fallout of the mutiny. I've also not taken very kindly to the new characters introduced. Anode has put me off quite a bit as she has generally come across to me as an unlikable character. Lug is a bit better, but I am unimpressed by either. It feels like the new characters are hogging some spotlight from those that really need it AKA the mutineers.
Overall, the book is not bad, it really isn't. Megatron in the Functionists universe, Rung, and Cyclonus and Tailgate are all great positives for the current ongoing. But it doesn't have that magic that it used to. The writing is still quite good, but the art and storyline don't match up to my liking, and I hope that we can work towards reclaiming some of that harmony for me.