Critics are raving about Tom Scioli's hit new (non)motion picture(book)
Transformers vs. G.I. Joe The Movie Adaptation.
"Best toy-to-movie movie since Masters of the Universe" - Roger Ebot
"The Silver Screen hasn't seen special effects this good since Clash of the Titans." - Gene Siskeltron
"Tom Scioli is, the second coming of Dino De Laurentiis." -Leonard Maltron
Transformers VS. G.I. Joe The Movie Adaptation
Written, Drawn, Colored, and Lettered by:
Tom Scioli
Additional Production by:
Chris Mowry
Edited by:
Carlos Guzman
Publisher:
Ted Adams
Hopefully by now we all know that there is no actual movie, but what there is is a fantastic one-off romp through Scioli's mad-capped mash-up of some of our favorite Hasbroites. This book is certainly meant to be a one time adventure, and redelivers on all the weird and crazy story telling wrapped in the warped artistic package fans of the series have come to expect. It does not disappoint.
The story line is almost new, touching on and rehashing some of the more prevalent themes from the original series, but condensing them down into a more cohesive "screen play", if you will.
-StoryThe story opens with the age old notion that Cybertronian's and Earthling's fates have been intertwined through out the annals of time.
Stop! Hammer of time!The tale is told more through the narrative of the Joes. Scioli covers a lot of ground quickly through "A Letter to Sis" as written by Snake eyes.
Let 'em have it boys!And primarily through that of Scarlet. Like other live action Transformers movies, it relies heavily on the "human element".
What is love? Baby don't hurt me. Don't hurt me. No more.The story delves deeply into the minds and emotions of our favorite sentient heroes. Unbreakable bonds of love. The comradery of war hardened allies. The essence of the evils that threaten the very fabric of our cosmos. The trials and tribulations of family.
But it leaves plenty of room for some hard hitting, Cobra stomping, Con slagging action!
You've been HAWKED!
There's only room for one snake on this plane.
Optimus! You sank my Battle Ship! TMThe book reads fast and furious which adds to the fun. It does feel a tad rushed, and perhaps merely an avenue to get some of the better ideas left on the cutting room floor from the original series, back into the pages of a comic.
But it still manages to make for an action-packed smash hit blockbuster thrill-ride of the summer!
-ArtA point of contention for many who have tried Scioli's works. But it's important to note that he knows exactly what he's doing. A great teacher once told me, "You can't break the rules, unless you know what the rules are. Otherwise you are just making a mess".
While Scioli's art appears at first glance to be juvenile, and an amateur mess, he knows exactly what he's doing. He knows the rules well, and he is breaking them with grace and style. Each panel is laid out in a composition that keeps the eye moving all around the frame. He does so even in his line work. At times I found myself re-reading the text several times because my brain was to busy keeping up with my roving eye. His use of color also adds to the musical mayhem of each panel using almost annoyingly florescent hues to garner focus on the subject, again leading the eye back and forth around the composition. Even his placement of the word bubbles and the text within them adds to this element of composition. Concreting him as a true wizard in the art of comic books.
Just TRY to sit still, eyeball!Of course one of the best parts of Scioli's art are the sight gags!
No silly quip necessary.One thing I did feel was missing, and probably my favorite thing about the original series, were the two-page Where's Waldo-esque spreads that one could spend hours poring over always finding some new hidden surprise tucked into the the intricacies of the drawing.
-Low DownOver all the book is a good fun read, packed with all the silliness and splendor we got from the series. It was just nice to have one more jaunt through Scioli's childhood world of imaginary fantasies. If you enjoyed the series, there's no reason why you shouldn't enjoy this film/not a film.
Oh! And don't forget, the DVD comes packed with bonus features. Including cast interviews and making of featurettes!
Shaun
