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So since I reviewed the last issue of Dark of the Moon Rising Storm I get to review this one too.
Just like last time I will give a spoiler-laden synopsis and then crucify evaluate the comic based on art and story separately.

Lets get started.

The comic starts off at the N.E.S.T. Base, the bots and the humans have a bit of a conversation on how weird and creepy the refugees are. I'm not really going to describe everything in detail because I don't care, the reason comes later.

We cut back to Optimus Prime and co in a plane off to save Sam. Optimus and Elita have a conversation about how dedicated they are to killing Decepticons. Elita gets angry because Prime left them back on Cybertron and she saw Chromia die, and then died herself or something, Prime then says the funniest line any Optimus Prime has ever said:
“Don't forget you you're talking to, I've died too, Elita.”
For some reason that just cracks me up, he's like Stan Lee, pointing out the awesome things he's done whenever he gets the chance, just that Prime is kinda lame while doing so.



There is one thing bothering me though, until now I've been under the impression that Arcee is the main unit of the three, while the other two are extensions of her but still have a bit of autonomy from one another. But here it looks like Elita-1 is the main unit while Arcee is part of her. You know what, I'm beyond caring at this point, these three are from now on the Magic Threesome to me.

So anyway, the Magic Threesome is thrown out of the plane to do something, it wasn't really stated what they where going to do, just that it had something to do with infiltration (herm, I'd rather be reading that comic to be honest).
We cut back to EXTREAM Sam and company who are still under attack by Club Starscream. In this fight it is revealed that Bludgeon is not based off off the ROTF toy, but has a new different design, or it's just the artist not giving a f**k about what the character's supposed to look like – take your pick (But I have to say I wouldn't mind buying a toy that looks like that). Also Bludgeon kills a Decepticon while aiming at Mirage, who is invisible, I like Bludgeon especially due to his response:
“Sorry, Storm Surge. I always knew you'd wind up as Collateral damage. Now where did Mirage go...”



We also learn that Wheeljack has forcefields, just like Trailbreaker, oh and he's British. I can't help it, but the pages featuring Mirage and Wheeljack sound like a commercial for their toys.
“Hey kids I'm Wheeljack. I have lasers, I do science and I have a Forcefield!” “That's my best mate Mirage, he goes invisible! And look at his awesome Ninja skills!” “BUY OUR TOYS NOW, buy em or go and ask your bloody PARENTS TO BUY THEM!”

Well, then EXTREAM Sam goes out to find Brains, in an EXTREAM way. There he meets Space Case, who tries to kill Carly so he drinks his POWERTHIRST and gives Space Case an EXTREAM wack to the head with a crow Bar, EXCTREAM.

Then Carly saves Sam by shooting Space Case with a gun that looks to be attached to a Transformer lying on the ground, don't ask me which one, they all look the same, so I guess it's Jazz.



Then we go back the the Magic Threesome sneaking up on a large Decepticon, who is talking over a com link with another Decepticon. Stating that the cage is set and the pet is locked up.
It's revealed that the Decepticon is Astrotrain, seriously he's in this comic o_O, so I guess it wasn't Cybertron Thundercracker I saw in the last issue, and the Master is Shockwave. Also the hunt for Brains is just a way of distracting Club Starscream.

There's a tentacle monster in the cage, or is the tentacle monster part of the cage? Also that cage seems useless, because the Tentacle monster can slide it's tentacles through it.




The Magic Threesome then realizes that the whole thing was a



And are met by Soundwave and his minions, who lay a smackdown on them. Then the Magic Threesome decides to “Kill all Decepticons”, but also tells the Elita part to go get help.

Back to EXTREAM Sam and company and Club Starscream. Starscream finds out that he's been Shockwave'ed and finds himself in the middle of the Autobot reinforcements coming to help EXTREAM Sam.

We then return to Shockwave, who goes to the N.E.S.T. HQ to do what he does best, killing things. Yep, everybody dies,.even humans, but we don't see them die. Their death panels are just the sound effect on a background of random colours.



So that was it.

On the art:

The art is all over the place, some pages look pretty good while others look freaking horrible. It fluctuates, sometimes parts of a panel look good while the rest of it looks like an afterthought. There are group shots of characters standing behind other characters, where body parts that should be visible are just cut off by empty hippy coloured space. Also sometimes it looks like the art isn't even inked. The colours are a little better than in the previous image but still bad, especially due to the fact that TWO people where responsible for the colours in this comic, TWO and they still look like a comic from the 80's. Seriously, the G1 toon had less colour issues.
Overall, however, I feel that the line-art isn't too bad, it just looks worse than it is due to the colour job. That's the thing with colouring, it can make or break an image.


I give the art on the art 3 of 10 stars.

On the writing:

The writing's not that bad, there are a few issues here and there, a few things that don't make sense, and a few things that just seem really really stupid. But overall not that bad, you know stuff is actually happening, characters are actually in character and consistent with their previous portrayals which is more than what I can say of other TF books.
Also I get the feeling that this story will be pretty good once itS' collected in the trade, it's just a shame that the art is so incredibly lazy and god awful.

also I would like to point out that the editing is almost as bad as in Spotlight: Grimlock, just saying.

I give the writing 6 out of 10 stars.

Which gives the comic an average of 4.5 out of 10.

The art in this is awfulllllll.

Movie fans should be upset about this.

Counterpunch wrote:The art in this is awfulllllll.

Movie fans should be upset about this.

Anybody that has not been declared legally blind should be upset about the art.

Slightly edited the part about the art, since I feel that the line art isn't that and actually pretty good in a few instances. I guess it would look better if someone else did the colours.

Was I too unfair?

I knew it. Jolt is dead T.T

Nerd raaaaaaaage!!!

That being said, I do like how it's building up. And that the characters that Alan used in the veiled threat appeared. Even if they were collateral. I also agree on the art; detailed, but get a better coloring dude. Or, give them more detailing with the colors.

Makes me want to do my Bayverse rewrite even more for some reason.

Hee hee, I love the way Ironhide and Ratchet are missing arms. Not a good thing, but hilarious nevertheless.

Also, loving the joke about Shrapnel, Shrapnel.

I really hope Wheeljack is Carly's car in the movie. Also, the tentacle monster just looks weird. Who could it be?

OlivusPrime wrote:Hee hee, I love the way Ironhide and Ratchet are missing arms. Not a good thing, but hilarious nevertheless.

Also, loving the joke about Shrapnel, Shrapnel.

I really hope Wheeljack is Carly's car in the movie. Also, the tentacle monster just looks weird. Who could it be?

Oh God, it just came to me. Didn't Bay say this movie would have Unicron? What if that tentacle monster thing is Unicron?

LOL, Dead Metal, that make sense in a Bay kind of way. Since we see tentacle guy charging through the ground in the trailers, one could argue he's "eating" the planet....Oh dear, LOL. You don't how much this is making me laugh; if this is true, I'm going laugh at any frame he is in the film.

I probably will anyway just because of this now....erk,