This page contains affiliate links. We may earn commissions when readers interact with or purchase items through these links. For more information, see our affiliate disclosures here.
From fellow Seibertronian Cyberpath, we have a double-feature today focusing on the latest non Beast Wars Masterpiece figure from Takara Tomy Transformers: MP-35 Grapple! We've seen some in-hand images already, but toy blogger Alfes2010 has a batch more, and The Chosen Prime have also uploaded a video review of this Inferno retool with new paint. Check it all out mirrored and embedded below for your viewing convenience.
Recap:
Action Man and the sought after talisman got transported to somewhere unknown and Ayana’s Joe team members were zapped into alien creatures along with a townful of innocents.. What do you do? Who’s in kahoots? And Kup wants his little buddy back…
This Issue:
Did you check out the preview?
ENTER THE SHADOW
Action Man’s been transported to the moon (via a familiar GI JOE device). A seemingly abandoned bad guy base happens to be there as well—and not abandoned— not to mention a whole squad of dead Cobra soldiers. We also have tiny people/aliens trying to elude very large people and an even larger alien.
Whatchamadoodles > Petrorabbits
Kup, Mayday, and Blackrock are trying to catch and talk to (and not squish) the Micronauts to ask them for help in using the talisman to hopefully: (a.) find Action Man and (2.) change the alien-zapped Joes and townfolk back to normal. The talisman has been recognized by Blackrock as microverse tech, thus, the ‘watcha-ma-doodles’ should be able to use it- hence the needed help by the Micronauts. The ‘nauts are still very nervous about getting involved in these matters… in their experience, alien meeting alien = destruction/havoc/capture/torture. Thank Primus, Micronimus, and all the other deities and Primes that we have a universally recognized greeting to rely on and an older wizened bot who knows it!
"Now offer them some energon goodies..."
"Don't worry, they'll reciprocate..."
Progressing and Layering:
Pieces are getting pulled together from the different involved franchises. There’s a few familiar surprises -used in a new way- new bad guys, and some old, as well. Perhaps, no one familiar bigger than the inclusion of Stormshadow and HER Red Shadow ninjas who are also alien symbiotes. Yes, that’s right. Red Shadow Alien Ninja Warriors…(and that other thing).
Storm SHE-adow joins the fray...
It’s not just all fun for Joe fans (or not depending on how you react to the above information). There are plenty of other cool elements splashed into the story. Kup and Blackrock are there for Transformer fans to appreciate (note Kup’s Titanmaster deluxe toy form), and by the way, the microverse tech seems to also be ancient Cybertronian…
ART:
The art by Ossio is consistent with what we’ve seen before. Excellent action scenes and vehicle design work, I really loved his Kup flyer design, and Ossio seems to be finding his rhythm becoming more familiar with drawing big robots and people much more consistently. As much as I like what has been done, I’m still not a fan of how Blackrock has been designed in his Cybertronian form, looking more like Iron Man (“Iron Man sucks…”) than a titanmaster- and then when you add in his ‘billionaire’ human head image the likeness seems even more intended-.
Computer, password 'Blackrock Sucks!'Password Accepted. Welcome home Kup.
Ossio and the art team also have a very large task (and tiny) -especially in this issue- trying to show the different scales of the characters- from teeny, tiny micronaut people and ship to large Cybertronian-scaled Kup; scale and size are a huge element, and I think it’s no easy task to effectively portray the character’s size in relation to one another in the panels, but are they doing it? Sort of. I think they rely more on your understanding of the character’s size rather than other devices to show the scale. I often feel like Acroyear is the size of a regular Cybertronian, or at least Rom, and that the Micronauts are regular human-sized alien people, not 3 3/4 inch action figure size (or 6 inch whatever). Not a big deal, and I may be being a bit too picky on this, which is why I mentioned that it would be quite hard to do!
Tom B. Long is always making his presence felt in very meaningful ways. It’s hard to imagine the books he works on without his special touch.
WRAP UP:
I wasn’t sure where to begin with this review. The concept of this comic being such an amalgamation of the different worlds and franchises coming together, and I’m just not used to it yet— or where all the other involved franchises were prior to Revolution. It’s a lot better than the introductory crossover story that it spawned from, being focused on a much tighter and smaller group, and working to relate the different titles together.
New Buckethead bad guy on the block that I do not yet feel threatened by.
Kup and Action Man are a fun pair. A bit like Hot Rod’s generalized relationship with Kup, Action Man seems to fill that role of young, hot shot go-getter to Kup’s experienced war vet. Action Man is very capable on his own, as is Kup, but together they both seem to be getting something that they both need…
I’m not sure what to think of Mayday yet, or Blackrock. I seem to have a lot of personal problems with Blackrock and what he is (and isn’t) that I can’t get to really trying to enjoy or hate this character yet. I lean more toward hate right now.
The story definitely has something good going for it. I’m not sure we are far enough in to the series to really understand what this book’s characters and plot ‘do’ other than bring together pieces/histories of the IDW/HASBRO-verse. As the Revolution story line showed us, this is not an easy task, but Revolutionaries seems to be going in a positive direction.
WRAP UP 2:
Joe fans may be cringing, but at least IDW is calling GI JOE the flagship title and it’s getting more exposure. Transformers fans still have lots of other fun in other places. Revolutionaries, so far, is a capable add-on, but it still has a long way to go to approach ‘Optimus Prime’, ’Til All Are One’, or ‘Lost Light’ for that group of fans.
Synopsis
NEW CYBERTRON! Optimus Prime struggles to unite the Junkions, Cybertronians, and humans—but will diplomacy be scuttled when the Junkion’s secret comes out?
Fair.
Story
We return to Earth, which has Cybertronians and Junkions on two sides of an agreement which may not be, as humans reluctantly also maybe agree to disagree, while two leaders very much disagree as other two leaders disagreed in the past. We return to John Barber's vision of the new order of the things - Optimus Prime #4 is here!
Oh, and we start here, yes
Let's get this out of the way: Optimus is reaching peak Prowl. There are a number of moments where this is obvious, and I can't but think of this being a consequence of Combiner Wars (still) and his moment so close to the Autobot's master manipulator - other than being around him for pretty much the entirety of his life as an Autobot himself, of course.
Chekov's prop?
It's good, it's very good to see some development of Pyra Magna's character, as all of the Torchbearers were teased as having secrets and intrigues which we are still waiting pay-off for. But having that development also be pitted against Optimus is a super extra treat. Two very strong leaders with strong ideals, in their own way, against each other for very similar causes, at not the best time, but also maybe the best time too.
Pyra BURN
The rest of the story is a very good exercise in build-up, I felt, too, with a subtle increase on the pressure valve (up to the final act, where subtlety is chucked out the window) - but also a very welcome distraction in the form on Thundercracker and Buster, and a lot more about Marissa Fairborne in just a couple of pages.
Art
We knew of Alex Milne's subbing in for Kei Zama in this issue, and it's very good to see him back on a TF book interiors, even halfway through an arc. He keeps to the style that makes him beloved to the fandom and readership, while also thickening some inks, and adding a lot of black, black spaces for added tension, emotion, and pacing.
Also, his humans look really great in this issue
What is truly extraordinary on the art side of things, though, is the combination of Milne's lines with Josh Burcham's continuity colouring, keeping the transition between the two artists as smooth as possible for the book (the blue shading really does help), without sacrificing the differences of the two styles. It's a feat he achieves perfectly, I feel, and really helps the issue.
Blue, the color of the planet from far, far away
The devices used in the script to carry along the narration require skill from the lettering side of the book, once more in the capable hands of Tom B. Long, who is also still painstakingly bringing us mini-bios for each character as we read through - and somehow manages to never make it intrusive. There is a full roster of TF veterans in the cover roll, and you can see all of them and full credits in our database entry here, from Zama to Griffith, with Nelson Daniel, Casey Coller, Joana Lafuente (thumbnailed), Burcham and Josh Perez fully acknowledged too.
Thoughts Spoilerish ahead
Having Pyra Magna as the point of view for the running commentary on the issue is a great way of bringing in her voice on top of the placing against Optimus' leadership, and a welcome addition to that of Arcee, and Soundwave so far - and using the parallel threads of the past (the panels mirroring Zeta and Optimus are exquisite and very revealing) alongside the multiple storylines in the present and her personal beliefs, works out as a very revealing and definitely enticing, plot movement and pacing.
They visit Sicily!
The reintroduction of a different, but established, visual team does not disrupt the book at all, and the whole issue comes across as perhaps a seminal one in the aftermath of whatever may happen with the Junkions in the arc - will Pyra Magna get something more than she expects? How will the colonists react? What role will Aileron play?
As spoiler-free as I can make it The build, part 1. For part 2, read the issue.
They moved the Doomsday Clock up recently, you know. I don't want to think about that. No one does. Sometimes you have to, but thankfully this isn't one of those times.
It's a simple joy, getting caught up in a comic book. When the next page gets turned and you can't wait to see what's in store, be it from some anticipation or dread or excitement, it's joyful. Even the dread - it means you're experiencing moments that mean something, even if it's just to you.
It's ok if there's no other road, the breather is welcome!
Lost Light #3 finds Rodimus and co. probably wishing for those moments, stranded in another time and place with the end of #2 giving at least a faint glimmer of hope for better times ahead just before its ominous conclusion. This glimmer lies in the midst of almost chaotic action and fighting, though as anticipated this issue begins by gently putting the brakes on Team Rodimus' journey. Plenty of dialogue with this team and the new bots they've encountered ends up being a very welcome and perhaps genius moment of pacing. The modest change of setting accompanied by the introduction of some other familiar (and surprising) faces into the fold helps frame the scene for things to come. Satisfying answers laced with yet more tantalizing questions all with a complexity becoming of the series await readers that dive beyond the surface of the dialogue.
The urgency is real!
Fans of action won't be disappointed though, as Swerve, Ten, and Whirl run into misadventures of their own. A plot point seeded within the first handful of issues of More Than Meets The Eye reveals itself, and manages a great balance between peril and humor. Our heroes are still funny when it might be wiser to dial down the wit and dial up the focus, but that's what makes it work. Without giving anything away, James Roberts executes this other running plot of the issue expertly, ensuring that a sense of danger stays within the tone delivered.
Haven't seen this bot in awhile.
The timely political and social commentary found not only within this issue but within the overarching thematic structure of "Dissolution" thus far is effective and poignant without being either heavy handed or polarizing. Readers will find simple truths about decency, mixed with rhetorical postulates on theology, finished with Megatron and Ratchet coming face to face with some cold realities - or maybe warm memories.
Transformers at its best, everyone: starting heavy and ending with personable robots. Simple joys.
Drink this panel in. It's incredible.
The production of the book is at a very high level, with Jack Lawrence's art evolving to suit the unique challenges that Transformers present at a positive velocity that's often seen when real talent begins the daunting task of playing within this huge universe. Joana Lafuente's colors are the usual, which is to say that they're great. This is especially so in the numerous scenes where a contrast between light and dark is a wise choice in art direction, helping with the narrative delivered through the words. Those words are again presented by Tom B. Long, who might as well be teaching a class on lettering at this point. Come to think of it, he kind of is on his Twitter account from time to time.
There's much to say here that I'll have to save to chat about with you in the discussion that follows the review, but simply put, a great deal happens in this third issue of Lost Light. Characters are built, ideas are grown, and a few major surprises are in store. All the while, a sense of foreboding is omnipresent, but is that because of the story or because of the history of awful things that always seem to follow this crew? I haven't decided the answer to that part yet. I'm less certain that I ever want to, if I'm really honest. The journey is just too much of a simple joy.
Verdict
I'm going to be reviewing this series for the site for at least the next issue, if not for the rest of this initial story arc. Some of you can guess why this is. I'm moving my own little version of a Lost Light/Hasbro Comics Universe Doomsday Clock (Uniclock, perhaps?) back two minutes after this one, because it was joyful. That didn't remove all the dread though by any means, as you'll see from the minute hand below.
A score for this issue though, is that what you're waiting on? It's coming. This installment, to me, is one more answered question away from perfection, or maybe one huge moment away. There were certainly big moments but on the surface and without the benefit of hindsight (which has often been a beneficial factor in going back and re-reading issues of this series and finding a new appreciation) I can't quite find it in myself to put it up into the pantheon of perfect scores. I reserve the right to regret that decision later.
However, if you're reading this and haven't read this comic, I'm glancing up at the url and wondering how you set your priorities. Maybe it's just timing in your day and you haven't gotten to the shop yet, but if there's another reason, stop what you're doing and go buy this. Lost Light #3 is fun to follow and engaging even as a single part of a whole, though the whole is something you should simply invest in. It's a joy, I promise.
. & 1/2 out of
Bonus! James Roberts' soundtrack suggestions for this issue:
Fellow Seibertronian ChuckDawg1999 has reviewed the latest One Step Bumblebee found under the Combiner Force subline of Robots in Disguise.
Here are his thoughts on it:
chuckdawg1999 wrote:As someone who collects One-Step changers I know, there's been a lot of Bumblebees, a lot. This version from the Combiner Force subline is different, the Transformation is fun and the robot mode feels solid. If you're looking for a fun desk toy then definitely give Bumblebee a look.
In a very surprising twist, right before Toy Fair starts; it looks like someone lucked out and got the upcoming Last Knight Voyager Optimus Prime toy early - and posted a little review to boot! Check out the video review below and tell us what you think in the forums!
Not long after he's hit the shelves, the One-Step Changer version of Blurr has gotten a review from youtuber Scottimus Prime! Check out the speedster's simplicity and glory in the embedded video below and feel free to discuss the new toy in the forums!
Synopsis
As Windblade and her team fight their way through Elita-1’s Titan, Carcer, they face opposition at every turn to stop them from awakening the sleeping giant… and they soon find out why!
eeep
Story
Till All Are One is still keeping up the tension and the storyline that was so quickly done with in the Titans Return mini-arc (the trade was only out these past weeks, with MTMTE and Transformers joining the One-shot - all of these, their casts, and the covers and credits can be found in our database entries), and it does it in a very natural way, not forgetting its other sources and bringing in some very intriguing twists.
Fight me
The major players, as we know are Starscream and Windblade, the Council and Cybertron on one side, Elita, Obsidian and Strika, and her crew on the other (there is also the faction of undead titans, I guess, like whatever - again, full cast can be found here, though beware of some spoilers), and it's in the contrasts between the characters and the writing of their interactions that the meatier stuff comes out.
With the ever-present Bumbleghost
In particular, Strika and Obsidian get a nice dose of spotlight each this month, with the latter already playing a fairly major, menacing role on the Council as the bearer of bad news (backed up with facts and data), and we also finally see what the former can do, dipping into both of their seeding in the Beast Machines series.
..dang
What we also get in the issue, which is exciting and almost a little surprising, I'll admit, is a direct link to information and story development that were achieved in the Revolution tie-in issue for this series, in the form of the issue's resolution/cliffhanger... and more on that below.
Art
Sara Pitre Durocher delivers yet another pearl of linework and layouts, with some truly memorable Starscream and Elita-1 condescending looks, and some impressively expressive faceplated faces (Obsidian and Strika are but two). The concluding pages echo the very first Windblade series, too, with some other hints towards the Revolution tie-in, again.
He so smug, SO smug
Joana Lafuente adds to the excellent linework performance, once more, too - the panel below I believe proves it marvellously: the lighting, the shades of purple, the way they work with the inking beneath them, almost drowning out everything else in the image, all goes to show how the visual language of the medium can be fully employed.
kchoom indeed
Likewise, the lettering in the example above is an integral part to the frame (and the storytelling), actually adding weight to the word itself rather than just remaining sound - Tom B. Long does this often, and still well. The covers are also this month a full IDW TF grouping too, with Pitre Durocher on main, Priscilla Tramontano on Chromia's criminal cover, and Joana Lafuente (thumbnail) joining the theme of her other two pieces this month.
Thoughts Spoilerish ahead
Till All Are One was ramping up the tension since issue 5. It took a potentially good story seedling in Titans Return and made sure it took roots in the ongoing series, while also connecting previous aspects of Transformers lore, the expanded mythos we are encountering across IDW, and bringing in a new-but-old major player, if the last page is to be believed.
there's those dead Titans I mentioned
We will not know what makes Elita and her crew so adamant to protect their Titan-ship, until another month at least, but we can enjoy just how hard, how strenuously, how viciously, how well laid out and constructed each scene is, and how the visual and verbal languages are co-deployed for this month. Very, very good indeed.
Thanks to fellow Seibertronian chuckdawg1999, we have a video review of the latest release in the Takara Tomy Legends line, featuring the Headmaster-ed version of Decepticon triple-changer LG40 Astrotrain - in his darker colour schemes compared to Hasbro's Titans Return voyager (which can you check again in our galleries here). Take a look at the video below, and let us know what you think in the Energon Pub!
Legends Astrotrain is basically the Astrotrain we've been waiting for in the Titans Return line, if you've been waiting for a G1 colored figure. I'm really impressed with how they picked out the details on Astrotrains face, I almost thought it was a new mold. If you haven't been able to find Astrotrain yet, the Takara Legends version is a solid purchase.
I'm the Brains, You're the Brawn A Seibertron.com Semi-Spoilerish Review of Lost Light #2
Synopsis
Rodimus 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
Story
Well, 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.
Art
Art 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 Thoughts
When 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.
1/2 out of
Goto Page: <<1, 2, 3 ... 21, 22, 23, 24>> 235 total news articles in this section, 10 per page.
* Price and quantities subject to change. Shipping costs, taxes and other fees not included in cost shown. Refer to listing for current price and availability.
![[Valid RSS]](/images/rss/valid-rss.png "Validate Seibertron.com's RSS feed"){kind=small}
