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With the last page of Transformers: More Than Meets The Eye #7, their centerfold appearance in Transformers: Regeneration One #2, and IDW's Transformer theme for the month of August, it's quite obvious who's the center of attention in this week's Transformers: Robots In Disguise #8 - the Dinobots! Swoop, Slag, Snarl and Sludge are back in IDW action and are paired alongside the Autobot with newly found seer powers, Ironhide. As evidenced in RID #5, Ironhide believes that the Transformers race will return to its glory, and that he'll live to see the day. Hanging out with a group of Dinobots isn't the best way to make true to his premonition.



Now that the Dinobots are back in the current ongoing, aswell as the Generation One comics, and the upcoming video game, Transformers: Fall Of Cybertron, it's fair to compare the three different Dinosaur groups! Aesthetically they all fit very well to their respective media, however the one nack against the ongoing group has to be Swoop's robot mode design. Haven't been a fan of it since his appearance back in early IDW works. In regards to their characterization, Barber does a fantastic job at continuing off where Furman left off in Maximum Dinobots.



As much as I wish my comic reading palette was bigger, I can relate Ironhide to a character from the Green Lantern series, Guy Gardner. Mostly because both of them speak the same dialogue, and they both like to think with their fists rather than with their mind. Ironhide`s personality certainly leads him into situations where he`s not likely to abide by the rules. Thus I find it intriguing that he wasn't on the Lost Light when Rodimus departed - he'd be a great character to have in MTMTE.



Moving on to the other groups on Cybertron - Barber shows a very interesting side to Prowl when faced with the reality of political unrest among the Autobots, Decepticons, and NAILs. Let's just hope that his counterpart, Bumblebee, doesn't fall under the pressure with the situation that he's in. #8 also gives light to what's brewing in the Decepticon camp, and we get another great appearance and dialogue from Swindle.



Ultimately, I feel that RID #8 is a great issue. The Dinobots and their quirky, rebellious attitude shine through, while events and emotions are starting to pick up politically on Cybertron. Barber shows us that whether it's war time or peace time, you never truly know who's got your back.



out of

I was positively confused by the end of this.
Enjoyed it, but confusing ending.

I do like the political plotting and scheming streak of RID compared to MTMTE, has that Game of Thrones/Spartacus/Rome feel to it.

I agree with the review, it is a good issue. But I really want to know why what happened happened!

Va'al wrote:I was positively confused by the end of this.
Enjoyed it, but confusing ending.

I do like the political plotting and scheming streak of RID compared to MTMTE, has that Game of Thrones/Spartacus/Rome feel to it.

I agree with the review, it is a good issue. But I really want to know why what happened happened!

Um.... Yeah, pretty much what he said. Love the political intrigue and civil unrest going on, while at the same time basically tripping over myself in my joy of seeing the Dinobots again. On the other hand... What?

I didn't really like this issue, it smells like Shattered Glass:
- Shockwave doesn't have a plan - when was the last time that happened?
- Bumblebee is still a Prime, and is holding to his powers with all his might
- Prowl speaks openly about rigging the elections, and the most wanted criminal is Dirge, whose only sin is that he saw too much
- the dinobots turning on each other and another autobot
- Starscream - he didn't betray anybody since ages, and seems to be the most trustworthy character in all the RiD.

Other than that, the writer is tooooo open, he "tells" too much ("I didn't remember my death""I'm the only one who can't die" - too much foreshadowing; the political schemes were too open - it would have been enough if Dirge just comes out from the shadow to face Shockwave instead of narrating everything...)

Chaoslock wrote:- Bumblebee is still a Prime, and is holding to his powers with all his might

Technically it's a triumvirate, which means they're all in power. If they have elections, only one would win, which is why they're not pushing it too much for now.

- Prowl speaks openly about rigging the elections, and the most wanted criminal is Dirge, whose only sin is that he saw too much

Prowl has been developed into a scheming character with questionable morals, I don't think it's anything new. He "blew up" the Lost Light, and got several Cybertronians killed through Arcee. Of course he wants Dirge, he's covering stuff up!

- the dinobots turning on each other and another autobot

On each other has definitely happened before, in Maximum Dinobots. The second part is what confused me the most, as I mentioned above!

- Starscream - he didn't betray anybody since ages, and seems to be the most trustworthy character in all the RiD.

I disagree. He's working for personal power, which is what he's always done. At first the easier way was through betrayal, now he's just biding his time and playing along.

As for Shockwave, and the other points you make, I think the writer is trying to make sure everyone is on the same page. I guess you could accuse him of "telling too much", but I personally didn't mind it.