Would we be saying goodbye to the Wreckers as soon as we met them? Who would tell the Autobots on Cybertron of what has become of Earth?
Holy Explosive Endings! Same bot time same bot channel... (one month later-ish)
'Loose Ends: Part 2', Issue #82 opens with S P O I L E R S...okay not really, because the five page preview will show you the Wreckers fate of...escape pods! Yes, they had time to get to escape pods (just barely) and shoot to Earth where they regrouped and prepared for Megatron’s onslaught. It was very ‘we only have one chance’ ala the Superfriends, but honestly, how else were they really going to survive? Forgiveable, I suppose.
Wait...Megatron’s onslaught you may question. He’s only one bot. Ah, yes, but he has a small army of familiar lobotomized zombie-like Decepticons to help him and had 21 years to plot his revenge. No more free will for his pawns... Megatron’s orders are followed no matter what. Failing will never be the fault of one of his ‘followers’ again, although I am sure he will find some way to blame the inevitable failure of this trap on them (Starscream, most likely).
Can you tell if I'm wearing a piece?
Let the petrorabbit hunt begin! Instead of petrorabbits though, Wreckers are the endangered species. And as Megatron’s undead horde searches for the Wreckers, the Wreckers try to collect their bearings, their injured comrades, stay low, and then attempt to find a communication array to contact Cybertron.
Ssseeerrvos. SSSEEERRVOS.
August is Dinobot month, remember? For good reason. We now switch to Grimlock en route to Nebulos to find a cure for his (and others) nucleon enhanced and cursed forms. He wants to transform again and thinks the key to that is somewhere on Nebulos.
Viewing a data slug with information on it by ‘Project Lazarus’ senior scientist, BORX, Grimlock believes he can be helped by the scientists working on this project which happens to be taking place on Nebulos. What is this project? Many of you might be able to guess, but I don’t want to spoil it for you. It could prove to bolster both Autobot and Decepticon ranks, if successful.
Grimlock lands on Nebulos finding it to be much less populated than he remembered. Then he is attacked by what appear to be humanoids under some sort of mind control. In a fairly un-Grimlock like moment, he reflects that he must not use lethal force on them to defend himself. And then gets himself concussed and a familiar appendage or two appears in panel to gather him up.
This what new touchy-feely Grimlock get...
By the way, Magnus gets very frustrated and has himself a moment...using once again, the curse word he became so famous for... directing his anger at Kup and Grimlock for being rule breakers without him (more or less).
I can't hand...oh just move on.
Back on Earth. Kup is captured by Zombie Skywarp and has yet another kooky chapter to add to his war story arsenal. Megatron gloats. Megatron sets and baits a trap for..who else? As we near the end of this issue Rack N’ Ruin make a discovery, finding the first group of human survivors, and their protector, a warrior with He-man’s hair and Black Vulcan’s superpowers. And a somewhat familiar name. End issue.
Is it circuit breaker with a newish name?
I am starting to enjoy this series more. Yes, I know it is only the second (second and a half) issue, but I enjoyed this one a lot. Very, very familiar feel, and yet, not as campy feeling as all the previous vintage issues were (most of the time). I found it entertaining. I like this bat crazy, and yet ultimately intelligent Megatron-- I don’t care if I inspire my followers, I’ll simply lobotomize them and easily command them to do exactly what I want. Dude, really? Wow.
And the horrible, twisted situation Megatron has Ratchet in...
I'm at a loss of words too...
Used Ratchet for sale! High miles, but really, really quiet. Runs great!
Contact MANICALMEGS@con.com
Kup’s inner and exterior dialoguing prove again to be fantastic, adding more and more to his character. His revelations about the Autobots lack of ‘cleaning up after themselves’ even after 21 years have passed, his devotion to taking responsibility for it, and doing something about it, are what sets this book apart from the previous 80 in the series.
Wait didn't Unicron...oh well. Turbo Revvin' Dead Con.
Springer dons much more of a leadership role, as he should, and Grimlock’s characterization is well done, building on his new found (late in the original series) appreciation for all life, and trying to fight to protect those that are weaker than he is.
All the main Autobot characters in fact, seem to be reacting to and dealing with different responsibilities, and how they do this is obviously effecting their choices, and relationships. I like this a lot.
As the second issue in the series, we are now beyond the introduction, catch up, and setup, we are now getting more into the characters, and into the deeper action. I also particularly enjoy seeing things that have been happening in the ‘missing’ 21 years... Project Lazarus for one.
And the art is growing back on me. It’s comfortable, and I enjoyed practically every panel of it. There really are some fantastic examples of the more classical Transformers style. Action sequences are excellent, and as a fellow podcaster said, it’s very easy to recognize who is doing what in the panels.
Not much to bag on here, the beginning escape of the Wreckers was a little convenient, but ultimately acceptable. The worst thing is I have to wait another month to read the next issue. Kudos to Simon, Andrew, and the rest of the team for this. You now have the responsibility to continue to keep it up... please!
Pick this issue up Wednesday at your LCS. Don’t miss out.
.5 out of
