IDW Transformers: Robots in Disguise #32 Review
Tuesday, August 19th, 2014 4:54PM CDT
Categories: Comic Book News, Reviews, Site ArticlesPosted by: Va'al Views: 59,505
Topic Options: View Discussion · Sign in or Join to reply
(Spoiler free-ish)
Synopsis
AUTOBOTS VERSUS EARTH! OPTIMUS PRIME and the AUTOBOTS discover the humans’ secret—and they aren’t pleased with what they learn! Will the DECEPTICON’s alliance tear down the peace—and will the world learn the CYBERTRONIANs are back?
A bit hard to miss, really
Story
The past of couple of issues of Robots in Disguise have slowly been building up to the Alpha Trion discovery and recovery, seeding lies and lines about Prowl's true intentions and feelings, Jazz and Arcee's discomfort in their new-and-old roles, Galvatron's connection to it all, the Witwickys, Soundwave, Optimus and the rest of the gang. Slowly.
Ready..?
And then, suddenly, giant spaceships. Stories that were heading one fearfully predictable way go in a direction so different it's almost inwards. Characters more or less established by now are truly revealed for what and who they are. Changes come about so subtly and quickly and yet still make sense with everything teased so far, that reading 28-31 again is almost required to get more out of it all once again.
Bananas!
John Barber does an excellent job at keeping all the threads close, weaving a pattern so intricate that three out of two of us on the comics staff have no idea as to where the story will go from here, but are loving the ride read. This is what RID promised in its initial issues, both seasons, and the heights it can accomplish with its twisted political and social narratives.
And dogs called Buster
And on top of that, the entire issue is a series of well orchestrated, well paced, well placed action sequences, with Prowl and Jazz on one side, the Autobot team on another, and humans and Decepticons between and around the two. With exemplary stand-outs in Thundercracker, Buster and Marissa, as Barber does not forget the series' heart and humour, exactly when needed (the closing sequence is magnificently crafted).
Art
Andrew Griffith is the main artist, taking care of all the gigantic spaceships, stupidly amazing visual references, fights, perspective shifts, interactions and running plot, flashbacks included. The opening scene, the title page, just examples of what Griffith can do with a page, something hinted at in Dark Cybertron. And the amazingness is topped by Josh Perez' colour work on Griffith's pages, giving a grittiness and darker hue to a truly bleak situation - lighting it up by fire, laser and destruction.
Hum. Shoom?
Brendan Cahill is confined (I use the term loosely) to four pages in total - but whoah are they some pages! Focusing on the interactions between Prowl and Jazz, and an amazing double page, reader shifting spread that delves deeper into the human connection to the story, both Cahill and Joana Lafuente's colours put the sci-fi back into the Transformers, reminding us of one of the many genres the comics line falls under. And how adorably evil Prowl looks while smirking.
Smirk
To top everything off, Tom B. Long dazzles in his lettering work, with some wonderfully placed sound effects mirroring the chaos and confusion that must be ensuing during the attack on the human base, and a gorgeous ending sequence caption group. Then add to that the amazing Coller and Bove cover revealed yesterday, and the Coller and Lafuente variant hinting at where the story may be headed (see thumbnail).
Thoughts
Spoilerish ahead
Barber was able to take all my fears as to where this series was heading, and spin them completely around into something unrecognisable and impossible to figure out, nearing its sister series MTMTE for twistedness. Griffith and Cahill's collaboration raises the bar even higher, with some mind-boggling art in terms of perspective and layouts, with the excellent Perez and Lafuente giving a decidedly significant boost, and Long's designer eye operating from the shadows.
You did, RID
Robots in Disguise #32 has action, lots of it. It has mystery, it has scheming, it has humans and Cybertronians. Lots of them. It has a good story, excellent pacing, great dialogue, fantastic art, amazing colouring and letters, gorgeous covers and is reaching a level of comic book writing worthy of any other action series currently published in the industry. I cannot recommend this issue enough. Lots of it.
News Search
Got Transformers News? Let us know here!
Most Popular Transformers News
Most Recent Transformers News
Posted by ZeroWolf on August 19th, 2014 @ 5:13pm CDT
Posted by Va'al on August 19th, 2014 @ 5:22pm CDT
THIS IS SO GOOD YOU GUYS
Posted by Deadput on August 19th, 2014 @ 5:38pm CDT
Va'al wrote:Get it tomorrooooowww.... Spoilerrrsssss....
THIS IS SO GOOD YOU GUYS
Agreed i believe this is the best issue of RID.
Posted by ZeroWolf on August 19th, 2014 @ 5:43pm CDT
Va'al wrote:Get it tomorrooooowww.... Spoilerrrsssss....
THIS IS SO GOOD YOU GUYS
You're not helping! can't get it tomorrow due to money hence why I get them all the same time. BUT I HAVE TO KNOW PROWL'S PLAN!
Posted by Deadput on August 19th, 2014 @ 5:49pm CDT
ZeroWolf wrote:Va'al wrote:Get it tomorrooooowww.... Spoilerrrsssss....
THIS IS SO GOOD YOU GUYS
You're not helping! can't get it tomorrow due to money hence why I get them all the same time. BUT I HAVE TO KNOW PROWL'S PLAN!
If you really want to know a guy on TFW2005 made a thread about it its in the comics discussion.
Posted by Va'al on August 19th, 2014 @ 5:53pm CDT
COMPONY WARS
Posted by Deadput on August 19th, 2014 @ 5:56pm CDT
Va'al wrote:The real aim of the game is to set up the MLP takeover event.
COMPONY WARS
I would pay my life investments and my soul to see that.
Posted by Va'al on August 19th, 2014 @ 6:00pm CDT
Posted by ZeroWolf on August 20th, 2014 @ 7:04am CDT
Posted by ScottyP on August 20th, 2014 @ 1:11pm CDT
I didn't want more adventures of Optimus and I didn't want another generic Earth story. I was very sad at the beginning of the year to hear those were coming. I was wrong, because this book is neither of those things right now.
Posted by 1984forever on August 20th, 2014 @ 6:03pm CDT
I notice Jazz went from a 4 door Porsche to a possible Wildrider repaint. Hopefully we'll get him without the "stealth paint".
Posted by Nemesis Maximo on August 21st, 2014 @ 2:27pm CDT