Full Metal Hackin
(Spoiler free-ish)
(Spoiler free-ish)
Synopsis
WINDBLADE TURNS TRAITOR?! With the rise of the COMBATICON threat, STARSCREAM issues an ultimatum to WINDBLADE: do his - or everyone on Cybertron will learn her darkest secrets!
*mumblegrumble*
Story
The shift from 'Windblade' to 'Till All Are One' is one that perfectly adapts to and suits the way in which the story, plots and cast are handled in this new series. The various characters each have their own path, and while they do cross at multiple intersections, it's refreshing to see them work both with and against each other so subterfugey.
What is her rooollleee??
There are some key players of course, in terms of how Mairghread Scott approaches the script, playing pivotal roles in the issue - especially the Combaticons. Individuals, well-rounded, well-scripted voices and characters that operate well on their own and as a team (when necessary), even with the Blast Off ...play from last issue.
Aw diddums
The other excellent written bot is Ironhide, who seems to be channelling a lot more of his past/future self from the miniseries, Pax Cybertronia, and possible connections with the other comic out this week (and the one not out at all until the end of the month). Whatever is going to happen, and still with my tentative dislike of the ideology behind it, he's doing it well, and it's a good hook and tease.
Va'al, training news staff
The one thing I was not too keen on, and worth pointing out here, is the slight confusion with timelines and where this fits in the greater picture of the IDWverse. Even that, however, was solved again once reminded that the book was supposed to start in March, pre-Sins of the Wreckers. Brawl leaving the AHO arc makes sense again, as do other enigmatic events, and EVERYTHING IS FINE again.
Art
Sara Pitre Durocher does some fantastic work in laying out some of the parallel scenes, between fighting and hacking, more fighting, some talking, a bit of fighting, and tensions running just a little higher between one of sides in the book. Plus, we get an actual montage. A training montage. With Ironhide and Blast Off. A Montage.
Not shown: the Montage
The colours are really well played too, in the vibrant approach that Joana Lafuente brings to the linework and layouts. The nice contrasts between night/day and under/overground have some great touches to them, too, and the fight scenes - as a juxtaposition to the Metroplex scenes with Chromia and Windblade - are given an added layer of dynamism.
Red is the colour of VIOLENCE
The fighting and training, along with Metroplex scenes, allow for some nice space in terms of lettering too, and Tom B. long delivers his neon magic once more (keep an eye out for the location/setting captions, too). As for the covers, we've seen the hauntingly good main one by Pitre Durocher for a while now, but both Alex Milne/Josh Perez and Thomas Teyowisonte Deer (this one thumbnailed) play around with the tone of the book, pitting the pawns under Starscream's control on the game board.
Thoughts
Spoilerish ahead
Things I have yet to figure out: Elita One's role in all of this. Obsidian is still a menacing presence, but much more in the background - what is the plan behind things? Rattrap - what does he have to do with everything? because he's stuck in the middle of it, always. Things I really enjoy: the Combaticons, all of them. More please. The breaking point that Windblade seems to be reaching with both Starscream and Chromia, on two different sides.
It aLL MAkses SNSE
The book may have been a slow burner at first, but it's paying off, significantly, already. More tension, more political play, more teasing of something MUCH BIGGER (and maybe not even entirely intentional, going by my own speculation from the cover of #4), and more humour where you might not expect it. And a training montage, you guise.
. 
out of
out of
