Grimlock Rushes In
(Spoiler free-ish)
SynopsisYears ago, the crew of the Lost Light fought a demonic Cybertronian mutant that fed on its victims’ souls. Years later, Rodimus and Co. are about to discover that the only thing worse than a sparkeater… is an army of sparkeaters!
cue titleDespite the scheduling issues, despite the digital vs print clashes, despite everything in-universe and out, we're here. We're actually here, at the end of The Quest, with a gaggle of questions still needing answers, and an army of sparkeaters at the proverbial door: Lost Light enters its last story arc, and we're here for it. Are you?
Probably notThe question is obviously rhetorical, as you're reading the review - but there is a sense of dread even in the lighter moments that the comic tries bringing with the best new pairing (that was bound to happen, and now that it does, yes, very much so), hinting at several heavy moments if not in this issue then most definitely in the arc. So I ask again: are we ready?
Swervefire? Misswerve?The best character and related moments that stand out, ignoring the above for one moment, have to do with the dinobot that was told to wait - and obviously will not and didn't: Grimlock. He's powerful, he's sweet, he's charming and caring, and he gave fellow staffer
ScottyP a fanboy blush* during his reading of the issue.
MAGNUS YESIf, then, we consider all the plot propelling and thread gathering - and if this has been said before for a previous issue I realise I was very naive but we're here now - and the way in which those are done, used, and employed throughout the issue, I'll have really only one thing to say: this is very much a Roberts script, and a fine display of his skills.
ArtAs we have known for a while now, art duties will be shifting across the final arc to ease the double monthly billing (ahem), meaning that we see an old flame of the Transformers comics make his return for this issue: E.J. Su! Many fans will be very pleased about this, and the lineart is indeed very very good - but I can't let one critique slide: the shading and crosshatching that shows up over a number of characters, scenes and elements of the otherwise great visual work overall, casting.. well, a shadow unnecessarily.
see Thunderclash's chestThe colours provided by Joana Lafuente do attempt to ease some of the scratchier, more jarring linework, but with a base so dark already, even her impressive skills at keeping visual continuity and coherence with the regular art seen so far in the book cannot mask what can result very distracting indeed (see above for example).
moooodyAgain, letterer Tom B Long ensures not only that the pacing of the interactions hit their mark, but also takes clearly a lot of pleasure and fun in some of the louder, wider pages of action and noises, with some of the best screams and KRUNCHes that I had seen in the series so far (see above!).
The main cover art, featuring Nick Roche and Josh Burcham displaying Team Rodimus ready to face whatever is thrown their way, is darkly mirrored by the duo's own counterpoint offered in the variant you can see in the thumbnail - and also found in our databse entry
here - the two sides that used to be one has to tug at someone's strings hard.
ThoughtsSpoilerish aheadAs I said in my opening remarks: we're here. And so is everyone else. Something that Roberts has unmistakenly been able to do since his first appearance as an official writer on the IDW comics, has been to seed (or retroactively make it so) plot points and details for the reader to almost entirely forget before bringing them back for a wider tapestry. And in this final arc, that skill is turned up to what seems to be at least a 12 - here's looking forward to a satisfying landing, with a run-up this sizeable.
It beginsAll in all, it's a number of a series that will confirm to be liked by most readers who enjoy this style of script, will bring in fans looking for some official EJ Su Transformers artwork (my caveat above remains), and will not be liked by those who dislike the narrative techniques deployed in MTMTE and LL so far.
*I thought of many jokes involving dinosaurs and bones, be thankful I avoided them until this postscript.
