A Good PlanA Review of
Transformers: Lost Light #20Generally Spoiler-Free
Here we see the fandom outside Mr. Roberts' office Part 2 of the final story in the larger
More Than Meets The Eye and
Lost Light saga has arrived, with a big promise found in the solicitation: at last, Rodimus and Getaway are set to do battle!
To make this a long, wordy review will almost definitely spoil someone on something even if I don't intend to. If you're here just to find an answer to the question "is this issue good?", then the answer is "Yes, it's great - and you can stop reading this review now."
Two images from page one? Yes. Just go read it.As highlighted by
Va'al in his review of issue 19, there is a great deal going on. In issue 20, there still is, but the amount that is addressed in satisfying ways is nothing short of incredible. While not every pertinent question is answered, those within the context of the main events of
this particular issue get some form of an answer. Telling you how complete these answers are may imply plot details, which I'm desperately trying to avoid in this review. Praise nonetheless is deserved for the pacing and intensity delivered by every page of this important chapter of the story.
"Guess Who The Mecannibals Are Having For Dinner?"There is one side plot in particular among the several that get attention which felt somewhat truncated and short, at least upon a first reading. If you know me at all, you might know what I'm referring to, but if not, you probably will after reading. After taking some time to think about it over the last several days, it was close to the best choice that could have been made considering the wider narrative. Did it get space? Yes. Would I have liked for it to have gotten more? Yes. Would the plot have been better served with said "more" space? No. This issue had a purpose, and this part of the story was not the focus for a reason.
Actually lol'dThe focus is exactly what was promised in the solicitation: Rodimus vs Getaway. Getaway stole the Lost Light during a mutiny in
More Than Meets The Eye #50, which was published on March 9th, 2016. Two years, four months, and two days later, the confrontation you've been waiting for arrives. It's the focus of the issue, it deserves that focus, and James Roberts absolutely delivers. Page 16 is absolutely chill-inducing, and the entire creative team deserves your $4 pretty much just based on it alone.
Yeah he did terrible things, but he throws one hell of a 4th of July party!Speaking of the creative team: Casey. Freaking. Coller. One of the great missed opportunities of the IDW run is that Coller wasn't chosen for more interior work. Ever since the incredible
Ironhide mini-series, I've been absolutely blown away by his work and the output on
Lost Light #20 did so all over again. I couldn't post many of the best panels without spoiling stuff that shouldn't be spoiled, but his work on the action scenes breathes another level of life into them, telling a story within the story. The panels with more talking look great too (scroll up for that look at Rung and Wipe Out - wow!) and if this ends up being Casey Coller's last work on an IDW Transformers book, then it's one hell of a last hurrah.
Joana Lafuente's colors aren't to be ignored either, bringing the look right into "definitely Lost Light" territory. Despite there now being six interior artists (apologies if I missed someone) throughout the run of the series, you can always know what book it is just by taking a glance at a few pages. Tom B. Long provides all the "THUD"s, "HFF"s, and "THWACK"s you could ask for along with the usual stellar letter work, with some clever twists in the "speech" of the alien characters that calls right back to a previous plot-line. Regular series artist Jack Lawrence provides two covers, with Lafuente again on colors, with the "A" cover shown in this news story's thumbnail. As always, you can look up all the covers, credits, and potentially-spoiler-laden character appearances in our
Vector Sigma Database entry for Lost Light #20.
Verdict
American translation: "will always sound stupid" This is what you've been waiting for. The main undercurrent for the main character of the series crashes to the shore in
Lost Light #20, and it's a great ride. Read, experience, and enjoy. There are only so many more times you can.
Bonus!
James Roberts' soundtrack suggestions for this issue were not available as of this writing, either that or I've forgotten how Twitter works on a desktop. Here's my own suggestion, because why not, and because it just
works for this one:
Which works for me! I'm not even that hyped for Barber's stuff. 
was supposed to be letting him down gently that there's no crossover. Suppose there could be a last minute surprise
