More Like Old Prysmos
(Spoiler free-ish)
SynopsisCybertron has been invaded. The Transformers encounter unwelcome guests at the heart of Cybertron—and they may not have their hosts’ best interests at heart. Refugees from another world, the Visionaries’ startling magical abilities could make them powerful allies… or dangerous enemies.
evil wizard probably still evilIt's a new year, and a new month, and a new week, so of course, we have a new comic book day -- with a new IDW Publishing Hasbro shared universe crossover which brings a new reality and a new threat to a newly found order and semblance of peace on Cybertron, in the form of Merklynn's Visionaries. And here's my first disclaimer: I never had any interest of knowledge of Visionaries: Knights of the Magical Light.
Yep, all of themWith that taken care of, I'll admit I was able to follow the entirety of the plot and the dynamics - personal, interpersonal, interplanetary, inner and outer - that are being set up by newcomer to the Transformers part of the universe Magdalene Visaggio. And for the Visionaries part of the story, despite some admittedly by-the-numbers characterisations and set-ups, I wasn't displeased.
...and then we get hereOn the Transformers side of the story however, issues arise. Aplenty. The core Cybertronian cast is small, but that is not an issue - Ironhide, Kup, Wheeljack can easily carry a story, as Revolutionaries and issues in the ongoings have shown - but their personalities here do not feel coherent with their previous IDW incarnation at all, even following more of a G1 animated series couple of pointers at times. Which actually has repercussions on the way the plot unravels.
also Breakdown is in itAnd that is the crux of the issue: Cybertron is in peril, again. Realities will be shattered, again. We've just had a new status quo established on the planet after First Strike and as this issue is starting up - and just like that, everything comes crumbling down in the most lazy, forced, unnecessary way possible. More on this below.
ArtAs I mentioned in the initial part of the review, the story is perfectly understandable, readable, and legible - and that is a virtue in the layouts too. Fico Ossio works extremely well with what Visaggio sets out, and we have a story that works from a visual perspective, as well as some pleasing improvements in the treatment of Cybertronian features since the early days of Revolution.
thassa good mugSimilarly, as with the previous work on First Strike, the colours by David Garcia Cruz work really well with the new (help me say it here, though) take on technology vs magic, giving us both vibrancy and shadow where required, and working well with partner in crime Ossio. Some of the background lightings are particularly noteworthy.
DOOT you tooI did also quite enjoy the lettering work of Gilberto Lazcano, perhaps more subdued than others in the approach to the craft, but still expertly weaving through the layouts to clarify points, names, and emphasis where required by the script and story. And while we have seen a lot of the covers already - you can check them all out in our
database of course - the Brendan Cahill / Lauren Bennett one chosen for the thumbnail is perhaps the most poignant (if anything had landed in the story).
ThoughtsWARNING: this may contain spoilersWe have seen all of the issues and problems that this book has brought to light once before, featuring the same exact characters and set-up, already: Infestation. And much like Infestation, there is nothing there that hooked me in any way to keep on reading or covering the series with any interest. In fact, the reaction I have seen to the final events range from the 'unnecessary, but meh' to complete, and I'd say justified, frustration and anger.
...My main point, however? I blame very little on this on the writing, the script, or the directly involved creative team (the credited ones, I mean) - this feels a lot, almost reeks, of editorial mandates. The editorial backmatter, to me and many others, confirms that. The multiple misspellings (Breakdown, Trailblazer) and insistence on certain points confirm it. The multiple covers showing gruesome deaths of Cybertronian characters are part of the confirmation too.
And after the
affirmation brought by the likes of Optimus Prime and Till All Are One, and Lost Light to a lesser extent, this was entirely unnecessary, and unfair to Visaggio, Ossio, and the rest of the team.
Really encapsulates how I felt about it (generally very negatively) while pointing out the genuinely very good art, colors, lighting, letters, and, characterization issues aside, dialogue.
