First Bomp
(Spoiler free-ish)
SynopsisHOMECOMING! FIRST AID, the Autobots' Chief Medical Officer, returns to the Lost Light to find that everything has changed: the ship is now under the command of the treacherous GETAWAY, half of his closest friends are missing, and-most shocking of all-the crew is actually making progress...
THIS close StoryIt's been a really long while since we last saw the Lost Light (ship) in its titular series, at least for more than a corner of a panel shot of the outside, and this issue has been expected by a lot of readers in generally two large camps of positive and negative apprehension. How did it fare? I find myself squarely between both.
#same James Roberts' script brings First Aid and the Protectobots - and makes a running gag out of Rook's presence too that will sound familiar to the fandom (at least in the opening paragraph, if not the issue itself) - in a way that will please readers that wanted to see more of First Aid, that is most definitely a given. Along with him, and I'm thinking of Riptide and Mirage in particular, bring very much plenty of their core characteristics to a plotting that needs anchors.
Like canonical linchpin Rook On the other side, there are two major points I disagree with in the issue: the twisting of the plot - which is an extremely gigantic spoiler to talk about here, so see below - and the disparity of treatment of character between Getaway and Megatron. Namely: how do you turn a character (Getaway) that has had legitimate motives for action, while terrible morals in doing said action, I am not disputing that and never have, into the Worst Character Ever by playing with issues of narcissism, despotry and manipulation - points he entirely 'redeemed' in the actual despot (Megatron) said character was going against?
Look, I'm torn, ok? There are obviously two more issues to make the writing work, including the frustrating take on Getaway so far that may be more justified (or at least explained, somehow), but I come away from this book with a feeling that The Twist has reduced that space significantly - and without good reason - and limit some character work that could've otherwise intervened. More below.
ArtIn terms of the visual work, however, I believe this to be one of the best displays of patient and careful work by Jack Lawrence, who has a nowhere-near-easy job of laying out scenes and panels in such a way that can hint at what might be actually taking place without revealing anything until it actually is. But take a close look at the crowd scenes, on a second read, and compare to the individual shots.
Sample panel What I also really appreciate, in the same way as that last point about the lineart, is how Joana Lafuente manages to bring a really quite dark tone overall by juxtaposing dull grey and brown palettes from the backgrounds with the otherwise brighter coloured characters and scenes - you know something just isn't quite right by just looking at it.
Other than the screeching, I mean As a result, Tom B. Long work on letters doesn't have as much scope to include big fancy games, but the subtle plays with font sizes do lend themselves to the same effect as both art and colours. And he still manages to squeeze in some satisfying soundwords, too. I chose the Alex Milne and Josh Perez cover for the review thumbnail as a spotlighting reminder of the factions, but you can find all of the covers for the book right
here, in our database entry.
ThoughtsSpoilerish aheadI was disappointed, as you may have been able to tell through the review. I was disappointed not because of the entirely made-up feud between #TeamRodimus and #GetawayDidNothingWrong (that neither side takes seriously except when people step in and think they both do), but at how perceptions of what makes a villain have worrying ramifications since Megatron's redemption and Getaway's first introduction. Yes, the series is character-driven for the most part, or at least latches on to the characters to drive its plot, but I feel there's something missing from a bigger ethical, moral picture. Is Getaway a lying populist riding a wave of actual malcontent? Yes. Does that mean that everyone who is following him is exactly the same? No. Are we in danger of equating the two? Yes. Was Megatron given the same damning treatment during and after a genocide trial..? Why are we so clearly manipulated as readers by the narrative?
*coff* Some of the characters are well written, well pitted against or with each other, but there are enough that are brought to the limit of their bio tag-line instead of using that as a core to make me not enjoy what the script might be trying to do with that comment. And I feel it detracts a lot from the space that the visual side of the story - for a recurring theme seen in all of TAAO for example - has to expand on how to deal with manipulation and the type of sequence that closes the book.