Processor Over Matter
A Seibertron.com review of IDW ROM Vs. Transformers: Shining Armor #3
SynopsisCrash-landed on a mysterious planet and pursued by both Decepticons and Dire Wraiths, the Solstar Knights and Autobots will have to set aside their differences in order to save themselves!
ROM: voice of every character in Hasbro Crossovers so far StoryAfter the good story starter of issue 1 and then the stall out of issue 2, we are mostly back on track with a pretty good issue 3 of the Transformers vs ROM. The story progressed, we got some great characterization, and we got a good setup for the final 2 issue run.
Sata totally should have surfed on the little yellow rolling disk Firstly, the positives: Ultra Magnus, at least in this past incarnation of himself, is a great character in the book, and may be the best overall. Following this incarnations actions, such as his dismissive attitude towards organics, how he feels about the Solstar order, and overall how he is such a hardnose to everyone around him, it really is quite a journey. and I love me some Magnus smack talk (or at least I think it was smack... he could be dead serious).
Wonder if he was taking "Talk 'em to death" lessons from Prowl Livia is also a pretty great character to follow, and overall I am enjoying the 3 non-transforming Solstar knights we have featured. They each have some good characterization to them, though Livia with her points of view on Wraiths, Cybertronians, and how a planet needs to be razed because Wraiths have set down is interesting to read and follow.
Keeping with the knights, I enjoy this issue from ROM's perspective, though it felt like it did bog the issue down a few times, like the issue should have moved forward that extra step instead of giving that panel or 2 to ROM where it wasn't necessarily needed.
Stardrive and ROM: voices of reason It was also good to get to Stardrive more, and she does finally regain her share of the issue. I enjoy her as a character, how she tries so hard and feels the pain of her 2 worlds colliding and her simple desire to help. Now mind you that last page is surely setting up the last 2 issues, and it will also set up her fate. It was not what I was expecting to happen, but then again I really should have seen something like that coming. Also, I liked how the actual act of Transforming is used here. It's good to see that seemingly sometimes forgotten aspect of Transformers get overlooked.
One last note is I love the Wraith/Con talk. The Wraiths are creepy and the cons are very distrusting and overall disgusted by the Wraiths, and it is fun to watch how uncomfortable they are with each other. Snarkscream is perfectly suited for his role here, and I continue to hear Steve Blum every time Screamer speaks. The comments thrown around by both sides make me smile too.
the Blum is strong with this one ArtArt work for the series continues to be run by Alex Milne, and once again his art has done some justice to the series. One thing that has been stated in past reviews for the series and is worth restating here is his ability to draw the technical, the organic, and find ways to blend the 2. In a series where half the name is robotic and the other half is organic coated in chrome armor, and where the current setting is an organic planet, this attention to detail is key, and Milne continues on with that balance.
Also important is how the artwork handles the Dire Wraiths, which can be difficult considering the whole "organic transformer" sort of ideal behind them. But once again, the artwork is able to handle the transformations and that sort of infestation style the wraiths have in stride.
Taking lessons from the Fallen Coloring is handled this issue by Josh Perez, who also does some very nice work, but with an ever so slight critique: the warmth of the environment throughout the issue. The issue makes many remarks on how cold the planet is, yet the coloring portrays a slightly warmer planet than described, with the sky using brighter colors than maybe a dimmer winter evening would usually have and the surrounding landmarks featuring a neutral green that should have been several degrees cooler to properly show the chill of the surrounding landscape.
See? The explosion blends in more than it super heats it Lettering is handled by Shawn Lee, and the lettering is done well. One thing I love about the series is how anything associated with the Wraiths has the inverted speech bubble coloring and the font styling. It really helps them stand out and adds another layer of just how bad they really are.
If you're interested in the variant covers, you can find them all in our database entry
here. In the thumbnail is the one by Casey Coller!
Final ThoughtsNo... don't remind me After going slightly off-track with issue 2, I feel issue 3 gets us back on track wonderfully. It was an overall good issue, but yet nothing wholly special. It didn't have that wow factor that left an impression on my mind and memory. But, I will say that with 2 issues to go, I feel this is the best crossover event that has happened thus far, I'd say better than the criminally underrated Revolutionaries series (which was great, honestly!). I look forward to seeing the end of the series, and I hope the final 2 issues can slam this thing home. This has great potential, good writing, great art, and a chance to hold the crown of best crossover event so far. Just avoid too much talk, add some action, and some sort of defining moment to end the series, and BANG! you got it!