The Energon Pub

[MGrotusque]

In regards to the cover.
Arcee taking on Galvy?? As the saying goes, It's not about the size of the dog in the fight but about the size of the fight in the dog.

[Deadput]

In regards to the cover.
Arcee taking on Galvy?? As the saying goes, It's not about the size of the dog in the fight but about the size of the fight in the dog.

Ummmmm whut lol?

[Dr. Caelus]

In regards to the cover.
Arcee taking on Galvy?? As the saying goes, It's not about the size of the dog in the fight but about the size of the fight in the dog.

Ummmmm whut lol?

MGrotusque means Arcee is about to make Galvatron her *****.

[Va'al]

Pink'n'Purple
(Spoiler free-ish)

Synopsis
THE ONYX PROTOCOL! As PROWL confronts SPIKE over the human’s betrayal, the mystery of G.B. Blackrock and the Onyx Interface deepens. Meanwhile, Tokyo becomes a battleground as Arcee faces the Constructicons… and Galvatron!

Or not

Story

In issue #36 of the Transformers ongoing, we had the different factions setting themselves like pieces on a chessboard (with chases and explosions, of course). We also found out Prowl's real - for now - feelings towards Spike, and how much the two may or may not be very similar beings. All in an effort to locate the Enigma of Combination, and prepare for the Combiner Wars event.

He gives good recaps too

And despite Prowl and Spike being once again key players in this issue, John Barber makes two other characters really shine: leader but not quite of the Decepticons Galvatron, and Autobot but not sure Arcee. Their disputes, their interactions and Galvatron's slow game are a thing to behold.

Such wit

We also return to some wider concepts forming the basis to the current situation on Earth, and Blackrock's personal goals and stakes in the whole thing, but so far, not as fully realised as the robotic side of things - until the very end, that is, when the worms are out of the can.

Oh hey Kup and Sideswipe

It's nice to see a progression towards a conclusion of the arc before the beginning of the next one, without the feeling that one is being rushed or cramped for the other. Nice to see a couple of secondary characters take a little bit of light too, but the main action, because action it is, is what you're here for in this issue.

Art

Regular artist Andrew Griffith takes the full burden of the artwork this time round, and a heavy burden it is. He performs brilliantly, too, with some fantastic panel layouts, and his Arcee and Galvatron really capture Barber's script underlying the interactions.

He's impressed

Effects obviously aided by not one but two colourists: Josh Perez and Thomas Teowisonte Deer, whose styles are different enough to be noticed, but without ever interfering with the artwork's aesthetic. Plus, we get some fantastic sky/ground transitions.

KangabooBoomerang!

Tom B. Long's lettering is wonderfully placed, adding exactly what is needed to the various scenes, and remaining specifically absent in others, which is to be appreciated given their context. The covers are magnificent too, and bring in another fan artist for the 30th Anniversary cover - Kotteri (thumbnail) - alongside Griffith/Perez for A and Nick Roche/Josh Burcham for the bluesome B.


Thoughts
Spoilerish ahead

As I mentioned above, there is something still a bit slow in an otherwise very well-paced issue, featuring some wonderful action of both the verbal and physical kind - allowing a decently sized playground for the visual team to try out their skills, be they layouts, body language or colours.

Motion blur!

What I am concerned about at this point, however, is the reasoning behind Blackrock's schemes, as well as the role that Prowl and Spike will actually play in the upcoming major arc of Combiner Wars, and what actually is Galvatron's personal gain from it all.

. 1/2 out of

[Nemesis Maximo]

I'm Looking forward to finally getting this. what with the slow burning information from UK Toy Fair, I needs mah Transfohmah fix.

[Nemesis Maximo]

It took me a second, but Jimmy was trying to teach the 'Cons about Bacon Numbers.

Also, what's Arcee's game? What's Prowl's game? What are Kup and Sideswipe gonna do about Sky-Lynx? Where's Jazz? Is World War T gonna bring more Transformers to Earth? So many questions!

I liked Blackrocks line about the lonely trillionaire. Creepy comedy at it's sleaziest. And Galvatron's face:

Those are some pretty glorious facial panels. He looks so distinguished. I bet that's what all the fembots look for in an older mech. And it was nice to see him interact with Arcee.

[wetwithwaterwings]

Good review, Va'al. My memory is about as clear as that motion blur and I haven't read anything pre-RID. With everyone deceiving everyone I can never tell if I've forgotten a detail, the detail is a mystery, or the detail was revealed but now the speaker is lying. Do we know who actually killed Spike's dad and why? And why did his dad (Sparkplug/Daniel?) consider him a traitor? And what specifically did Spike do to betray Prowl? And why did it look like an atom bomb when Galvatron hit the ground? Was the satellite that Galv and Arcee destroyed important, or was that just to look cool? Is there a trade I need to read to better understand the earth/cybertonian war that this book references so much? Should I just give up and focus on the pretty pictures?

[Va'al]

Good review, Va'al. My memory is about as clear as that motion blur and I haven't read anything pre-RID. With everyone deceiving everyone I can never tell if I've forgotten a detail, the detail is a mystery, or the detail was revealed but now the speaker is lying. Do we know who actually killed Spike's dad and why? And why did his dad (Sparkplug/Daniel?) consider him a traitor? And what specifically did Spike do to betray Prowl? And why did it look like an atom bomb when Galvatron hit the ground? Was the satellite that Galv and Arcee destroyed important, or was that just to look cool? Is there a trade I need to read to better understand the earth/cybertonian war that this book references so much? Should I just give up and focus on the pretty pictures?

Spike's dad was killed by Galvatron a couple of issues ago.
Spike's betrayal of Prowl's trust consisted in killing Scrapper (a Cybertronian) all the way back in the 2009 ongoing, as revenge for Devastator's actions in All Hail Megatron.
All Hail Megatron is also probably what you need to understand the Cybertronian war on Earth; that, and the -ations.

The satellite was pretty much just a detail of no importance, unless it bears massive importance as of next month.

[wetwithwaterwings]

Thank you, sir. I wish I had a better excuse for not remembering the issue where Spike's dad is killed until you mentioned it, but I don't. My memory is just that spotty when it comes to monthly comics. Thanks for the refresher and the recommendations.

[1984forever]

Thundercracker is a joke to even humans now. Thundercracker works best with Starscream and Skywarp, not alone! But because of the obsession over Henkei Thundercracker years ago, Hasbro execs think he is the fandom's all time favorite seeker! They don't understand that it is not love which attracts the fandom to Thundercracker... It is guilt! The fandom feels guilty that they left Thundercracker to collect dust on store shelves back in '84 and '85! Back then, there was only 2 reasons a kid had Thundercracker 1) You had everyone else on the shelf

Or

2) Thundercracker was the only one left on the shelf
There were so many left over Thundercrackers at the end of '85 that stores returned them to Hasbro. Hasbro took them out of the original boxes, put them in tiny little rectangle boxes and sold him thru the mail for $8 and a few robot points (not people points IDW, ROBOT points)! As for the fans who weren't born yet... you only like Thundercracker because you fed into the hype

[Nemesis Maximo]

No, '84ever, it is you who does not understand that you're like, one of the only peple here who doesn't like Thundercracker. What IDW has done with the character, is a good thing. His most distinctive feature from your time ws that he was just another Decepticon goon who looked kinda like Starscream. Now, he actually has character development; the reluctant seeker, berated and left behind on an alien planet by those who he thought were his brothers in arms,now trying to find a way to leave his past behind but unable to becaue those same former brothers won't leave him in peace. But you'd rather have a one-dimensional drone who does nothing better than make stupid jokes about everting on Earth being so flat.

Also, thank you for (a) trying to speak for every fan from 1984 as to their Thundercracker buying habits, and (b) insulting those of us who do actually like new things, instead of living 30 years in the past. Go back to writing slashfics where New Year's Day of 1985 never happened.

[1984forever]

Try watching more than one episode of G1 and then get back to me. Thundercracker had a personality back in season one of the real Transformers. He was a disgruntled goon and a proud warrior. He was never the tin-foil fool that IDW portrays him to be!

[ZeroWolf]

As some one who has watched more then one episode of G1 only missed starscreams brigade due to dvd issues. I much prefer this thundercracker he has something called character development in his favor and he has a moral compass of sorts. Plus if his screen writing skills were to be believed he'll have a job at syfy channel soon enough.

Change is good, just keep whispering that to yourself when you read this series. This is better then the animated series