WRECK THE HALLS
(Spoiler free-ish)
SynopsisFROSTY RECEPTION! THE WRECKERS journey to Nome, Alaska to track down the number one suspect in PROWL’s disappearance—their former human ally, VERITY CARLO!
Who doesn't seem at her best, really...The holiday period has brought the second chapter in this new, updated Wreckers story, which deals with the old, outdated motives and reasoning of the Wreckers - and all the terrible terrible things they did at some point. Oh, and somehow Prowl - of course - is involved too. How does the story hold up?
On subtle threadsThe Noisemaze and Prowl's mind are explored a little further, as Nick Roche digs into the four-letter-P-word's ego and dreams (no electric sheep, unless they're in perfect, precise order), but despite the creepiness of off-panel
Tarantulas Mesothulas, we're not looking at the core of the issue just yet. Though we also are, in another way. It's complicated, okay?
See? Complex dialogueFrom the preview shown, there is nothing I want to say here that might spoil the enjoyment of the various reveals along the way, as the Chimeracons are a bit of a treat and a half, drawing from a range of sources close to Roche's enjoyment as a consumer of Transformers fiction - and it really shows in the rationale behind their presence here, too.
Not shown hereI am not entirely convinced at how some of the established characters are being used by Roche, especially in the case of Arcee - who while still has all the possible valid reasons to be suspicious of practically everyone involved in the book, still manages to have a ..peculiar exchange with Springer much later in the book. I may just be reading it the wrong way, however, so don't hold me to that.
ArtRoche is definitely having fun, balancing his writing with the attention he pays to his art. Again, there are many many spoilers that would come out of spending too much time on what he does with the design of a number of characters across the issue, but the action is nicely fluid, dynamic and hopping off the page with organic vitality.
Can you bear the suspense?Josh Burcham, additionally, plays with the sudden shifts of setting, both interior and internal, past and present, through flashbacks, PTSD-esque scenes and panels focused on Springer and Kup, and some seriously vibrant and slightly disturbing colours in eye-shades, Energon spillages, and.. yeah. Alaska and the team's past are very different palettes. Very.
Oh dearIn Tom B. Long's lettering work, we find the new cast of characters find their own voices, as shown in Mesothulas's scenes, the heightened scenes with some of the characters, and a smattering of SHEEEEAAAGGGHs across the book, too. On the cover front, we have a similar selection to issue 1, Roche and Burcham bring Stakeout close to the action, guest Stephen Mooney with Burcham show the still misfitting Arcee, and Andrew Griffith also teams up with Burcham for another LSTOW-centric variant (thumbnailed).
ThoughtsSpoilerish aheadAs you've seen until now, there is a lot in this issue which I really do not want to talk about too openly in a review, giving a chance to readers to appreciate in their own time and on their own reading - but, that said, if you're a fan of Beast Wars in any of its incarnations, and even some Armada, why not, you may just want to pick this up for the smug smirk factor.
I have to show this againThe story is proceeding with enough mystery and dangling threads that it feels it could very much head *anywhere* from here. It also is a fairly dense read, with some seriously serious moments underpinned by dark, bleak humour, especially in the over-bulked shape of Guzzle, and confirms some of what Roche was saying in terms of LSTOW being a super-edit - there is a lot going on here, take your time, it's very much worth it.
