THE TRANSFORMERS: COMICS, BOOKS AND MANGA

TRANSFORMERS TITLES FROM TITAN BOOKS / MAGAZINES

Titan Transformers #4 (Devastator)
Reviewed by Inflatable Dalek

A nice step up from the last few issues, we have nothing hugely original or complex here (Devastator sees some ghosts, gets bored, goes home), but it's the characterisation that makes it work. Devastator is just a fun character to read about, his refusal to take an interest and the frustration he feels at not being able to simply kill things is hugely well done. Mech Mail asks for suggestions on which Transformer people would like to answer questions, and based on this, Devastator would be perfectly suited to follow in the footsteps of the disgruntled Marvel UK letter answerers.

Throw in some top artwork from Figueroa throughout and we have an issue that, whilst still aimed very much at younger fans, won't bore any grown ups who buy it for them and have a quick glance through first.

Mind, the newly created cliffhanger to the Prequel comic (Megatron lands!) is the worst yet...


Devastator was lost in space as a result of the foldspace bomb explosion in issue 2. Though he is ultimately unsure if Starscream and company were real or not, the fact this is set before the film means the reader can be sure they aren't.

Exactly what The Flame is, why the race built it, why they didn't wind up destroying it as the rage took them over all goes unspecified. The idea of a external device causing violent tendencies in Transformers has been used by Furman before, in Marvel UK #100 story Distant Thunder and the Generation 2 #3 story Primal Fear. Though, we get the twist of the main character already being a violent psychopath and not caring about what's happening to them.

Thanks to Don Figueroa's prolific output, he becomes the first artist to have drawn all the comic content of a Titan issue.


As with Ratchet last month, Devastator looks totally different to how he did in issue 2 even before he scans a new alt-mode.

Bad page layout makes what is presumably supposed to be Devastator turning into his protoform mode and blasting off into space look like his head explodes and goes shooting off into the sky.

In the top left hand corner box on the cover, next to the legend "Devastator - Brute Force!" is a picture of Starscream.


A set of four badges (or buttons for Americans and other alien readers), featuring Optimus Prime, Megatron, and the Autobot and Decepticon logos.


- An Optimus Prime Vs. Megatron smackdown (written by Furman, the first instance of this feature covering two characters we see fight one on one in the film].
- A poster based on the American one sheet for the film, the cover of the issue is a close up of Prime and Megatron's faces.
- A profile of Blackout.
- The Top Gear section covers Optimash Prime ("Hilarious" apparently), Barricade, and Ratchet toys, and the new edition of The Ultimate Guide book (with competitions to win all but the book).
- A "How to draw Optimus Prime" feature, written by Steve Merchant (in between writing episodes of Extras no doubt), and drawn by John McCrea and Lee Bradly.
- Mech Mail…and if the drawing of G1 Mirage with an accompanying letter by Ben Pirrie really is the work of a 9 year old, then I'm Lord Lucan.

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