THE TRANSFORMERS: COMICS, BOOKS AND MANGA

TRANSFORMERS TITLES FROM TITAN BOOKS / MAGAZINES

Titan Transformers #12
Reviewed by Inflatable Dalek

Things feel like they're treading water a bit here, with plot movement given over to extended bitch slapping. However, the Mikaela/Frenzy fight is extremely well done and fun, whilst the Megatron/Bumblebee smack down is suitably sinister and dramatic.

The weak link is the Ironhide and Ratchet section. Bits of it make no sense (they're unarmed?) and they're so outnumbered that their being able to hold their own for so long stretches credibility too much.

On the plus side, the issue ends well, with the dramatic return of Prime being cheese but a mighty nice extra strong cheese at that.


Transformers are normally unarmed in their Protoforms, but can absorb any convenient nearby metal to create arms when needed. As presented it doesn't make much sense though, so see Goofs...

We have continuity references to Mikaela and Frenzy's last fight in the film, and to Bumblee's suffering at Megatron's hand in issue 1 of the IDW Prequel. Prime also quotes his "One shall stand" line from the film [It's not clear if in this continuity he never got to say it first time around (in which case has he been spending all his frozen time thinking "Soon as I'm free I am so going to use that cool line I thought up") or if he just doesn't have much imagination], and also gets to use his Energon axe thingey.

Megatron claims he is linked to the All Spark despite their distance, and it's giving him great power.

As with last issue both reprinted stories are slightly shorter than had been the norm to allow all three strips to finish in number 13. This hurts Beast Wars especially badly as two of the four pages are basically a double poster of characters posing with no lines or plot advancement.

Animated Prime becomes the first non-film character to make it into the little box in the top corner..


Even though they're described as being in their protoforms Ratchet and Ironhide are drawn in Earth modes. And why not take the metal ore to make weapons as soon as they got into the factory?

The entry code to the room which controls the suspended animation process, a top secret room in a top secret building, is only three digits long.

Elita-One gets a new head design again, and Bonecrusher has painted himself black.


A rather funky Target Pinball game, in which the harder it is to bang your balls in the holes the more points you get.


Special competition to win a Nerf Gun toy (what, no Classics Megatron?)

A double sided poster, one side showing the cover (with a lot more visible), the other pin ups of Animated Megatron and Starscream.

Bad Boyz Two!, brief character run downs on Animated Megs and Screamer, with promise of "Sensational" news in the next isue.

How to Draw... Blackout, showing you how to do him transforming from helicopter to robot mode, drawn by John McCrea and Lee Bradley.

Top Gear covers Transformers: Risk, Movie Camshaft and Classics Mirage, and the mini Titanium figures, with competitions to win all.

Artobots includes an Optimus Prime who looks like he's three months pregnant.

Starscreams has the Seeker taking the piss out of cosplayers.

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