THE TRANSFORMERS: COMICS, BOOKS AND MANGA

TRANSFORMERS TITLES FROM TITAN BOOKS / MAGAZINES

Titan Transformers Prime #14
Reviewed by Inflatable Dalek

The title of the story has Etherington show his age by naming it for the long running 1970's slapstick game show It's A Knock Out. Which, up until recently was best remembered for a special episode where members of the royal family embarrassed themselves for no good reason. However, in a case of bad timing making the choice of title unfortunately topical, whilst this issue was on release presenter Stewart Hall was found guilty of multiple cases of child molestation during his time on the series.

More cheerfully, the Down and Out game-show featured in the comic is very obviously based on '90's show The Crystal Maze, complete with Aztec and Medieval themed play areas. Chuckles is more Ed Tudor Pole that Richard O'Brien, sadly.

Another bigger cover to encompass cut out targets for the dart shooter.


Bulkhead's alt mode is way off in his introductory page, looking more like Classics Kup than his big bulky self.

The various traps for Optimus and Bulkhead are more than a bit rubbish, you have to wonder why Knock Out and Breakdown bothered.

The gullibility of the audience members in believing their horrific ordeal was just part of a TV show and the Autobots are merely poor special effects is really pushing credibility.

It's really unclear what Arcee actually does at the end, she shoots the floor of the TV studio making the two Decepticons... Fall off a cliff?


A dart shooter... But as the bag containing the comic proclaims you also get an EXTRA gift in another Kre-O toy, presumably left over stock from last issue. I got Crankstart this time. No, me neither.


It's Prime Time!, covers the episodes from Hard Knocks to Darkest Hour;
Competitions for Prime DVD's and toys;
Kre-O Transformers Conundrums!, quizzes based on the toys;
Ultimate Smackdown: Starscream V Soundwave;
Soundwave's Stumpers!;
Poster of the Autobots;
All About Knock Out!, profile of the Decepticon;
Down and Out!, quizzes based on the comic;
The Trans Files, looking at the history of The Nemesis;
Mega Mouth;
Super Cybertronian Search!, wordsearch fun.


After the serious dip in quality of the previous issue, things return to normal here with another fun, if deeply silly instalment.

The plot itself doesn't stand up to the slightest scrutiny, but the sight of Optimus and Bulkhead having to deal with these marginally rubbish ITV4 level challenges- complete with Optimus being shocked the Aztec set has Egyptian hieroglyphics on it- is genuinely sweet. Opposite them Knock Out and Breakdown get to be nicely OTT baddies, I especially love Breakdown pleading to push the button that may destroy the Autobots.

The art isn't quite up to the challenge, though it does manage a bit of decent slapstick it's not quite as ludicrously exaggerated as the situation requires. Though, again, it's more polished than the previous issue's seemingly quickly knocked together work.

As I always qualify with these reviews, this is firmly aimed at the youngsters (though with it's references to 1990's automatic lock in obsessed game shows and 1970's paedophiles it's at least got something for the older readers) but this is still a generally well done issue on those terms and suggests the previous story was just a temporary blip rather than a sign of terminal decline.

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