Transformers #44

Terome · Post by **Terome** » Fri Jul 17, 2015 11:43 am

http://news.tfw2005.com/2015/07/16/tran ... iew-297258

Looks like Barber's on top form - he's not just filling in holes, he's building stuff with the materials at hand.

EDIT: Lovely work from Griffith too. The Decepticon ghetto is very well established.

Rack 'n Ruin · Post by **Rack 'n Ruin** » Fri Jul 17, 2015 11:59 am

Yes, this looks good. Putting Tracks & Needlenose together is a great move. We should see more pre-war scenes where characters that later ended up on opposite sides are shown together, and how their world views differ. I think it helps if each side has a "sliding scale" of belief in the cause, leading to understanding of the other POV.

Anyway, more like this please!

Post by **inflatable dalek** » Fri Jul 17, 2015 12:08 pm

Needlenose is looking a lot more handy than the last time we saw him.

Terome · Post by **Terome** » Fri Jul 17, 2015 12:16 pm

A sliding scale of belief is a good way of putting it. Though to be fair, after four million years it will probably only be the die-hards left. That's a lot less interesting though.

When was the last time we saw Needlenose? He's been kicking around in the background with Galvatron's lot, right? Didn't he basically lead the riot when Megatron came back?

I like how one of the most significant events in Combiner Wars was the Decepticons helping people out. That's very clever.

Post by **inflatable dalek** » Wed Aug 05, 2015 6:39 pm

I really liked that and it continued the post combiner-wars upswing started last month.

Lovely work here on both Tracks and Neddlenose, it was especially nice to see the former get more to do than his vanity and to explore the idea of "Family" transformers who aren't identical toys.

It also continues to give good material for Arcee (and as good as their double act was, it's nice to have some time for her away from Galvatron) and the issue as a whole felt like a far too long return to the stuff the series did so well back in the early days.

And the reveal that the first rule of seeing Bumblebee in your head club is not saying you're seeing Bumblebee in your head was hilarious. Hopefully it's just Starscream breaking down rather than Bumblebee being a technobabble spirit (there's no new toy coming for him is there?).

Terome · Post by **Terome** » Thu Aug 06, 2015 5:15 pm

Agreed on all counts, this is solid stuff and agreeably similar to the strongest RID issues - slice-of-life, character-focused, even the first person narration is back.

Needlenose has had an interesting arc simmering away since issue #1. He deservedly takes centre stage here. Brawl was good value and Tracks was great, especially when he kept talking over Optimus. The stuff with Arcee murdering one of Starscream's secret police and walking out of there alive didn't make any sense but whatever.

Nice that Starscream is keeping the memory of Bumblebee alive as an imaginary friend but I feel this is almost certainly going to end in his resurrection.

Even the NAILs got remembered!

Griffith delivers very adroitly but I find his Prime a bit awkward for reasons I can't quite articulate. He works well with Arcee's massive backpack - is that what her toy looks like?

tahukanuva · Post by **tahukanuva** » Fri Aug 07, 2015 11:55 am

Here's a post explaining some additional nuance to the Needlenose/Horri-bull situation that's subtle, but considering that it's Barber is unlikely to be accidental.

http://chrismcfeely.tumblr.com/post/126 ... 4-was-even

Anyway, this was a great issue, and last issue was also good, and it seems like the Combiner Wars nonsense has reminded Barber what this comic started out as.

Post by **inflatable dalek** » Fri Aug 07, 2015 3:03 pm

Ohhh, that's a great point.

@Terome: Yeah, it seems Arcee's toy does look like that. Still her best IDW design by a mile though.

Terome · Post by **Terome** » Mon Aug 10, 2015 2:20 pm

Ha! Add me to the list of people who forgot about the ID chip feint.

Aww. Poor Needlenose.

Knightdramon · Post by **Knightdramon** » Mon Aug 10, 2015 6:35 pm

tahukanuva wrote:Here's a post explaining some additional nuance to the Needlenose/Horri-bull situation that's subtle, but considering that it's Barber is unlikely to be accidental.

http://chrismcfeely.tumblr.com/post/126 ... 4-was-even

Anyway, this was a great issue, and last issue was also good, and it seems like the Combiner Wars nonsense has reminded Barber what this comic started out as.

I don't think that's entirely the point. I think that Soundwave had deactivated their chips, and at that point just left Horribull's as it was...and all the speech balloons go to ratbat anyway. So even if it involves Soundwave, it's nothing as direct as that blog implies it to be.

So cool story, but I haven't bothered to look up my digital copy to fully confirm this.