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Hmm.



I said last issue was a bridging issue... and this continues to be. So there's no movement in the Autobots trapped on the Ark plot till the very end and my goodness, how long has Blackrock been in Spike's cell sprouting mysticisms? Feels like years. Certainly I'm no longer sure if Spike had the beard at the start. It's starting to look like every Ghost Bumblebee scene is basically going to be the same as well.

Of the rest...

Well, Prime meets the Torchbearers and for some reason they have a big fight? Basically as padding as their dialogue actually seems reasonable, if frosty.

The Needlenose killing Tracks thing would carry some great weight... if their relationship hadn't only been established two issues ago. Reading that, otherwise quite fun, issue in trade is going to be slightly let down by knowing it's mainly just about trying to care about the forthcoming death of a character who has basically done nothing in the series.

Which is a shame as Tracks running air traffic control was actually the highlight of the issue.

I think the last two issues could easily have been condensed into one, and that there's a real danger of being stuck in this holding pattern until things kick of with #50.

So basically, meh. Which is a shame as we know Barber can do better.

I get what you're saying but I dont think this was quite the thread water affair that some of Barbers pre-dark cybertron were. I find myself getting a little muddled with everything thats going on though - I'm all for a complicated plot but this just feels like various strands being told in the same comic and they dont all feel like they will come together in the way a really good convergence of plots does.

But its still some of Barbers best stuff in ages. I think he's improved a lot with his characters and we've moved on from the over-aping of MTMTE that was in the early bits of season 2 to a stage where I think he is comfortable with the way he is writing the cast. There are mis-steps - the tracks one is the most obvious - but I dont feel that the comic is a waste of time. Some of the plot lines are interesting and while I think Barber is better when focused, I cant blame the guy for trying for a multi-layered story.

However, the cliffhanger and the blurb for the next issue.... that may be a step too far.

I don't think it's at all definite that Tracks is dead; if he is, I agree that's a waste, but I don't buy it at all.

Edit: also, how could it be read as Needlenose killing him? It was Brawl that shot him, I doubt that one kick in the chest from his brother would be the coup de grace.