THE TRANSFORMERS: COMICS, BOOKS AND MANGA

OTHER TRANSFORMERS BOOKS AND SERIES

#8: Decepticons At The Pole
Reviewed by Inflatable Dalek

Despite a 1988 copyright date, there seems to be some confusion if this book appeared at the end of 1987 instead. Certainly it only features the 1987 cast of toys. Why there was such a long gap between books is also unclear.

The book takes its cues from the back story to the 1987 storyline, so the Transformers are now based on Nebulos and allied with the inhabitants. However, there are some interesting differences between the set up here and how it is portrayed in most other fiction. Firstly, according to the opening text it has been many centuries since the Autobot's 1980's adventures and they have had many leaders in the interim. Secondly, the Nebulans are small robots (as they are in the Japanese cartoon). The big difference is one that isn't readily apparent here, but the astute reader will notice there are no references to Headmasters or Targetmasters anywhere in the book. Though certain Nebulans are partners with certain Transformers, this doesn't extend to them forming their heads or weapons (though the artist does draw the guns accurate to the toys). The next book will make this clearer, but suffice to say that although Brainstorm has his head on it doesn't count as an appearance by Arcana in the illustrations.

It's impossible to say why Grant made these changes, it's possible he was provided with unfinished or inaccurate source material, or that he misunderstood the concept in what he did get. He might even have decided the whole idea was crap and chose to ignore it.

Hot Rod's partner is called Sparks rather than the toy name of Firebolt. As this name was also used in the Headmasters Marvel mini series, this may have been an early pre-production name. This would back up the idea that Grant only received early character notes.

Aimless as an expert constructor seems... unlikely. Though there's nothing really to contradict this with the Ladybird books. Considering Vorath is introduced as the Nebulan scientist and cosmic radiation expert it would perhaps have made more sense for him to build the energy interceptors. But then Aimless couldn't have got himself some advertising.

Hot Rod and Cyclonus are the leaders of the forces on Nebulos, with Scourge acting as the latter’s right hand man. Ironically, the first book with a Decepticon city in it doesn't have Decepticon City Commander Galvatron in it. There's no indication here Scorponok is anything other than a big lumbering battlestation.

Yet again, a building falls on the Decepticons. Their home insurance must be a bitch...

This book sees the debut of the final introductory text. The bookends becomes a drawing of Hot Rod and Sparks facing off against Cyclonus, clearly done in Rowell's style.

Goofs:

Planets rotate, they move around their suns, suns move round the Galaxy and the Galaxy moves through the Universe. The cosmic radiation shouldn't be constantly hitting the North Pole as the nearest part of the planet to the pulsar would be changing as their relative positions change.

On page 27 it looks as if the shadow on Scourge's face goes under his moustache.

Again the Autobots have the Decepticons at their mercy and just let them go.


After a couple of less enthralling books, Grant gets back into the swing of it here. As with all the best Ladybirds, the story is tight and focused without much meandering. Cyclonus makes a great OTT gloating villain, whilst a relatively sensible Hot Rod makes a welcome change from his usual gitish self.

The art is somewhat inconsistent, Rowell has some funny ideas about shadows but puts some great expression into the faces, and lets face it making Aimless look cool is an impossible task anyway.

After two decades of being used to Headmaster being portrayed one way it does take some getting used to this different take, but it makes for the most satisfying read of the series since Laserbeak's Fury.

Yes, that's Hot Rod's Targetmaster gun. But that isn't Sparks...

And that isn't Spasma and Grax on their shoulders.