THE TRANSFORMERS: COMICS, BOOKS AND MANGA

TRANSFORMERS TITLES FROM TITAN BOOKS / MAGAZINES

Titan Transformers Prime #16
Reviewed by Inflatable Dalek

Holy crap, they found room for a poster and a comic this issue. The international paper shortage must have ended.

Ahem.

The first issue to return to a bi-monthly schedule, the comic strip was originally promoted as being in issue 11, why there was such an extremely lengthy delay in it seeing the light of day (especially when they were clearly struggling for content last issue) is a bit of a mystery.

Piranacon and Snap Trap are direct tips of the hat to the G1 characters, with the visuals being fairly closely based on the originals. It’s hard to be sure if the Prime version being a six man team that Snap Trap doesn’t form the head of was an intentional change or just Cooper working off vague memories of a childhood favourite.

The story itself is presumably named for the Patrick Troughton Doctor Who story (Cooper having done some Who work).

Next issue promises to be a Beast Hunters themed relaunch.


When they’re washed into the cave, it doesn’t occur to the kids to just swim out the way they came. They then decide to follow the airflow for a surface exit, which seems fair enough. But then Jack decides to use some 70 year old mines to blow a hole in the side of the cave... into the ocean. Even ignoring the problem of how he knows how to arm World War II (or indeed, any) mines, this nearly drowns everyone. Way to go Jack.


The cover promises “2 Awesome Mystery Gifts!”, suggesting a random selection of whatever old gifts they still have stock left of. My copy had a Spin Shooter and Disc Bomber.


Beast Hunters Sneak Peak!, teasing the events of the third season;
Front Line!, promotes Transformers 4 (“It’s happening!”) and the remainder of the Prime movie truck tour;
All About Ultra Magnus, profiles the Wreckers leader;
Competition for Transformers Prime: Season One Decepticons Unleashed DVD’s and Beast Hunters Voyager toys;
Kre-O Transformers Conundrums!, quiz page based around the little chaps;
A poster of Optimus and Ratchet;
Bumblebee’s Beach Bonanza!, watery themed quizzes;
Soundwave’s Stumpers!, quiz page;
Mega Mouth (which seems to contain a cheeky reference to the legendary Beast Within! comic);
X Marks the ‘Bot!, find Bumblebee’s coordinates by decrypting the code!


Well, anything has to be better than nothing, but after the shameless cheap cack of the last issue it was always going to be hard to come into this with an open mind. However, the decision to do a comic without a comic was presumably one that had nothing to do with the writer and artist here, so I’m going to try and be fair and even handed here (even though my official advice to anyone who hasn’t been daft enough to agree to review the entire series is avoid it like the plague because Titan as a company don’t deserve the money after issue 15). So ignoring the behind the scenes problems, how does the comic work as a comic?

The answer is: OK. It rattles along quickly enough, there’s some fun to be had with the gleefully shameless incorporation of the G1 Seacons and the art is fine.

On the other hand though, the stuff with the mines is deeply stupid and for some reason the narration is insanely over done, places where the art perfectly conveys what’s going on still feel the need to put in redundant exposition, creating the feeling of a comic aimed much younger than usual. All in all, adequate but forgettable.

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