[Titan] UK comic / IDW "Saga of the Allspark"

Post by **Denyer** » Sun Sep 09, 2007 12:16 am

An improvement, and more the sort of thing I was hoping the IDW prequel would turn its focus towards after its first issue -- what characters got up to in the course of their search for the Allspark. Reasonably inspired short-form Furman.

The reprint strips also read better, as they're the final third of the issues they're reprinting and thus have natural cliffhanger-type breaking off points. Also the first issues of those two series were arguably their strongest. I'm just a bit worried that kids will drop the title during the lulls of #2, #5, etc. where the middle third of issues are being reprinted and the chopping introduces unnatural breaks.

Might pick up further issues if I see 'em and like the look of the artist/story, but the comic's past its "automatic buy" grace period. So far it's on 2/3 being decent. More of Senior (or Wildman, whose rather rough/traditional pencils suit this colouring style) would get me interested.

Cliffjumper · Post by **Cliffjumper** » Fri Sep 14, 2007 1:02 pm

Shame the main strip's had to switch to black and white already, really. Top key fob, though.

Post by **inflatable dalek** » Fri Sep 14, 2007 2:12 pm

Originally posted by Cliffjumper
Shame the main strip's had to switch to black and white already, really. Top key fob, though.

Really? A black and white comic? That'll kill it stone dead then.

Cliffjumper · Post by **Cliffjumper** » Fri Sep 14, 2007 2:27 pm

Originally posted by inflatable dalek
Really? A black and white comic? That'll kill it stone dead then.

No, wait, on closer inspection there's some grey and beige in there. It's a feast for the eye!

Post by **Denyer** » Fri Sep 14, 2007 2:32 pm

Unfortunately it's what Hasbro asked for -- the test pages IDW did got sent back, with a note that pre-Cybertron robots needed to be more strongly contrasted with the brighter Autobot Earth modes.

Post by **inflatable dalek** » Fri Sep 14, 2007 2:35 pm

Well, they could have at least pointed out the **** up over Prime's alt mode in issue one when they were at it.

Cliffjumper · Post by **Cliffjumper** » Fri Sep 14, 2007 2:43 pm

Originally posted by Denyer
Unfortunately it's what Hasbro asked for -- the test pages IDW did got sent back, with a note that pre-Cybertron robots needed to be more strongly contrasted with the brighter Autobot Earth modes.

Did they say the same for everything in the comic strip? Ratchet being white is no problem. The movie aside, he's always been white. I can handle Ratchet being white. Why does everything else look like someone's been playing with "desaturate" on Photoshop and accidentally hit "Save"? It's like having a comic of Heaven's Gate, but without John Hurt being in it.

Post by **Denyer** » Fri Sep 14, 2007 3:04 pm

Rest of the tie-in media (eg, game flashbacks to the planet) follow the same directive; Cybertron's a dark grey metallic planet that's mostly featureless by human standards.

Post by **inflatable dalek** » Fri Sep 14, 2007 4:35 pm

Well, that was a bit meh again. Good to see absolutely no explanation for how Ratchet and the others survived that massive explosion last issue either.

Post by **Denyer** » Fri Sep 14, 2007 5:27 pm

It was particularly badly explained in the strip, but I think the warpspace missile (or whatever it was called) in #2 flung them randomly across space rather than simply being a bomb.

#2 was crap, even with Roche on art...

Post by **inflatable dalek** » Fri Sep 14, 2007 5:30 pm

The Decepticons make missiles that don't kill people but just fling them about a bit? How humanitarian.

Post by **Denyer** » Fri Sep 14, 2007 5:34 pm

In this continuity, until the (implied recent) uprising by Megatron the Transformers were a mostly peaceful society, so it grudgingly makes sense...

Just a self-contained springboard Furman can use to put a group of characters instantly into other situations.

Post by **inflatable dalek** » Fri Sep 14, 2007 5:37 pm

Surely just bringing the timeframe forward a bit and having the Matrix Allspark Quest already in full swing would do that just as well?

Clogs · Post by **Clogs** » Fri Sep 14, 2007 8:50 pm

Ah, but this is character development, the opportunity to see each individual addressing a personally relevant situation sort of thing. I guess

....... Good key fob. I got a Decepticon one!

Post by **inflatable dalek** » Fri Sep 14, 2007 11:30 pm

What we learnt about ratchet this issue: He'll do the right thing even if it's against Autobot policy. Now that's groundbreaking character development.

Post by **inflatable dalek** » Tue Sep 18, 2007 6:24 pm

You know what I realised when doing the review of issue two? Ratchet was green there. That must have slipped below Hasbro's radar...

Clogs · Post by **Clogs** » Wed Oct 03, 2007 8:25 pm

Hey! Surprise package in post this very morning - I picked up an illuminated Bumblebee T in one of the comps! Cheered me up no end, because I have an awful cold at the mo, but the Beloved grilled me about wasting money until I showed him the relevant comic page.

The Scraplets are seething with jealousy.

Post by **inflatable dalek** » Wed Oct 03, 2007 11:29 pm

You have no shame about entering a competition form children?

*Goes of to enter the "Win a lifesize Dalek worth several grand" comp in Doctor Who Adventures...*

Clogs · Post by **Clogs** » Thu Oct 04, 2007 1:11 pm

The T is adult large. Which proves that the comp was not for children... see!

Why are you entering a win a Dalek comp, Dalek? Hoping to have a decoy or a mate to take down the pub?

Post by **inflatable dalek** » Thu Oct 04, 2007 6:17 pm

Originally posted by Clogs
The T is adult large. Which proves that the comp was not for children... see!

Nah, it was taking into account most kids are fat bastards nowadays.

Why are you entering a win a Dalek comp, Dalek? Hoping to have a decoy or a mate to take down the pub?

No, because it's worth more than the cost of a small house. Ebay!

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[Titan] UK comic / IDW "Saga of the Allspark"

#3 is out now (subs, anyway -- street date may be later)