Comic Review: Prime 8 [Titan] [uploaded]

[inflatable dalek]

Transformers Prime 8.


The Mind Trap!

Script: Chris Cooper.
Art: Horacio Domingues.
Colours: Nestor Pereyra.
Letterings: Comicraft.

Synopsis:

Zhejiang Province, China: Optimus Prime has come alone to a scrap yard to investigate Energon traces, but it's a trap set for him by Knock Out. The Decepticon uses his new weapon- the Neuron Refractor- to take Prime's mind out of his body and place it in that of his human prisoner; yard owner Lin-Che.

Though Knock Out isn't terribly bothered about what happened to the original human mind, Prime finds it buried deep within his psyche, in shock. Realising he needs help to make this new body work, Prime talks Lin-Chi round and the two work together to escape as Knock Out prepares to destroy the now vacant Autobot leader's body.

With contact with Prime lost, Bulkhead and Arcee use the Ground Bridge to arrive at the yard, and are quickly attacked by Vehicons as Prime's body is placed within a crusher.

Lin-Prime uses a yard crane to smash down Vehicons out of the sky before heading back to the machine. Because he can't control the machine and lay on the couch that the mind swap was originally performed on, Lin-Chi wants to switch it on and jump of the console into the beam, even though the fall might kill him. Optimus objects, but Lin-Chi does it anyway, declaring he needs some “me time”.

With Arcee and Bulkhead unable to make any headway towards rescuing Prime, Knock Out thinks he's succeed when loud smashing noises start emitting from the crusher. But it's just the now restored Optimus tearing his way out.

After introducing Knock Out to his fist, Optimus drives the still alive Lin-Chi home to his family.

Characters Featured: Optimus Prime; Knock Out; Arcee; Bulkhead; Ratchet; Miko; Vehicons [Many Killed].

Notes:

The idea of a Transformers mind in a human body was first explored in the season 3 episode of the original cartoon Only Human. The idea of two minds in the same body is more like the long running and convoluted storyline concerning Megatron and Lord Straxus in the Marvel UK comics though.

Lin-Chi learns of Orion Pax and Cybertron during the mind link.

The poster was originally the cover to issue #3 of IDW's Prime mini-series, and is the first reuse of that companies material by Titan since the All Hail Megatron reprints “went away” way back in issue #8 of the second volume at the end of 2009.

This is also the first issue to not be written by Robin Etherington since Simon Furman left the book for good at the end of the second volume.

Goofs:

The jet-Vehicons are given Starscream's alt-mode.

There's no explanation of what happens to Knock Out at the end. Prime seems to defeat him with a punch (despite the Autobots still being outnumbered by Vehicons) and then just lets him go?

Fantastic Free Gift!:

A Ballistic Blaster!.

Extras:

Wheeljack Lowdown, guide to the Wrecker;
Episode Guide #8: Con Job,
Epic Transformers Prime Quiz, a two page spread of questions;
A Bulkhead and Ratchet IDW based poster;
The Mind Trap... Maze!, based on the inside of Lin-Chi's head. Which apparently has grenades in it;
Starscream's Stumpers!,
Competition for Bot Shots toys;
Mega Mouth, including the first letter from an older reader in a good long time, who has sent in some G1 based art as well;
Ratchet's Joke Page, a lot of "Doctor Doctor" jokes.

Review:

Very much a story of two halves, the stuff outside of the body in the scrap yard is fairly typical kiddy fare. Predictable but harmless stuff, even if things like Knock Out just going away at the end don't make very much sense.

The scenes of Lin-Chi and Prime having their mind talk are something much more interesting though. The small scared human being overwhelmed by this other intellect inside his head feel like they've come from a different comic and are superbly done by the new writer. The colourist gets in on the act as well, and gives these sequences a much darker and frankly less poor feeling that creates the impression everyone involved was much more interested in these bits than the rest of the comic.

Whilst mind swap stories are ten a penny this at least brings a little something new to the table, and along with the darker story last month suggests the Prime version of the title has found its feet and a happy medium between keeping the book aimed at the younger side of the fanbase whilst not being bland wallpaper.

It's a shame the art is still a bit of a mess-Prime looks especially odd as he comes out of the crusher (as if Domingues was using a toy where the legs weren't properly transformed as the basis for it)- but this continues to see the book find its niche as a superior book for small children.

[Three cubes]