This Week’s Reviews: July 2009 (Week 1)

Short week, but with family parties and buying the current Previews catalog (because I’m tired of missing out on comics I hadn’t heard about until it’s too late), I didn’t have the time and money to devote to comics. I picked up the final issue of the Revenge of the Fallen adaptation from IDW, but I was more looking at differences between it and the movie, so it’s tough to give it a proper review. Besides, I can’t tell what to blame on early script drafts, how much to blame on compression (a 2+ hour movie versus 4 modern-sized comics) and how much to blame on Simon Furman. At least I still have my three-comic minimum for the weekly reviews, so let’s get to it!

Spoiler-blocked versions available at ComiXology

click for double-cover spread

Transformers Spotlight: Metroplex

IDW Publishing: July 2009

WRITER: Andy Schmidt

ARTIST: Marcelo Matere

COLORIST: Priscilla Tramontano

LETTERER: Chris Mowry

EDITOR: Denton J. Tipton

In a story taking place just before All Hail Megatron, a group of Autobots known as the Throttlebots are on a space station that is attacked by the Decepticon Sixshot. The Throttlebots escape to the planet below only to be attacked by Sixshot in an abandoned city. Except that it isn’t an abandoned city, but a city-sized Autobot calling himself Metroplex. Metroplex is carrying some vital cargo and after handing Sixshot his skid plate, assumes a third mode that allows him to escape the planet, leaving supplies behind for the Throttlebots to repair themselves.

What they got right: It’s about time that Metroplex made a comic book appearance. I don’t know of him ever ending up in a Marvel or Dreamwave comic outside of the profile books. I also like the Cybertronian designs for the Throttlebots. Right on the title page is a note that the story takes place just prior to the events of All Hail Megatron #1, which I wish more of the Spotlight comics had. (I’ve been trying to put together my own timeline for the IDW G1-based comics, like I do for my other comic “universes”, and more of these notes would make that easier.)

What they got wrong: Metroplex barely appears in his own comic, except as the battlefield. (Eat your heart out, Shadow of the Colossus.) I’m only assuming what he’s carrying is the Matrix that ended up in Megatron’s hands in AHM, but we don’t learn a whole lot. Also, I don’t know if Andy knows that Goldbug officially is supposed to be Bumblebee in a new body, not his own character. (At least he’s a good character for what little characterization actually happens in the story.)

Recommendation: I hope at some point IDW decides to resume the Spotlight comics. There are so many other toys characters in the original toy line alone that never even had a profile, much less a spotlight. Had Marvel went that route back in the day, maybe they wouldn’t of had all those “show our new toy” moments to hamper the story (and drive Budiansky away). This was a pretty good one.

Simpsons Super Spectacular #9

Bongo Comics Group (? 2009)

WRITER: Batton Lash

PENCILER: Tone Rodriguez

INKER: Andrew Pepoy (who I keep starting to write “Peopy”)

COLORIST: Art Villanueva

LETTERER: Karen Bates

EDITOR: Bill Morrison

The big day has arrived, and Springfield is ready for anything. But are they ready for nothing? That’s what they got–a blank comic except for boxes or words. Since readers keep complaining about changes, but then complaining about the changes, Krusty’s strategy is to just let people make their own comic. Hey, the sales are through the roof…until the next issue smashes a hole in the basement. Very upset, Bart decides to sell copies of the near-blank comic with his own art and story..a rather violent one. (Or as violent as a Bongo title gets.) Krusty decides that maybe it’s better to let the talented staff write the comic, and the next issue of Radioactive Man is just a good read, as a comic is supposed to be!

What they got right: Whiny fanboys. Comic “investors”. Publishers and Editors-in-Chief suffering from Eventitis. No one is spared, and it’s all in good fun.

What they got wrong: Now if only the aforementioned would take those lessons with them, maybe blogs, forums, and the comics themselves would be more enjoyable to read. (Not counting mine. Mine is totally enjoyable. Bias? What bias?)

Recommendation: Pick up these comics (unless the joke continues into a Trade, which it should, with an in-character Krusty exposing the virtues of trade waiting as only Krusty can) and maybe get some for the obsessive fanboy in YOUR life.

Sonic Universe #5

Archie Comics (August 2009)

WRITER: Ian Flynn

PENCILER: Tracy Yardley

INKER: Jim Amash

COLORIST: Jason Jensen

LETTERER: Teresa Davidson

EDITOR/MANAGING ED.: Mike Pellerito

EDITOR IN CHIEF: Victor Gorelick

30 years into Mobius’s future, we learn that Sally married Shadow (who had taken over the planet and ruled with an iron fist) before his being taken down at the hands of Knuckles and his fellow Guardian daughter, Lara-Su, alongside a returning Sonic the Hedgehog. Sonic and Sally were quickly wed, and are now the parents of son Manik and daughter Sonia. (Interestingly, the name of Sonic’s siblings created for the Sonic Underground cartoon, a universe Archie’s Sonic has visited in a past issue. And looking at the Sonic Wiki entry linked to above, not the first reference in the main universe.) Lara-Su acts as the occasional babysitter to the twins. However, Shadow’s allies of the Dark Legion/Dark Presence, have sworn revenge and attempt to assassinate the Royal Family at a celebration, but they are saved by the timely arrival from the future of Silver the Hedgehog!

What they got right: I don’t have much to say here, as it’s a set-up story. Still, Ian Flynn does a good job setting up the future Mobius and the place of our heroes. Apparently, this isn’t the first story to take place in the future, so it catches us up to the new timeline (altered due to events in older Sonic the Hedgehog comics, according to the Sonic Wiki) and prepare the story, which I assume takes place in the next three issues of the arc. I like the fan-art section, too.

What they got wrong: Current events in the main series seen to contradict much of what happens in any version of the future. Sonic and Sally are split, there’s no indication of Tails and Mina being a couple or really knowing each other, and Knuckles doesn’t have a cybernetic eye like that last I knew.

Recommendation: This could prove to be an interesting story, but hardly the entrance to the Sonicverse that the previous arc was.

Best Scene of the Week

Transformers Spotlight: Metroplex

I just dumped my oil. (click to full size)

honorable mention

Simpsons Super Spectacular #9

While no match for the Metroplex shot above, every comic blogger out there will use this sooner or later.

And that’s my short reading list for the week. I hope everyone enjoyed their Independence Day festivities. Back to work Monday, so get your hangovers taken care of today. (Not me. I couldn’t drink alcohol if I wanted to. 🙂 )