Today’s Comic> Transformers: Last Stand of the Wreckers #1

Transformers: Last Stand of the Wreckers #1

IDW Publishing (January 2010)

STORY: Nick Roche & James Roberts

SCRIPT/PENCILER: Nick Roche

INKERS: Nick Roche & John Wycough

COLORIST: Josh Burcham

LETTERER: Neil Uyetake

ASSOCIATE EDITOR: Denton J. Tipton

EDITOR: Andy Schmidt

I wonder if Nick Roche worked on this comic?

STORY PLACEMENT: prior to The Transformers #1

A group of Autobots spend their first day in the Wreckers, the biggest badasses in the Autobot army. While mostly an introduction to the characters and IDW’s version of the Wreckers (a concept from the Marvel UK stories that have been adopted into the rest of the TF Multiverse), we do see some action via flashbacks. The Wreckers will be heading to Garrus-9, an old Autobot penitentiary that had been taken over by the Decepticon Overlord. On the way there, they find a trashed Decepticon dropship and the Autobot that trashed it…Impactor!

What they got right: I have issues with Roche’s character models (see next paragraph), but otherwise he does tell a good story. The layouts are easy to follow, the action scenes are mostly good save a couple panels, and the dialog and overall story are more fun than the other TF titles out this month, while still remaining serious. Roche’s remake of Overlord (a Japanese character/toy) makes for a fascinating character. Also, Verity Carlo’s back and a breath of fresh air after both Zander Cannon and Costa’s human characters. Her play with the new recruits and especially Kup were great. Bringing in Impactor (the non-toy character from the UK days, where he was one of the Wreckers before he was killed in battle) should be interesting.

What they got wrong: I’ve mentioned my issues with Nick Roche’s character models in the past, and many of them show up here. His robots have improved, but everyone still looks too thin for my taste, and Verity, the only human here, doesn’t look right in some panels (mostly the mouth in far shots while she’s talking). Certain panels, and the cover he did, just have too much going on, or have too many characters (that’s mostly the cover’s problem). Speaking of Verity, why is she dressed like that? I don’t mean the Cybertronian gauntlet things. I mean an outfit that’s more designed to turn guys on than battle evil. It’s not like the robots are checking her out. (At least I hope not.) Finally, where’s Jimmy Pink? We know what happened to Hunter O’Nion (one of my complaints with All Hail Megatron, actually), but what about Jimmy? I hope he doesn’t get a sad end, too.

Recommendation: Probably the best Transformer story since All Hail Megatron, a lot of fun, but still action packed. The other two titles could take a lesson from Nick.

Is Kup coming on to Verity? Ewww!

EDIT: Transformers World 2005 (aka TFW2005) reports that this comic sold out, but they’re reprinting it with a new variant cover. I recommend getting it when it comes out.