“I need to fire my interior decorator.”
Transformers Armada #7
Dreamwave (January, 2003)
WRITER: Simon Furman PENCILER: Pat Lee INKER: Rob Armstrong BACKGROUNDS: Edwin Garcia COLORISTS: Espen Grundetjern, David Cheung, Rob Ruffolo, Ramil Sunga, & Felipe Smith LETTERING: Dreamer Design GRAPHIC DESIGN: Kevin Lee ASSISTANT EDITOR: Mat Moylan
Rad activates the device Sparkplug gave him, which turns out to be a pager for Mini-Cons. The Land Military Team (Wreckage, Knock Out, and Bonecrusher) respond but don’t want to get involved until Rad shames them with a speech and the kids willing to go into the now-empty (but potentially booby-trapped) Decepticon base to rescue their friends. Meanwhile, Megatron attacks using the Star Saber but Optimus convinces the Air Defense Team to fight back against Megatron’s control. With the arrival of their Mini-Cons the Autobots turn the tide and drive the Decepticons off again, freeing the Air Defense Team.
What they got right: While the complaint list may seem longer, there were still good things that save the story. The fight with Optimus and Megatron (within the limits of Pat “I’m a decent artist but not as good as I think I am” Lee’s art) was pretty good, and Optimus reaching out to the Mini-Cons as equals so they could break their own control was a good thing. Starscream has a legitimate gripe against Megatron for hogging all of the Mini-Cons, rare for a Starscream, much less a Simon Furman Starscream. I was expecting another rehash of G1 through the Furman filter. I also like the shorter arcs, only two issues per arc. In today’s “force four issues for the trade” time and this being the kids comic (making Furman an odd choice) it works out better.
What they got wrong: Nothing felt resolved between Optimus and Sparkplug over the failed rescue attempt versus Optimus not listening about the Star Saber. And I don’t care about this whole “balance” thing. Maybe that was just Optimus trying to see the positive in the other Mini-Con teams not joining the Autobot team. Then there’s the artwork. The robots show some emotion but with the exception of one panel the kids barely show an emotion on their face beyond “dull surprise”. And I swear one panel with Sparkplug is just a crop/zoom of another panel on the very same page! Right next to that one in fact. How lazy can you get? (Wait until we get to Generation One.) Finally, there’s a formula brewing for these arcs. The Autobots are in trouble, Megatron is in Mini-Con addiction overload, then the Autobots’ Mini-Con partners arrive and chase off the Decepticons. I hope this is the last of that.
Recommendation: For all the heck I give Furman this is the second decent Transformers story this week, and that surprises me. How long can the good times roll? Pick up this arc and see.
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