Transformers: Windblade #4 – Review

By: Mairghread Scott (writer), Sarah Stone (artist)

The Story: Windblade runs up against one of the key problems of representative government – if you’re not willing to seize power, there’s someone else who will.

The Review: It’s hard to use words like best when you’re talking about the current IDW Transformers line. Robots in Disguise is rather underrated in my opinion, More Than Meets The Eye is acknowledged genius, but somehow there’s something special about Transformers: Windblade that makes it one of my favorite books month after month. Sadly this is the end for our little miniseries that could, but it certainly doesn’t go out quietly.

Transformers: Windblade #4 admittedly suffers from a common comic malady, the overstuffed conclusion. There’s a lot going on here and, if this were a movie or a TV show, it really should come after the climax rather than just starting off the issue. Nevertheless, it’s like that because it would be a shame to lose any of the action that Mairghread Scott has laid out for us.

Part of what’s made Windblade such a success is the infectious optimism of our title heroine. While it may have been a bit much for Windblade to start entirely ignorant of Starscream’s reputation, she’s generally avoided being pure maiden of pure purity while remaining hopeful for the future of Cybertron. Like most of us at some time or another, Windblade feels out of place, like she doesn’t quite belong, on Cybertron, but what’s so charming about her is the way that she earnestly, but not fearlessly throws herself into her new role and opens herself to the people of Cybertron, despite being a Camien. This issue, that’s going to be tested.

As readers we possess the necessary distance to see the flaws in both the Autobot and Decepticon ideologies. We see the tragic flaws that have doomed Megatron’s rebellion and the cracks in the Autobot myth that Optimus Prime is desperately trying to hold together and redeem by force of will alone. As an outsider, Windblade has a similar distance. She has the opportunity to show Cybertron a better way, but, if she can’t, Starscream has his own way of creating the Cybertronian Utopia, one that has always been at war with Eastasia.

Transformers: Windblade #2 – Review

By: Mairghread Scott (writer), Sarah Stone (art)

The Story: She is the Windblade. She speaks for the city. She speaks for the city, for the city has no vocal processor.

But it seems old Starscream’s discovered something that all dictators need: the means to hold onto his power.

The Review: As Windblade recovers from her recent injuries there’s no time to rest, as Chromia says when asked if Starscream will try again, “There’s no if[…]It’s only a matter of when.”

In this second issue, Transformers: Windblade truly embraces its role as a political thriller. Mairghread Scott is all too happy to play factions off of one another – the King off of his advisors, the Speaker off of her city, the people off of the media – and it works wonderfully.

The script doesn’t bowl you over the way the first issue did, but there are clear standouts. Unsurprisingly one of them is Waspinator. The fan favorite Predacon turned NAIL is appropriately pathetic this issue, but he makes a fantastic partner for Windblade. Sharing her uncertainty but none of her courage, Waspinator brings out the kindest and most wonderful parts of Windblade’s spark. Every fan who’s known him has kind of wanted to give Waspy a hug at some point or another so it’s natural that having our hero talk him down should endear her so. It’s also nice to see little glimpses of his Predacon nature, like when he siphons off some free energon, peak through to remind us that Waspinator has other traits.

Windblade’s other sidekick is, of course, Chromia. Chromia is obviously a more forceful personality than Windblade but the two make for one of the most natural friendships I’ve seen in comics in a long while. Windblade and Chromia have a great little sister-big sister relationship. Chromia is a little too direct, where Windblade isn’t always confident enough to speak her mind. Windblade is a diplomat and a good one, but Chromia is a warrior. They cover each other’s weaknesses and empower the other’s strengths and, unlike many fictional pairs, their drive and determination make it understandable why they became friends. These two characters feel more like the friends you have in life than the ones you see in literature or movies.

I also really approve of what Scott does with Chromia on her own. Chromia doesn’t have time for your “Strong Female Character” nonsense; she’s too busy being a badass female character. She doesn’t have to be the best, she’s comfortable just being better than you. Her awesomeness grows organically out of the script. And though she growls and she fights as well as any action hero, it’s integrated into her character. So when someone tries to shoot her and she responds, “Nice job, loser” you know that she’s got this.

The focus is on these three characters. Starscream and Metroplex get some well written but fleeting screentime and there are minor appearances from Ironhide and the Maccadam’s crew, but we mostly deal with Windblade and whoever she’s talking to at that moment.

Plot-wise things are humming along smoothly and we’re beginning to see the scale of what’s to come. It’s actually surprisingly grand for such a grounded mini, but I’m not complaining. I will say that Starscream’s plan seems a bit different that his usual M.O., but I suppose when you’re the king it’s hard to rise any further in the social hierarchy.

I think the issue’s biggest problem is that moments of realization are sometimes rushed. In both cases, Windblade makes leaps of logic that don’t feel entirely earned. It makes sense in a medium that’s so pressed for time and space, but the harried reveals undercut the issue’s flow.

There’s a lot more white in this book than last time. Sometimes that’s good and sometimes that’s bad but it does mean that we have to wait until the last half of the book to really get the same bombastic quality that defined the previous issue. The lines are also not quite as polished and it seems possible that some of the time and energy for this issue might have gone into perfecting its predecessor. There’s a pretty massive upswing in quality once Chromia tackles Waspinator but that still leaves a little over half a book that’s not quite up to par.

Nonetheless, Sarah Stone’s artwork is still beautiful and wholly unique. Though Chromia and Blurr occasionally look a bit too similar, the bots all suit Stone’s style excellently and the big moments positively sing. It’s amazing how much character Stone wrings from each of her robots. While Scott’s writing would be enough to comment on anyway, each of the aforementioned relationships wouldn’t be half of what they are without Stone’s facial work.

The looks between Chromia and Windblade when they discover the truth about Waspinator or when the latter claims that she “need[s] a drink” are priceless. Likewise the sad, sad life of Waspinator becomes instantly clear when you look into his quivering mandibles. I’m actually very impressed how alien Stone kept the big bug, but it apparently is little to no obstacle for her.

It’s great that Stone isn’t afraid to go big with her compositions. Whether that takes the literal approach of the establishing shot in the depths of Metroplex, the dramatic route of Windblade’s interactions with the city-bot, or the bold framing choices of Chromia’s threat to Waspinator, there’s an extremity in Stone’s work that’s willing to risk a bit to get that moment across. It’s actually rather fitting; like Windblade, Stone isn’t worried about seeming gentle or too invested as long as it benefits the people, the readers, she serves.

The Conclusion: Transformers: Windblade #2 is not the comic its predecessor was, though few are. Both writer and artist are feeling a little less polished. Each of them have areas of the book that feel weaker than the others, but their strengths still shine through in the others.

With a summary like that, this could be a very middle-of-the-road book, but that’s the benefit of being bold. Scott and Stone are trying new and interesting things with this book, finding niches in the standard Transformers mold that haven’t been filled. The result is that even an issue that seems to be showing some fatigue is still very exciting.

The art on this series is a particular treat and Scott’s dialogue is brought to brilliant life by Sarah Stone’s expressions.

It may be a step down from the last issue, but Transformers: Windblade #2 remains a gorgeous and wonderfully realized thriller, full of character, heart, and cleverness.

Grade: B

 

– Noah Sharma

Transformers: Windblade #1 – Review

By: Mairghread Scott (writer), Sarah Stone (art)

The Story: Typical, Starscream ran on a platform of bringing change, and yet he’s still a jet…

The Review: Despite a slow start “Dark Cybertron” came to a triumphant conclusion, one that leaves the Transformers universe in a particularly interesting place. That said the changes were centered around a few important characters. Unlike “The Death of Optimus Prime” very little was torn down by “Dark Cybertron” and instead we find ourselves in a period of building. As the Lost Light prepares for another voyage and Robots in Disguise prepares to return to a more traditional setting, what will become of Cybertron?

Thankfully, despite my worries and a bit of ambiguous dialogue, Transformers: Windblade #1 finds Starscream still in control of Cybertron. The series treads familiar but lively ground for the franchise, setting our titular heroine up as an idealistic civil servant within the hierarchy of a corrupt Cybertron – very much in the tradition of Orion Pax.

Although she fits a familiar archetype, Windblade is thankfully original. From the first panel Mairghread Scott sends a tidal wave of characterization crashing over the book’s pages. Windblade may not have been particularly well-defined during “Dark Cybertron” but after just one issue you’ll feel like you’ve known her forever. She’s an everyman without the neutral mask that normally plagues the concept. She’s optimistic, nervous, grounded, naïve, and eager to do something meaningful, all standard heroic traits but Scott combines them in such a way as to carve out an incredibly specific character for her. The result is endlessly charming.

Transformers: Robots in Disguise #27 – Review

By: John Barber & James Roberts (writers), Andrew Griffith (art), Josh Perez (colors)

The Story: Shockwave’s final gambit forces us beyond Autobots, beyond Decepticons, beyond Megatron’s wildest imagination.

The Review: It feels like forever since “Dark Cybertron” started, but as we close in on the end, things are starting to come together. With Shockwave’s gambit revealed last issue, things have gone from bad to worse. Not bad considering that we started with the return of Nemesis Prime and the extermination of the Cybertronian race.

RiD #27 opens with an extremely clever reveal that reminds us the kinds of great comics concepts that the Transformers brand can and often does play with. From there Barber and Roberts begin setting up their finale. The massive casts of both series come together for this clash and everyone has a part to play. It’s an impressive design, but at times it can feel like the issue slows down to accommodate the sheer number of bots involved.

That said, it’s not the big picture that’s important. While the book loses energy to focus on Soundwave or Metroplex’s individual locations, the character work remains extremely strong. Even minor characters like Dreadwing are full of life. And though the positioning could have been handled a little better, the matchups themselves are pretty great. It’s a little weird seeing Jhiaxus take a backseat to his former pupil, but his strategy suits him perfectly. We get to see our favorite Autobots, Decepticons, and even a beloved Predacon take on fan favorites like Shockwave and Bludgeon. Each one has their own sinister style and seems to promise a solid conclusion to one of the series’ major threads.

Transformers: Robots in Disguise #26 – Review

By: John Barber & James Roberts (writers), Andrew Griffith & Livio Ramondelli (artists), Josh Perez & Livio Ramondelli (colors)

The Story: Well That’s Just Prime or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Matrix.

The Review: As this issue opens, Iacon is infested with a death plague and Orion Pax finds himself at the mercy of Nova Prime. With only one-third of the crossover remaining, this would be a fine time for the climax to begin, or at least for things to finally start happening. Thankfully, that’s exactly what this issue provides, if not quite in the expected fashion.

This is probably the most exciting issue of “Dark Cybertron” so far, but it seems that no one told the writers. Though the content of the issue is a step above, the constant switching between settings feels more than a little artificial. Stepping away from the Orion/Nova showdown mid-punch is a strange choice, especially if it’s only to check in with Ultra Magnus. It also doesn’t help that the artists drawing the two halves of the book couldn’t be more different, but more on that later.

Barber and Roberts cushion the blow by having dialogue trail from one sequence into the next, however this technique is most effective when the dialogue comments on each scene differently and the issue is rather hit-and-miss in that regard.

Transformers: More Than Meets The Eye #26 – Review

by James Roberts, John Barber (Writers), James Raiz, Atilio Rojo, Livio Ramondelli (Artists), Josh Perez (Colorist)

The Story: Prowl begins to strategize how to fight back, while those in Metroplex try to find a way to help the others.

The Review: It’s never a good thing when a storyline, an event or a crossover slows things down. Whenever a title get stuck with a story that isn’t normally its own, it’s hard not to anticipate the return to normalcy, to the regular casts and problems that the writer has planned for them.

This is majorly how I feel with the Dark Cybertron crossover, which in itself is not a bad thing, as it is filled with plenty of characters I enjoy and ideas that are genuinely interesting. The problem, here, lies in many smaller ones that manage to slow things down, with the execution being in the way of some of these concepts.

What this issue does exceptionally right, though, is the characterization. Be it the growing dissatisfaction of Bumblebee over how people treat his decisions, Megatron and his strange vision of how he serves the Cybertronian, Prowl and his decisions or Starscream and his growing despair, there are several character arcs that come to a certain climax here, which is in itself a very satisfying progress.

Another aspect which is rather great is in how the tension and some of the situations are being set up wonderfully, with the Metroplex situation reaching a new step, the war against Shockwave getting farther and the rampage being even higher. The stakes are high, which bodes very well in term of actions for what might follow up next.

Transformers: Robots in Disguise #23 – Review

By: John Barber & James Roberts (writers), Atilio Rojo & James Raiz (art), Josh Perez (colors)

The Story: Starscream gets a thumbs down from the Necrotitan as Ultra Magnus gets the universe’s most intense thumbs up from Metroplex.

The Review: Three issues into Dark Cybertron half of the notable Decepticon commanders through G1 history have shown up and many look to be siding against one another. In fact, the Autobots play a fairly limited role in this issue. Honestly, that’s the way I like my Transformers, but that twelve part timeline means we’re still firmly in this story’s rising action. Indeed, while the infighting within the Decepticon cause looks to be a large part of this event, right now we don’t get to see much of it. This issue spends most of its time moving pieces around the board, setting up for the arc’s second act.

Starscream is back in the spotlight this month, but he spends a lot of the issue reacting rather than acting. It’s fun to watch Screamer adapt to his circumstances, but it’s a shame to see him on the ropes so quickly when the premise of Starscream in power held so much potential.