Jonathan L. Switzer
Mar 18, 2004, 12:35 am
<a href="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dw/0204/TFWARWITHIN_05.jpg"><img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dw/0204/TFWARWITHIN_05t.jpg" align=left alt="Transformers War Within Vol. 2 #4"></a>Reviewer: Jonathan L. Switzer, captainjls@animejanai.com
Quick Rating: Above Average
Story Title: The Dark Ages, Part 5
I guess sometimes you've gotta take the good with the bad ...
Writer: Simon Furman
Pencils: Andrew Wildman
Inks: Erik Sander
Additional Inks: Rob Armstrong
Colors: Alan Wang, Ramil Sunga
Letters: Ben Lee
This is bugging me.
To a certain extent, I've really enjoyed this month's issue of Transformers: The War Within Vol. 2 - The Dark Ages. At long last, the big bad really starts to show his hand. The Fallen, the mysterious entity that's been pitting the Transformers' various splinter factions against one another since the disappearance of Optimus Prime and Megatron, not only showcases his awesome power several times this issue, but reveals the very nature of his master plan and, in what should be an absolutely chilling shot, his true allegiance as well. A lot of this issue is Furman putting all his pieces in their right and proper places for the grand finale in the next issue and, with the exception of one subplot suddenly jumping in out of the blue, the whole thing comes off as very well thought out and very well constructed.
The one subplot that jumps in out of the blue in this issue, the single chink in Furman's armor of superb plot construction, is the one depicted on the cover. The caged fellow appearing there, behind the worried looking Autobots, is an experiment of Shockwave's, locked away in the Autobots' basement. Apparently it's one of the four Transformers that the Fallen needs to complete his evil scheme. Prowl obligingly makes a reference to it early in the issue, before the Fallen drops in to fetch the caged prototype, which to me reads like Furman suddenly realized that he failed to mention this subplot in any of his earlier issues and decided there had to be some sort of explanation before the Fallen barged in to claim his prize.
Furman's slightly spotty long-term plotting, though, is nothing compared to the sloppy art contained within these pages. Take one part pencils from an artist not known for angular, robotic exactitude in his art and one part slipshod inking that makes the worst of those pencils, then douse the whole thing in a coat of standard-issue, overwhelmingly thick, Dreamwave digital paint. There are shining moments in the art department this time, moments that bring to mind the best of penciler Andrew Wildman's Marvel Comics Transformers work--Bludgeon disarming the Protectobot Blades with a swipe of his sword, for one--but these are few and far between. More typical are moments where details are asymmetrically sloppy or nonexistent, such as one glaringly embarassing shot of Bludgeon leaping into battle. Last issue I hoped that all involved would take their time so that this one might be an improvement. It sure seems that everyone did, in fact, take their sweet time, and the coloring is at least more consistent, but the foundation on which the colors rest seems worse off. Are Wildman's pencils here just not up to snuff, or is he just being saddled with poor inkers? I just can't tell at this point. All I know is that the end result makes me sad.
One thing that doesn't veer wildly from page to page is the characterization. Despite most of this issue's dialogue being terribly utilitarian, Furman knows these characters so damn well at this point that he gets each one's unique voice across perfectly, from Swoop's laid back grumblings, to Hotspot's depressed whines, and Bludgeon's cocky boasts. This is the area where Furman truly excels, and is where his years of experience in the Transformers universe shines bright enough for all to see.
Between Furman's strong character work and the interesting way he's drawn the plot together in preparation for next issue's conclusion, I'm jazzed to see how this all ends. It's just a crying shame that I can't hold out the same expectations for the art that I have for the resolution to all this business with the Fallen. Given all Furman's managed this issue, I can see him tying up all the ends he wants next time; given what has been presented in the art department, though, it'll be a real shocker if next issue manages to impress at all. Somehow I just don't see it happening.
ART:
http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/tffull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/tffull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/tfnone.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/tfnone.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/tfnone.jpg
STORY:
http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/tffull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/tffull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/tffull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/tffull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/tfnone.jpg
OVERALL:
http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/tffull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/tffull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/tffull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/tfnone.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/tfnone.jpg
Buy this issue online now from X-World Comics and save! (http://x-worldcomics.com/yourvirtualstore/shopdisplayproducts.asp?id=885&cat=TRANSFORMERS%3A+THE+WAR+WITHIN+VOL+2)
Quick Rating: Above Average
Story Title: The Dark Ages, Part 5
I guess sometimes you've gotta take the good with the bad ...
Writer: Simon Furman
Pencils: Andrew Wildman
Inks: Erik Sander
Additional Inks: Rob Armstrong
Colors: Alan Wang, Ramil Sunga
Letters: Ben Lee
This is bugging me.
To a certain extent, I've really enjoyed this month's issue of Transformers: The War Within Vol. 2 - The Dark Ages. At long last, the big bad really starts to show his hand. The Fallen, the mysterious entity that's been pitting the Transformers' various splinter factions against one another since the disappearance of Optimus Prime and Megatron, not only showcases his awesome power several times this issue, but reveals the very nature of his master plan and, in what should be an absolutely chilling shot, his true allegiance as well. A lot of this issue is Furman putting all his pieces in their right and proper places for the grand finale in the next issue and, with the exception of one subplot suddenly jumping in out of the blue, the whole thing comes off as very well thought out and very well constructed.
The one subplot that jumps in out of the blue in this issue, the single chink in Furman's armor of superb plot construction, is the one depicted on the cover. The caged fellow appearing there, behind the worried looking Autobots, is an experiment of Shockwave's, locked away in the Autobots' basement. Apparently it's one of the four Transformers that the Fallen needs to complete his evil scheme. Prowl obligingly makes a reference to it early in the issue, before the Fallen drops in to fetch the caged prototype, which to me reads like Furman suddenly realized that he failed to mention this subplot in any of his earlier issues and decided there had to be some sort of explanation before the Fallen barged in to claim his prize.
Furman's slightly spotty long-term plotting, though, is nothing compared to the sloppy art contained within these pages. Take one part pencils from an artist not known for angular, robotic exactitude in his art and one part slipshod inking that makes the worst of those pencils, then douse the whole thing in a coat of standard-issue, overwhelmingly thick, Dreamwave digital paint. There are shining moments in the art department this time, moments that bring to mind the best of penciler Andrew Wildman's Marvel Comics Transformers work--Bludgeon disarming the Protectobot Blades with a swipe of his sword, for one--but these are few and far between. More typical are moments where details are asymmetrically sloppy or nonexistent, such as one glaringly embarassing shot of Bludgeon leaping into battle. Last issue I hoped that all involved would take their time so that this one might be an improvement. It sure seems that everyone did, in fact, take their sweet time, and the coloring is at least more consistent, but the foundation on which the colors rest seems worse off. Are Wildman's pencils here just not up to snuff, or is he just being saddled with poor inkers? I just can't tell at this point. All I know is that the end result makes me sad.
One thing that doesn't veer wildly from page to page is the characterization. Despite most of this issue's dialogue being terribly utilitarian, Furman knows these characters so damn well at this point that he gets each one's unique voice across perfectly, from Swoop's laid back grumblings, to Hotspot's depressed whines, and Bludgeon's cocky boasts. This is the area where Furman truly excels, and is where his years of experience in the Transformers universe shines bright enough for all to see.
Between Furman's strong character work and the interesting way he's drawn the plot together in preparation for next issue's conclusion, I'm jazzed to see how this all ends. It's just a crying shame that I can't hold out the same expectations for the art that I have for the resolution to all this business with the Fallen. Given all Furman's managed this issue, I can see him tying up all the ends he wants next time; given what has been presented in the art department, though, it'll be a real shocker if next issue manages to impress at all. Somehow I just don't see it happening.
ART:
http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/tffull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/tffull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/tfnone.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/tfnone.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/tfnone.jpg
STORY:
http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/tffull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/tffull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/tffull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/tffull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/tfnone.jpg
OVERALL:
http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/tffull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/tffull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/tffull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/tfnone.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/tfnone.jpg
Buy this issue online now from X-World Comics and save! (http://x-worldcomics.com/yourvirtualstore/shopdisplayproducts.asp?id=885&cat=TRANSFORMERS%3A+THE+WAR+WITHIN+VOL+2)