Stephanie Kay
Oct 11, 2007, 05:14 pm
<a href="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/covers/idw/tfstormbringer3large.gif"target="_blank"><img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/covers/idw/tfstormbringer3thumb.gif"hspace=10 align=left alt="Transformers: Stormbringer #3"></a><B>Reviewer:</B> Kevin Jones, <a href="mailto:kcjones242@yahoo.com">kcjones242@yahoo.com</a>
<B>Story Title:</B> Part 3
<I>Things get worse all around. Weirder, too.</I>
<B>Writer:</B> Simon Furman
<B>Artist:</B> Don Figueroa
<B>Letterer:</B> Robbie Robbins
<B>Colorist:</B> Josh Burcham
<B>Color Assist:</B> grungwerx
<B>Editors:</B> Chris Ryall & Dan Taylor
<B>Editor In Chief:</B> Chris Ryall
<B>Published by:</B> <a href="http://www.idwpublishing.com/">IDW Publishing</A>
<B><I>Stormbringer</I></B> is a series created for hardcore Transformers fans. That doesn't mean it's just giant robots fighting each other (although there is that, too.) Instead, we have an effort to use some classic characters to tell an exciting story. You can tell that the people involved with this book want to push it into new territories, and we get to come along for the ride.
It's surprising that Simon Furman doesn't get more credit for building tension and mystery in his stories, <B><I>Stormbringer</I></B> in particular. There's an almost supernatural feel to the disaster which has crippled Cybertron. Furman has drawn us in and made us care about what's going to happen. However, he also sometimes has the weakness of falling flat after the big build up. <B><I>The War Within Vol 1</I></B> had a big payoff at the end when Optimus and Megatron get a glimpse of their future, but <B><I>Vol 2</I></B>'s ending was confusing and unsatisfying. Will Stormbringer fall flat, or impress us all? So far, it looks promising. Thunderwing has been built up to be a dangerous threat, and Bludgeon's fate wasn't what I was expecting. The momentum of the story hasn't gone down yet, but if Optimus defeats Thunderwing with the Matrix, I'll lose a lot of faith in Mr Furman.
The writing isn't perfect, however. Furman's dialogue is great when it's dramatic, but the low-key conversation can sound out of place. As the Decepticons on Nebulos react to Thunderwing, it almost sounds like we're listening to teenagers discussing their homework. The story is stilted in some places, like when Nosecone is being rescued. Why do we even care about the robots he was fighting? Furman's habit of telling you the place in one panel and the time in the next can also be confusing. Since the caption says "Now" on page two, does that mean page one could have been a flashback? You can figure it out if you flip back, but a good storyteller doesn't make you flip back. It may be hard to write believable stories about giant robots, but I think Furman could improve in some areas.
There's also the problem of just having too many characters. I can give Furman credit for weaving so many characters into the plot, but it doesn't always work. Jetfire, Bludgeon, Optimus, and Thunderwing are given enough time, but the number of minor characters is so large that it's overwhelming. The Wreckers, Bludgeon's Decepticons, and the Decepticons on Nebulos all have a number of characters with lines, but they end up being more of a distraction than anything else. It sounds as if Furman is attempting to make every single character come to life, but in this case, it would be better to focus more on the main characters.
Don Figueroa's art is great, as always. This is the guy who was responsible for the details on the Masterpiece Prime figure, after all. He achieves a strong balance between detailed and dynamic art. If I had to nitpick, I would say that sometimes his lines are a bit too delicate for my tastes. Sacrificing a little detail for bolder lines would make his art stand out even more. One thing that has me a little confused is why Optimus Prime changed looks for no reason last issue. All of a sudden, he has a lot more gadgets and funny little details. Are we supposed to assume that he upgrades himself on a regular basis? It would be nice if this got addressed sometime.
The coloring is really fitting for the series. It's slick when it needs to be, but has a bit of a spray-paint look to get atmospheric effects. I'm glad IDW has gone for a different coloring look from Dreamwave's fake anime style (am I even allowed to mention them?) There are times when the background colors are murky, but that very well might be on purpose.
IDW is making some good choices about how their <B><I>Transformers</I></B> books fit together. Noting that the Decepticons have an infiltration team on Nebulos is a nice touch, and it actually helps the story here rather than hurting it. Megatron sports the same look as in Infiltration, but you don't need to know anything about that series. The continuity makes these limited series look less and less random.
This issue definitely gives us what we're looking for. <B><I>Stormbringer</I></B> has been a great ride, and I'm excited to see where it ends up. But Furman still has a lot of work to do in the final issue. There needs to be some surprises or plot twists in order to justify all of this suspense. It's been nice not to hear about the Matrix or Unicron for a while, and I hope it keeps up because right now, <B><I>Transformers</I></B> is as good as it gets.
<B>OVERALL:</B>
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<a href="http://x-worldcomics.com/yourvirtualstore/shopdisplayproducts.asp?id=2382&cat=TRANSFORMERS%3A+STORMBRINGER">Roll out and buy these issues online now from X-WORLD and save!</a>
<B>Story Title:</B> Part 3
<I>Things get worse all around. Weirder, too.</I>
<B>Writer:</B> Simon Furman
<B>Artist:</B> Don Figueroa
<B>Letterer:</B> Robbie Robbins
<B>Colorist:</B> Josh Burcham
<B>Color Assist:</B> grungwerx
<B>Editors:</B> Chris Ryall & Dan Taylor
<B>Editor In Chief:</B> Chris Ryall
<B>Published by:</B> <a href="http://www.idwpublishing.com/">IDW Publishing</A>
<B><I>Stormbringer</I></B> is a series created for hardcore Transformers fans. That doesn't mean it's just giant robots fighting each other (although there is that, too.) Instead, we have an effort to use some classic characters to tell an exciting story. You can tell that the people involved with this book want to push it into new territories, and we get to come along for the ride.
It's surprising that Simon Furman doesn't get more credit for building tension and mystery in his stories, <B><I>Stormbringer</I></B> in particular. There's an almost supernatural feel to the disaster which has crippled Cybertron. Furman has drawn us in and made us care about what's going to happen. However, he also sometimes has the weakness of falling flat after the big build up. <B><I>The War Within Vol 1</I></B> had a big payoff at the end when Optimus and Megatron get a glimpse of their future, but <B><I>Vol 2</I></B>'s ending was confusing and unsatisfying. Will Stormbringer fall flat, or impress us all? So far, it looks promising. Thunderwing has been built up to be a dangerous threat, and Bludgeon's fate wasn't what I was expecting. The momentum of the story hasn't gone down yet, but if Optimus defeats Thunderwing with the Matrix, I'll lose a lot of faith in Mr Furman.
The writing isn't perfect, however. Furman's dialogue is great when it's dramatic, but the low-key conversation can sound out of place. As the Decepticons on Nebulos react to Thunderwing, it almost sounds like we're listening to teenagers discussing their homework. The story is stilted in some places, like when Nosecone is being rescued. Why do we even care about the robots he was fighting? Furman's habit of telling you the place in one panel and the time in the next can also be confusing. Since the caption says "Now" on page two, does that mean page one could have been a flashback? You can figure it out if you flip back, but a good storyteller doesn't make you flip back. It may be hard to write believable stories about giant robots, but I think Furman could improve in some areas.
There's also the problem of just having too many characters. I can give Furman credit for weaving so many characters into the plot, but it doesn't always work. Jetfire, Bludgeon, Optimus, and Thunderwing are given enough time, but the number of minor characters is so large that it's overwhelming. The Wreckers, Bludgeon's Decepticons, and the Decepticons on Nebulos all have a number of characters with lines, but they end up being more of a distraction than anything else. It sounds as if Furman is attempting to make every single character come to life, but in this case, it would be better to focus more on the main characters.
Don Figueroa's art is great, as always. This is the guy who was responsible for the details on the Masterpiece Prime figure, after all. He achieves a strong balance between detailed and dynamic art. If I had to nitpick, I would say that sometimes his lines are a bit too delicate for my tastes. Sacrificing a little detail for bolder lines would make his art stand out even more. One thing that has me a little confused is why Optimus Prime changed looks for no reason last issue. All of a sudden, he has a lot more gadgets and funny little details. Are we supposed to assume that he upgrades himself on a regular basis? It would be nice if this got addressed sometime.
The coloring is really fitting for the series. It's slick when it needs to be, but has a bit of a spray-paint look to get atmospheric effects. I'm glad IDW has gone for a different coloring look from Dreamwave's fake anime style (am I even allowed to mention them?) There are times when the background colors are murky, but that very well might be on purpose.
IDW is making some good choices about how their <B><I>Transformers</I></B> books fit together. Noting that the Decepticons have an infiltration team on Nebulos is a nice touch, and it actually helps the story here rather than hurting it. Megatron sports the same look as in Infiltration, but you don't need to know anything about that series. The continuity makes these limited series look less and less random.
This issue definitely gives us what we're looking for. <B><I>Stormbringer</I></B> has been a great ride, and I'm excited to see where it ends up. But Furman still has a lot of work to do in the final issue. There needs to be some surprises or plot twists in order to justify all of this suspense. It's been nice not to hear about the Matrix or Unicron for a while, and I hope it keeps up because right now, <B><I>Transformers</I></B> is as good as it gets.
<B>OVERALL:</B>
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<a href="http://x-worldcomics.com/yourvirtualstore/shopdisplayproducts.asp?id=2382&cat=TRANSFORMERS%3A+STORMBRINGER">Roll out and buy these issues online now from X-WORLD and save!</a>