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YouTube reviewer Pax Cybertron has received and reviewed Transformers Generations 30th Anniversary Voyager Whirl. Enjoy the video review embedded below:
Staff member Burn, a fan of the X-Files Season 10 comics series, has once again been kind enough to drop in to help out with reviewing the second chapter in IDW Publishing's The X-Files Conspiracy franchises crossover. Check out his review below!
Burn wrote:
"On the road again..."
Last week IDW kicked off it's new company-wide crossover centred around The X-Files, more so The Lone Gunmen as they work to unravel a new conspiracy that would make WWE's R-Truth's head spin.
In this weeks adventure, TLG have set off to find out just who are the Mythbu...err ... Ghostbusters!
Compared to last week, this book is a bit of disappointment. TLG show up posing as reporters (which they are), poke around, stuff happens, stuff gets sorted and a new clue as to how TLG are receiving reports from the future via CERN is revealed.
In other words, nothing much really happens. Sorry IDW, just being honest here.
The artwork has ruffled a few feathers as it's done in more of The X-Files style, which is a huge difference compared to what on-going IDW Ghostbuster fans may be use to. Less cartoony, more realistic.
Combine that with a nearly pointless story, you really have to ask if this book is worth picking up, or as a fan of Transformers, should you just pass this company wide crossover by and stick to the on-goings.
Pop back for our next review as The Lone Gunmen go in search of a group of Italian Renaissance Ninja Painters.
WHAT LIES BENEATH! ULTRA MAGNUS leads what’s left of the Lost Light crew deep into the last place they ever thought they’d be—and they find they last CYBERTRONIANS they ever expected to find! Meanwhile: MEGATRON versus GALVATRON: Round One!
"Gerremoff gerremoff!"
Story
Eee-hop. We've passed the mid-event hurdle, with last week's issue of More Than Meets the Eye, and the seventh chapter of Dark Cybertron actually does tend upwards again (well, plot-wise - the characters do a lot of down-wise stuff). After the big spoilers in the solicits for post-Dark Cybertron, let's take a look at how James Roberts and John Barber are going to get us there, shall we?
Nova Prime, an ego?
The Lost Light crew are running about all over the place, be it the insides or the outsides of Metroplex, with Ammonites in pursuit. We get a quick look at Crosscut too, who features on the B cover, and whose toy accompanies the issue. Admittedly, the introdump was a bit odd, but the resolution in the following panels made up for it.
Bam! Introduction!
The Dead Universe developments are quite interesting, but more in terms of what they set up than what actually happens. The Nightbeat exchange felt a bit lacking, and the resolution very sudden - or rushed, even. But we do get to see Rodimus' hand, which only leaves more questions.
Starscream so sad
The happenings on Cybertron are really interesting, with Galvatron being shown off amazingly by the writers. Scoop is filling in a bit more of a role, even if it is the same one, and Starscream is coming out quite badly from the whole thing. There is so much teased, in a good way, in this issue, that it feels terrible to have to wait!
Art
James Raiz is still on Lost Light/Metroplex duties, Livio Ramondelli on Dead Universe and Atilio Rojo on Cybertron. And wow does Rojo shine - his Galvatron is magnificent, with some exceptionally over-dramatic poses and postures. Raiz is still as strong as we've come to see him by now, and Ramondelli's take in the DU is good, though the weakest of the three in this issue, admittedly.
Heh - Multiple joke
Josh Perez on colours does a magnificent job of capturing both burning Cybertron and swarming Metroplex and the planet around it, with some pretty spot-on light/dark play. Ramondelli in the Dead Universe has some clean, clear colours, keeping the art nicely visible and uncluttered.
Panels *and* letters
Gilberto Lazcano is still doing some pretty impressive stuff on lettering, really complementing the panel work by the artists and Perez' colours. And again, we get two variant covers: one by Phil Jimenez and, returning, one by Andrew Griffith - some great art right there.
Thoughts Spoilerish ahead
As I said above, the Dead Universe plot is the weakest of the four (Starscream, Galvatron, Metroplex) running so far, but still manages to leave me wanting for more. This issue finally seems to have found its grounding in the serialised format, too. And be ready for those final pages. You have been warned.
I, for one, am hooked
The three styles of art work well, once again, and I had no issue at all with how they worked with each other. Perez and Lazcano work amazingly with Raiz and Rojo, and Ramondelli blends in nicely with some . Fine. Dark Cybertron, you really have my attention now.
. out of
PS: What is going on with the Dinobots' names..? Isn't the big one Sludge? Why is he called Snarl? Just bad speech-bubbles? Halp.
Seibertron member chuckdawg1999 gives us a look at the new simplified deluxe Beast Hunters Bumblebee. This is an upscaled version of the Beast Hunters Cyberverse Legion Bumblebee which comes with a new sword.
A HERO FALLS—AND ONE RETURNS! The struggle in the DEAD UNIVERSE heats up as ORION PAX—the ’bot who was once OPTIMUS PRIME—and RODIMUS struggle with the legacy of PRIMES! Meanwhile, the Lost Light is under attack in deep space—and SHOCKWAVE and the terrifying NECROTITAN threaten CYBERTRON!
...terrifying
Story
And here we are, halfway through the BIGGEST EVENT OF THE EVER HISTORY OF EVERYTHING, according to the solicits since at least two years ago. And I feel like we've hit a bit of a lull, though not an unwelcome one in the issue itself, rather in the plot - unevitable? Maybe. Let's read on.
Eye eye, cap'n!
We're back to the three storylines, following the Lost Light crew inside Metroplex, the boxed lot in the Dead Universe and Starscream's (barely) Cybertron. While the first two actually advance a little, the latter in particular seems to not do much other than re-establish the threat of the Necrotitan and Starscream's connection to it. And a little bit on the 'outcast' faction, I suppose.
And drop in Tankor! Hi Tankor
The other two plotlines, on the other hand, do a little more, with the biggest parts played out in the Dead Universe, especially towards the end of the section. We get some interesting goings-on with the otherwise static situation of the trapped characters, and exchanges are made between Nova Prime and his (ex?) heir Orion - and other things happen.
No, Rodimus, we're not
The final page brings us a fairly big revelation about one of the other players in the story, though see below for more on this. The lull is expected, at this point in the series, and it realy could be worse, and there are still some good moments of characterisation if not plot advancement. I did like the snuck-in addition on Slug's name-change, too.
Art
We're back to three separate art styles, with James Raiz on the Lost Light/in Metroplex' body, Livio Ramondelli in the Dead Universe and Atilio Rojo on Cybertron. And I have to say, I have no major complaints this time round (bar one)! Raiz in particular really shines in this issue, with thinner inks and some crazy panel work; Rojo's lines are a lot nicer too, and really work with the setting; Ramondelli is suited to the DU, until the last page reveal - it took me a while to figure out what was going on, and it detracted from the reveal itself.
Escher-ing in the new year
Josh Perez does is still doing some pretty amazing work, blending into both Raiz' and Rojo's style, and still keeping in tone with the er.. tone of the story being told. Some of the nuances are really cool, especially tha dark/light fade-ins. Ramondelli's colours are also good, as I've said many times before, really suit the Dead Universe - even with the proviso above.
Hardhead is quite the thinker, clearly
Gilbert Lazcano appears to be the regular letterer for now, and I really like some of his more creative moments, like the issue's title page and the Dinobots' speech. All in all, the issue looks good, but that final page really did not do it for me I'm afraid. The two covers by Phil Jimenez and Brendan Cahill are great though, especially the latter!
Thoughts Spoilerish ahead
As I've been saying throughout, we've hit the plateau, and it was to be expected, really. Some of the characters (Getaway, Astrotrain, Dinobots, Flatline) get more of an occasion to take the spotlight, even if just for a little while, but the introduction of Tankor so suddenly does feel a bit odd, and blatantly a toy advertising device.
Yeah, sounds about right
I wasn't as bothered with the three different styles this time either, except for that final page (OH I was very annoyed for a bit), and the Escher style scenes are excellent, as are some of the bigger splashes and spreads, with the added bonus of really good, mood-setting colouring too. Next?
. ½ out of
PS: What is going on with the Dinobots' names..? Isn't the big one Sludge? Why is he called Snarl? Just bad speech-bubbles? Halp.
Coming in to have a say on the new IDW Publishing inter-franchise event, a fan of the X-Files Season 10 comics series so far, and fellow staff member: Burn!
(Beware, some spoilers below.)
----
As someone who was a fan of The X-Files from the first episode, I was a little wary of the new comic series from IDW. What with the mess of The X-Files: I Want To Believe movie, and the fact as a staunch "Noromo" I had to accept that the "Shippers" had gotten their way and Mulder and Scully were an item.
Oh and The Lone Gunmen were dead, assassinated by Fox.
But that was then, and this is now. Seven issues in and IDW have acknowledged and moved on from the blunder of I Want To Believe, The Lone Gunmen are now working out of a cemetery, and overall they've crafted a series continuation that carries on the core principles of the TV series. Monsters, and of course, conspiracies.
Which brings us to "The X-Files: Conspiracy", the first part in IDW Publishing's latest company-wide crossover. I'm not a fan of crossovers, more-so when it comes to IDW after the Infestation mess. But this issue sets the series up well.
While Mulder and Scully are off investigating their latest X-File, the Gunmen are continuing their mission of uncovering secrets and devising ways to open the eyes of the masses. A mysterious heavily encrypted file lands in their inbox which sets off the conspiracy. As they slowly decrypt the file they soon discover it to be a series of news reports... from the future! News reports which include references to man-sized amphibians, ghost catchers, and of course, alien robots that are apparently hiding in plain sight as every day objects.
Har de har har
Eager to pass the information onto Mulder and Scully, the Gunmen meet up with them at their latest crime scene involving a number of deaths from a strange virus. The very same crime scene that the Gunmen have just decrypted from their mystery file.
Mulder and Scully have a new case that intersects with The Lone Gunmen's newest conspiracy, and in typical X-Files fashion, there's someone out to make sure the secrets stay secret as The Lone Gunmen set off to New York to meet up with the resident Ghostbusters.
It's a classic X-Files story and a great introduction to the latest IDW company cross-over. Here's hoping the standard continues, if it does, it will be a mini-series well worth picking up.
Seibertron.com member chuckdawg1999 has uploaded a video review on the entire fourth wave of the Kreo Microchangers figures. This group includes Rodimus, Cyclonus, Kup, Brawn and more, check them all out in the embedded video below!
chuckdawg1999 wrote:While I believe this wave doesn't pack the OMG punch like wave 2 did there are some real Jems here. For my money's worth Rodimus, Cyclonus, Kup, Iceberg, Barrage, Break-Neck, Brawn, and Sandstorm are real winners
It's been a while since we last saw him, but Optimus Prime (voiced by our very own podcaster, forum member and professional voice actor jON3.0) is still at his reviewing antics! This time, join him as Wheeljack shrinks him down to review the Rescue Bots Action Figures - Optimus Prime, Bumblebee, Chase and Heatwave with their human partners. Check out the embedded video below!
Our own chuckdawg1999 brings us a look at the Kre-O Microchangers Cyclonus and Demolisher. Check out his video embedded below, and here's our handy series 4 identification guide to help you put a full set together when you find them at retail:
33 - Alpha Trion
34 - Barrage
35 - Brawn
36 - Cyclonus
37 - Demolishor
38 - Iceberg
39 - Kup
40 - Rhinox
41 - Rodimus
42 - Sandstorm
43 - Slipstrike (Slipstream)
44 - Breakneck (Wildrider)
Bonus points if you can guess why I paired these two together. I say it a lot but the micro change line has really upped its game in terms of build and parts count with the more recent waves. While Demolishor is just really good Cyclonus is fantastic and should be one of the first figures you buy.
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