Kup Spotlight Review (SPOILERS)

Yaya · Post by **Yaya** » Thu Apr 26, 2007 4:00 am

That was quite simply one of the greatest Transformers comics of all time.

I got the same feeling reading it anyway, that I got with the Shockwave Spotlight, the feeling that I was reading something that I will remember for a long time.

Nick outdoes himself artwise, taking the concept of "artistic license" to the extreme while taking us for a visually stunning ride through the mind of a crazed old bot. It's really something I have yet to experience artistically with the Transformers. Sometimes, artists can get carried away by trying to be too different, sacrificing clarity in their work. Not so here. It was different in a good way. And how about the way he was able to change styles mid story! Fantastic! In the scenes dealing with Kup, the art reflects his insanity, dark and grainy, and in those scenes with Perceptor and Springer, Nick's work is clean and crisp, very Don-like.

I read one of Nick's interviews a while back and felt right off the bat this guy has potential to be a good writer. He proved it to me today. It's no longer a surmising on my part, this boy can write a story! It must be an incredible feeling to be able to see something in your mind, and reproduce it exactly as you imagine it on paper. To date, I don't remember ever having the opportunity to read a comic where a single person wrote and pencilled the issue. It's nothing short of a real treat for TF fans.

This comic is unforgettable, the single best issue out of IDW with the possible exception of the Shockwave Spotlight. I can only hope that IDW gives free reign to Roche, as he has yet to disappoint me in any way with the things he has done at IDW so far.

Roche is supertalented, and it would be a damn shame to lose him to other pursuits. I think he's good enough to tackle almost any property out there. We need this guy on Transformers!

Easily, an "A+" in my book.

Post by **snarl** » Thu Apr 26, 2007 9:26 am

I'm not sure, but I think he wrote a fair bit of stuff for one of the fan groups over here... off the top of my head Transmasters UK.

Regardless of writing, he certainly did a lot of art for them, which of course was very groovy indeed. I have a bit lying around my house somewhere.

I like the differing artistic takes that IDW are using on TFs, I love to see different artist's interpretations of these characters.

I've seen a few that have blown me away, there was a Springer in a sort of sketch / watercolour style...

Cant find it, imagine TFs drawn like this though:

Thought it was class and would love to see a whole issue done like it.

Shanti418 · Post by **Shanti418** » Thu Apr 26, 2007 2:11 pm

Yeah, this issue kicked all kinds of ass. It was like a really, really, REALLY good Asimov/Ellison/Clarke sci fi story.

Roche's art fit perfectly with the mood. And yeah, the style change was totally awesome. ESPECIALLY the first scene with Trailbreaker. He looks unbelivable.

SPOILERS Even though IDW has done a good job of establishing their own continuity, seeing a decrepit Kup portrayed like "A record player in a world of iPods" instead of "grizzled war veteran", complete with "I look like Bender on steroids" styling, made me realize just how different of a world Simon has created.

THEN you see Kup talking to a half scrapped Outback, like Wilson in Castaway, and after getting over my initial shock over the amount of sadness I experinced knowing Outback was dead, I was quite sure that this comic was dangerous, for it contains amounts of badassery that could quite possibly spill out and get on your pants.

Another thing I liked this issue? No pages wasted on TF comics I already have/ST: TNG comics I'm not going to buy in the back.

Post by **snarl** » Thu Apr 26, 2007 3:40 pm

I was sad for that sort "lion-mech"...

You could see the sorrow in his eyes

Shanti418 · Post by **Shanti418** » Thu Apr 26, 2007 7:20 pm

Mos def. And yet Kup knocked the s*** out of him. In matters of planetary hospitality, Wreck Gar he is not.

sprunkner · Post by **sprunkner** » Thu Apr 26, 2007 10:35 pm

I dunno... I liked the issue, but I thought Roche's writing was too wordy. And it was hard to believe that dozens of Autobot lives would be wasted retrieving one soldier.

The art was class, though.

Shanti418 · Post by **Shanti418** » Thu Apr 26, 2007 10:46 pm

sprunkner wrote:And it was hard to believe that dozens of Autobot lives would be wasted retrieving one soldier..

If the Autobot is Springer, I'd believe that he'd be that loyal. That's the idea I got off of it. Springer's got pull, he's got this slightly dark ops thing going on with some 'bots that he commands trying to get Kup back because of his relationship with him. He goaded Prowl into signing off on it, and now it's like a love-in version of Ahab and the wahle.

sprunkner · Post by **sprunkner** » Thu Apr 26, 2007 10:49 pm

But all those soldiers playing zombie? It was a fantastic turnaround, I must say, but I have a hard time buying that a soldier would allow himself to be murdered by a crazy old guy he's supposed to rescue. The morality is too fuzzy.

btw, Shanti, aren't you supposed to be visiting here soon?

Shanti418 · Post by **Shanti418** » Thu Apr 26, 2007 10:58 pm

sprunkner wrote:But all those soldiers playing zombie? It was a fantastic turnaround, I must say, but I have a hard time buying that a soldier would allow himself to be murdered by a crazy old guy he's supposed to rescue. The morality is too fuzzy.

btw, Shanti, aren't you supposed to be visiting here soon?

OK, I just reread it, and it seems like there's only been this one mission. The soldiers go down, they spend a while down there trying to rein in what they originally thought would be a crazy but not violent old 'bot. The difference between senile and schitzo. Three of them die, the last one beams back up as a last resort, and then reports to Springer what happened. Just 3 dead.

I'm still planning on it, but the earliest it would happen would be the end of July. My financial aid wasn't as much as I thought for the summer, so I'm going to have to figure out a way to make some extra cash.

KingMob · Post by **KingMob** » Fri Apr 27, 2007 6:24 am

This comic ruled hard.
Perfectly formed little done-in-one, and yet added layers to the characters and general 'feel' of the IDW TF-verse. Love it. Shanti's comment about it being like an old SF story is very apt, I think.
And great art-choices in the storytelling.

And a Sparkler Mini-Bot, no? Shame it wasn't Guzzle...

sprunkner · Post by **sprunkner** » Fri Apr 27, 2007 6:36 am

Shanti418 wrote:
sprunkner wrote:But all those soldiers playing zombie? It was a fantastic turnaround, I must say, but I have a hard time buying that a soldier would allow himself to be murdered by a crazy old guy he's supposed to rescue. The morality is too fuzzy.

btw, Shanti, aren't you supposed to be visiting here soon?
OK, I just reread it, and it seems like there's only been this one mission. The soldiers go down, they spend a while down there trying to rein in what they originally thought would be a crazy but not violent old 'bot. The difference between senile and schitzo. Three of them die, the last one beams back up as a last resort, and then reports to Springer what happened. Just 3 dead.

I'm still planning on it, but the earliest it would happen would be the end of July. My financial aid wasn't as much as I thought for the summer, so I'm going to have to figure out a way to make some extra cash.

Just three? Acceptable losses? Dammit, man! We leave no one behind!

I feel you on financial aid. I just slogged through the FAFSA, got turned down for a TA-ship in fall, but I did manage to land an eensy scholarship.

Post by **Best First** » Fri Apr 27, 2007 12:22 pm

Oh My God! They killed Outback.

You bastards!

Couldn't it have been Seaspray for Christ's sake? Good ol' Seaspray.

Anyway - that was sooper dooper, especially the switch to teh 'real world', which they wisely kept far from any previews.

i think the losses were designed to illustarte just how pivitol Kup has been, although i admit i was a bit uncomfortable with them and there didn't seem to be much in the way of mourning the dead.

But overall - wiki wiki waa waa.

although i was a tad dissapointed we didn't get to see real zombies...

Hound · Post by **Hound** » Fri Apr 27, 2007 5:08 pm

I really enjoyed this. The writing was really tight and I love Roche's art.

I wonder if there are any future plans to use Kup...

Post by **Denyer** » Sat Apr 28, 2007 11:22 am

(Some of this is bouncing off replies from other people elsewhere...)

We can't really trust Kup's perspective on anything, be it kill count or what the "zombies" are saying (it's not as if they'd only be saying his name, they'd be trying to explain what was going on...) And the way I'm reading: Prowl doesn't outrank Springer, they're talking as top brass to top brass / I think the deal with the radiation is that they can only beam down a distance from where Kup's holed up (he's built his shelter right on top of a concentration of crystals) and the suits greatly interfere with their mobility.

Generally... wow. Densely written, plenty of text -- you can tell the writer comes from a fan comic background because of the stubborn insistence to fit more in. And it's all good stuff -- characters who're invested in each other, three-dimensional, fallible (that point about Prime going in after Kup sounds spot-on; he would, indeed, Find A Way) and Prowl is, unsurprisingly, a dick. ("...a shambling relic of unrepairable, incompatible junk?" Harsh, dude.) The characters speak their minds far more openly (and more believably, at times) than in the main book. (Siren's "Brief you? Oh, allow me..." is superb.)

Art, characterful without being too exaggerated (in the "normal" pages) and brilliantly atmospheric in Kup-o-vision. Plot a bit pyrrhic, but it's a mission gone bad and we need that sense of risk/consequence for stories set in this warring universe. Package is great -- nice job on the colours to whoever did they (don't recognise your name) and from the shock opening to sketches in the back it all comes off.

I'm reminded a lot of old drop-in Marvel stories, and this is certainly at least equal to Spotlight: Shockwave. Deserves almost a perfect score, IMO -- but so's this doesn't go to Nick's head entirely, would suggest as some others have that it could've/should've been a little clearer Springer didn't knowingly send anyone to their death; he expected more competence and nous from the Ark-19 team, and the same level of commitment he'd get from the Wreckers. With the situation uniquely as it was, even that wouldn't have been enough in the absence of Trailbreaker.

Oh! Oh! And the neat touches tying this into Stormbringer... sparkcores (before we see the Prime/Megs fight in Escalation) explaining that glint of light through Prime's chest, the reference to stealth armour...

More please dammit.

4.5/5

Post by **Best First** » Mon Apr 30, 2007 7:30 am

Denyer wrote: More please dammit.

word.

The Last Autobot · Post by **The Last Autobot** » Mon Apr 30, 2007 9:44 pm

I liked this Spotlight way much more than the rest (even the Shockwave one). Because it was something unique (or at least unique in the last what? 12 years?). A different thing (not a different way of telling things like Shockwave).

Kup portrayal of a paranoid schizofrenic is spot on. The delusions, the good/bad "reality", the self explanation, Time/person/space incongruences, etc. His mind dealt with all the pain the best he could, and when it was unbearable (mind+body) he switched off. In his "unreal" world he was safer than in the real one.

The sacrifices his former pupil would face to retrieve him. He is not just an old guy out there. He was his mentor. All this makes it more meaningful at the end. Maybe Springer not only wanted to save him, but to have something of the past with him. Something to remind him of better past days, when he didnt have all the responsibility of a leader onto his shoulders, when Cybertron was still intact (all this a hypothesis of course).

At the end all the story is pretty rounded up.

My favorite IDW story so far.

Legion · Post by **Legion** » Tue May 01, 2007 9:10 am

this rocked.

most importantly...

TRAILBREAKER SAVES THE DAY!!!!!

yay!!

Post by **Best First** » Tue May 01, 2007 10:30 am

The Last Autobot wrote:Maybe Springer not only wanted to save him, but to have something of the past with him. Something to remind him of better past days, when he didnt have all the responsibility of a leader onto his shoulders, when Cybertron was still intact (all this a hypothesis of course)

Good hypothesising though.

Outback...

Shanti418 · Post by **Shanti418** » Tue May 01, 2007 2:38 pm

Perceptor.

The Last Autobot · Post by **The Last Autobot** » Wed May 02, 2007 3:33 pm

Best First wrote:Oh My God! They killed Outback.

You bastards!

Couldn't it have been Seaspray for Christ's sake? Good ol' Seaspray.

Should have been Wheelie. It would make sense. They are paired in the reissues, so they could release them as Kup and half rotten body Wheelie. (with Wheelie`s arm as an extra weapon for Kup).

i think the losses were designed to illustarte just how pivitol Kup has been, although i admit i was a bit uncomfortable with them and there didn't seem to be much in the way of mourning the dead.

I agree, but from what we ve seen from the different Ark ships. Their crew look like they are maybe 20 bots tops (probably much less). One would expect more concern from the others. I wonder who were the others who went with Siren...

Legion · Post by **Legion** » Thu May 03, 2007 3:47 pm

The Last Autobot wrote:Should have been Wheelie.

Oh god, yes it should have been that little ****!!!

Personally, not too fussed about Outback buying it to be honest, was never a fan... i think i was one of the few who was hoping he's buy it back in marvel #100....

Hot Shot · Post by **Hot Shot** » Thu May 03, 2007 6:18 pm

I just got around to buying a copy today. I loved it. As others have said before, poor Outback.

My favorite line: "You sparkless spawn of a glitch!"

Post by **spiderfrommars** » Sat May 05, 2007 10:02 pm

That was actually my least favourite line...

But I thought this issue was brilliant. I found it seriously creepy, especially the Outback thing. I wanted the dawn to come as much as Kup did!

KingMob · Post by **KingMob** » Mon May 07, 2007 8:34 am

spiderfrommars wrote:That was actually my least favourite line...

Yeah, I can't say I'm that fond of the 'robot talk' style of language that occasionally shows up. I find it distracting, and depending on how's it's used, rather amateurish. However, I think that's largely due to the over-enthusiastic way some sections of the online community seem to have embraced it and actually use it in forum conversation and fanfic, and not continual bad use in official sources. Shame.

Post by **Best First** » Mon May 07, 2007 9:37 am

KingMob wrote:
spiderfrommars wrote:That was actually my least favourite line...
Yeah, I can't say I'm that fond of the 'robot talk' style of language that occasionally shows up. I find it distracting, and depending on how's it's used, rather amateurish. However, I think that's largely due to the over-enthusiastic way some sections of the online community seem to have embraced it and actually use it in forum conversation and fanfic, and not continual bad use in official sources. Shame.

concurrance.

The worst case ever i think being "Son of a bot"

Professor Smooth · Post by **Professor Smooth** » Tue May 08, 2007 3:08 am

Can somebody spoil the **** out of this? I probably won't be reading it until August.

Hot Shot · Post by **Hot Shot** » Tue May 08, 2007 3:58 am

KingMob wrote:
spiderfrommars wrote:That was actually my least favourite line...
Yeah, I can't say I'm that fond of the 'robot talk' style of language that occasionally shows up. I find it distracting, and depending on how's it's used, rather amateurish. However, I think that's largely due to the over-enthusiastic way some sections of the online community seem to have embraced it and actually use it in forum conversation and fanfic, and not continual bad use in official sources. Shame.

I don't like "Bot talk" in widespread use either. I liked it in this case because it filtered a phrase that could describe how P.O.ed Springer got in a creative way. It conveyed the strong emotions of anger and frustration at the same time.

Besides, it sounds miles better than "You botstard!".

Professor Smooth · Post by **Professor Smooth** » Tue May 08, 2007 4:54 am

Bot-speak is irritating. Mostly when it's just an english expression with a word or two chaged. Or when a random "future" word is tossed in to replace an English curse word.

It's like shooting robo-ducks in a barrel, for example.

Ah, my shockin' skidplate got messed up.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Tue May 08, 2007 9:14 pm

Whereas something like "shove it up your tailpipe" or "blowing fumes" can make perfect logical sense without seeming too forced.