Cliffjumper Spotlight Review (SPOILERS)

Yaya · Post by **Yaya** » Thu Jun 18, 2009 2:20 am

Not sure what to think about this.

It was okay. A fun little story with some nice moments, but quite generic.

I mean, it wasn't bad, and it accomplished what spotlights usually do in providing us with a character-focused tale that is not dependent on the main title story. Any time the Transformer's war is portrayed as being galaxy-spanning, it can only be a plus in my book.

But it just seemed like a comic version of an episode of the cartoon, only a little more mature. Even the coloring was right out of Sunbow. Maybe this was the intent.

The dialogue was good and I really like IDW's version of Cliffy. Gun-toting spunkster type.

Wish he would have utilized that classic glass-gun though.

Art was mediocre, and again, the coloring was annoyingly Sunbowish.

Perhaps most annoying was the treatment of the Decepticons. As a poster on the IDW site states "I don't care how generic your generic Decepticons are. There is no way Cliffjumper wins against half a dozen well-armed Cons in a straight firefight in an open field in broad daylight.
And there literally is no way he wins. It happens off-panel. Surprise, surprise. "

My sentiments exactly.

I think I'm coming to appreciate more and more the limitations of spotlights. There's only so much a writer can achieve in 20-something pages.

Yeah, I think it's safe to say I'm ready for an ongoing.

Give it a "B-". Somewhat fun, but ultimately, throw-away like the Mirage and Sixshot spotlights.

Mr_Tigg · Post by **Mr_Tigg** » Fri Jun 19, 2009 10:11 pm

It actually read like an episode of the old cartoon. It was that bad, that generic complete with some moral message bolted on for good manner.

So McCarthy is bad at writing a main, and bad at writing spotlights.

More thoughts when I'm less sleepy.

Sunyavadin · Post by **Sunyavadin** » Tue Jun 23, 2009 9:18 am

Perhaps we can sum this up as "McCarthy is bad at writing" and hope IDW catch on sometime soon....

Post by **Best First** » Wed Jun 24, 2009 7:40 am

My review:

Meh.

Yaya · Post by **Yaya** » Wed Jun 24, 2009 12:52 pm

Best First wrote:My review:

Meh.

Why didn't I say that?

Sunyavadin · Post by **Sunyavadin** » Thu Jun 25, 2009 1:19 am

It was, well...

It wasn't the best spotlight, but I suppose it was far from the worst.

But seriously, beating all those cons? And conveniently not showing how? Feels a bit like a cop out after writing yourself into a corner.....

Jack Cade · Post by **Jack Cade** » Thu Jun 25, 2009 6:39 pm

Is it true that CJ is Shane's favourite character?

If so, one wonders how he could misunderstand the longstanding appeal of him so criminally. Cliffjumper's a tyke who acts big. He's a cool Scrappy Doo. He'll have a pop at Megatron without a thought to the consequences, not because he's an awesome warrior, but because he's so damned eager to bust some metal balls.

Reinventing him as a weapons master/assassin reduces him to just one more heavy - with the gimmick that he's (ho ho!) a bit short.

And yeah, the plot of this could've featured any typical Autobot really. It's not like Cliffy ever had to make a difficult choice.

Yaya · Post by **Yaya** » Fri Jun 26, 2009 2:44 am

Jack Cade wrote:Is it true that CJ is Shane's favourite character?

If so, one wonders how he could misunderstand the longstanding appeal of him so criminally. Cliffjumper's a tyke who acts big. He's a cool Scrappy Doo. He'll have a pop at Megatron without a thought to the consequences, not because he's an awesome warrior, but because he's so damned eager to bust some metal balls.

Reinventing him as a weapons master/assassin reduces him to just one more heavy - with the gimmick that he's (ho ho!) a bit short.

Well said. That's pretty much what I was feeling too. How exactly is Cliffjumper here any different from, say, Jazz in his spotlight?

I always thought of Cliffjumper as a bot whose confidence way outstripped his ability, putting him in harms way on a frequent basis. That was his appeal.

As you say, now you can lump him in with the others one-man wrecking crews.

Legion · Post by **Legion** » Fri Jun 26, 2009 10:35 am

Well, that was interesting... not necessarily in a good way though...

It's amazing, the Autobot army seems to be full to the brim with all these kick-ass bots and yet they just can't seem to win the war.
Cliffjumper, an assasin? give me a break, he's meant to be the hotheaded punk that bites off more than he can chew, not the autobot equivilent of sixshot... frak me.

It was all a bit generic. You could easily swap Cliffjumper out for say Ironhide or Bluestreak or just about anyone and it would work just as well, if not better (in some instances)...

Quite liked the art though.

I am very looking forward to Spotlight:Cosmos where the plucky 'bot suffers a bit of an upset and then kicks the collective butt of the entire 'Con army - possibly by nuking them all from orbit - it's the only way to be sure...

Hound · Post by **Hound** » Mon Jun 29, 2009 5:56 pm

I thought it was enjoyable if a bit throwaway. He didn't seem very 'Cliffjumper' to me at all though.

The art was lovely!

bumblemusprime · Post by **bumblemusprime** » Mon Jun 29, 2009 8:19 pm

Jack Cade wrote:bust some metal balls.

Sorry, that phrase is officially barred from TF boards for the near future.

Sunyavadin · Post by **Sunyavadin** » Tue Jun 30, 2009 9:24 am

Seconded.

Post by **snarl** » Mon Nov 23, 2009 10:18 pm

Jesus Christ.

I just read this.

It is so ******* wanky.

I think Shane Mccarthy is definitely a virgin.

Yaya · Post by **Yaya** » Tue Nov 24, 2009 2:48 pm

snarl wrote:Jesus Christ.

I just read this.

It is so ******* wanky.

It was the quintessential fanboy-written story. Absolutely ridiculous, thinking back to it, how he took out all those Decepticons in broad daylight by himself.

Little behind, aren't we snarlz?

BB Shockwave · Post by **BB Shockwave** » Wed Nov 25, 2009 5:23 pm

Looking back, would you still give this a B-, Yaya?

Post by **Best First** » Wed Nov 25, 2009 8:15 pm

Yaya would give a sh1t flavoured lolly pop a B-.

Yoink!

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Wed Nov 25, 2009 8:29 pm

Best First wrote:Yaya would give a sh1t flavoured lolly pop a B-.

However, if Furman replaced the sh1t with roses, covered it in double chocolate and submerged it in sprinkles, it probably wouldn't even scrape a C.

Yaya · Post by **Yaya** » Thu Nov 26, 2009 12:53 am

BB Shockwave wrote:Looking back, would you still give this a B-, Yaya?

No way I gave this a B-. No freakin way. Prove it.

Best First wrote:Yaya would give a sh1t flavoured lolly pop a B-.

Yoink!

Dog ****, no. Cat ****, maybe.

Post by **Best First** » Thu Nov 26, 2009 2:19 pm

Dog sh1ts an A huh?

bumblemusprime · Post by **bumblemusprime** » Thu Nov 26, 2009 8:43 pm

It's a hard call for Yaya, as dogsh*t smells and looks so much like Brad Mick's best work.

OOooooOOOOHH!

Yaya · Post by **Yaya** » Thu Nov 26, 2009 10:03 pm

Actually, his is more cat ****. I know. Surprising, right?