Last Stand of the Wreckers #1 Review (SPOILERS)

Yaya · Post by **Yaya** » Thu Jan 28, 2010 12:19 am

Sorry to create another LSOTR thread, but I didn't want to mention any spoilers in the other.

All I can say is that you UK Marvel Wrecker fans in particular are going to jizz in your pants by the issues conclusion, when a surprising revelation is made. (Yeah, I know spoilers are okay here, but I'd rather not ruin things, for one poster here in particular).

So I thought the issue was pretty good. Not up to the lofty standards Roche has set with the Shockwave or Kup spotlights in the past, but certainly a strong showing.

It's primarily a set up issue that brings us up to speed over what's happened with Garrus-9 over the past three years. We get an intro to the new Wrecker recruits. And we get a brand new Decepticon baddy thrown into the works. Isn't it funny how no matter how many Decepticon badasses you introduce, there's always room for one more?

I was disappointed with the art, however. Too cluttered and the coloring seemed very monotone, as with Maximum Dinobots. I would have preferred some darker shading here, though I guess the coloring did enhance some of the more lighthearted moments of the story. Still, I think one of the areas that comics in general have improved at in leaps and bounds is the coloring and shading which adds depth to the story. That's missing here.

Give it a "B+". It gets the job done, and revelation at the end is enough to make any longtime TF fan a happy camper. Roche makes quite an impact here.

Post by **Best First** » Thu Jan 28, 2010 2:19 pm

i hope you are heavily over inferring in a not very subtle way what you seem to be heavily over inferring in a not very subtle way.

Post by **snarl** » Thu Jan 28, 2010 3:34 pm

SPOILERS************************************

He might as well just have said Impactor's in it as the last page cliffhanger.

Metal Vendetta · Post by **Metal Vendetta** » Thu Jan 28, 2010 4:28 pm

Picked this up at lunchtime and all credit to Nick and James, not only for their fantastic pre-launch misinformation campaign, but for having the sheer balls to do it in the first place.

IIIIIMMMMPPPPPAAAACCCTTTOOOOORRR RRREEEEETTTUUUUURRRNNNSSSS!!!!!!

**** YEAH. GEEKGASM ALL OVER TOTTENHAM COURT ROAD.

Post by **Best First** » Thu Jan 28, 2010 4:45 pm

snarl wrote:SPOILERS************************************

He might as well just have said Impactor's in it as the last page cliffhanger.

Yep.

Metal Vendetta · Post by **Metal Vendetta** » Thu Jan 28, 2010 4:52 pm

At least I used spoiler tags

Impy's gonna be thrilled, isn't he?

Yaya · Post by **Yaya** » Thu Jan 28, 2010 5:19 pm

Best First wrote:i hope you are heavily over inferring in a not very subtle way what you seem to be heavily over inferring in a not very subtle way.

Hmm. I think I had this board mixed up with the IDW one. Your deductive reasoning skills are a bit higher on the scale.

And no, Impy's not in it.

Impactor returns 2.0 · Post by **Impactor returns 2.0** » Thu Jan 28, 2010 8:59 pm

I would have waited a ******* eternity for this!!!!

Yay!!!!

Metal Vendetta · Post by **Metal Vendetta** » Thu Jan 28, 2010 9:55 pm

Yes! Sigquoted.

Yaya · Post by **Yaya** » Fri Jan 29, 2010 1:51 am

When Springer mentions that the Autobots suffered defeat because of a traitor early on in the issue, did he mean Sunstreaker?

Post by **Best First** » Fri Jan 29, 2010 9:01 am

imagine days without the internet when this wouldn't have been spoiled

Post by **snarl** » Fri Jan 29, 2010 9:25 am

Didn't the writers openly state that Impactor wasn't going to be in it?

That's good arrows.

Metal Vendetta · Post by **Metal Vendetta** » Fri Jan 29, 2010 10:37 am

snarl wrote:Didn't the writers openly state that Impactor wasn't going to be in it?

That's good arrows.

Yeah they were asked outright "Will Impactor be in it?" and blew the interviewer off with some guff about how he's not really relevant these days. Ha! Absolutely awesome.

Seriously, I'm so happy with this comic it's not true. I've persuaded a mate who hasn't picked up a TF comic since Marvel UK to buy a copy on the strength of the word "Wreckers" in the title.

Legion · Post by **Legion** » Fri Jan 29, 2010 11:06 pm

Finally, after all these years I can barely believe my eyes!
How many years is it since we saw him?

Guzzle!! W00t!!

Metal Vendetta · Post by **Metal Vendetta** » Sat Jan 30, 2010 11:01 am

Legion wrote:Finally, after all these years I can barely believe my eyes!
How many years is it since we saw him?

Alive or dead?

Alive - 23+ years
Dead - 21+ years

Besty - agree with you about internet spoilers, but at the same time without the internet we wouldn't be getting this comic at all...

Legion · Post by **Legion** » Sat Jan 30, 2010 11:37 am

Metal Vendetta wrote:
Legion wrote:Finally, after all these years I can barely believe my eyes!
How many years is it since we saw him?
Alive or dead?

Alive - 23+ years
Dead - 21+ years

I feel so old.

Post by **Best First** » Sat Jan 30, 2010 3:33 pm

Metal Vendetta wrote:
Legion wrote:Finally, after all these years I can barely believe my eyes!
How many years is it since we saw him?
Alive or dead?

Alive - 23+ years
Dead - 21+ years

Besty - agree with you about internet spoilers, but at the same time without the internet we wouldn't be getting this comic at all...

Hmm. Maybe.

Anyway - i just wonder how i would have reacted to the page where Kup says his name if i hadn't been stupid enough to wander into this damn topic.

Anyway - he's back. Awesome.

Legion · Post by **Legion** » Sat Jan 30, 2010 4:24 pm

Just to clarify, we are all talking about the highly anticipated and quite frankly awesome return of Guzzle, right?

Post by **Best First** » Sat Jan 30, 2010 9:35 pm

****ing too right mate.

BB Shockwave · Post by **BB Shockwave** » Sun Jan 31, 2010 9:54 am

Loved it, well worth the waiting. It adds nostalgia feeling for me too because most of these guys (save Guzzle) were some of the first toys I managed to scrounge up from flea markets when I started collecting TFs (in earnest) at University.

Overlord is promising to be what cartoon Galvatron was - a seriously unhinged psychopathic yet charismatic leader. The new Wrecker's personalities are all nicely done, from the avid fanboy Ironfist through the egoistic Rotorstorm and the knight in shining armor Pyro. (loved at the jab "why did you steal Optimus Prime's appearance?). Saw some familiar Con faces too (though there seem to be at least 10 Predators apart from the 6 we have as toys), and Kick-Off finally gets the story his tech spec bio was aching to tell for a long time. (Nice AM nod with the 'Alt modes are for wimps!' battlecry).

All in all my only jibe is the leftover elements from AHM (but I guess we will soon forget about those) and the strange makeover of Verity, who became somewhat of an Animated Sari instead of the character Furman wrote her before, but I guess we will get an explanation for that too.

Oh and Impactor! I was genuinely surprised. He's even missing a hand, no doubt to replace it with the harpoon soon. Wonder what he was in for at Garrus-9.

Impactor returns 2.0 · Post by **Impactor returns 2.0** » Sun Jan 31, 2010 10:11 am

Impy, Impy, Impy... Time for a new siggy

Sunyavadin · Post by **Sunyavadin** » Thu Feb 11, 2010 2:34 pm

I just finished reading it.

I would post my feelings, but you'll have to excuse me while I change my underwear....

bumblemusprime · Post by **bumblemusprime** » Thu Feb 11, 2010 2:50 pm

I can just imagine how the the development meeting went at IDW...

Schmidt: Okay, so we'll consign Furman to the Bayverse. We've got our main series about the Autobots sitting around complaining, our Bumblebee series for idiots... think we're good to go.

Roche: Maybe we should do something for all the fans who were upset with the ending of Revelations.

Schmidt: Them? Naw. They're a small minority of our buying public.

Roche: Trust me, I can get everyone who even looked at a Marvel UK issue to buy it.

Mr_Tigg · Post by **Mr_Tigg** » Thu Feb 11, 2010 4:44 pm

I don't think that's entirely fair on Schmidt - he's pretty fresh on the scene and Metroplex was the best spotlight I've read in a long time. Up there with the best of Furmans.

Brendocon · Post by **Brendocon** » Thu Feb 11, 2010 4:56 pm

Spotlight Metroplex was dull, cliche, predictable and didn't really make much in the way of sense. Mediocre at best, from where I was sat.

And the less said about Schmidt's Galvatron story in AHM Coda, the better.

Post by **Best First** » Thu Feb 11, 2010 5:39 pm

I enjoyed Metroplex - although the throttlebot's survival didn't really stack up.

I feel a bit bad i am not buying Furman comics but the Bayverse holds no interest for me in comic form - maybe i'll get em on the iphone and read em on the bog - feels like an appropriate compromise.

bumblemusprime · Post by **bumblemusprime** » Thu Feb 11, 2010 8:56 pm

I liked Metroplex, but he's also been the editor behind Costa.

Yaya · Post by **Yaya** » Fri Feb 12, 2010 1:52 am

Actually felt the Metroplex spotlight was one of the better ones.

not buying Furman comics but the Bayverse holds no interest for me

That's because it's not Transformers. It's a comic about a bunch of indistinct piles of metal shavings running around with guns. Not sure why they put Simon on that woeful job. Maybe he enjoys it. I refuse to buy any movie-verse crap myself.

On a side note, some good news. Hasbro's top selling toy brand was Star Wars due to the Clone Wars animated cartoon. How is this good news? It beat out the Transformers by over 40% due to the underwhelming nature of, well, piles of metal shavings in a box with indistinct faces. This was contrary to the year the first movie came out, when it was the top brand at Hasbro.

Maybe that will provide some impetus for Hasbro to make some changes. Making War for Cybertron toys that actually look like the G1 characters we know and love is a start.

Funny how I take so much pleasure in seeing Star Wars beat out TF in toys, and Avatar blow past Transformers for top grossing movie of 2009. Never thought I would think in this way. Thanks Bay.

Professor Smooth · Post by **Professor Smooth** » Fri Feb 12, 2010 8:36 am

Yaya wrote:Actually felt the Metroplex spotlight was one of the better ones.

not buying Furman comics but the Bayverse holds no interest for me
That's because it's not Transformers. It's a comic about a bunch of indistinct piles of metal shavings running around with guns. Not sure why they put Simon on that woeful job. Maybe he enjoys it. I refuse to buy any movie-verse crap myself.

On a side note, some good news. Hasbro's top selling toy brand was Star Wars due to the Clone Wars animated cartoon. How is this good news? It beat out the Transformers by over 40% due to the underwhelming nature of, well, piles of metal shavings in a box with indistinct faces. This was contrary to the year the first movie came out, when it was the top brand at Hasbro.

Maybe that will provide some impetus for Hasbro to make some changes. Making War for Cybertron toys that actually look like the G1 characters we know and love is a start.

Funny how I take so much pleasure in seeing Star Wars beat out TF in toys, and Avatar blow past Transformers for top grossing movie of 2009. Never thought I would think in this way. Thanks Bay.

Simon Furman took a comic book that existed as a way to get people to pay for the privilege of wanting to buy more toys and made it something that we're still talking about nearly three decades later. If there's anybody who could make non-fans interested in Michael Bay TF Universe, it's him.

Jack Cade · Post by **Jack Cade** » Fri Feb 12, 2010 10:28 pm

The problem with this forum is I agree with everyone far too much.

I too am heartened by any news that the 'movie look' has had its day.

I too believe them to be expressionless fractals with none of the visual character of 'proper' Transformers.

I too cannot bring myself to buy Furman's movieverse work. His skill as a writer just doesn't overcome the charmlessness of the universe he's writing in.

Brendocon wrote:Spotlight Metroplex was dull, cliche, predictable and didn't really make much in the way of sense. Mediocre at best, from where I was sat.

God bless you, Brendocon! Something to argue with. SL: Metroplex was great. I find it really hard to reconcile the fact that Schmidt wrote this with the wild misjudgments he made in putting together Continuum, and the incredibly tame Galvatron skit.

The Throttlebots were refreshingly gallant and gung-ho after the slew of miserable, dull 'hard men' in AHM. They action was fast-paced and the violence grisly and satisfying. There were some smart and smile-raising bits of dialogue too. Sixshot didn't jar with his previous characterisation, and even though you knew what was coming, it was still an impressive moment. Best compliment of all: it left me wanting to know more. Not so much, I guess, about what Metroplex is guarding, but about where the Throttlebots go from here.

Now back to my third life on the IDW forum, where Tramp has just reported me to Mr Schmidt himself for 'harassing' him.