RID #9

inflatable dalek · Post by **inflatable dalek** » Thu Sep 06, 2012 8:25 am

I think there was one fairly solid issue to be made out of the last two. The whole thing felt very slow and repetitive with yet more crazy Dinobot (now well on the way to TV talk) fighting. More of the same political stuff on Cybertron, more of the same from Blurr... It's all very much in a holding pattern before the cliffhanger. Cut down the journey time, have the Dinobots go mad and chase Ironhide right into Superion and you'd have one issue. Probably with just enough room left over for a little bit of politics and sending out a rescue party.

Which worries me, as said before the main thing that impressed me about both titles early issues was how fast they were, not every plotline worked but they seemed to be cheerfully moving at lightspeed which made the odd damp squib (Prowl killing everyone) easy to skim over.

What we get here- and pretty much with MTMTE in the last two months as well but that was a diversion that was entertaining in its own right and so got away with it more- is IDW falling back on old, bad habits. Drawing things out needlessly for no real reason, letting plot threads already started fester unfinished as new ones kick off, because hey, they've got all the time in the world for a slow burn. That's what collapsed Furman's run in the end and should be avoided at all costs (I drone on about this a lot I know, but it is my big fear for the comics and it seems to be veering towards coming true).

Not helped by next months looking to be another jump into the Pax plot.

I must also admit to having completely missed- until pointed out on anothr forum- that Reflector stole the time machine, I guess that explains the odd panel of Bumblebee and Wheeljack staring in shock at nothing. It was late, I was tired, I must have missed a panel making it clear that was what they did...

Other than that.... hard to say much of anything that hasn't already been covered last month. Pacey pacey Barber.

Post by **snarl** » Thu Sep 06, 2012 1:48 pm

Yeah, I too thought this was decent, even though I don't like the art that much.

Will expand later, maybe.

bumblemusprime · Post by **bumblemusprime** » Thu Sep 06, 2012 3:21 pm

Rather liked this. I don't find Barber too pacey, especially not in this current age of the paciest comics that ever paced. Naw, he's covering lots of ground, but not touching on the stories that matter most, as I've complained before. We've got lots of info on Prowl, Wheeljack, Ironhide, Bumblemus Primesque...

...but the wild cards, and the ones who we need to see in action, and the ones who will make the sh*t go down, are Starscream and Metalhawk! I suspect Barber is staying away from them on purpose, and storing up some sinister plots, but I'm getting a bit annoyed at the way they wander in and comment like Stratford and Waldorf.

With that complaint yet again out of the way, I enjoyed this issue immensely. Griffiths has gotten better. The shot of Sky Lynx crashing was magnificent. I actually checked at one point to see if Casey or Guido was helping out on the layouts, and was pleased to see that it was all Griffiths.

The twist at the end, which was a lovely twist in the wake of the unfolding already-scary story, even whetted my appetite for something to happen with said Stratscream and Walfhawk.

Metal Vendetta · Post by **Metal Vendetta** » Thu Sep 06, 2012 5:57 pm

Statler.

bumblemusprime · Post by **bumblemusprime** » Thu Sep 06, 2012 7:20 pm

You'd think that would be the first suggestion when you google "and Waldorf."

OKAY SO IT IS NOW BUT I SWEAR IT WASN'T! THE INTERNET LIES!

Mr_Tigg · Post by **Mr_Tigg** » Thu Sep 06, 2012 9:24 pm

Personally found it disappointing after the build up of last issue. Hoping a second read will improve things.

On a side note, why are Reflector and co alive again? Hello?!? Spotlight Wheelie?!?

Jack Cade · Post by **Jack Cade** » Thu Sep 06, 2012 9:32 pm

Spyglass and chums were shown alive in AHM, *after* Spotlight: Wheelie. McCarthy cocked it up. Barber is solving the continuity problem - he has them board Turmoil's ship (which is strikingly similar to the one in Spotlight: Wheelie), which then 'disappears'. A ship with a time machine on it.

Yaya · Post by **Yaya** » Sat Sep 08, 2012 6:29 pm

One of the better issues so far. Events in this issue are a bit more interesting than the snail-paced political shenanigans of the past issues.

Loved that double page spread of Superion though. That was saweeeet. And agree the Sky Lynx crash was well rendered. Agree with Bumblebeemus, the arkwork went up a couple notches this issue.

Don't know how others feel, but I've always hated Roche's rendition of the Dinobots vs. their standard hard-edged metallic appearance. I really hate the red on them. Somehow, they just seem less formidable.

Despite there being perhaps thousands of Transformers on Cybertron, Barber still continues to do a poor job presenting this. The focus seems to be squarely on Bumblebee, Wheeljack, Starscream, and Metalhawk most of the time. Glad to see Shockwave is finally making some moves.

Give it a "B". Good issue, still with some plot and dialogue issues, but that page spread of Superion vs. the Dinobots kind of made this issue woorth it for me.

Hound · Post by **Hound** » Sat Sep 08, 2012 10:53 pm

Yaya wrote: Don't know how others feel, but I've always hated Roche's rendition of the Dinobots vs. their standard hard-edged metallic appearance. I really hate the red on them. Somehow, they just seem less formidable.

I can't stand those designs either. Especially Swoop. Roche normally gets these things on the money, but not in this case. Hopefully they will get a redesign of sorts soon. There is nothing wrong with the original g1 designs, frankly. They were already prehistoric.

KingMob · Post by **KingMob** » Mon Sep 17, 2012 11:12 pm

I really don't know where to post about this, but I just wanted to make sure spidey saw the alt cover to RiD #12.

http://graphicpolicy.com/tag/transforme ... orion-pax/

scroll down a-ways.

The alt one for MtMtE is also fantastic.

Apologies for being wildly off-topic and also not including any sort of negative opinion in this post.

Metal Vendetta · Post by **Metal Vendetta** » Tue Sep 18, 2012 6:21 am

Oooh, that is very special.

Post by **Best First** » Tue Sep 18, 2012 7:41 am

KingMob wrote: Apologies for being wildly off-topic

No worries.

and also not including any sort of negative opinion in this post.

BANNED

inflatable dalek · Post by **inflatable dalek** » Tue Sep 18, 2012 7:34 pm

Some really nice covers there (though I don't get what the RID Arcee the hooker one is referencing). And it looks as if RID is going to be picking up the pace at last. And yay for something we were told about Tailgate back in issue one of MTMTE being FORESHADOWING.

Return of the Spotlights... potentially a nice idea but it looks as if it might suffer from the same problem that undid the first run- being tied in too closely to the ongoing plots rather than being good standalone reads. If its more lightly connected it could be good fun though.

Regeneration One... well, that's actually the best piece of Wildman art related to the series I've seen yet. Very nice. The story points it suggests though... between that and Thunderwing we're basically getting IDW redux with the series aren't we?

KingMob · Post by **KingMob** » Wed Sep 19, 2012 1:03 am

inflatable dalek wrote:Some really nice covers there (though I don't get what the RID Arcee the hooker one is referencing).

for comparison

inflatable dalek · Post by **inflatable dalek** » Wed Sep 19, 2012 7:35 pm

Bugger, should have spotted that.

But who listens to physical albums these days anyway eh? Eh?

No?

Bugger.