Last Stand of the Wreckers #2 Review (SPOILERS)

Yaya · Post by **Yaya** » Thu Feb 18, 2010 1:13 am

Suhweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet.

Roche and James do it again, surpassing the effort of the first issue to recapture the nostalgic magic of the Marvel UK comics of the eighties.

Not only that, but somehow they are able to develop a large cast, add layers upon layers of intrigue and mystery to the already very intriguing plot, and even tie things back to Infiltration and the current ongoing storyline, almost miraculously giving us some semblence of continuity in a single issue that has been lacking for quite some time.

That they're able to add just the right amount of humor to the story without it being over the top only reinforces why Nick is IDW's greatest asset to date.

The only disappointment for me was, again, the monotone coloring. Very difficult at times to discern where one bot ends and the other begins, ala Maximum Dinobots.

But when a story is this mouth-watering good, what's a little artistic kink, after all.

And we get even more references to certain UK Marvel characters that I didn't think would be mentioned.

And a new Decepticon mystery bot, which likely will tie into the Prowl Spotlight in some form or fashion.

Give it a solid "A". Had the art been better, would have been the perfect issue. Nice to know that somebody is paying attention to what the other writers at IDW are doing.

Post by **snarl** » Thu Feb 18, 2010 2:20 pm

I have to say, I can't remember the last time when I put one TF comic down and thought "I want the next one right now, but I've got to wait a month. Sheesh."

It was good!

Metal Vendetta · Post by **Metal Vendetta** » Thu Feb 18, 2010 4:28 pm

Haha, the guy in the comic shop asked me "Back in the UK?" 'cause I haven't been there in so long. I said I'd been back for a couple of years, it just took LSoTW to get me to the comic shop again.

IT'S THE GOOD STUFF.

Yaya · Post by **Yaya** » Thu Feb 18, 2010 9:32 pm

Eek. Just got called out by James on the IDW website for not having given him credit for this in my assessment.

My bad.

Post by **Best First** » Sat Feb 20, 2010 12:14 pm

That was AMAZING.

Jack Cade · Post by **Jack Cade** » Sat Feb 20, 2010 3:43 pm

Here's the 100 word review I posted on my blog:

"What if Alistair MacLean (he of Guns of Navarone, Where Eagles Dare fame) were alive today and writing comics? He might be doing something like Nick Roche and James Roberts’ Last Stand of the Wreckers. Issue 2 carefully finalises the bubbling pot of contrasting personalities and gives us more background to arch-villain Overlord, the Decepticons' most famous deserter. Then it throws the Wreckers headlong into a wall of gunfire as they begin their suicidal assault on the prison outpost Garrus 9. On top of that, there are at least three mystery sub-plots raised. Exhilarating, engaging, coherent and beautiful."

Post by **Best First** » Sat Feb 20, 2010 4:44 pm

This may be nothing but a diversion but according to Wikipedia:

æquitas is the nominative form of the Latin æquitatem, meaning justice, equality, conformity, symmetry, or fairness, and is the source of the modern word "equity". In ancient Rome, it could refer to either the legal concept of equity, or fairness between individuals.

In Roman mythology, Aequitas, also known as Aecetia, was the minor goddess of fair trade and honest merchants. Like Abundantia, she is depicted with a cornucopia, representing wealth from commerce. She is also shown holding a balance, representing equity and fairness. During the Roman Empire, Aequitas was sometimes worshipped as a quality or aspect of the emperor, under the name Aequitas Augusti.

Yaya · Post by **Yaya** » Sun Feb 21, 2010 12:26 am

Nick (and James!) were smart about a few things. They went with characters who had never been used before. Some they just created themselves. It's a story about the Wreckers, but the focus is more on the new recruits than the staple members. Really opens the door to some real opportunity to take us somewhere we haven't been before, doesn't it?

They included just enough of everything to make this appeal to the wider TF audience. For those who liked Verity, they brought her in, in a very unassuming kind of way. For those who wanted some strands to tie continuity together, they give us some.

And notice, there are no contradictions with what the other TF writers have done. Points for that as well.

For those of us with a nostalgic bend, they bring us Impactor and mention of Xaaron.

For those of us with a flare for the mysterious, they bring us Aequitus.

There's just enough of everything in this, isn't there?

It's a nice feeling to have high hopes for something from IDW, and they actually deliver for a change. Not used to that.

Post by **Best First** » Sun Feb 21, 2010 10:17 am

the only thing that is frustrating about it all is that, frankly, it shows how effortless casual nods to previous continuity points are. Not to rob Nick and James of any credit but just by producing something that ticks the basic boxes for an in-continuity comic they have distanced themselves immeasurably from the last 2 years of IDW output.

Also note that they manage to craft a mystery without just saying x years later and every character tip toeing around what happened for 6 issues before character x turns up spouting awkward exposition. When they do need a bit of this they pick the obvious contender for rambling on and then chastise him for it. Class.

I do have one complaint - he says, staring into the equestrian's maw - i, er, don't like Impy's new head. I can see what Nick has gone for but it seems to sqush up the expressive parts of his face and doesn't quite work for me.

Also, unrelated - i own this - har.

Impactor returns 2.0 · Post by **Impactor returns 2.0** » Sun Feb 21, 2010 2:44 pm

I don't have issue 2 yet. But I want BF Impy toy more!!!

I once CAD modelled Impy, and it wld cost about £450 to have a laser sintered model produced. I.E the CAD data is used to cut the model from a block of Resin, in colour.

It wld be ******* awesome no?

Post by **Best First** » Sun Feb 21, 2010 8:19 pm

No. By which i mean yes.

What happend to your 3d impy movie you slacker!?

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sun Feb 21, 2010 10:06 pm

Best First wrote:Also, unrelated - i own this - har.

Having beaten Impy to it when Prowl Pants 'auctioned' it on TransFans.com, wasn't it?

Impactor returns 2.0 wrote:I once CAD modelled Impy, and it wld cost about £450 to have a laser sintered model produced. I.E the CAD data is used to cut the model from a block of Resin, in colour.

I saw on the local news, sometime in the past couple of weeks, that there's this firm that makes those laser cutters from something like their garage, and they sell them to schools' DT workshops (or whatever they're called now!), meaning they're not hideously expensive.

If I can find a link, I'll post it.

Post by **Best First** » Sun Feb 21, 2010 10:38 pm

i think i just baggsed it - i may even have requested it.

can't quite recall.

Brendocon · Post by **Brendocon** » Tue Feb 23, 2010 9:54 am

I think it was a request?

Right, basically, this comic. What with the Operation Volcano mention, I think if you replaced "Aequitus" with "Nautilus", I would not be in this thread right now.

Instead I would be several fangeek shaped stains across my living room walls, waiting for somebody to clean me up.

BB Shockwave · Post by **BB Shockwave** » Wed Apr 21, 2010 1:48 pm

Sorry for the off-topicness, but yeah, the printing costs for 3D stuff are a real deal killer. A friend and I have created 3D weapons for the Mayhem Squad (that is, Bludgeon, Octopunch and Stranglehold) the G1 toys can hold and use, but we cannot find a place to print them for cheap. For while it looked like I can use the University of architecture's printer since a friend knows someone there, but nothing happened with that either.

Btw, this Impy is nice. Is the head made from the original Megatron/Archforce head?