Ironhide #2 (SPOILERS)

Yaya · Post by **Yaya** » Thu Jun 03, 2010 8:42 pm

A quick read, but what's there is first class.

Really intrigued by the mysteries this mini introduces, and based on the ending, it's certainly tied in to the overall story arc. Recognized that black bot the second I saw him.

I'm enjoying the way Costa is presenting this tale, with flashbacks interspersed with confused dream sequences that really make things, thankfully, hard to predict. It would appear that Ironhide's internal musings are a fusion of things past and present. Really can't decipher where things are headed which will likely make the payoff at the end that much more rewarding.

Outback! He's, uh...back out!

Again, nice use of prior continuity by Costa, showcasing the races for which Blurr is well known and the underclass miners from which Megatron arises. Not sure, but I think one of those miners is Megatron.

Dialogue is very good. Did not find it annoying in the least, which I can say is where Mike has been most consistently good.

I can almost sense things moving more towards an expanded TF universe with multiple plot strands unfolding. Almost. Not quite as extensive as I'd like to see it by this point in time, but getting there.

And the art, of course, is fantastic. The visuals continue to be amongst some of the most impressive I've seen out of IDW. Good show.

Really, the only real flaw I find in this is how quick it reads. Can't wait for the next issue.

Give it an "A-".

Sunyavadin · Post by **Sunyavadin** » Thu Jun 03, 2010 11:36 pm

Pros: it's a miniseries that ISN'T THE BUMBLEBEE ONE.

Already has it ranking well in my book.

Professor Smooth · Post by **Professor Smooth** » Sat Jun 05, 2010 5:48 am

4 dollars for 5 minute read? There's something wrong with that.

Yaya · Post by **Yaya** » Sat Jun 05, 2010 8:32 pm

Professor Smooth wrote:4 dollars for 5 minute read? There's something wrong with that.

With the exception of anything Nick Roche writes, that's been the way it's been since IDW got the license.

bumblemusprime · Post by **bumblemusprime** » Sun Jun 06, 2010 2:20 am

The good Spotlights by Furman have not been five-minute reads. Shockwave, Hot Rod, Magnus, etc.

I call fie upon you, sir, for like the millionth time.

I really liked this. Once again, I was surprised that I could admire the storytelling in anything Costa does. The characterization is good, the pacing is interesting--the Swarm fight was absolutely spectacular, Casey--etc etc.

He still dragged out the ending. There was plenty of space in those last few pages of driving for Ironhide to arrive at the mysterious compound and walk in. Mike has a real case of too-little-story-in-too-many-pages disease, which I think is a fruit of our current TPB era.

I can't help wondering what the ongoing would be like if this series, the Bumblebee series, and the main story were subsumed into one book. It might take a little longer to tell the story, but not much.

Optimus Prime Rib · Post by **Optimus Prime Rib** » Sun Jun 06, 2010 6:17 am

found the TPB of the spotlights of Shockwave, Hotrod, Magnus, Nightbeat, and Sixshot at a local Hastings. It was used and cost me 3 bucks. I would say that that was a pretty good value.

Love that store.

bumblemusprime · Post by **bumblemusprime** » Sun Jun 06, 2010 3:37 pm

Sweet. The other day I passed a used bookstore that had Infiltration, Stormbringer, Escalation, and Spotlight trades 1 & 2. I went home and dug out a bunch of books from the "get-rid-of" box and I traded up in many a sense of the word.

Post by **Best First** » Mon Jun 07, 2010 1:58 pm

bumblemusprime wrote: I call fie upon you, sir, for like the millionth time.

yeah, he does like these pointless sweeping statements.

Read this today. The art is superb. The story - its a big step up from the ongoing and the history stuff is nice but... not a lot actually happened. I strongly suspect that when this is all over it will feel like it could have been done in half the page space.

Took me a while to spot who the bot/drone was at the end. Hope this means we get a resolution to one of the more interesting mysteries out there some time soon.

One thing i am struggling with a bit - is this supposed to be the Ihide who was 'killed' in the ongoing or an earlier version of him? he seems suprised at the state of Cybertron, which given he fairly recently spent 8 issues there clenching his fists during AHM doesn't really make sense, but equally he seems to know that time has passed.

Yaya · Post by **Yaya** » Mon Jun 07, 2010 3:36 pm

Best First wrote:
bumblemusprime wrote: I call fie upon you, sir, for like the millionth time.
yeah, he does like these pointless sweeping statements.

Everybody's got their trademark.

not a lot actually happened. I strongly suspect that when this is all over it will feel like it could have been done in half the page space.

What?! A TF series that can be told in half the space!?? Perish the thought...

bumblemusprime · Post by **bumblemusprime** » Tue Jun 08, 2010 1:52 pm

We were seriously ruined by the old attitude about ongoing series. "What? Subplots? One-issue stories? Stories that cannot be wrapped up entirely in six issues?"

Sunyavadin · Post by **Sunyavadin** » Sat Jun 12, 2010 2:52 am

To REALLY impress me - I want the shadowy figure to be Flame and Ironhide to be a zombie.

Metal Vendetta · Post by **Metal Vendetta** » Sat Jun 19, 2010 10:12 am

Cybertron is some kind of purgatory and everything that happened on Earth happened. Then he joins Outback, Rack 'n' Ruin, Sentinel Prime and Sunstreaker in a big church at the end and they all go on to the next place together.

That would be a satisfying ending.