General Information:
Synopsis:
Southwest:
Midwest:
The Ark:
Near the Predacon base:
Elsewhere:
East:
Maximal Lair:
Elsewhere:
Story: A lot happens in this issue, and pacing-wise it is a bit chaotic. One moment we are at relative peace, watching characters discuss some plot point, then we're thrown into action pieces with other characters and so on. This is not a criticism so much as an observation. Unlike the G1-centric "Infiltration" that can drag on an entire page over one character making a decision or talking about something, every panel here has to be used to maximum effect to push the story points along. Given that, certain action pieces are welcomed to break the potential monotony. As an example of a scene that could have been it's own issue (or a B story to an A story in one issue) is the sequence with the Mutants. While much of fandom doesn't think much of the Mutants, I love them as a small subset of characters. They are weird, have an interesting back story/goal and I love how they are their own little faction. Having them claim a patch of land of their own is appropriate - and most of all I love how they surprise the Predacons. In a conflict such as the Beast Wars, it is easy for the disguise aspect of the Transformers stories to be lost (especially with more "out there" looking Transformers such as the Transmetals). Here we see how the Mutants use surprise in their own ways to deadly effect. One sticking point some fans have commented on is Razorbeast's decision to use parts from the Ark instead of the Axalon. Some people feel that either choice makes little sense. However, I think the Ark makes perfect sense. The Axalon is still inhabited by the Maximals who are very much conscious - and will be leaving Earth relatively soon since this all takes place during Beast Wars' third season. On the other hand, the Ark is going to be kicking around a volcano for tens of thousand of years. And virtually any continuity you go with, part of the Ark is going to wind up sticking out of the volcano, so there's going to be quite a bit of shake up going on, and a few parts smaller than a Maximal are hardly going to be missed. I grant that maybe one of those parts could be some crucial piece that Wheeljack uses in an invention or something way down the road - but all of time and space didn't start warping around Bonecrusher when he had the parts on his back, so it's doubtful the effects were harmful (if there were any at all). Another sticking point is the Big Grim himself popping up at the end of the series. His presence was hardly a shock as a cover for issue #2 already showed his eventual arrival. Personally, I think it's neat. Most fans think it's a bit too "fanwanky" of Simon to use the character, but let's put this in context. First: the goal of this series is to bring in most of the toys/characters not used during the Beast Wars TV show - Grimlock is among them. Second: When Simon was planning this series, he asked me very specifically if Grimlock had any association with the original. He was prepared to write the character as a totally new entity. However, I told him that (according to Hasbro's tech specs) this was indeed THE Grimlock. This was borne of Hasbro's original tech spec, so Simon just ran with it. Also, why not have fun with one's favorite character? I look forward to the Magmatron/Grimlock brawl! Magmatron's capture of Megatron was perfectly executed. He utilized Megatron's primary weakness: his arrogance, and used it against him. Megatron was sure he could win, only to be beaten because he did not give Magmatron enough credit to think he would bring backup. If Magmatron could appear out of nowhere, so could backup - and rather than call for help, Megatron just launched into the situation himself. Very well played. On a side note, Megatron's comments indicate this takes place during the time of the episode "Changing of the Guard", where the Sentinel security system was taken from the Maximals to be used in the Predacon base.
Artwork: This issue presented Don with some interesting artistic choices. You can tell he's a true fan because he knows what these figures look like, and from their fluid, well drawn appearances you know the artist at hand is comfortable with the subject matter. On the Maximal side, Wolfang's robot mode is an example of this. Notice he uses the figures' "Mutant Head", sizing down the exaggerated chin piece and then giving the character a dark, sleek look by having his visor down. With Icebird, note how different the bear mode looks compared to Polar Claw. He worked in details from the figure such as the smaller head and the long red (threatening looking) claws. On the classic G1 front, we get to see two characters "reborn". Ravage's form is based on the Tripredacus Agent figure, which itself was a redeco of Transmetal 2 Cheetor. He manages to differentiate the figure from its source by keeping the beast mode head in robot mode - a carry over design homage to the CGI model used for Ravage which utilized Tigatron's beast mode head. Grimlock's design is largely based on the figure, but he is much more bulked up, giving him the threatening appearance Grimlock deserves. It also keeps him from looking like a Dinobot clone. In an effort to blend a tiny bit of (what I call) "scifi" accuracy, Don also drew on a few feathers on the edges of the head and body, playing to current theories that raptors may have had feathers. I like this interpretation a lot, especially since it gives Grimlock his own distinct appearance.
Final Thoughts: |
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