Is it More Than Meets The Eye Time?
You bet! With Robert Kirkman’s Void Rivals having launched Skybound’s Energon Universe, noted writer/artist rolled-into-one Daniel Warren Johnson takes the reins on the linchpin of this initiative, the flagship Transformers comic series! Well, he maintains the reins on the writing of this series at least, as does Mike Spicer on colors. Jorge Corona has taken over regular penciling duties with a style all his own. However, this fourteenth issue sees Jason Howard step in to pencil the second part of a Starscream-centric tale.
More Starscream origin stuff?
Yes! We see how Megatron molded Starscream into the cruel murderer he is today! And in the present, we see how the Starscream of today has been molded by his injuries and some nosy humans into… half the ‘bot he used to be! The M.A.R.S. salvage squad from last issue has fused Starscream’s upper half with a H.I.S.S. tank, resulting in a true Transformers/G.I. Joe crossover! Much of the issue is spent establishing the new circumstances Starscream finds himself in and the new human characters he is now surrounded with.
Of course, don’t get TOO attached to the humans, as Starscream also gets Astrotrain and the Combaticons on his side, as well as a pet cat! Yes, it only makes sense that Starscream is a cat person. If you are a cat person or a fan of this jerkass murderous Starscream, this issue may be for you.
Didn’t they already…?
Give a Seeker a pet and Starscream his own personal brigade? Yes. It is kind of a rehash of previous stuff, but it’s previous stuff that WORKED, so that’s something. DWJ is obviously gearing up for a clash between Starscream and Soundwave’s factions of Decepticons, with the Autobots caught in the middle, which is again… something we’ve seen before.
I did enjoy this issue more than the last though, as like I said, it’s rehashing stuff that I’m actually fond of. And the humans being too stupid to live was kind of funny in a weird way. Oops, did I spoil something there?
Cube?
A step up from last issue, but maybe I’m just looking for things that amuse me now. The writing is still a bit thin, but at least the plot is getting somewhere again.
Buy Transformers # 14 this week, because maybe soon Starscream and Brawl can Power-Link with each other’s halves and that’ll be hilarious.
