BotTalk Reviews

More thrills! More shocks! More new arms! The bold new era for the Autobots and this book continues! Robert Kirkman, chief architect of the Energon Universe, writes the flagship Transformers title and Jason Howard takes over as regular penciler for this new story arc with Mike Spicer on colors. Howard had previously drawn issues # 13 and # 14 of this book, along with many covers. In this thirty-sixth issue, a new Superion is born! Doctor Arkeville proves his worth! Starscream prepares a plot! And Beachcomber searches for a new purpose! What is it with Skybound and giving people new arms? Optimus, Rom, and now Superion… I dunno. Anyhow, as practically EVERYONE expected, Thundercracker becomes part of Superion in this issue! And uh… well, there’s not a lot of fanfare to it, actually. It’s just treated as something Thundercracker could already do. Off-panel upgrades from Wheeljack, I guess? I dunno what I expected, maybe Cobra-La to have the Enigma of Combination or something, but it just...

Creators : Dan Watters (writer), Marco Ferrari (artist), Pierluigi Casolino (colorist), Rus Wooton (letteter) Story :  Matt Trakker meets up with Dusty Hayes in New Orleans to stop someone with a mask on from hurting people.  Matt and Dusty talk a lot about the past and more details emerge on how everything is connected.  Miles Mayhem (leader of V.E.N.O.M.) ended up putting a dangerous mask on a random individual to distract Matt while Mayhem goes and does something else.  Writing :  The beginning jumps right into the story with very little carry over from the previous issue.  We get another classic mask character (Dusty Hayes) introduced along with his jeep, Gator, (though it doesn't change to a boat this time).  The end of the issue also brings in Buddie Hawks too.  And Miles traveling to Boulder Hill, NY was a nice inclusion as well.  Overall, while most of the issue is Matt and Dusty trying to help Buddie, there is a lot of talking about ...

It’s a ROMlution! Or a Romvolution? Rom the Space Knight is here in issue # 33 of Void Rivals! Void Rivals is Robert Kirkman’s sci-fi comic that tells the tale of two crumbling planets linked by a “Sacred Ring” (it’s not Halo), their peoples at war for generations. When a member of each culture are stranded together, the two find they must put aside their differences if they want to survive. This story takes place in the so-called “Energon Universe”, Skybound Entertainment’s initiative to relaunch properties like Transformers and G.I. Joe within a shared universe that also happens to include the original characters and setting of Void Rivals. In this thirty-third issue, Darak and Solila make formal acquaintance with Rom the Space Knight and his partner, the organic blob known as Carpet! Also, Cobra-La is still there and we catch up with Skuxxoid as he arrives on a new, very-familiar planet! Who’s this Rom guy? You know! Rom! The Space Knight! Yet another Hasbro property folded into the...

Creators : Joshua Williamson (writer),Tom Reilly, Andrea Milana (artists), Lee Loughridge (colorist), Rus Wooton (letterer) Story : Flint, Beachhead, Lady Jaye, and Shooter are fighting some Cobra S.N.A.K.E (System: Neutralizer—Armed Kloaking Equipment) Battle Suits as training and officially reveal their name as Night Force.  Hawk/Zartan fights the Baroness after the events of last issue and he issues an order to capture her but she gets away.  Baroness was able to see something was wrong with Hawk.  He orders the Joe team to take her out.  Cobra Commander reveals his upgrades to Crystal Ball's D.I.R.E. (Dread-Inducing Responsive Energy) Tech and his new "left hand" Major Medusa.  On her yacht, the Baroness is confronted by Night Force but tries to explain and that anyone who talks to her will probably be killed.  The rest of the Joes show up to help the Baroness with Flint surprised to see Autobot Hound but then he releases Night Force's own surprise - G....

Aerialbots VS Yodelling! The bold new era for the Autobots and this book continues! Robert Kirkman, chief architect of the Energon Universe, writes the flagship Transformers title and Jason Howard takes over as regular penciler for this new story arc with Mike Spicer on colors. Howard had previously drawn issues # 13 and # 14 of this book, along with many covers. In this thirty-fifth issue, the Autobots must rely on their new human allies to save the dying Shredhead’s life! Also, Thundercracker leads the Aerialbots to track down the forces of Cobra-LUH-LUH-LUH-LUH-LA! So Shredhead ain’t dead? Nah, they’re fine. Although who knows after Doctor Arkeville gets done with them. It does seem like Onslaught is dead for now, which is a shame and kind of weird considering he’s got a new toy out currently, but I guess Kirkman isn’t constrained to Hasbro’s whims as much as other writers were. Wheeljack and Doctor Arkeville have a bit of back-and-forth about fixing Shredhead, which is kind of amus...

Creators : Dan Watters (writer), Pye Parr (artist), Pierluigi Casolino (colorlist), Rus Wooton (letterer) Story : Alex Sector helps Gloria Baker get to shore due to the events of last issue while Matt Trakker takes on Miles Mayhem.  Sector helps Baker understand what her mask can do while she swims for shore.  Mayhem gets away while Baker finally reaches shore only to be saved by Bruce Sato as Vanessa Warfield tries to take down Baker.  On Venom's ship headquarters, we discover Mayhem has a lot more secrets as he consults with a high-powered Baron. Writing : This issue is full of action.  Baker is trying to get away from Mayhem then Warfield, Trakker versus Mayhem and Sector trying to get everyone out alive from behind the scenes.  I enjoyed Sector's introduction, as in the cartoon, you really got the sense he was more of a planner and here we get that, he does well in the "command center", helping the operatives out.  And the reveal of Miles Mayhem talking...

Is there ROMance in the air?? Maybe, or maybe we’ve met a new ally in issue # 32 of Void Rivals! Void Rivals is Robert Kirkman’s sci-fi comic that tells the tale of two crumbling planets linked by a “Sacred Ring” (it’s not Halo), their peoples at war for generations. When a member of each culture are stranded together, the two find they must put aside their differences if they want to survive. This story takes place in the so-called “Energon Universe”, Skybound Entertainment’s initiative to relaunch properties like Transformers and G.I. Joe within a shared universe that also happens to include the original characters and setting of Void Rivals. In this thirty-second issue, Kirkman and Conor Hughes catch us up with Darak, Solila and their Cobra-La companions as they recover from the events of the Quintesson War! Oh right, they went on the run in that giant space bug. Yeah, it kind of reminded me of the ACANTI from X-Men comics. Except… a giant space bug instead of a giant space whale. B...

Creators : Joshua Williamson (writer), Andrea Milana (artist), Lee Loughridge (colorist), Rus Wooton (letterer) Story : Risk and Crystal Ball continue their fight and we discover Crystal Ball's background and a bit more on Risk.  Destro and Baroness work together to free Stalker and Chameleon, which allows Risk to win the fight.  Both Joes and Cobra are able to return with some valuable prizes.  Cobra Commander plans to use the D.I.R.E. (Dread-Inducing Responsive Energy) tech while the Baroness witnesses something she shouldn't have. Writing : Williamson keeps the action flowing in the first half of this issue.  Crystal Ball gets a pretty decent background while keeping some of his original ("7th son of the 7th son).  The last half wraps up a few other plot points (Scarlett's return, Duke's mission with Clutch) and sets us up nicely for the next issue.  I do wonder if Williamson will "rewind the clock" a bit so we get some more details of what happened el...