Transformation 112: Dizzy, My Head is Spinning.

4/7/2014

The Autobots have their arses saved by the most unlikely of sources, but for some reason rather than making actual hero of the moment Ratbat their new leader they decide to go with Grimlock instead. How odd.

All in my look at King of the Hill! Part 2.

5 Comments

Tim Roll-Pickering link

4/7/2014 11:26:46 am

"with one exception during the Underbase saga"

Pedant alert but there's more than meets the eye to this.

As for the story I wonder if Budiansky wrote a full script and created the mess or if Perlin just didn't draw up the plot the way it was intended. Since we grew up with a writer focused view of the comic it's natural to zoom in on the former but sometimes the art is the real problem.

The Zoids announcement surprised me as I didn't realise Marvel UK were contemplating US sized monthlies this early - Action Force Monthly and Dragon's Claws were both nearly a year away. My reading of that anouncement is that the problems were on the format side - perhaps in getting the right printers, perhaps with distribution (US sized books have had a lot of problems on British newstands - perhaps this is why the modern Panini Marvel reprints are generally found in the sci-fi magazine not children's comics section of W.H. Smith - and US distribution may not have been easily forthcoming).

I think this would also have marked the point where Marvel UK temporarily abandoned their superhero reprint roots as the Spider-Man & Zoids weekly would have come to a close, leaving for the next few years just a cluster of licensed titles and the occasional attempt at something original.

Stuart

4/7/2014 02:36:49 pm

Assuming we're thinking of the same thing, then yes, I should have said the last bar one American cover to be used as an actual cover (and you can never be too pedantic. That's the motto by which I live my life).

I think the American monthly idea was definately circulating at this point, as I'll say more next week (even if the road from them deciding to make Death's Head Marvel copyright because there was a chance to do something separately with him to his having his own book is such a long one it winds up not being the first one out of the gate).

I must dig out the Doctor Who: A Cold Day in Hell trade during the week as that has some excellent background information on the attempts to create a Marvel UK "Shared Universe" than incorporated everything- licensed titles included- they published that will probably be useful for me to refresh myself on before starting on Death's Head.

Looking at the Zoids Wikipedia page, it seems the line ended in Europe in '87, which could have been a major deciding factor as well. Basing your whole new publishing format around a franchise that was winding down wouldn't have been a good idea.

Ryan F

4/7/2014 04:32:52 pm

Ah, the Marvel UK shared universe! Only thing I remember about this is the shape shifting alien "Gwanzulums" who turned up in Doctor Who, Real Ghostbusters, Thundercats and Combat Colin... I used to get all those comics (spoilt kid!) so was really stoked to see them appear pretty much everywhere.

Sean

3/7/2015 04:04:36 pm

Again, another blown opportunity for Budiansky. You had tons of capable (and ready) Autobots ready to serve - Prowl, Jazz, Jetfire, etc. And they chose the brute who couldn't piece together a sentence to save his life.

Felicity link

31/10/2019 11:02:29 pm

I’d have to politely disagree about the covers. Although there were some good UK covers, a lot of them were off-model, and subjectively I prefer the US covers. You and I are certainly in agreement that Geoff Senior was the best of the UK artists (although his Hot Rod at the bottom of the previous page looks like he’s wearing bell bottoms—what you would call flared trousers?) and when he does the covers I agree that they’re great. :-)

John Ridgway was great too but as you noted he didn’t do very many issues. You could say he was the William Johnson of the UK issues.

Great point about electing Ratbat leader, since it was he who truly solved the Trypticon problem! And yes, while it seems like Grimlock finally grew up and got over himself during this issue, that won’t last. It’s not until he says “Okey-dokey” to Blaster in the duel on the moon that he becomes a decent Autobot again.

Transformation 112: Dizzy, My Head is Spinning.

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