Watching the Detectives.
The Transformers issue 25: Police Action Part 1. 7th September 2011.
You know what we need? Better PR.
One thing to note that this alternating story was originally going to be called The Last Story on Earth, something changed so late, or was treated with such apathy, the Andy Schmidt puff-pieces in the back of a couple of the more recent issues still called it that.
It begins with a whole page being given over to Prowl, Bumblebee, Magnus and Streetwise convincing the currently wheelchair using Kyle Pennington to do some “Legwork” for them on data analysis. It’s not actually clear who makes the legwork joke, but hopefully they’ll be reported to HR.
This was also where I realised how little I remembered about this story, as I have no memory of what this character does that makes it worth “Deputising” them to the Autobot cause.
Something added to as the Autobots in the main control room watch Children of Earth spokesman Ben Simpson on the TV, scaremongering that just because there’s footage of Omega Supreme leaving Earth doesn’t mean they’re really gone. I didn’t remember this guy ever popping up again, nor being given the importance he gets later in in the issue, so this is definitely going to be a story of surprises for me.
You know what we need? Better PR.
One thing to note that this alternating story was originally going to be called The Last Story on Earth, something changed so late, or was treated with such apathy, the Andy Schmidt puff-pieces in the back of a couple of the more recent issues still called it that.
It begins with a whole page being given over to Prowl, Bumblebee, Magnus and Streetwise convincing the currently wheelchair using Kyle Pennington to do some “Legwork” for them on data analysis. It’s not actually clear who makes the legwork joke, but hopefully they’ll be reported to HR.
This was also where I realised how little I remembered about this story, as I have no memory of what this character does that makes it worth “Deputising” them to the Autobot cause.
Something added to as the Autobots in the main control room watch Children of Earth spokesman Ben Simpson on the TV, scaremongering that just because there’s footage of Omega Supreme leaving Earth doesn’t mean they’re really gone. I didn’t remember this guy ever popping up again, nor being given the importance he gets later in in the issue, so this is definitely going to be a story of surprises for me.
The full Costa fan club.
There’s also a genuinely nice moment of Hotspot and one of the Skywatchers talking about how they need better PR, like having the fire engine save a kitten from a tree, which is not only the first real character moment Hotspot has had in decades, but also considerably better than some of the stuff later, better regarded writers will give him.
Meanwhile, Spike has a private meeting with Prowl where he worries about Simpson, and both dance around their secret plans, with Prowl not revealing exactly what he’s investigating and Spike deflecting from what he’s going to be doing for the next 36 hours as he goes out of contact.
Watching this conversation are Jazz and Bumblebee. Now, I’m not necessarily saying the comic versions of these characters should be written with their TV performances in mind, but Jazz has always been very distinctive in how he talks and very influenced by Scatman Crothers, and his long speeches here about how the Decepticons are still out there and need stopping and he should be the guy to focus on that really don’t sound like him, coming across more like a petulant child. Bumblebee telling him that he understands soldiers are supposed to follow orders feels off considering he is a soldier as well. It’s an awkward scene that’s mainly here to just remind us Jazz is in trouble for killing a human.
Prowl and Streetwise take it in turn to stalk Spike on his day out, because a police car is the natural stakeout vehicle. Spike does do some Skywatch stuff, but, in another unexpected return, goes to make a booty call with the woman from issue 1. Yes, we’re coming full circle as the Costa era closes out, it’s like poetry. It rhymes.
Meanwhile, Spike has a private meeting with Prowl where he worries about Simpson, and both dance around their secret plans, with Prowl not revealing exactly what he’s investigating and Spike deflecting from what he’s going to be doing for the next 36 hours as he goes out of contact.
Watching this conversation are Jazz and Bumblebee. Now, I’m not necessarily saying the comic versions of these characters should be written with their TV performances in mind, but Jazz has always been very distinctive in how he talks and very influenced by Scatman Crothers, and his long speeches here about how the Decepticons are still out there and need stopping and he should be the guy to focus on that really don’t sound like him, coming across more like a petulant child. Bumblebee telling him that he understands soldiers are supposed to follow orders feels off considering he is a soldier as well. It’s an awkward scene that’s mainly here to just remind us Jazz is in trouble for killing a human.
Prowl and Streetwise take it in turn to stalk Spike on his day out, because a police car is the natural stakeout vehicle. Spike does do some Skywatch stuff, but, in another unexpected return, goes to make a booty call with the woman from issue 1. Yes, we’re coming full circle as the Costa era closes out, it’s like poetry. It rhymes.
They should have put Stakeout on this stakeout.
The stakeout goes badly when Breakdown arrives and starts to attack Spike as he leaves, with first Prowl and then his just arrived relief taking on the Decepticon in an, unusually for Brendan Cahill, confusing action scene where Prowl talks about being impressed by Breakdown’s “new tricks”, when all he’s doing is going around crashing into cars.
Streetwise decides to start pummelling Breakdown by turning to robot mode, something that shocks Prowl, who somehow manages to get the guy back into car mode and out of there without Spike seeing the 50-foot robot at the end of the street from him. Even allowing for him, sensibly, being suspicious of the very familiar police cars, it seems more than a bit unlikely.
Ultra Magnus isn’t impressed either, chewing out Prowl for both the failed stakeout and his increasingly large conspiracy theories about Simpson and the Decepticons. He’s meant to be investigating Spike, so just focus on that. Quietly.
This scene does have the best part of the issue, where Magnus both points out how unlikely it is that no one got a photo or video of Streetwise and, calls out us pathetic humans for having such devices permanently stuck to their hands.
I am seen.
Streetwise decides to start pummelling Breakdown by turning to robot mode, something that shocks Prowl, who somehow manages to get the guy back into car mode and out of there without Spike seeing the 50-foot robot at the end of the street from him. Even allowing for him, sensibly, being suspicious of the very familiar police cars, it seems more than a bit unlikely.
Ultra Magnus isn’t impressed either, chewing out Prowl for both the failed stakeout and his increasingly large conspiracy theories about Simpson and the Decepticons. He’s meant to be investigating Spike, so just focus on that. Quietly.
This scene does have the best part of the issue, where Magnus both points out how unlikely it is that no one got a photo or video of Streetwise and, calls out us pathetic humans for having such devices permanently stuck to their hands.
I am seen.
This issue brings the house down.
Prowl’s next, and slightly baffling as it’s such a cold crime scene now, act is to go to the former building site and now thriving office where Scrapper was killed. He does find some melted remains mixed in with the sidewalk that reveals Scrapper was killed by his own gun, but a far more blatant clue presents itself as someone starts bombing the office building, causing it to collapse on Prowl as he wryly muses that he’s failing at Magnus’ order about doing this quietly…
This does have a nice couple of moments, including for Hotspot of all characters. But for what was intended to be a noir mystery plot, there’s not a lot of mystery here and not a lot happens. Plus, you’ve got a normally reliable artist who seems to be struggling with conveying what the script wants at times, even if a lot of his other work here is fine.
So, all in all, an inoffensive, but forgettable issue.
Next week, it’d be hard to make utter chaos forgettable, so let’s see how that goes.
THE TRANSFORMERS ISSUE 24
2011
COMMENT
KO-FI
This does have a nice couple of moments, including for Hotspot of all characters. But for what was intended to be a noir mystery plot, there’s not a lot of mystery here and not a lot happens. Plus, you’ve got a normally reliable artist who seems to be struggling with conveying what the script wants at times, even if a lot of his other work here is fine.
So, all in all, an inoffensive, but forgettable issue.
Next week, it’d be hard to make utter chaos forgettable, so let’s see how that goes.
THE TRANSFORMERS ISSUE 24
2011
COMMENT
KO-FI
