I Hate You So Much Right Now.
Animated Issue 2: Ratchet & Grimlock are Dead?/Blast From the Past Part 2. 20th November 2008.
“Squeaky Clean Afterburn”, that’s what they called me in the academy.
After the comic launched with a Simon Furman strip, for the second issue we have the debut proper of the writer I mentioned last week, Roger Etherington. With information so scant on the background of the book, I’m not sure if Furman was only ever going to write the one as a way of luring the older fans over before handing the reigns to another author, or if he was supposed to be writing both books and something like a scheduling conflict intervened.
My guess would be that the budget wasn’t as high for this title and using a more experienced, and therefore expensive, writer wasn’t going to be a goer long term (certainly Furman will leave the film book after its noticeably cut corners), so there’s a good chance he was going to just do one and was asked to seed the Afterburn thing for Etherington to carry on with.
In the years since, Etherington has gone on to be a notable success himself, mostly in collaboration with his brother with work that has included the most successful UK Kickstarter book. But for his Transformers work he will be under tighter constraints than Furman, with things generally aimed younger and simpler.
“Squeaky Clean Afterburn”, that’s what they called me in the academy.
After the comic launched with a Simon Furman strip, for the second issue we have the debut proper of the writer I mentioned last week, Roger Etherington. With information so scant on the background of the book, I’m not sure if Furman was only ever going to write the one as a way of luring the older fans over before handing the reigns to another author, or if he was supposed to be writing both books and something like a scheduling conflict intervened.
My guess would be that the budget wasn’t as high for this title and using a more experienced, and therefore expensive, writer wasn’t going to be a goer long term (certainly Furman will leave the film book after its noticeably cut corners), so there’s a good chance he was going to just do one and was asked to seed the Afterburn thing for Etherington to carry on with.
In the years since, Etherington has gone on to be a notable success himself, mostly in collaboration with his brother with work that has included the most successful UK Kickstarter book. But for his Transformers work he will be under tighter constraints than Furman, with things generally aimed younger and simpler.
Which doesn’t mean bad of course, and if nothing else, he starts with a cracker of a title, as its hard to imagine many comics aimed at 8 year olds using a Tom Stoppard play based on a Shakespeare quote as a name.
Still, the story itself is straightforward. Grimlock has sent a message from Dinobot Island asking for help, and Bumblebee (bemoaning they don’t have any of the popular characters with them) Ratchet, Sari and our hero Afterburn have gone to investigate.
Captain Fanzone is flying the helicopter taking them there, but for no readily apparent reason as he has nothing to do with the rest of the story.
It turns out Snarl and Swoop have gone nuts, attacking our heroes and running off with Ratchet’s “termination inhibitor”, without which he’ll die soon.
Luckily lovely sexy Afterburn is a genius, and knows the Dinobots have been infected with, in a nice nod to the old cartoon, a rage virus. Which, handily, can be fixed by sticking Sari’s key in them. Which also sorts out the battered Grimlock.
Still, the story itself is straightforward. Grimlock has sent a message from Dinobot Island asking for help, and Bumblebee (bemoaning they don’t have any of the popular characters with them) Ratchet, Sari and our hero Afterburn have gone to investigate.
Captain Fanzone is flying the helicopter taking them there, but for no readily apparent reason as he has nothing to do with the rest of the story.
It turns out Snarl and Swoop have gone nuts, attacking our heroes and running off with Ratchet’s “termination inhibitor”, without which he’ll die soon.
Luckily lovely sexy Afterburn is a genius, and knows the Dinobots have been infected with, in a nice nod to the old cartoon, a rage virus. Which, handily, can be fixed by sticking Sari’s key in them. Which also sorts out the battered Grimlock.
It then turns out that Ratchet wasn’t dying at all, he just wanted to test Afterburn.
The dick.
Still, at least we now know that Afterburn is totally trustworthy.
Despite the slightness, this is good fun and shows some promise for the future. Art is by Diego Jourdan, and he gets to have some fun with the Dinobot fights, even if Afterburn’s design seems to be impossible for anyone to make not terrible.
Pausing only to briefly note the screengrab comic is still present and correct, this is actually the first Titan issue I have the free gift for! Well, one of them anyway, sadly I’m missing the “Bot-kicking” badges, but do have the rub-on tattoos. As the cover promises two to collect and mine are all Decepticon themed, I presume the other was Autobots.
The thing that stood out when I opened the comic was a full page advert for Sam Power, a series of DS games that lets you play at different jobs, like policeman or handyman. The advert however is based around the fireman game.
The dick.
Still, at least we now know that Afterburn is totally trustworthy.
Despite the slightness, this is good fun and shows some promise for the future. Art is by Diego Jourdan, and he gets to have some fun with the Dinobot fights, even if Afterburn’s design seems to be impossible for anyone to make not terrible.
Pausing only to briefly note the screengrab comic is still present and correct, this is actually the first Titan issue I have the free gift for! Well, one of them anyway, sadly I’m missing the “Bot-kicking” badges, but do have the rub-on tattoos. As the cover promises two to collect and mine are all Decepticon themed, I presume the other was Autobots.
The thing that stood out when I opened the comic was a full page advert for Sam Power, a series of DS games that lets you play at different jobs, like policeman or handyman. The advert however is based around the fireman game.
Yes, he’s Fireman Sam.
That’s the sounds of lawyers making a killing.
The editorial includes more Starscreamers (“What is Megatron’s favourite song? Rule the World by Earth band Take That. Actually, this is not a joke”) and a Search for the Allspark contest where, if you spot it in the issue, you can win a Martian Matter Alien Maker.
The real surprise though is this month’s Bits and Bots, again written by Etherington but, surprisingly, drawn by Nick Roche. Who must have done it as a quick favour, and marks the first time (not counting himself) he’s worked with a writer who isn’t Furman. On Twitter he was mildly baffled he got to work with Etherington this way.
The strip itself is Captain Fanzone throwing the trash away... including Bumblebee and Bulkhead.
Character Puzzles Prowl has some simple games based around the ninja that shows Titan only has one picture of him as it gets repeated twice here and once more later on.
Nano-Bites promotes the Voyager sized toys, HarperCollins how to draw and colouring books and the stationary set. It also promotes the forthcoming season 3 of the cartoon by trying to get you excited about Beachcomber.
It also introduces Professor Sumdac Explains, something worthy of the early days of the Marvel comic when it filled space with general stuff about robots. Did you know RoboGames have been taking place every year since 2004? Or the world’s first electronic computer was called Colossus in 1943?
That’s the sounds of lawyers making a killing.
The editorial includes more Starscreamers (“What is Megatron’s favourite song? Rule the World by Earth band Take That. Actually, this is not a joke”) and a Search for the Allspark contest where, if you spot it in the issue, you can win a Martian Matter Alien Maker.
The real surprise though is this month’s Bits and Bots, again written by Etherington but, surprisingly, drawn by Nick Roche. Who must have done it as a quick favour, and marks the first time (not counting himself) he’s worked with a writer who isn’t Furman. On Twitter he was mildly baffled he got to work with Etherington this way.
The strip itself is Captain Fanzone throwing the trash away... including Bumblebee and Bulkhead.
Character Puzzles Prowl has some simple games based around the ninja that shows Titan only has one picture of him as it gets repeated twice here and once more later on.
Nano-Bites promotes the Voyager sized toys, HarperCollins how to draw and colouring books and the stationary set. It also promotes the forthcoming season 3 of the cartoon by trying to get you excited about Beachcomber.
It also introduces Professor Sumdac Explains, something worthy of the early days of the Marvel comic when it filled space with general stuff about robots. Did you know RoboGames have been taking place every year since 2004? Or the world’s first electronic computer was called Colossus in 1943?
There’s a competition for the stationary set and a series of books called Dangerous Books for Boys. Because girls have no interest in cards or simple magic tricks.
Game On devotes two pages to promoting the DS Animated game and its features, including the fact the TV cast are involved.
Following up on the Prime poster last month, we get the first half of a Many Face of Megatron poster, including Animated, Armada, Movie and “Other” (just Beast Wars), with the other part coming in issue 19 of the film comic. The other side is a big close up of Animated Megs.
To make up for this Megatron focus, the final puzzle page is Challenge Optimus Prime.
Bee Mail is notable for Mangal Khonkhan asking very nicely for the comic to say happy birthday to their mother, whom they love very much. Bumblebee and Bulkhead then promptly do no such thing. They must be annoyed at Mangal saying how great it is that Furman is writing the comic.
Next week, we return to Return to Cybertron.
ISSUE 18
2008
COMMENT
KO-FI
Game On devotes two pages to promoting the DS Animated game and its features, including the fact the TV cast are involved.
Following up on the Prime poster last month, we get the first half of a Many Face of Megatron poster, including Animated, Armada, Movie and “Other” (just Beast Wars), with the other part coming in issue 19 of the film comic. The other side is a big close up of Animated Megs.
To make up for this Megatron focus, the final puzzle page is Challenge Optimus Prime.
Bee Mail is notable for Mangal Khonkhan asking very nicely for the comic to say happy birthday to their mother, whom they love very much. Bumblebee and Bulkhead then promptly do no such thing. They must be annoyed at Mangal saying how great it is that Furman is writing the comic.
Next week, we return to Return to Cybertron.
ISSUE 18
2008
COMMENT
KO-FI