So Need Your Love, So Fuck You All.
Issue 20: Divided Loyalties*. 2nd February 2011.
*For the first time a strip doesn’t have an on panel name. This comes from the contents page.
The word you’re looking for Slapdash... is betrayed.
After the break for Christmas, we return to the main storyline and both the penultimate Revenge of the Fallen comic and penultimate Furman British Transformers comic.
Which of course is all about...
Wheelie.
Now, I like Wheelie in his two movie appearances. He’s a ridiculous bit of fun (a sentiment which generally sums up the best of the Bay films). But it’s odd to decide so close to the end to promote his toy now after completely ignoring him for two years (something Steve White may have agreed with as the free gift of a mask originally covered up Wheelie’s cover star status).
*For the first time a strip doesn’t have an on panel name. This comes from the contents page.
The word you’re looking for Slapdash... is betrayed.
After the break for Christmas, we return to the main storyline and both the penultimate Revenge of the Fallen comic and penultimate Furman British Transformers comic.
Which of course is all about...
Wheelie.
Now, I like Wheelie in his two movie appearances. He’s a ridiculous bit of fun (a sentiment which generally sums up the best of the Bay films). But it’s odd to decide so close to the end to promote his toy now after completely ignoring him for two years (something Steve White may have agreed with as the free gift of a mask originally covered up Wheelie’s cover star status).
The framing here is just odd...
Even odder is the choice of story. He’s a ridiculous looking comedy character. This is a comic where the Autobots refusal to accept him as one of their own torments him to the point he betrays them to the Decepticons and gets several of them killed.
That’s like doing a Jar Jar Binks comic where he helps Anakin hack some children to death.
So we open strongly with the Autobots and NEST about to roll out to finally take out Bludgeon (a caption claims they found out the location of his base in issue 18. Which didn’t happen there, and is probably a sign of this storyline having been compressed and a few issues lost when it went bi-monthly). Which is then undermined by a flashback to earlier where, during the planning of the mission, Wheelie offers to help and goes off on one about how no one trusts him despite everything.
That’s like doing a Jar Jar Binks comic where he helps Anakin hack some children to death.
So we open strongly with the Autobots and NEST about to roll out to finally take out Bludgeon (a caption claims they found out the location of his base in issue 18. Which didn’t happen there, and is probably a sign of this storyline having been compressed and a few issues lost when it went bi-monthly). Which is then undermined by a flashback to earlier where, during the planning of the mission, Wheelie offers to help and goes off on one about how no one trusts him despite everything.
Oh, hi Lockdown!
Which is aiming for high drama, but is ridiculous because it’s Wheelie. And Davis-Hunt has no real idea how to draw this anguish on that face, resulting in an odd attempt at a dramatic close up that’s mostly of the handlebar between his eyes.
Thankfully, when we return to the present and the attack goes wrong, things improve with the return of Cheeky Cheerful Bludgeon. Who is delighted to have Wheelie back in the ranks (and oddly gives an order to find out who led the Autobots there which will never be followed up on and may be another sign of a lost plot).
The Fallen toyline being almost over means the resultant fight gets to be nicely brutal, starting with happy Bludgeon running a sword through the back of Slapdash’s head. Which he then follows up by killing Hubcap, before the Autobots retaliate by taking out Tankor and Dead End (though we already know what happens to him next). It’s proper old school end of the run Furman, meaning he goes out in the style of On the Edge of Extinction!
Thankfully, when we return to the present and the attack goes wrong, things improve with the return of Cheeky Cheerful Bludgeon. Who is delighted to have Wheelie back in the ranks (and oddly gives an order to find out who led the Autobots there which will never be followed up on and may be another sign of a lost plot).
The Fallen toyline being almost over means the resultant fight gets to be nicely brutal, starting with happy Bludgeon running a sword through the back of Slapdash’s head. Which he then follows up by killing Hubcap, before the Autobots retaliate by taking out Tankor and Dead End (though we already know what happens to him next). It’s proper old school end of the run Furman, meaning he goes out in the style of On the Edge of Extinction!
Oh no... not Slapdash!
But, in a twist, Wheelie is actually a double traitor, having actually been working for his real master all along...
Megatron! Who arrives and is pissed.
Incidentally, you may be expecting this to tie into Dark of the Moon by revealing next issue that Wheelie is a triple traitor and has been really working for the Autobots all along. How it will try to reconcile things with him being a good guy in the forthcoming film is going to be... odder.
The frustrating thing is, if this had been a balls to the wall action issue of Autobots Vs Cons, it would have been a lot of fun. But the attempts at a DRAMATIC Wheelie plot is just ridiculous and undermines the whole thing pretty fatally. It feels like Furman had neither seen the film or knew what Wheelie looked like and was working from a character description with no idea what utter nonsense trying to do this with Wheelie would be.
Megatron! Who arrives and is pissed.
Incidentally, you may be expecting this to tie into Dark of the Moon by revealing next issue that Wheelie is a triple traitor and has been really working for the Autobots all along. How it will try to reconcile things with him being a good guy in the forthcoming film is going to be... odder.
The frustrating thing is, if this had been a balls to the wall action issue of Autobots Vs Cons, it would have been a lot of fun. But the attempts at a DRAMATIC Wheelie plot is just ridiculous and undermines the whole thing pretty fatally. It feels like Furman had neither seen the film or knew what Wheelie looked like and was working from a character description with no idea what utter nonsense trying to do this with Wheelie would be.
Pretty sure they just flat out covered up Prime killing the guy.
For a comic heading towards its big finale, the rest of the issue is fairly quiet. Competitions include the Annual I just covered, another scooter (without a water pistol this time) and some Power Core Combiners sets. And I bet you’d forgotten all about Power Core Combiners until just then.
Bumblebee’s Guide to the Solar System hits Neptune. Which is no Uranus.
There’s a late in the day return for character profiles, with Rampage getting a page that’s more bullet points that the more in-depth write-ups of earlier in the series.
More interesting though is the poster. Obviously the cowards at Titan didn’t think kids would want to pin-up Wheelie, so one side is a CGI Bumblebee and the other quick character guides to the following Decepticons: Megatron, Blackout, Ravage, Starscream and Barricade. Which, amidst their various mottos, we learn Ravage’s catchphrase is “GRRRRRR!”
This sadly means, after we’re back to stock photos from next issue, the last ever original British Transformers cover doesn’t get to be a poster.
In fact, just let that sink in for a second. 26 and a bit years of UK Transformers comics, with original local art covers starting with the very first issue. And the last is a badly drawn Wheelie. That feels a bit of a shame. Especially as Titan have had some very good covers over the last few years.
Optimus Prime Speaks isn’t as bloodthirsty a the chats with the Decepticons, revealing that Optimus is a straight-laced serious guy who storms off after learning about the idea of “fiction”, being distraught humans lie like that. Meaning the interviewer doesn’t get to ask why women find Prime so hot.
Bumblebee’s Guide to the Solar System hits Neptune. Which is no Uranus.
There’s a late in the day return for character profiles, with Rampage getting a page that’s more bullet points that the more in-depth write-ups of earlier in the series.
More interesting though is the poster. Obviously the cowards at Titan didn’t think kids would want to pin-up Wheelie, so one side is a CGI Bumblebee and the other quick character guides to the following Decepticons: Megatron, Blackout, Ravage, Starscream and Barricade. Which, amidst their various mottos, we learn Ravage’s catchphrase is “GRRRRRR!”
This sadly means, after we’re back to stock photos from next issue, the last ever original British Transformers cover doesn’t get to be a poster.
In fact, just let that sink in for a second. 26 and a bit years of UK Transformers comics, with original local art covers starting with the very first issue. And the last is a badly drawn Wheelie. That feels a bit of a shame. Especially as Titan have had some very good covers over the last few years.
Optimus Prime Speaks isn’t as bloodthirsty a the chats with the Decepticons, revealing that Optimus is a straight-laced serious guy who storms off after learning about the idea of “fiction”, being distraught humans lie like that. Meaning the interviewer doesn’t get to ask why women find Prime so hot.
Spy Hard.
Megatron’s Mind Maulers! is pretty much the same as every month, with a spot the difference on Ravage, recognise the characters in the broken up grid and find out how many times the name “Wheelie” is repeated in a wordsearch.
The mostly art filled penultimate Law and Disorder gives us what I suspect will be the last time we’re told that it would be silly to rename Megatron into Galvatron for the films, in response to Abbie Hughes (13 from Deeside).
The last original cover may not have qualified for a poster, but it does form the basis for the “How to draw Wheelie” feature. Though the problem is, no one does want to draw Wheelie.
Pleasingly though, the back cover is an advert for the M.I. High comic, which I mainly mention as that was a good show that deserves to be remembered more.
Next week... it’s the end of volume 2 and you won’t believe what happens to Wheelie.
2011 ANNUAL
2011
COMMENT
KO-FI
The mostly art filled penultimate Law and Disorder gives us what I suspect will be the last time we’re told that it would be silly to rename Megatron into Galvatron for the films, in response to Abbie Hughes (13 from Deeside).
The last original cover may not have qualified for a poster, but it does form the basis for the “How to draw Wheelie” feature. Though the problem is, no one does want to draw Wheelie.
Pleasingly though, the back cover is an advert for the M.I. High comic, which I mainly mention as that was a good show that deserves to be remembered more.
Next week... it’s the end of volume 2 and you won’t believe what happens to Wheelie.
2011 ANNUAL
2011
COMMENT
KO-FI
