Do You Want to Know a Secret?
Issue 136: Grudge Match! Part 2/Broken Glass! Part 3. 17th October 1987.
Do tell.
Do tell.
We've a pretty interesting cover from Robin Smith this week that's unusual in that it portrays one of the villains in jeopardy from one of the heroes. Will poor old Divebomb survive his encounter with that big meany Grimlock?
The readers should indeed be concerned for the Predacons as the story within portrays them as being not even the slightest match for the Dinobots. Considering the comic put a lot of effort into bigging up this battle of the titans last week, the ease with which four of Grimlock's boys manage to overcome their (relatively arbitrarily chosen) counterparts can't help but feel an anticlimax, despite a nice droll commentary from Grimlock pointing out to Razorclaw exactly how each and every one of his fellow dayglo nightmares are being owned.
Good grief, the Predacons don't even get to do their combiner gimmick thing, it actually winds up feeling as if Furman really hates the buggers and is rather enjoying showing his preferred Dinobots are way cooler.
The readers should indeed be concerned for the Predacons as the story within portrays them as being not even the slightest match for the Dinobots. Considering the comic put a lot of effort into bigging up this battle of the titans last week, the ease with which four of Grimlock's boys manage to overcome their (relatively arbitrarily chosen) counterparts can't help but feel an anticlimax, despite a nice droll commentary from Grimlock pointing out to Razorclaw exactly how each and every one of his fellow dayglo nightmares are being owned.
Good grief, the Predacons don't even get to do their combiner gimmick thing, it actually winds up feeling as if Furman really hates the buggers and is rather enjoying showing his preferred Dinobots are way cooler.
Almost too easy,
On the other hand, the emotional heart of the story winds up feeling underwhelming as well. Swoop is going through both the physical and emotional wringers as he tries to fight off the Predacons and wrestle with his fears of the other Dinobots finding out what reeeeeaaaaaaaaaaallllllllllllly happened the last time he fought Divebomb.
The problem is, we've been here before, most recently back in Fallen Angel when Swoop was humming and arghing over whether or not to let Morris take over his mind. The result is several scenes that feel more than a bit predictable. Having tricked Divebomb into attacking Grimlock so he'll be killed by the pissed off Autobot leader before he can tell the truth, will Swoop realise he needs to stop lying and intervene to save the Decepticon? What do you think?
This is also where the tie in to the Annual falls a bit flat. I said last week that the first part actually worked better if you hadn't already read What's in a Name?, but here you really do need to know what happened during the flashback in that story. Despite my memory of this being to the contrary (presumably as a result of only having read this previously in trade alongside the prequel strip), there's no actual explanation of what happened that so shamed Swoop during his last fight with Divebomb beyond it involving Optimus in some way.
The problem is, we've been here before, most recently back in Fallen Angel when Swoop was humming and arghing over whether or not to let Morris take over his mind. The result is several scenes that feel more than a bit predictable. Having tricked Divebomb into attacking Grimlock so he'll be killed by the pissed off Autobot leader before he can tell the truth, will Swoop realise he needs to stop lying and intervene to save the Decepticon? What do you think?
This is also where the tie in to the Annual falls a bit flat. I said last week that the first part actually worked better if you hadn't already read What's in a Name?, but here you really do need to know what happened during the flashback in that story. Despite my memory of this being to the contrary (presumably as a result of only having read this previously in trade alongside the prequel strip), there's no actual explanation of what happened that so shamed Swoop during his last fight with Divebomb beyond it involving Optimus in some way.
Proper Grimlock is back!
This
leaves you with no clear idea if Swoop's secret is terrible enough to warrant
all this, making for an unsatisfying reveal. It's Alanis Morrissette level
ironic that after several stories have danced around only following up on the
parts of the Volcano story that were published in the weekly, it's one that
ties into another Annual story entirely that first fails the test of not
alienating those who haven't yet (and may never) gotten the book.
Salvation for the story comes from an unlikely place: Grimlock. Even more so than in Ancient Relics! Furman is ignoring Uncle Bob's crown wearing comedy loon and is just writing the more familiar cool, calm (if slightly smug) effective leader. Indeed adding to the feeling of this being a throwback, bar a couple of lines here and there plus the Predacons themselves, this part could just as easily fit before issue 100 as it does here.
What's appealing about Grimlock here is he knows Swoop's secret (thanks to having read Prime's diary) but doesn't care. Which as we'll see when we get to the Annual is a fairly proportional response to what is more a minor embarrassment than a huge shame despite what Swoop thinks. He does however look after his own, and is both fully prepared to silence Divebomb and- once Swoop changes his mind- to let the Predacons go so as to clear Swoop's conscious and allow for a fair fight next time. This is some fantastically deftly handled characterisation that returns some much needed backbone to the Dinobot leader.
The other highlight is Divebomb; even when down and out under Grimlock he's having so much fun here being back in the game with his old playmate it's infectious, with his delight at the end that he's going to get a round four being an especially strong way to close the issue. Though retrospectively knowing this is going to be yet another dangling plot thread that will never be picked up on again (indeed, the Predacons will only be used to pad out massive crowds in future UK stories), winds up making the entire two weeks and Annual tie in somewhat pointless.
The second half does drag down the quality of the entire story, not helped by the art looking a lot more rushed than last week, with the fight scenes especially not being Anderson's best. However, even amidst a very average issue the restoration of Grimlock is more than welcome.
Salvation for the story comes from an unlikely place: Grimlock. Even more so than in Ancient Relics! Furman is ignoring Uncle Bob's crown wearing comedy loon and is just writing the more familiar cool, calm (if slightly smug) effective leader. Indeed adding to the feeling of this being a throwback, bar a couple of lines here and there plus the Predacons themselves, this part could just as easily fit before issue 100 as it does here.
What's appealing about Grimlock here is he knows Swoop's secret (thanks to having read Prime's diary) but doesn't care. Which as we'll see when we get to the Annual is a fairly proportional response to what is more a minor embarrassment than a huge shame despite what Swoop thinks. He does however look after his own, and is both fully prepared to silence Divebomb and- once Swoop changes his mind- to let the Predacons go so as to clear Swoop's conscious and allow for a fair fight next time. This is some fantastically deftly handled characterisation that returns some much needed backbone to the Dinobot leader.
The other highlight is Divebomb; even when down and out under Grimlock he's having so much fun here being back in the game with his old playmate it's infectious, with his delight at the end that he's going to get a round four being an especially strong way to close the issue. Though retrospectively knowing this is going to be yet another dangling plot thread that will never be picked up on again (indeed, the Predacons will only be used to pad out massive crowds in future UK stories), winds up making the entire two weeks and Annual tie in somewhat pointless.
The second half does drag down the quality of the entire story, not helped by the art looking a lot more rushed than last week, with the fight scenes especially not being Anderson's best. However, even amidst a very average issue the restoration of Grimlock is more than welcome.
No one cares enough about Slugslinger to remove the wrong toy claiming to be him.
The third part of Broken Glass! also sees some rather poorly realised fight scenes as the Decepticons (including our last glimpse of Krunix, with more altered dialogue. It's amazing that one of the few times Springer manages to have a character look the same in two panels sees him still get it wrong) attack the Nebulon City.
This involves the worst time disparity between events in a story I've seen since the last episode of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine had Kai Winn standing chatting in a cave for the days it took for the war to end. Somehow, despite the sophistication of Decepticon weaponry, the battle outside lasts long enough for Galen to go have a chat with Fortress Maximus, try to control the Autobots bodies by remote control, have scientist Arcana develop an entire new science bonding Nebulons and Autobots, gather volunteers (including vain Stylor and trouserless Duros) and then perform highly experimental and invasive surgery to alter their bodies to be able to turn into replacement heads.
That's either the longest one sided fight in history or the fastest mad science ever. The only well played moment during the entire sequence is Llyra pleading with Galen not to adopt warlike ways before he volunteers to be Max's head.
The main thing of interest here is the portrayal of the Headmasters process is much simpler than it will be later on (including, if I remember correctly, how Scorponok is handled in future issues of this same series); this isn't a merging of minds on an equal level. The Nebulons effectively become the Autobots whilst the original heads/personalities can stay in touch with them via radio, there's no binary bonding here as of yet.
This involves the worst time disparity between events in a story I've seen since the last episode of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine had Kai Winn standing chatting in a cave for the days it took for the war to end. Somehow, despite the sophistication of Decepticon weaponry, the battle outside lasts long enough for Galen to go have a chat with Fortress Maximus, try to control the Autobots bodies by remote control, have scientist Arcana develop an entire new science bonding Nebulons and Autobots, gather volunteers (including vain Stylor and trouserless Duros) and then perform highly experimental and invasive surgery to alter their bodies to be able to turn into replacement heads.
That's either the longest one sided fight in history or the fastest mad science ever. The only well played moment during the entire sequence is Llyra pleading with Galen not to adopt warlike ways before he volunteers to be Max's head.
The main thing of interest here is the portrayal of the Headmasters process is much simpler than it will be later on (including, if I remember correctly, how Scorponok is handled in future issues of this same series); this isn't a merging of minds on an equal level. The Nebulons effectively become the Autobots whilst the original heads/personalities can stay in touch with them via radio, there's no binary bonding here as of yet.
The Absent Spider-Man.
With autumn
ending, it's time for another round of Marvel Winter Specials. Transformers
doesn't get one of original content this year as it did in '86 with the Movie
comic (though I wouldn't be in the least surprised if dumping Headmasters in a
similar book was briefly considered before making it the backup was decided as
being the best means of keeping it out of the way), but we do get Dinobot Hunt!,
alongside books for Action
Force and Thundercats, all
of which Transformation is keen to promote.
As with the Annuals, 1987 is turning out to be a fairly horrible year for Marvel's own heroes in the UK, with licensed properties flying the flag for the specials. Considering Spider-Man did manage one special earlier in the year this arguably completes his fall from British popular consciousness. It can only be upwards from here for the webslinger, the 70's Spider-Man TV show was repeated by at least one ITV network around the late 80's/early 90's- I remember it well as our TV exploded during an episode- so presumably it will be around then when he starts to reclaim attention in UK eyes.
Next week, conclusive proof that women should be treated as if they were the equal of men. Do have a happy Christmas, and keep an eye out for my seasonal quiz over the weekend (for reals this time!).
ISSUE 135
1987
COMMENT
As with the Annuals, 1987 is turning out to be a fairly horrible year for Marvel's own heroes in the UK, with licensed properties flying the flag for the specials. Considering Spider-Man did manage one special earlier in the year this arguably completes his fall from British popular consciousness. It can only be upwards from here for the webslinger, the 70's Spider-Man TV show was repeated by at least one ITV network around the late 80's/early 90's- I remember it well as our TV exploded during an episode- so presumably it will be around then when he starts to reclaim attention in UK eyes.
Next week, conclusive proof that women should be treated as if they were the equal of men. Do have a happy Christmas, and keep an eye out for my seasonal quiz over the weekend (for reals this time!).
ISSUE 135
1987
COMMENT
