Category Archives: Comic Reviews

Sonic Select Volume 8 Review

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It’s been too long since I got to read a good Sonic comic. This is from the Sonic Select series and since it mainly covers the Tails miniseries; it’s a decent way to jump back in. The comics were a little more retro than the cover would have you believe, but that’s mainly a good thing. It feels like reading an old Marvel or DC comic, but with the likable Sonic characters. It’s a pretty quick read, but definitely worth checking out.

The collection brings a brief intro story where Tails must fight against an Octobot so show us how Tails got his sub. That brings us to the main story when Tails decides that it’s up to him to stop Eggman. The Freedom Fighters have been treating him like a kid lately and stopping Eggman will force them to admit that he’s just as much of a fighter as them. This 3 part epic sees Tails go through all sorts of adventures and he won’t stop until Eggman’s plans have been foiled. Things get a little more dicey for Tails when the infamous Crocbot steps in to complicate matters. Tails is going to have to use every bit of power that he’s got if he wants to win this.

The collection also brings a very brief story at the end, which is a very large change of pace. It takes place in the modern day and the art looks to be more 90’s to 2000’s level. Sonic and Tails are training when the cops from the multiverse say that they need Tails to save everything. Sonic tags along and we find out that Knuckles messed up and Mogul now has unlimited power. He’s literally crushing the multiverse and there are only two dimensions (zones) left. Tails is supposed to be the chosen one so all of the Tails from the different dimensions arrive. Will the real Tails be able to use these guys in order to defeat Mogul or are they all doomed? Sonic’s around so at least Tails has an ally that he can count on. Let’s the battles begin!

Sonic doesn’t appear a whole lot, but his brief appearances are pretty epic. He’s nice enough to apologize after the brainwashing done by Eggman and he is pretty brave when he goes up against Mogul. If not for all of the bystanders, I’m pretty sure that Sonic could have taken down Mogul on his own. He is Sonic after all and Mogul wasn’t able to land a single hit on the hedgehog thanks to his speed. This is why Sonic overwhelms most opponents and Mogul wouldn’t be an exception. Sonic definitely proves why he’s typically the main character.

Tails is the main character of the collection and he gets a lot of screen time as a result of this. Tails essentially represents the sidekick who wants to level up as he embarks on all sorts of dangerous quests, but always ends up getting rescued. He retreats into his comics where he changes the facts a little bit to show the world that he is the true hero. It’s pretty bold, but his comics were pretty great so I’ll cut him a little slack. The heroes were definitely being pretty condescending so going out to take on Eggman was the right call. Tails just made a big mistake when he let personal feelings get in the way of the mission. He never really recovered from that.

It’s lucky for Tails that there is a group of underwater Freedom Fighters as well as a Rodeo version. Without them, things definitely would have been dicey for him. Tails definitely gets thrown around a whole lot, but he’s still a pretty likable character. This was before he became known as the smart character of the group so we don’t see a lot of gadgets, but I’m okay with that. Seeing Tails as an adventurer in training is definitely more exciting and Tails does his best to fight the villains on his own. I wouldn’t mind seeing more Tails comics in the future and especially if they’re set in this era. He’s a fun supporting character who can hold his own series.

Eggman is always amusing to see onscreen because his minions insult him all of the time. Eggman typically ignores them, but they can be pretty bold about this. Eggman still does have his moments and his plan to get Tails in the grinder nearly worked thanks to his latest robot. Eggman’s role is pretty minimal after that, but his constant yelling at Crocbot is also fun. The Sonic comics definitely wouldn’t be the same without Eggman and I wish that the current games had kept this design. This was definitely Eggman at around his prime. (Only Adventure 2 Battle could stack up to this one)

I can’t say that I really remember Crocbot prior to this collection, but he seems like a decent villain. He’s basically the wild west version of Eggman and his minions are a lot more respectful. No insults to the Crocbot. He strikes terror into the hearts of many and he’s a decent fighter. He’s not a terrific villain and he lacks Eggman’s charisma, but he’s still a force to be reckoned with and I wouldn’t mind seeing him again.

Mogul is the final villain from the last comic and what he lacks in personality, Mogul makes up for in sheer power. His design was never my favorite since he doesn’t appear to be too fast, but he does have energy blasts. Mogul’s as generic as they come, but we can’t give detailed backgrounds to every character. It just wouldn’t work after a while right? Mogul fits the villain role and that will need to be enough.

The art for the majority of the comics is the old 70s art that we’ve all grown used to. It definitely works for the comics since we have a lot of puns and the art helps with the facial expressions. It may not be 5 star art, but the art is definitely pretty good and it’s nostalgic. There weren’t many battle scenes so I can’t say how it would perform in that area, but it appeared to get the job done and that’s good enough for me.

These comics are very light tones and are similar to the boat stories. The name escapes me at the moment but it had many memorable lines like “Blistering Barnacles” and “Thundering Typhoons.” Really great lines and this collection has a lot of solid ones as well. There is basically a pun a page and I like how Tails continues to mock just about everything. He tells the wise old echidna that he has no time to talk to statues and it’s a bold line. That’s what I liked about these days int he comics; the characters were very bold. It’s a give and take because comics of this era didn’t usually have a lot of fights, but the well played comedy and puns are enough of a counter to make this collection memorable.

Overall, this was a pretty great batch of comics. The final comic in particular was a big change of pace since the multiverse was suddenly at stake and we had a villain who could crush universes. That’s pretty huge and Tails got to step up and get a pretty epic super form. The early comics may not have had as much stakes, but we got to meet a lot of characters and Tails learned a valuable lesson. I would recommend this comic to all comic readers and I don’t see why you wouldn’t like it. This may be volume 8, but it’s safe to jump in since the comics are mostly just the Tails stand alones. This is why Sonic comics are typically so great! Solid cast, art, and plot.

Overall 7/10

Transformers More Than Meets The Eye Volume 4 Review

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This Transformers comic marathon has been pretty fun. Volume two helped to introduce a lot of plot lines and Volume 3 didn’t really advance the plot, but the story was pretty fun. Volume 4 continues the plot as we get a pretty big fight scene and things finally get dangerous for the heroes. This was definitely the best volume from the three that I just finished reading and we also get to see some of the popular Transformers through flashbacks.

The plot for this collection is pretty easy to describe since most of it is a big fight with Overlord. Before the fight, we get to see Overlord’s history and we also get a happy meanwhile where the heroes go to the bar. There is also the aftermath of the fight and that concludes the collection. That’s an epic way to build a trade paperback. Prelude, Fight, Aftermath. It’s a simple, but very effective formula that definitely works for this volume and it’s part of the reason as to why this is my favorite volume yet. Overlord gets a lot of hype before the fight as the heroes explain that since he’s a Six Changer, he’s far more powerful than Optimus Prime, Megatron, Metroplex, and many other famous Transformers. Part of the mystery in the volume is why all of these powerful Six CHangers are Decepticons. It can’t be a coincidence so they figure that the Decepticons are actually powering up fighters. They send Chromedome to look into Overlord’s mind and that’s when chaos ensues. For the record…this was a hush hush operation so most of the Autobots did not know about it. The reason why I like the hype is that it makes the story feel a little like the famous Doomsday arc in the Superman comics. It’s a pretty similar setting, but what if there was no Superman to fight him? Things would have gotten dire, but very interesting.

Rodimus Prime doesn’t look very good and that has been a trend in the latest volumes. He looks very weak in this volume and that would be a huge complaint if not for the fact that it seems to be a plot point that will be developing in the next issues. That doesn’t erase the fact that it’s disappointing to see Rodimus fare so poorly in battle. He doesn’t get any good hits on Overlord and he’s defeated almost instantly. As a Prime, Rodimus should be decently powerful or at least quick enough to do something that will help to tip the scales of battle. Rodimus may be the leader of this mission for now, but he’d better watch out if he wants it to stay that way. Especially with such an untrustworthy crew. Rodimus Prime was my favorite Transformers character back in the day. I can’t say that he still is, but Rodimus is still one of the better Transformers out there and I expect better from him.

Whirl is actually my favorite character of the series at the moment although he’s slowly changing. He’s still the crazy Autobot that we all know and love, but…is he really an Autobot? He does some pretty shady things in this volume and it almost appears as if he’s an inside man working for someone. The author will need to be careful how this situation is handled since it needs to be masterfully pulled off so that Whirl doesn’t become a lackey. I like Whirl because he calls the shots right now…and that’s how it should be. He doesn’t really get in on the action this time around, but I’m sure that he’ll be back.

Cyclonus is still around and he does much better than most of the Autobots. He fires from a distance and keeps his cool while a lot of the others are panicking. He wouldn’t have been able to last forever, but Cyclonus definitely put up a good amount of resistance and I can safely say that he’s more likable than the other two Decepticon flyers. (Thundercrack and Skywarp)

Metroplex may have went insane before, but now he’s ready to change his ways and help out the heroes. After all, he went insane because of Overlord so this is his chance to get some payback. I don’t believe that the fight would have any chance of turning out positively for Metroplex, but at least he can get another shot. Metroplex definitely does the best against Overlord and this makes sense since they are the current heavy hitters on the roster. It’s pretty hard to overlook Metroplex’s big personality 180, but at least he helped the heroes. It will be a while before I can think of him as a proper Autobot again though.

Overlord is the main villain of the trade and he really does a number on the Autobots. He takes on the full squadron of Rodimus, Metroplex, Ultra Magnus, Chromedome, Cyclonus, and many others at once. That’s a pretty huge feat and the heroes are really getting overwhelmed. I remembered how powerful Overlord was, but this is definitely a lot more drastic than you could have thought. I wonder how Optimus Prime would have fared against him. They claim that Prime and Megatron are weaker than the current Overlord, but those guys have a lot of determination and experience. A fight between them would be downright epic. Overlord does want his rematch with Megatron so maybe we’ll get to see it. Unfortunately, it could be a while. Overlord also takes the time to mock the heroes as he’s beating them up, which takes dedication and a lot of confidence. Overlord is definitely one of the best Transformers villain as this volume cemented that fact. Powerwise, there are few who can stop him.

Chromedome gets a large role, but I can’t say that he looks very good. He doesn’t tell the Autobots where he’s going and he allows Overlord to take control during their mind sessions. Chromedome is supposed to be an expert in this so that was pretty humiliating. He makes a gutsy call in the end, but I can’t blame him for it since the alternative would have been much worse. Was there any other way? It’s hard to see any at that point. Unfortunately, things just go south for the heroes sometimes and they have to weather it. We’ll see what Chromedome decides as he’s about to make a big decision. Hopefully he goes two for two and makes the correct choice again. Chromedome may have been the leader in one of the Transformer shows, but unfortunately he’s pretty weak in the power department.

Ultra Magnus does better than most of the other Autobots during the Overlord attack. He was definitely pretty brave and I’m glad that he finally got to have his match. Things were pretty dangerous for him earlier because of a spiked drink, but everything turned out for the best…or did they? Either way, Ultra Magnus continues to be one of the better Autobots.

Drift doesn’t get a huge role, but something big does happen to him. I have to say that I was disappointed by how weak he looked in the fight against Overlord. He talked very big right up until the battle actually started. (Ratchet was also there and he also talked very tough and was promptly taken down. At least we know that the Autobots are courageous, but I would have preferred if they could have fought with something else besides empty words) Couldn’t he have shown a little more dignity or at least have gotten in one good slash? Ah well, we’ll see how things fare for him when Drift returns. His status as a main character may have just changed.

Rewind actually gets a critical role in this volume. Rewind is one of those robots that I never really remembered after each volume and I can barely even picture how he looks right now. Either way, Rewind did what he had to do and he made the hero call. It took guts and bravery, but he did what was necessary. I still wouldn’t say that he was one of the better characters, but now I will remember him as a hero.

Megatron only appears in flashbacks, but we get to see just how tough he is. It’s nothing new of course since we all figured that Megatron was one of the toughest Transformers. He basically beats up Overlord twice and is also the one who powered him up. Megatron is definitely a very confident robot. That’s for sure. I can’t wait until Megatron and Optimus Prime finally get to appear in the present, but that could be a while.

The art is a little more cartoony for parts of this volume. Not necessarily a bad thing, but I would say that it is a step down from the last two volumes. For almost any other series it would be good, but it’s slightly under average for More Than Meets The Eye. Luckily, this doesn’t wreck the fight and it’s still nicely done. I’m going to miss the old art style, but this one definitely has its moments and it won’t be a big drop from the usual art so score wise it should not affect the comic in any noticeable way.

Now, one may wonder what’s happening to the knights subplot. Well, it’s taking a very long time, but hopefully it will show up at some point. I didn’t really mind because I was just happy to see such a big fight. The tone for the comics is mostly on the sad side while mixing it up with light and dark comics. The transformers are always having fun until the next tragedy strikes. Because of that, it manages to pull off the dark and light aspects without leaning too heavily towards one side as earlier. I was fine with Overlord beating up all of the Autobots except that Drift and Rodimus should have put up a better fight. I don’t see them going down quite so easily.

As for big shot characters, we finally get closer to seeing them all. Starscream and Soundwave are featured in flashbacks aside from Megatron whom I already mentioned. Both of their roles were pretty sound and I hope that they get to appear in present time at some point. The heroes can’t stay in space forever can they? The quest will end at some point and then things will get interesting.

Overall, what’s not to like in this volume? The whole thing is basically a big fight and I’ve been waiting a long time to see such a big clash of fighters. What helps is that most of the characters are decently likable. Ultra Magnus, (He even gets a whole montage of his many defeats!) Rodimus, Chromedome, Ratchet, etc. They may not be the greatest of characters at times, but they’re still enjoyable to watch for the most part. There are some moments where the action can get pretty intense, but if you made it through volume 2 then you should be okay. It is technically energon that falls out of them I believe so you don’t need to worry about that part. For a kid I’d show them the original Transformers movie instead and for all other Transformers fans you’ll love this volume. We haven’t gotten this much action in a very long time. There’s a lot to look forward to in the next volume as we get to see what will happen to Prowl, Ultra Magnus, and Chromedome. Things will definitely be shaken up as the clock continues to turn.

Overall 7/10

Ultimate Spider Man Volume 4 Review

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This series relives the adventures that Spiderman has in the current Ultimate Spiderman TV show. The issues do this by taking pictures from the show and then planting them in the comic with some dialogue. Basically, you get to read the episodes in case you don’t watch TV. It can definitely seem like a cash grab since it’s very easy to make these, but I doubt that they sell very well either. Ah well, let’s see if these issues hold up well anyway.

One of the issues involves Harry Osborn as he becomes Venom. Spiderman’s going to have to deal with this threat, but Harry is his friend so that presents a pretty big dilemma for our young hero. Spiderman’s going to have to convince Harry to give up his newfound power the easy way…or the hard way!

Another comic involves the Taskmaster. Doctor Octopus hires him to infiltrate Spiderman’s high school to find out which student he is. Peter Parker is quickly dropped from suspicion since he’s not very good physically, but Iron Fist, Harry Osborn, and Flash Thompson are suspected to possibly be the hero. Spiderman can’t let them fall into harm’s way so it’s time to suit up once more. Will he be able to defeat this vicious foe!?

The Living Laser strikes in a team up comic that features Iron Man as a guest star. Tony Stark gives Spiderman an Iron Spider armor, which immediately gets to the web crawler’s head. His teammates become irritated at this and decide to give him the cold shoulder. Spiderman can’t be deterred and there’s still a villain to stop. He’ll do this…even if he has to do it alone!

Finally, we have a comic with the Hulk. Mary Jane guest stars (It’s a little scary to think that one of the biggest Spiderman supporting characters has been reduced to a guest star role….) as she wants to film this to show the world what a hero Spiderman can be. Spidey is happy to hear it since he hasn’t gotten such good press in a long time. Unfortunately, happy days are cut short as the Hulk engages in battle with a being made of electricity. SHIELD and the government may be after the Hulk, but whose side will Spiderman take? You don’t want to miss it!

I have to say that the usage of the pictures was a little more awkward than usual. They didn’t do a good job of making sure that they make sense. This results in fights that end very abruptly and the characters are already moving onto the next subject. Naturally, they can’t take a picture of every second, but this results in very stilted dialogue and plots. It’s especially noticeable if you’ve seen the show and then you can see all of the parts that are missing. They do manage to cover a lot of ground with these pictures so whoever’s in charge gets some props. It just could have been a little better and more seamless.

Naturally, I can’t even talk about the dialogue or the art that much because it’s all taken from the TV show. This is not a new experience so you should definitely not be reading it if that’s what you’re looking for. At least it is an interesting alternative to watching the show and I still think it would be interesting to see if anyone actually does make that choice.

It’s not really necessary to talk about the character portrayals all that much since it’s the same from the show. In light of this, I’ll just quickly speak about them. Hulk is safely in character, although he looks pretty weak. Zzax is as tough as always, but he’s still not very smart. Taskmaster is a pretty good villain and he was probably the toughest hand to hand fighter that Spiderman’s been up against in a while. Harry is pretty good for the most part and he handled his powers pretty wisely. (Too bad Peter wrecked it) Mary Jane is in character as well and Coulson takes everything in stride. The heroes openly try to mock him, but Coulson’s always prepared.

Peter Parker continues to show the world why he can barely make it as a superhero. He makes a lot of mistakes and he doesn’t act like he has a lot of experience. I can see why his teammates don’t trust him even if they don’t perform much better. I like Spiderman’s portrayal in the show, but just judging from these comics….he doesn’t look so good. Even his famed Spider Sense can’t save him now!

Overall, this is a decent collection of comics. The Iron Man, Venom, and Taskmaster ones were pretty interesting, but I didn’t care for the Hulk story all that much. I am glad that Spiderman stepped up and went against the government. That took character! The action is decent, but the comedy can be a bit much. I can’t recommend this to anyone who saw the show since the show is the definitive way of experiencing these adventures. If you have not watched the show, then these stories can be fun. Remember, it’s just a bunch of pictures that are placed together so don’t come in expecting a lot of artwork. It’s a unique reading experience and it definitely won’t be for everyone. I prefer this to bad art, but I’ll take a comic with average art over this style. You may like this comic for the fight scenes or it may not be enough. I’d sooner just recommend reading the original Spiderman comics from the 60s.

Overall 6/10

Transformers More Than Meets The Eye Volume 3 Review

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The Transformers saga continues in this volume! The last one may not have been as impressive as I had been expecting, but this one is back up to par. Ironically, the plot is slightly less interesting because most of it is a story, but you can’t win every battle I suppose.

This collection brings an annual and then we have three regular comics, which split into the current time and a story that the Autobots are talking about. The annual shows the Autbots as they look for an old colony of tough fighters who helped to make Drift into the person that he is today. Unfortunately, they are gone and a galactic peace keeping association want to take the Transformers down once and for all. They won’t be able to debate their way out of this one, but can Ultra Magnus bring himself to take down these law abiding aliens?

Also, there seems to possibly be a traitor afoot as Rodimus finds an Autobot in a vat of oil. This couldn’t have been an accident and it smells like a Decepticon attack. Rodimus is going to need to get to the bottom of this right away. Meanwhile, there is an Autobot who is basically in a coma so the others decide to tell him a story since it might cause his brain functions to start up again. They speak of a tale from millions of years ago that could actually be true. Optimus Prime is in it along with Prowl. It was good to see some of the old faces again.

Optimus Prime is pretty much as epic as usual. He’s in his Orion Pax form, but in this contiunity that really doesn’t affect his character. He’s still the Optimus Prime that we’ve come to know and root for. Pax definitely does a lot of damage to the villains and his ethics are still in place. He may put a little too much trust into his pal, but it happens to the best of them. Prime may only appear in the story, but that will have to do until he returns for real.

Drift is pretty cool as per usual, although he seemed to be a little out of character in the comic. Knocking away the other Autobots when they began to insult him was going a little too far. It’s possible that he is finally losing it or maybe it was just a one time thing. Aside from that moment, Drift is still someone that you can root for and it’s nice to see his swordsmanship in action.

I was more than a little iffy of Rodimus Prime’s role in this comic. At first, he definitely lost his way and I was pretty worried. Was the hero that I had once known starting to forget his morals? Luckily, the selfless decision of another Autobot causes him to rethink his decision and make the correct choice. I’m glad about that and hopefully this will help Rosimus for future issues. After all, he used to be my favorite Autobot for a while. I’m hoping that he can continue to look good and keep hold of his heroism amidst a world of dark deceptions.

Ultra Magnus gets a decently big role in the first comic. Initially, the heroes force him to grin so that they can wipe out some really small villains, but things get a little more serious when the Galactic Peace Federation guys arrive. Ultra Magnus is the only one who really understands the law and he does well in his counters. The villains try to recruit him, but Magnus is an Autobot through and through. He’s definitely a pretty likable guy.

Chromedome is a main character in this collection since he’s the guy who is teaming up with Prowl in the story. He’s surprisingly smart and he does well during the investigation. I was expecting more of a Sherlock and Watson situation. He was decent in Headmasters and I’d say the same for this comic. There’s no real reason to dislike him, but there’s nothing about Chromedome that makes him stand out. He’s an average fighter and he’s basically an average Autobot.

Prowl was pretty cool in the comic. His design is a little too similar to Drift’s, but his personality helps to separate them. He’s very smart, but he doesn’t seem to understand how corrupt the government is. He goes off on his own and it would seem that he never showed up again. A pretty abrupt end to a fun character. He may not have been the best fighter, but he was a good guy to have around in a mystery.

Of course, the main problem that I have with this volume is the fact that it’s basically filler. The annual wasn’t really relevant and the story about the good ole days was decent, but nothing really came of it. I do applaud the final twist at the end due to how shocking and intense it is. It’s a twist that is ultimately fillerish, but having some extra back story can be a good thing I suppose. I’m expecting the plot to unfold a little more in the next volume. We really need some story progression because not much has really happened since the first volume if you think about it.

The artwork is still very good and it’s what I have come to expect from the series. We don’t have a lot of fight scenes in this volume, but the art even helps the brief skirmishes that we get. Optimus Prime’s ground slam on one of the villains was pretty epic. Narration is also benefited by the art because it makes reading the text bubbles a lot easier since the drawings in the background are so crisp. Hopefully the art will stay this good for future volumes.

Overall, this was a pretty good Transformers comic. The stakes were definitely a lot lower than usual and the plot didn’t really move, but maybe it was good for a change of pace. This collection was definitely a lot lighter than the last one and it made for a fun read. It’s not quite as interesting, but it’s interesting enough to keep you entertained. Thanks in part to the art and the characters who are participating in the action. I would recommend reading the first two volumes before this one even if most of the issues are a story of the past. It’s just more enjoyable if you know who the story tellers are and why they’re even here. Whirl gets to appear, but it’s a very small role which is why he didn’t get his own paragraph earlier. I definitely recommend this to all comic readers!

Overall 7/10

Transformers More Than Meets The Eye Volume 2 Review

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Volume 2 continues the saga as many more plots are unveiled. Transformers is as huge as it ever was with a big film coming out and all of these comics that have popped up. Not to mention that they still have the ongoing Rescue Bots TV show and another one coming soon. This comic series takes place after the legendary Autobot vs Decepticon war finally ended and we get to see how Rodimus’ group is handling things. This comic would have been really fun except it really jumps from one tone to the next. It can be really happy and then become very dark in an instant. This didn’t work for More Than Meets The Eye.

The plot is a little tricky because of all the various plots that are lying around. This volume brought 5 comics and I shall try to mention most of the big plots since each issue usually focuses on one in particular. In one of the comics; Ratchet is worried because his hands aren’t working as well as they used to. Then he gets a message from an Autobot area so he goes with a few other robots to see what’s happening. It turns out that a plague is infecting all of the residents there, but it must have been deliberately started. Who would do such a thing!? Meanwhile, a lot of robots are on the run from the Decepticon Justice Division. They like to hunt down Decepticons that turned their back on the cause or are just deemed unworthy. A group of Decepticon survivers known as the Scavengers have been doing all right on their own. They haven’t heard that the war is over and they have no idea who won. So, they are playing it safe and are prepared to make the journey home. That is….if they can survive an encounter with the DJD!

Back on the ship; an old Autobot legend suffers from a big breakdown and he decides to take it over. He takes two Autobots hostage and tells Rodimus to take them back to Cybertron. Rodimus doesn’t want to do this since he needs to find those legendary knights already. He may have to make the toughest decision yet, but he’ll need to be careful because the hostages aren’t very durable. Elsewhere, one Autobot decides to open a bar, which could bring trouble at some point. There’s also an Autobot who wants to be a Decepticon so Rodimus and Ultra Magnus would like a few words with him. Cyclonus also appears briefly and he definitely doesn’t seem trust worthy.

I have to say that Drift is easily the best Autobot in this comic and one of the best overall. His sword techniques are swift and he continues to prove that he’s one of their best fighters. I would have liked for him to have gotten a bigger role, but it’s good enough as a starting point. There aren’t many Transformers who use swords so it’s always a good change of pace. In a way, Drift keeps the Autobots from losing their place in the grand scheme of things.

Rodimus Prime gets a pretty small role, but he is still the leader so I’m sure that he’ll get some props. He handled the Autobot pretty well when they speak about him changing sides. Rodimus’ strategy for freeing the hostages was a little on the dicey side and he doesn’t mind destroying comrades who’ve lost it so I can’t say that he’s as compassionate as Optimus. That being said; few are at this point. All of the Transformers are willing to win at any price and if Optimus were still around; there’s a chance that he would be like that as well. They haven’t been on Earth in a while; which could have helped them to lose their compassion.

Ultra Magnus gets a decent role and he’s not a bad guy. He’s pretty serious about the rules, but Ultra Magnus was being pretty considerate about it. I would probably like him to do some more fighting at some point, but there hasn’t been much action for the main squad. Perhaps in the next volume.

Whirl is also one of the more likable Autobots in this volume. He definitely doesn’t get one of the happier situations, but he takes it in stride for the most part. He’s constantly talking back to his oppressor and he never gives in. It would have been nice to see him get more of a fair fight, but the important thing is that he tried. Whirl’s design is also pretty fun and I can’t say that I recognize him from any other Transformers media that I’ve encountered. Well, it’s good to meet a new Transformer!

I’m not going to address the Autobot who goes crazy by name for obvious spoiler reasons, but he still gets a pretty big role so I felt that he deserved his own paragraph. It was pretty surprising to see how much this guy has changed, but it’s just another reminder of how dark the times have gotten for the heroes. It feels like almost everyone has been traumatized by some sort of event or are just being super cheerful to pretend that none of it is happening. I can’t say that this comic will help me gain any respect for this Autobot and I’m just glad that he has appeared a lot in other media so that I can still like him in the long run.

Ratchet is one of the few main characters that I really know from the TV shows. He’s always had a big role so it’s good to see that he’s still got it. He’s starting to feel his age and it makes sense since Ratchet is one of the originals. Soon, he may need to pass on the medical torch to someone else. At least he does pretty well for himself in this comic. He’ll never be one of my favorites, but he’s a good character and that’s good enough for me.

As the volume cover insinuates; this is a pretty dark time for the Transformers and the villains get to call a lot of the shots. That’s where the comic drove itself down a few pegs. The dark tone of the comic may not be out of place in itself, but it goes way too far. If all of the deeds were happening to humans instead of robots; the rating would likely be lower. There is basically one torture per chapter. It just keeps on happening. Autobots or Decepticons are isolated and then they have to endure this for long periods of time until they’re put out of their misery. A group of Decepticons messed with one guy for ages as they melted him; ate him; and then started blasting him.

It’s not something that you really need to see in a comic; especially over and over and over again. If I’ve said it once then I’ve said it many times, but comics, shows, movies, and games are for fun and escapism. Dark or Light themes work, but not something to unnecessarily drastic. It’s not fun to see the villains get away with so much and it’s easy worse when a “hero” does it. (Hange) They may be robots, but they apparently still have pain sensors and they seem to have a lot of energon to spill out. Transformers has gotten more gritty over the years and even Transformers 3 is an example of this. It makes you miss the good ole G1 days. Grimlock’s situation is also pretty sad, but it’s not terrible if you’ve only read this comic. Seeing how it happened would likely be another story.

It’s a shame because the actual plots are very interesting. It’s impressive to see the author juggle so many characters across various planets. It’s part of why the Transformers Multiverse has always been so interesting. There are always more characters to read about and the adventures never end. This series may be trying to be modern and appeal to a new crowd, but it just needs to find its roots and go back to the glory days.

The art is very good for this collection and I would say that it’s far better than any art that I’ve seen in recent comics. All of the character designs are spot on the backgrounds have a lot of detail. This volume may have its weaknesses, but artwork is definitely not one of them. From fight scenes to conversations; the art only helps to enhance the comic and make it more enjoyable. Art will always be a critical factor in a comic.

Overall, More Than Meets the Eye may have seemed like a decently cheerful series in the last volume, but it’s done a complete 180. Without popular characters like Optimus Prime, Megatron, Bumble Bee, Soundwave, Starscream, Wheeljack, and others; it’s up to the next generation characters to hold up the fort. Most of them are pretty good so that isn’t a problem, but I expect the Autobots to start fighting back in the next volume. They need to stop all of this senseless destruction from happening and create the peace that they’ve been fighting for. Volume 3 needs to lighten up on the tone a bit and get back to the fun action that the franchise is known for. I’m confident that it will step things up. Aside from the excessive violence; this comic was still pretty fun and its interesting to see where all of the plots will end up. This is definitely something that most Transformers fans will want to read since you will be missing out on a lot of plots if you skip it. That being said; if you don’t like to see the Transformers go through a lot of pain; then you may want to stick with the main Regeneration series (Light hearted for now anyway) or take a chance on the next volume. It appears to be a dark hour for both sides of Transformers so I don’t know how the author plans to help them get out of this hole. The legendary knights may be needed after all.

Overall 5/10

Transformers vs GI Joe Review

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It’s time for another one of the Free comics from this year’s event. This comic is the start of a whole new series where these two popular franchises will duke it out. Since it is the first issue; we don’t get to see them fight all that much, but it is the set up. It also serves as an alternate retelling for both sides so that the continuity fit. Unfortunately, the art and character personalities take the comic down a few notches.

The plot involves the Joes as they are taking down a Cobra base and thoroughly enjoying it. None of them are actually taking it seriously, but Cobra is still pretty confident since things are going according to plan. The plan changes a little because Bumblebee and Starscream are duking it out. The Decepticon has a pretty huge advantage and explosions ripple across the area. Will the Joes be able to finish off Cobra Commander and still have enough energy left to take on a Decepticon?

The plot itself is decent, but the dialogue can be a little painful. Duke and Snake Eyes spend most of their screen time flirting with Scarlet. It’s sad enough that such an epic commander like Duke would be doing this while on a mission of life and death, but Snake Eyes? Snake Eyes is supposed to be the quiet and tough ninja that does what must be done. Not only does he ditch the mask, but Snake Eyes talks a lot. He makes many puns and jokes while showing off the fact that he’s not as professional as he used to be. Snake Eyes gets a lot of hype for his reasoning skills, but then he throws an ordinary grenade at a huge robot. I don’t believe that this was a very smart move.

The ending is pretty sad for the heroes. Bumblebee has a pretty sad fate in store for him and the Joes have a man down. Hopefully, Duke will bounce back from this and look good again. That way, the rest of the Joes can follow suit. The first issue is supposed to make you want to pick up the series, but I can’t say that this one did anything for me. It just wasn’t that fun to read.

The artwork is pretty bad and at times it feels as if it’s a fan comic. I really have to say that the art is some of the most underwhelming that I have seen in ages and the bandages scene was particularly hard to look at. I actually had to make sure that this was the official comic as I was reading it. Art is something that can really help a comic if done right and these drawings just bring the issue down.

Overall, Transformers vs GI Joe may have just been called GI Joe: Attack on Cobra! The Transformers cross paths with the Joes for a second, but they’re mainly involved in completely different plots. Naturally, this is because it’s only the first issue, but it doesn’t change the fact that we didn’t get a whole lot of interaction. I wouldn’t pick up the next issues based on this one and I definitely wouldn’t recommend it to the casual reader. Start off with the Transformers and New Avengers crossover instead.

Overall 5/10

Skyward Midnight Tiger Review

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It’s another one of the Free Comic Books from this year’s big event! This issue features two stories and I can safely say that the second one was a lot more fun than the first. The Midnight Tiger is just a great concept and the first one lacked that…epic feeling I suppose. It’s mostly a flashback with someone explaining how things got this drastic. Intriguing for some, but it didn’t work for me. Since it is only a single issue, I don’t get invested enough to learn all of their names so I won’t be using them, but if I ever read a sequel; then I will do so. All right, time to launch into them!

The first story involves one of the 4 legendary Berserkers. These guys are tough as nails and they are virtually invincible. Unfortunately, one of them is quickly defeated and he is actually dying. Before he passes away, he tells the kids that they will be the new chieftains of the group. He also drops the shocking fact that the 4 Berserkers used to be one group until a group of strangers came in and completely annihilated them. Confused and hurt; the four of them split away and became enemy tribes. The issue ends with the kids deciding that no outsiders will ever be welcome there just as the real main character is about to head inside with his pet dog and cyborg pal.

The issue would have been a little more fun if we had gotten to enjoy a nice fight. Maybe we could have seen how this legendary Berserker was injured. I also would have liked some more screentime for the kid and his dog. The problem with the whole issue being about the story is that stories don’t work if we don’t really care about the characters as of yet. We are told that the Berserkers are tough, but since one has already been defeated….I just don’t buy it. The art wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t anything amazing either. The series looks like it could be a fun read, but I am a little worried since a dog will be one of the main characters.

The other story is a lot better and it’s about a kid who lives in a world that is infested by heroes. There’s even an app that lets you know if a metahuman brawl is about to take place. One day, the kid tries to help a hero take down one of the super villains and he gets fatally injured for this. The hero manages to transfer his powers into the kid, but will this be the right decision? The main character loves his new found abilities and he quickly develops a costume so that he can assist the heroes and save the world!

Well, this one was definitely a lot better. I didn’t like the main character because he is so quick to lie to his father and test out his new powers. It was a scene that was expected, but still pretty unheroic. He assured his dad several times that he wouldn’t get out of bed and he immediately goes outside and starts to jump around. Aside from that, I do like the concept a lot and I’m always up for some more heroes. The designs for both the hero and the villain were decently good and the art is also pretty solid. This is a good way to get new readers on board and I would definitely have some good expectations for the series based on this. We even have the government involved!

Overall, this was a good batch of stories thanks to the second one. The first one could have used a little more danger and excitement. The second one was really good because it was a well rounded story that had solid artwork and a very good universe around it. I would recommend giving the Midnight Tiger a shot since it could be the next big thing.

Overall 6/10

Kaboom Summer Blast Review

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Kaboom is pretty impressive because it brings a lot of short stories. Each one is from a different Cartoon Network show or just a cool comedy series that deserved to be around. Although, since it has more stories than usual, each of them are also very short. One of the advantages of having a lot of stories is that there is more of a chance of a good one sneaking in. On the other hand, we can also get a lot of comics that will make you want to go and pick up a pair of pizza burgers to help you forget about them. It’s time to see if this comic was worth the hype!

First off was a few pages from Herobear and the Kid! The art was really bad for this comic, which was a turnoff for me. Beyond that, the story wasn’t bad. A kid’s stuffed animal is actually Herobear and he’s called into action, which breaks up his gaming time. There’s no time to worry about that as it’s off to the races for our young hero! It was a decent story, but extremely short and not very exciting.

The next story was for Adventure Time and the two heroes decided to go to a swamp area. Finn had been complaining that he had gone to every part of the globe, but Jake did not agree. This area was pretty tricky since it is easy to fall underwater. Finn and Jake talk with the locals and then they leave. We didn’t get much in the way of a plot or action. It was an all right comic I suppose…but nothing to tip my hat off to.

Steven Universe was up next and his comic was more of a tragedy than the others. A shapeshifter turned into one of his comics and then his allies decide to tear them all up in order to find him. Will Steven ever forgive the heroes for destroying all of his comics? I don’t know, but if I were Steve…I’d think pretty carefully about that one. The heroes were pretty mean about the whole affair after all. They didn’t seem to be very remorseful at all! The art was pretty good for this comic so that’s a plus.

Most of the stories are very small, but the next two were even smaller than the rest! We got a few pages for the Gumball series! The main character’s friend wanted to wear a pair of pants, but they don’t fit. How will the two friends ever be as cool as each other if their wardrobe can’t match? Meanwhile, in an Uncle Grandpa story, a pizza deludes itself into thinking that he is sick with Coolitis. The truth hits him pretty hard. The Gumball story had some good art so it quickly defeated the Pizza story. That being said, the actual pizza was pretty hardcore and he was a likable main character.

We also had a Regular Show comic that had the most action from the pack. Rigby ends up stealing a magical die that can make things become real. His friend wants Rigby to return it, but then they decide to start using it for personal gain. Greed triumphs over friendship and they turn on each other. A dragon is awakened during their heated battle and now they’re going to have to try and live through this! Their is a climatic battle when one of their friends tries to fight the dragon. It’s definitely intense and the dragon means business. This story was probably the best one in the collection. I’m always up for a fight!

Peanuts had a comic where Snoopy acknowledges that he is actually a famous author. Unfortunately, coming up with a starting point for his story is tough since he has writer’s block. He decides to take his frustration out on his apprentice until a good story comes up. Will the apprentice be able to come up with a story that satisfies Snoopy? This comic was pretty enjoyable and I’ve always been a fan of Snoopy. Snoopy is just awesome in everything that he does. He’s a real hero!

Finally, we end the comic with a story about Garfield. Garfield is watching people break world records on TV when a startling record comes up. It’s for the cutest cat! Garfield’s friend doesn’t like that and he hurries off to make them redo the award. Foul play is involved, but Garfield’s friend knows that it’s okay since anything goes in such a battle. Meanwhile, Garfield gets hungry and he sets off in search of dinner. This was another fun story, although the art wasn’t the best.

Overall, this was a good collection of comics. Some were definitely better than others, but I wouldn’t say that any of them were really bad. The last few comics were particularly strong and I was glad to see Snoopy. Garfield was also fun and the art was good for most of the comics. I’d recommend this to fans who don’t really know which series to buy. It gives you a nice preview of each of them so that may help to clear your mind. I definitely recommend continuing with Peanuts or Garfield despite Regular Show having the best comic. Those two just have so much potential that it’s scary!

Overall 6/10

2014 Bongo Free For All Review

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Bongo is essentially a tradition as far as free comics go. It’s around every year and that’s pretty impressive. I’m not a huge fan of the Simpsons, but I figured that the comic would have some good wisecracks at the very least. This issue brought a few stories to help beef up the replay value. Time to see if the effort was worth it!

The first main story deals with two kids talking about superheroes. They really want to get super powers, but for very different reasons. One of them want to get powers so that he won’t be bullied anymore and the other one just thinks that it would be cool. Unfortunately, super powers typically come from accidents so they’re going to have to manufacture a few of those. It will test their friendship and their commitment to come out on top!

We also have an issue about a rich millionaire who is actually a pretty hardcore guy. His butler mysteriously vanished after entering the millionaire’s cave many hours ago. Our brave “hero” heads after the butler. Along the way we meet The Hobbit and a few other familiar faces. They all tremble at the site of the dictator and the millionaire is on a first name basis with everyone. Is he a super nice guy or is he even meaner than he looks? That’s the real question that we have to ask ourselves.

Finally, we have a comic with a mad scientist professor who talks to everyone about parallel universes. The kids already know about them because of comic books so they’re understandably upset. Before the Professor can enlighten them, he is transported to an alternate dimension. Will his science expertise be enough to combat the monsters that reside in this dimension!? There is also a plot twist involving a comic book character that arrives to help. The plot twist may wreck the character, but it is intriguing.

The art for the comic is pretty good and you won’t have any trouble in keeping up with the action. The stories all vary in terms of epicness, but the second one was my favorite. It’s always fun to get a bunch of homages crammed into a few pages and the main character was pretty intense. He was mean to the butler, but nice to everyone else. It makes you wonder just how noble he truly is!

The comic about the superpowers was good, but I don’t see why the two kids are friends. One of them forced the other one to get stung by bees and he also stood by as the bullies defeated the friend. The Dad was hardcore since he reminded them that you don’t need super powers to be tough, but the ending made that part as little iffy. It was still a fun comic. The final comic wasn’t quite as good. It was actually pretty fun for a while, but the very ending was pretty sad. It’s not a great way to end such a spectacular epic full of mystery and intrigue. Well….the comic wasn’t that intense, but it still had a decent start.

Overall, fans of the Simpsons should enjoy the comic. Comedy fans should also be pleased with all of the inside jokes and comedy scenes. If you’re looking for action, then this isn’t really the comic for you. The issue is decent, but spending money on it would be a questionable decision. You may be better off waiting for a trade paperback. I’m not a fan of the Simpsons on principle so I would sooner go and check out the Sonic comic series. Actually….I’d probably do that anyway!

Overall 5/10

Spongebob Freestyle Funnies 2014 Review

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Spongebob is iconic for his show’s great theme song and his will to never give up. You can typically expect a fun comic out of this living sponge and my hopes were basically average for the comic. This one brings a few stories in it. More is almost always better so Spongebob was off to a good start. The issue was definitely a lot thicker than most of the other free comics. I opened the issue and it was off to the races!

The fist comic has Spongebob and Patrick annoying Squidward for fun. They decided that he is the best neighbor and they plan to keep on reminding him of this. Squidward decides that he has no choice, but to make the ultimate sacrifice. To get away from his loud neighbors….Squidward is going to move away. It’s a humbling experience for them all and the issue may bring a few tears to your eyes….maybe. We also have a comic where Spongebob teaches Patrick how tough it is to make a comic book. They decide to make their own comics and then things get interesting!

Finally, we also have a comic with Mermaid Man and his sidekick…Barnacle Boy! Tensions arise when a new hero appears and calls herself Mermaid Girl. Barnacle Boy is jealous because he never thought to call himself Mermaid Boy and he feels like she is taking away his role as the sidekick. He had been really overconfident for most of the comic, but now he must stay alert. They are up against a sinister villain named Octopus Doctor and he doesn’t pull any punches. Barnacle Boy must learn to work together with others if the heroes are to succeed.

The art for the comic is pretty good and it makes the comic easy to read. We actually got a fight scene thanks to the story about the heroes, which was a nice surprise. There was also a moment of danger in the Squidward comic since his house comes under attack. It may not be a whole lot of action, but it’s enough to make things interesting. This comic was pretty fun and that’s really what I was hoping for. This comic succeeded and that’s always a good thing.

Overall, this comic did a good job of showing the main characters and developing their personalities.This comic could help someone get interested in watching the show and that’s the overall mission of the comic. I’m sure that many people won’t like Barnacle Boy since he’s pretty self centered and he doesn’t play well with others, but he still has time to improve. Mermaid Man was pretty good because he’s a noble hero and he practically mocks Barnacle Boy at the end. Spongebob is a good character even if he was a little mean to Squidward in the beginning. I would recommend checking this comic out if you like the series or just want to read a fun comic. That being said, I wouldn’t spend any money on the issue and for an excellent comedy….you may want to check the TV.

Overall 5/10