Transformers: Dark Cybertron #1 Review

By Edward on Tuesday, November 5th, 2013

So, after plenty of foreshadowing, build-up and just-plain letting you know, Transformers: Dark Cybertron #1 is here. So, after enough preludes, is the actual cross over any good?

The official description from IDW:

THE END OF EVERYTHING! SHOCKWAVE makes a move millions of years in the planning—an ultimate plan to remake Cybertron and destroy both the Autobots and Decepticons! Bringing together the casts of the hit MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE and ROBOTS IN DISGUISE for the first time in two years!

Well I’ve read it twice now and it’s a blur. This isn’t a good thing, the title feels as if its shifting worlds and simply making things happen to advance the plot. So much happens, such as Pax meeting up with Rodimus (unsurprising, but it literally happens between two panels and isn’t really explained how or why) and general all round issues that either don’t make sense or are just shoehorned in. Heck, let’s just go and throw the Dinobots in for the sake of it, too. Likewise, the overbearing arch with Shockwave uses so much backstory and complications that it’s not the easiest to understand.

In terms of actual writing, John Barber and James Roberts offer plenty of fan service, with certain characters (ala Rodimus) acting up as fans would expect. That said, this charming nature doesn’t suit the serious tone it tries to set at the best of times. The dialogue is fine, for the most part, but the quick, cramped pacing overshadows many, many factors.

Visually, however, Transformers: Dark Cybertron #1 holds its A-game. The prologue is done by Brendan Cahill and J.P Bove, with a style unique enough to set it apart and help separate two areas of the title. For the most part, the art by Andrew Griffith and Josh Perez is the typical style expected from More Than Meets The Eye and Robots In Disguise, yet it seems to be up a notch. This might be due to the wider, epic vistas and scenes or extra attention on shading and detail – even in wider backgrounds, there’s no large area of flat color – giving it extra pop.

In short, it looks better than it reads. I have hopes for the cross-over, but it’s got to do better than this.

2.5/5

S#!T Talking Central

Jeff

This comic confused me to the point I lost interest and had to take a break halfway through. It might be because I only read ‘More Than Meets the Eye’, but I have no idea what’s going on in this issue.
- Edward Marsh
  
  Thanks for the input – I did find it very, very confusing, but I cover and review both More Than Meets The Eye and Robots In Disguise, and that didn’t help. It just dregs up so much back-back-backlore that only the real long-time readers are going to remember it – for everything else, it feels too much like research. More Than Meets The Eye had plenty of charm, with a small cast and a narrative that works, all of which is kind of stripped away here.