THE TRANSFORMERS: COMICS, BOOKS AND MANGA

TRANSFORMERS TITLES FROM TITAN BOOKS / MAGAZINES

Titan Transformers Prime #20
Reviewed by Inflatable Dalek

Tantrum is based on the G1 Predacon, the second such homage in a Chris Cooper script following the Seacons in issue 16.

This is the final issue of the Prime comic before the rebranding for Age of Extinction and a return to monthly publication for volume 5. Indeed, it must be one of the last pieces of fiction to be put out under the Prime name. Perhaps surprisingly none of the Autobots or humans appear.

Outside of the comic itself though, this is very much a Movie comic, with virtually all of the features either promoting the new film or taking a retrospective look at the previous ones.

The cover is once again bigger than normal to accommodate cut out targets for the free gift.

Starscream gets the last line.


The Age of Extinction promotion claims this is the first time Grimlock and the Dinobots have appeared on the big screen.

The feature on Movie cars calls Skids Breakdown. But it has been a while.


A Bumblebee Blaster, a small plastic Bumblebee who fires balls out of his groin.


Transformers 4 Movie News!!, Jack (from Prime, not the film) teases on the new film and its toy and computer game tie-ins;
Soundwave's Stumpers, quiz page;
Clash of the Titans! Bulkhead V Breakdown, who would win in a fight?;
Decepticons Rock!, poster of the 'Con cast;
Jackie's Jokes!, Wheeljack's favourite gags;
Mega Movie Motors!, Miko's guide to the best vehicles from the first three films;
Massive Movie Quiz, 15 questions on the original trilogy;
Mega Mouth signs off with a frankly terrifying drawing from a kid of a black faced evil Animated Optimus Prime.


Alas poor Prime, like Animated (and to be fair, most of the non-film versions of the franchise since the original, it's as if we're paying for G1 having lasted longer here than in America) it has made almost no impact at all in the UK, the toys have shelf-warmed, the cartoon has been ignored and sales for the comic have clearly not been holding steady else it would never have gone quarterly.

The Prime strips themselves have been all over the place in quality, with the entirely comic-less poster issue arguably being the nadir of all Transformers titles.

Luckily the final few issues have increased the quality and, though still not at the same level as the book's peak in 2008, have made for an entertaining kid friendly read. The conclusion of the series continues the trend with a nice story based around the gag of Starscream being surprised that someone created from him can't be trusted.

As with the last issue though, it does feel as if there's a bit too much going on for the page count, with Tantrum's death being too easy and pat for such a supposedly powerful creature as a Predacon. It's a shame the days of multipart stories are long gone.

Still, Starscream being smart enough to have prepared an alibi in advance is a nice final gag and the art from Ponce is some of the best we've seen on the comic for a long time. After an uneven run, the fourth volume gets to bow out on a relative high.

?>