TFARCHIVE FORUMS

Transformers Prime Issue 3 [Titan]

Ice Breaker.

Script: Robin Etherington.
Art: Jeremy Tiongson.
Lettering: Comicraft.

Synopsis:

The Antarctic: The Russian nuclear icebreaker NS Yamal is making its way to the US Research Station McMurdo Base to deliver family members in order to celebrate Christmas. Before they can arrive however Megatron and Starscream attack and take over the ship.

At Omega One the Autobots are attempting to celebrate Christmas themselves, but are interrupted by the arrival of a grumpy Agent Fowler who tells them about the Yamal. Prime takes Bumblebee and Ratchet with him via the Ground Bridge, leaving Bulkhead and a reluctant Arcee in charge of both the base and the children. The kids attempt to break the ice between the two Autobots through the playing of games, but the drastically different personalities of the two just cause arguments.

On the Yamal, the Autobots find the crew unconscious, knocked out by a static lance, which Starscream promptly uses on Ratchet. Megatron reveals his plan is to use the lance to overload the ship's nuclear reactors, causing a shock-wave that will both flush out all the Energon underwater and cause the extinction of mankind. Bumblebee grabs the lance himself, and throws it to Optimus who uses it to send the Decepticons packing. The Yamal arrives at McMurdo base, reuniting the families and allowing the Russian Captain to find a decent cup of American coffee.

Back at base, Ratchet is feeling better but never wants to see any ice again. Unfortunately for him, the humans have helped Arcee and Bulkhead bond by turning the main area into a giant ice rink allowing the to have skating fun. Ratchet winds up falling flat on his face.

Characters Featured:

Megatron, Starscream, Bulkhead, Jack, Miko, Arcee, Bumblebee, Raf, Ratchet, Fowler, Optimus Prime.

Notes:

The second Titan Christmas issue, the “Teach me about this Earth holiday” aspects of the plot, and the decking out of the Autobot base with decorations and a tree seem to be inspired by the fist Marvel UK holiday story Christmas Breaker (#41).

The first present day appearance of named Decepticons in the comic and the Ground Bridge.

McMurdo base is, in keeping with the random appearances of places picked on Google Earth in previous issues, a real location.

Once again the cover is larger than usual to accommodate a face mask.

Bulkhead has made some mince pies. The size of Fowler's head.

Fowler is married.

Goofs:

The increasingly frequent spelling mistakes appear. A cup of coffee is “lukwarm” and Jack at one point asks Raf “What did you have nin mind”. Bulkhead's name manages to get spelt wrong twice (once in his profile and once in the episode guide) and Miko once again becomes Mika in the Christmas wordsearch.

Fowler is only able to produce a black and white photograph of Megatron and Starscream on the boat, has he come from the 1950's?

Ratchet can seemingly only see what the reader can see when he walks into the base at the end of the issue, completely missing the large impromptu ice rink in front of him.

Fantastic Free Gift!:

A Prime Disc Blaster.

Extras:

Bulkhead Profile;
Photo Mash Up quiz;
Episode Guide Volume 1: Darkness Rising Part 3;
Competitions for (yet another) Nerf gun, Ice Age: A Mammoth Christmas DVD and a X-Ray model kit;
Kre-O Transformers, a one page comedy photo-story made using software from the Cartoon Network site;
A double sided poster of Prime and Bumblebee, the later in car mode on one side and robot on the other;
Starscream's Stumpers!;
Mega-Mouth!;
Raf's Codebreaker game;
Miko's Christmas Wordsearch.

Review:

Well, it's Christmas isn't it? We know we're going to get light frothy stuff and this doesn't confound expectations. Though some of the darker tone from last month is carried over (Prime expects all the humans on the boat to have been killed and Megatron is unashamedly attempting genocide) it's rather like stuffing too many mince pies in your mouth. The “Cute” attempts of the humans to get Bulkhead and Arcee to become friends are especially sickly.

Also, the art is unusually poor. I've no idea what Prime actually does with the static lance to Megatron and Starscream, though the area the sound effect emits from makes it look as if Megatron has been spanked on the bottom.

Though it would be harsh to call this any more than harmless, it's also firmly for the target audience and will make older fans feel... well old.

[Two and a half cubes].

But, Fowler rather explicitly has an ex-wife in the show?

Then he's either remarried, still calls her the wife by force of habit or it's not quite the cartoon Universe. Will edit in a bit pointing that out either tonight or in the morning.

Fowler had an ex-wife?

Refresh my mind, which episode did he mention it?

Blackjack wrote:Fowler had an ex-wife?

Refresh my mind, which episode did he mention it?

I'll have to rewatch Prime Season 1 to catch it again, but it was during one of his angry rants to the Autobot team. Normally this would be just something to gloss over, but I find it funny that Titan made him married just as the show is hinting at Fowler's romantic interest in Jack's mom.

Cool, I'll be making my way through the cartoon in the next few weeks so I'll add an addendum to that bit as and when I come across it.