Transformers Revenge of the Fallen Prequel: Alliance #1-4/TPB

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NOTE: Alliance threads now merged due to low traffic.
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The first of a few upcoming RotF prequel books to be released begins here. This is your all purpose Transformers Revenge of the Fallen Movie Prequel: Alliance #1 reaction and discussion thread.

Due to ship December 18th.

[Nevermore]

I liked how Mowry managed to nail down the personalities and speech mannerisms of the movie characters. Macho Ironhide showing off his firepower, Lennox' sarcasm, Sam being often nervous and angsty and yelling, Ratchet's scientific approach to everything... Best line of the issue: "I want you BOTH. No, not in that kind of way." (Simmons)

Would have helped if the following lines had been placed in a separate word ballon, though.

Art... well, it's still Milne, but he did improve as compared to the Movie Adaptation. Hardly a panel where you had to look twice to understand what was going on (though I still say it wouldn't hurt if Milne used different line thickness), and the humans more or less resembled their screen counterparts. Mikaela was a pretty convincing Megan Fox, Sam looked more or less like Shia, Lennox varied from panel to panel, and the only real letdowns were Epps and Simmons.

Generally a good read.

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Not too many interested in this I take it.

Admittedly, the Movie-verse doesn't excite me too much - which is odd, what I have read hasn't been particularly bad, not superb mind you, but not bad either. Here was pretty much the same case. An alright follow up to Reign of Starscream (as well as the first movie related books), but it is still an introductory issue. It sets the stage, and nothing more. The only (notable) big reveal is learning the fate of Wreckage, something that had been left dangling following the earlier prequel comics, which appears to tie in with an upcoming encounter with Starscream (still on the moon since RoS). Lennox's involvement so far looks to be promising, which surprises me considering that these military-type characters have irritated me to no end in other books. Annnnd.....yeah, there's not really much else I can say about it, I'm afraid.

A 3 out of 5, I'd say.

[wolfbolt86]

I do like it so far, but I really haven't been following the movie's comics. I just got the RoS trade the other week. Both are good, but I'm not into the movie comics for some reason.

[Blitzwing]

I finally got around to reading this. I liked it, because unlike RoS, it actually felt like a sequel to the movie. It followed the human characters, who actually had more than one line in the movie, rather than Starscream, who could barely be considered a supporting charcter.

So far, so good. The art is ok for Milne, those movie designs really can't be made to look that great on paper. I'm looking forward to see where this goes.

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Promising a Strascream vs Wreckage battle, this is your all purpose Transformers Revenge of the Fallen Movie Prequel: Alliance #2 reaction and discussion thread.

Talk.

The second issue of the long titled prequel book is due to hit the shelves January 14th.

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Is anyone reading these? Not much traffic here. If not, I may just create a single Alliance thread (sort of like what was done with the Titan/Saga of the Allspark thread).

[inflatable dalek]

I will be but can't get hold of them till the end of the week. But it does seem a bit dead so merging may be the best idea.

[Brimstone]

I just picked up #2 this weekend. It's kind of interesting that it is starting out right after the movie, it feels like only weeks, if even that, but it has to be somewhat longer than that because Reign of Starscream has already happened. And now Soundwave has shown up (although it's really difficult to figure out who's saying what on the last page).

But if Soundwave is already here, and Sam and Mikela are supposed to be in college in the next movie (which makes it like 2 or 3 years later...provided Sam was 16 in the previous movie)...it just seems like a bit of a jump. Maybe something will happen in the next two issues to bring us forward, I guess. But so far, minus the Soundwave stuff, it's been not very interesting.

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Again, I hate to say it, but it’s the same case as it was with the last issue, and really with most of the movieverse books that I’ve read – it wasn’t bad by any means, it was just okay. There’s nothing outstandingly good or bad about the series, it just hasn’t done enough for me to get enthusiastic about it. Does get a few points for the first (I think, though I could be wrong) movie sequel character (Soundwave) making an appearance in TF media - albeit concealed in shadow.

I do have one quibble though - while Allaince seems to take place almost immediately after the movie and fits nicely enough into continuity (which works in favor for the upcoming flick), Reign’s placement, however, fits in awkwardly in the scheme of things. For those who aren’t following, here’s a recap up to this point - following the battle at the end of the first movie, Starscream retreats to concoct some plan, sticks around Earth awhile afterwards to retrieve Frenzy’s remains, goes to Mars, then to Cybertron to construct his own Allspark and nearly conquers the planet, his plan flops due to Dreadwing’s betrayal, eventually finding himself defeated and back on the moon, just in time to return to Earth just before Megatron’s remains are dumped into the ocean to brawl with Wreckage. I suppose it’s conceivable that Starscream was able to accomplish the aforementioned plan in what seems in only a few weeks, but it definitely requires the stretching of the imagination.

[inflatable dalek]

Thoughts on the first two issues: The big problem that the bulk of the "story so far" hasn't really been a ROTF Prequel at all. Before Soundwave shows up on the penultimate page it's less about setting up new storylines that tie into the film and more about wrapping up the dangling loose end that is Wreckage. Considering no one really cared about that to start with it's hard to get very excited. Hopefully now that's been dealt with the next issue can actually start the story of this comic.

It was nice to see Simmons getting written more in character, but the rest of Sector 7 are still to dull and pro faced comparison to their movie portrayal. Everyone else was pretty much just there rather than hugely memorable. I do wish they'd let someone other than bloody Milne darw the Movie comics as well. So many people on the Titan comic have shown the film designs can work great on paper, so why do they keep going to the main guy who can't handle them?

All in all enjoyable but throwaway. And IDW still haven't managed a comic that feels like the same tone as the film.

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The long titled prequel continues. This is your all purpose Transformers Revenge of the Fallen Movie Prequel: Alliance #3 reaction and discussion thread,

Now, you run off and have fun.

Tentatively scheduled to arrive February 18th. It is still up in the air whether or not IDW titles will be shipped on schedule this week, but stay tuned for confirmation.

In the meantime, check out the 5-page preview @ Ryall Time.

EDIT: Diamond confirms it is out this week.

[Brimstone]

Did anyone pick this up this week? Like Max Dinos, my local store said this doesn't come out until the 25th. Did anyone receive this "on time?"

[inflatable dalek]

I picked my copy up yesterday. It's OK, but it does still feel very much like the actual plot ended last issue and there's some slightly desperate winging going on here. I'd also be surprised if these large scale Decepticon attacks will get a mention in the film.

[MeGrimlock]

I got my copy friday (and it was amazingly on schedule!) together with MD #3.

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Got around to reading this, and I'm afraid I will have to echo what I have already said about the previous two issues - not necessarily bad, just kind of average. So far, it really does not feel like this part of the upcoming movie, but rather just tying up a few loose ends here and there from the previous movie (both the film and the comics). It does however set up the Human/Autobot alliance premise that has been hinted at for the upcoming flick, but it's kind of incidental and not essential reading, especially when compared to back-story of Defiance (which I also just read). Though Bludgeon gets a cameo and Fracture (yeah, the Gobot homage) makes a rather surprise appearance here, there’s really not a whole lot else to get excited about it. Also thought the various exchanges between the characters felt a lot like padding, and struck me as quite repetitive - I mean, they basically manage find multiple ways of saying "We have to work together" or "We have to trust one another".

Just plodding along so far. Defiance, at this stage, seems like the safest bet.

3 out of 5.

[inflatable dalek]

I'm also hoping this isn't the direction the film itself is going to go in with Simmons (if he's in it), I'd prefer him as the big numpty in charge rather than a bitter traitor.

I'm surprised we haven't had the Australlian women get a send off yet, considering her absence from ROTF you'd think that'd be natural territory for this.

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Transformers Revenge of the Fallen: Alliance #4 is scheduled for release March 24th.

Tell us what you thought.

Preview for the final issue is up for viewing at comicscontinuum.com.

Mirrored

[inflatable dalek]

I'm still not sure what the actual plot was. It just seemed to be a random collection of "This gets a mention in the film so let's just show it" moments.

[Catalyst Dragon]

I found them to be generally a good read. I liked the characterization in them and the art was decent.