Transformers Spotlight: Cliffjumper

Post by **zigzagger** » Mon Jun 15, 2009 10:11 pm

It's Cliffjumper's turn to stand under the limelight this time around. Same as always, this is your all purpose Transformers Spotlight: Cliffjumper reaction and discussion thread. Scheduled to arrive on shelves June 17th.

Come, tell us what you thought.

Preview pages are up for viewing @ comicscontinuum.com.

Commander Shockwav · Post by **Commander Shockwav** » Thu Jun 18, 2009 2:54 pm

Not sure what to think about this.

It was okay. A fun little story with some nice moments, but quite generic.

I mean, it wasn't bad, and it accomplished what spotlights usually do in providing us with a character-focused tale that is not dependent on the main title story. Any time the Transformer's war is portrayed as being galaxy-spanning, it can only be a plus in my book.

But it just seemed like a comic version of an episode of the cartoon, only a little more mature. Even the coloring was right out of Sunbow. Maybe this was the intent.

The dialogue was good and I really like IDW's version of Cliffy. Gun-toting spunkster type.

Wish he would have utilized that classic glass-gun though.

Art was mediocre, and again, the coloring was annoyingly Sunbowish.

Perhaps most annoying was the treatment of the Decepticons. As a poster on the IDW site states "I don't care how generic your generic Decepticons are. There is no way Cliffjumper wins against half a dozen well-armed Cons in a straight firefight in an open field in broad daylight.
And there literally is no way he wins. It happens off-panel. Surprise, surprise. "

My sentiments exactly.

I think I'm coming to appreciate more and more the limitations of spotlights. There's only so much a writer can achieve in 20-something pages.

Yeah, I think it's safe to say I'm ready for an ongoing.

Give it a "B-". Somewhat fun, but ultimately, throw-away like the Mirage and Sixshot spotlights

Red Dave Prime · Post by **Red Dave Prime** » Fri Jun 19, 2009 4:50 pm

I want to like this more then I do. In line with IDW stuff in general the basis is sound enough but no meat is put on the bones here. The aliens are so one-dimenesional its absurd. A plot focusing on cliffjumper being accepted by say a village of the aliens only to have that said village destoyed by his battle with the genericons would have furthered the "everyone else in the galaxy hates the transformers" idea that was touched on in Spotlight:drift.

IDW - where editorial direction is optional...

Post by **zigzagger** » Sat Jun 20, 2009 3:20 am

Nothing really wrong with it, per se. It has its charm. But, while I tend to enjoy these filler, diversionary sort of tales for being good opportunities to further develop a character, it feels like there’s a better story just aching to burst free. The story starts off promising enough, has an element of tragedy and is even quite touching, but it doesn’t really cover any new ground or reveal much about Cliffjumper himself.

Average. There was some potential here that, I'm sorry to say, just didn’t quite go where it needed to. Still, a nice and sweet little tale.

3 out of 5.

Post by **Denyer** » Mon Jun 22, 2009 8:11 pm

I don't really have a problem with the easy slaughter of a bunch of Decepticon nobodies... if the "big name characters" are going to survive for millions of years, it's preferable that they do so because they're really good at what they do and pull off critical hits on a routine basis.

SNAP would've been a better sound effect than KZAM. The story's already OTT (rather like some of the jokier Marvel UK ones) and features Cliffjumper thumping in a grave marker with a Decepticon head... that and the whole "little red guy? **** get a gun!" skit plus most of the earlier dialogue mean that there's not any real pathos on offer, so SNAP would fit right in.

I still think Blurr's the best spotlight McCarthy has done, but as preteen anime snuff goes this was pretty fun.

3/5.

Halfshell · Post by **Halfshell** » Tue Jun 23, 2009 12:01 pm

I'm getting quite irritated at having to fork out the cost of a full price comic to get a strip that once would have been five black and white pages tucked away as a bonus with a proper story.

Cliffjumper · Post by **Cliffjumper** » Tue Jun 23, 2009 12:09 pm

Pfff, I remember when they used to do characterisation in the main stories rather than having a sideline book to artificially inject it... The whole Spotlight idea reminds me of the second series of the kids' show, where Grapple or Powerglide or someone would get an episode revolving around their dangerous personality issues, then **** off to the background to yell "You said it, Prime!" and "Take that, Decepti-crumb!" every now and then. I guess McCarthy would take that as a compliment, actually.

Is there any point in an ongoing seeing as both writer and company seem creatively bankrupt?

Halfshell · Post by **Halfshell** » Tue Jun 23, 2009 12:34 pm

Cliffjumper wrote:I guess McCarthy would take that as a compliment, actually.

And herein lies the ****ing problem. The level of the kids' cartoon genuinely seems to be something for the comics to aspire to right now.

Terome · Post by **Terome** » Tue Jun 23, 2009 11:33 pm

Ah. I thought, judging by the preview, that this one would turn out to be all right. I was willing to quash the screaming voice in my head that cranks up whenever ape-descendent aliens turn up in fiction and give it a fair shake, but the pill labelled IT DOESN'T MATTER HOW SMALL YOU ARE YOU CAN STILL BE HARDCORE AND HAVE DEEP DEEP FEELINGS is a bitter one to swallow.

I really should just stop reading these.

Halfshell · Post by **Halfshell** » Wed Jun 24, 2009 1:08 pm

Terome wrote:but the pill labelled IT DOESN'T MATTER HOW SMALL YOU ARE YOU CAN STILL BE HARDCORE AND HAVE DEEP DEEP FEELINGS is a bitter one to swallow.

I really should just stop reading these.

Odds on Spotlight Metroplex basically boiling down to "it doesn't matter how big you are, you can still have feelings and a heart of gold"?

borg72 · Post by **borg72** » Wed Jun 24, 2009 2:49 pm

Acion master/Robot heroe

looks pretty, a bit cutesy, nice to have if you have it, but does nothing whatsoever, thus utterly defying the point of transformers

the problem story wise is that we haven't really got any investiture in the character to recognise whatever 'change' happens to him as a result of this. we have no clue what he was like before, and he doesnt seem much different to how he is in AHM. in short, Cliffybabes didnt get much out of this in the long run, so neither do i, really.

plot (or lack of) aside, i'm getting really sick of OH MY GOD THIS AUTOBOT IS TEH HARDCOREZ!!1!. sadly it looks like AHM 12 will be chock full of it.

dont get me wrong, it was still an enjoyable read, just ultimately forgetable.

borg72 · Post by **borg72** » Wed Jun 24, 2009 2:53 pm

Halfshell wrote:Odds on Spotlight Metroplex basically boiling down to "it doesn't matter how big you are, you can still have feelings and a heart of gold"?

well im hoping for a brooding, seething, mass of 'crush-kill-destroy' laying dormant beneath his glistening city facade, just waiting for the moment his temper is pushed beyond tipping point and all hell breaks loose

being optimistic, arent i?

snavej · Post by **snavej** » Fri Jun 26, 2009 10:21 am

It's pretty amazing how much success Cliffy has in battle across the galaxy, then finds time to contribute extensively to this website!

Xed51 · Post by **Xed51** » Wed Jul 08, 2009 9:51 pm

I liked the general idea, but it was way too generic and already seen in like 20 different anime series.
There are a few good lines tought. I didn't hate it so badly. I generally like McCarthy's spotlights more than AHM.

Zen-Aku · Post by **Zen-Aku** » Wed Jul 08, 2009 10:42 pm

after Reading the summery it I Expected Claws to suddenly pop out of Cliffjumpers Wrists and him to start calling every one bub

Post by **inflatable dalek** » Sat Jul 11, 2009 3:13 pm

Not as bad as the preview made it look like it was going to be, very slight and silly but unpretentious and probably the closest thing to a plot McCarthy has managed.

But in keeping with the machismo McCarthy theme the nice twee alien gets brutally murdered whilst we already know from AHM that despite how sad he seems at the end the macho gun totting nut will soon be cheerfully happy and having fun once more.

Cliffjumper · Post by **Cliffjumper** » Sat Aug 01, 2009 7:26 am

Anybody who paid money for this is probably feeling pretty sick about it, what with the entire plot being blatant from the preview pages. Okay, I'm exaggerating, it's blatant from the damn cover. It'd be alright if there was something approaching style. Truly stomach-turning.

Catalyst Dragon · Post by **Catalyst Dragon** » Mon Aug 03, 2009 2:24 am

My main gripe with this one is that he dosn't transform once in it.

But I have to agree with what most of you have said about it already aswell.