Review: Transformers Prime: Rage of the Dinobots by Mike Johnson, Mairghread Scott, and Agustin Padilla

Comic PDF eBook, n. pag.
Published 2013 (contents: 2012-13)
Acquired August 2014
Read April 2019

Transformers Prime: Rage of the Dinobots

Written by Mike Johnson and Mairghread Scott
Art by Agustin Padilla
Colors by Thomas Deer
Coloring Assist by Joana Lafuente
Letters by Shawn Lee and Tom Long

This is it! Back in August 2014, I got eighteen Transformers comics out of a Humble Bundle. But thanks to two further Humble Bundles and comiXology and even buying some in hardcopy, the last one in that original Bundle was actually the fifty-ninth Transformers comic that I've read! But at last I finally made it to the end, five years later.

I do like the Aligned design for Shockwave-- it's unsettling un-human, unlike most Transformers-- but boy am I tired of reading all his schemes after IDW's main continuity.
from Transformers Prime: Rage of the Dinobots #4

Rage of the Dinobots picks up from the last book I read, Fall of Cybertron in the so-called "Aligned" continuity. The newly minted Dinobots are providing cover as the Autobots evacuate Cybertron, but when Ultra Magnus is shot down by Decepticon forces, the Dinobots break into a prison to rescue them, and end up captured once again by their old nemesis Shockwave, this time aided by his new minion, Ser-Ket, and her army of Predacons.

Farwell to you too, Ultra Magnus!
from Transformers Prime: Rage of the Dinobots #4

It's pretty generic Transformers action, to be honest, but Agustin Padilla is one of the better Transformers artists. I just think I'm Dinobotted out, and specifically John-Barber-Dinobotted out. He didn't write this, but Johnson and Scott follow his lead from Fall of Cybertron. Kind of a fizzle for the end of my big marathon, but thankfully there's bigger and better to come in still other continuities...

Next Week: Meanwhile, on Earth... it's Transformers vs. G.I. Joe!

Review: Transformers: Fall of Cybertron by John Barber and Dheeraj Verma

Comic PDF eBook, n. pag.
Published 2013 (contents: 2012)
Acquired August 2014
Read April 2019

Transformers: Fall of Cybertron

Written by: John Barber
Art by: Dheeraj Verma
Colors by: Sanjay Kharwar & Priscilla Tramontano
Letters by: Chris Mowry

After making my way through all of IDW's original continuity, I'm finally free to explore some other Transformers comics I've picked up along the way, beginning with this, the first of two stories about the Dinobots set in the so-called "Aligned" continuity, an initiative from 2010 to 2017 to create a common continuity for videogames, novels, cartoons, and of course comic books.

I have often thought one of the marks of a good leader was inability to control anger that leads to the destruction of one's own property.
from Transformers: Fall of Cybertron #1

It's a pretty typical John Barber Dinobots story. That guy loves his Dinobots, but is often unable to make me love them. Here, we see where they came from in the Aligned continuity; they were the Lightning Strike Coalition, but when they disobeyed orders to rescue one of their own, they were captured by-- who else-- Shockwave, and he experimented on them to turn them into the Dinobots, though they-- of course-- refused to work for him.

Oh, good. MORE Shockwave monologueing. I sure missed that.
from Transformers: Fall of Cybertron #4

It's okay, you know? Lots of narration, and not as fun as I think a story featuring giant robot dinosaurs ought to be. I think after Barber's frequent use of the Dinobots in the IDW continuity, he doesn't say anything here that he didn't say there. They're angry, and they don't obey the rules, but they have regrets and hidden depths. Sure.

Note: despite the title, Cybertron does not actually fall in this story. That happens in the next Aligned Dinobot story.

Next Week: Later, still on Cybertron... it's time for the Rage of the Dinobots!