Windblade comic discussion (starting on page 2)

[JediTricks]

Still not reading, but had a question about this series. Does it feel like it belongs in the "old" RID? In other words, political shenanigans on Cybertron? Or is it doing its own thing?

It's definitely an extension of the old RID, it's trying to keep the political element of Cybertron going in that vein while telling its mystery story within that framework.

I haven't looked myself (I'm off the wagon unintentionally) but if the art really has taken a turn for the worst, I'm not surprised. I haven't done research, but it wouldn't surprise me for someone new to TF to struggle initially with doing a monthly run of it--even a short monthly run like 4-5 issues--without having done a few one-offs and warm up issues first. Guys like Roche and Guidi didn't become great from the start, they had to build up to it.

Good point. Then again, 4 issues should really be no different than a one-off, that's a short graphic novel. But perhaps the schedule is what did her in, like you said. Here's examples from Issue 1:
http://www.tfw2005.com/transformers-new ... 821318.jpg
http://www.tfw2005.com/transformers-new ... 821318.jpg

and issue 2:
http://www.tfw2005.com/transformers-new ... 484707.jpg
http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/attachmen ... _page9.jpg

At first, they look the same, but a closer look shows a lot of differences.

I forgot to post here about it. So I finally got issues 1 and 2 and I enjoyed them both. The art looked fine to me in both issues. The biggest thing I can say about them, is that as soon as I was done reading, I wanted to read them again. It's not a deep story, but again- it's supposed to be a jumping on point for new readers. I like Windblade and Chromia (and some others) and it's all very pretty. I see everyone citing the sketchy lines and how Stone is doomed to failure and can't keep up with the workload, but I really like her art. Sketchy or no, I like her style and I like all the facial expressions and body language.

It's a good comic.

There ya go then, that's a good outlook.

[JediTricks]

Oh yeah, I forgot how fucking annoyed I was with the driving force behind the reason for all the mystery and deception:

Spoiler

someone is draining one of Shockwave's ores from Metroplex. Never mind that all the ores were obliterated at the end of Dark Cybertron when Ore-14 was thrown out of balance, apparently there's "some left over"

. Yeesh.

[Onslaught Six]

and issue 2:
http://www.tfw2005.com/transformers-new ... 484707.jpg
http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/attachmen ... _page9.jpg

At first, they look the same, but a closer look shows a lot of differences.

You're right, something about them is giving off a "sloppier" vibe than the first issue. That's a shame, because I don't actually have any direct criticisms about this art style.

[Shockwave]

Ok, so two more issues (2 and 3) and the plot still feels like it's dragging. I mean, it did advance, but I kind of feel like this could have been condensed into one issue. Also, I'm still not seeing Starscream's motivation for harassing Windblade. I mean, just let her do her job and get out of her way. This is especially vexing upon finding out that Starscream isn't responsible for the explosion and it doesn't seem like he was behind the energon draining either. Or maybe he was and I misunderstood that part. Also, I'm not liking the art. It's like watching Animated, if it was done completely with animated unfinished albeit colored storyboards. I can tell what's going on, but I don't like the way the characters look. Starscream in particular is bad since he looks almost female (no, I don't want to start THAT debate again). So far I'm not impressed with either Scott or Stone.

[JediTricks]

Issue 3 - I just finished it, and every time I try to conjure up thoughts about the book, all I can think is "oh man, what is happening to the art???" I wanted to give Stone a bounceback issue, she's new to comics entirely, but this was just messy. Although I'm not in love with her simpler style of having 2-shots with characters, generally she shows she understands the medium, but I can barely make out what's going on anymore. Perhaps it's meant to suggest how hectic things are getting in this new world for our titular character, but I don't know that I can give that much faith here, it just seems like she's running up against the deadline too hard or something. I dunno why she has to do it all herself either, she has the opportunity to use an inker and a colorist which would take a lot of the trouble off her hands, allow her to concentrate on pencils and plotting, get more dynamic with the environment (as everything feels a bit claustrophbic in panels) and the medium. If this is what season 2 is going to be like, I may have to wait until we get to trades rather than buy floppies.

Anyway, in terms of story, we get some fightin', chasin', accusin', and revelationin', all in an oddly-paced tome that could have used a panel more foundation and less chasin'. The story went almost exactly as I assumed, and I really hope that means issue 4 doesn't find one of Windblade's team being the mastermind because that would be lame right now. I was pleased with Scott's treatment of Starscream and justifying how he's stayed in power (apathy and exhaustion of the residents). While the opening half was decompressed, the second half was overly compressed but moved at an adequate-enough clip to carry across the realizations necessary for Windblade to move the story along - I'll take it because it does get us to where we need to be, but the jail stuff could have been an entire issue with more talkin' and escapin'.

Also, this issue has a few places where clarity would have been nice, like you can't have Windblade talk about how Camiens stopped using ranged weapons and switched exclusively to melee only to show Chromia almost immediately using twin pistols without addressing that.

I don't even want to grade these, they are an interesting experiment and I hope to see the art quality improve - I don't care that much about the style, but the art quality really needs to step back up to keep me. Story is feeling very much like a decompressed one-shot or even a spotlight, and that's too bad because it's all we've got of Cybertron right now (and who knows by issue 4).

This is especially vexing upon finding out that Starscream isn't responsible for the explosion and it doesn't seem like he was behind the energon draining either. Or maybe he was and I misunderstood that part.

Starscream is responsible for the Ore filtering, but not the other stuff. My theory is that it appears

Spoiler

Metroplex himself

may be responsible for the energon-draining, which would leave only the bombing in question.

Also, I'm not liking the art. It's like watching Animated, if it was done completely with animated unfinished albeit colored storyboards.

In what way do you feel like it's storyboards? I get a similar feeling in one way, but I don't want to affect what you might mean as I can see a few avenues for that. I will agree though that these do feel like unfinished roughs for storyboards right now, and it's grating.

Starscream in particular is bad since he looks almost female (no, I don't want to start THAT debate again).

Blurr too, this seems to be intentional, and I don't quiiiiite understand it, but after some of Scott's comments at Botcon, my theory is that she's pandering to the squee crowd who wants to see cutesy boys, Ken dolls, feminine yet still boys, not men though.

BTW, some sexuality may have crept into this issue with Blurr assuming he had a girlfriend in Chromia only for Chromia to completely miss his "us" meaning, I don't have a problem with this though as long as it's not taken somewhere stupid. Even the end of The Search for Alpha Trion went stupid at the end, so as long as we avoid that "well, they had boyfriends in their male counterparts and were just separated" aspect, it'll be ok.

[Shockwave]

In what way do you feel like it's storyboards? I get a similar feeling in one way, but I don't want to affect what you might mean as I can see a few avenues for that. I will agree though that these do feel like unfinished roughs for storyboards right now, and it's grating.

It feels like TFA in that everyone is drawn in a very stylized way but the pencils look like unfinished. Like the characters are created on page by using an amalgam of some pencils, some ink and some of it on color and it's all somehow Frankensteined into the art. I just generally wish the pencils were sharper and clearer.

[JediTricks]

It feels like TFA in that everyone is drawn in a very stylized way but the pencils look like unfinished. Like the characters are created on page by using an amalgam of some pencils, some ink and some of it on color and it's all somehow Frankensteined into the art.

Ok, I get ya, I agree.

I thought you might have meant a specific type of flow or panel layout, or even using shortcuts to leave out panels because they'd be "in between" on a storyboard, and I'd be interested if that was the case but I wouldn't be sure I could agree.

I just generally wish the pencils were sharper and clearer.

That's the job of an inker, which she's not using because she's doing it different from the classic comic book way. But yeah, an inker would clean up a lot of the mess, and I don't mean style mess.

[BWprowl]

I'm obviously in the minority, but I wanted to at least throw in that I still really, really like the art. I found Issue 3 to be a step up after the (I admit) more rushed look of Issue 2. The use of lighting in the scene between Rattrap and Starscream looked very nice, and the explosive chaos of Chromia's entrance was great. I also really like the way Stone handles the 'core' of Metroplex, and those movement trails are some of my favorite things.

For the record, I also actually like the 'sketchy' lines present in the art, and how Stone highlights them to create that 'glowing' effect the whole book has.

But again, I understand I'm in the minority. I tend to greatly prefer 'stylized' art over more workmanlike efforts. I'm not having any trouble following what's happening on-page, though.

While the opening half was decompressed, the second half was overly compressed but moved at an adequate-enough clip to carry across the realizations necessary for Windblade to move the story along - I'll take it because it does get us to where we need to be, but the jail stuff could have been an entire issue with more talkin' and escapin'.

I will agree that they probably could have moved some stuff from Issue 3 back into Issue 2 and rounded out the pacing of both of them better.

Also, this issue has a few places where clarity would have been nice, like you can't have Windblade talk about how Camiens stopped using ranged weapons and switched exclusively to melee only to show Chromia almost immediately using twin pistols without addressing that.

That's actually a good catch, I hadn't noticed that (I'll admit I'm more 'looking at' this book than 'reading' it). You could argue that Chromia seems more able to adapt and grow according to her environment (not to mention that the first issue showed her to be rather pragmatic when it came to combat) while Windblade seems more stodgy and bound to The Old Ways, but that's post-hoc and they probably should have caught it.

[JediTricks]

I will say that especially in the first half of this issue, I definitely had trouble following what was happening on-page, way worse than issue 2.

I will agree that they probably could have moved some stuff from Issue 3 back into Issue 2 and rounded out the pacing of both of them better.

Cliffhangeritis, I suppose. That would really have made a much more interesting issue 2 since that would have been the main "thing that happened" had it been there.

That's actually a good catch, I hadn't noticed that (I'll admit I'm more 'looking at' this book than 'reading' it). You could argue that Chromia seems more able to adapt and grow according to her environment (not to mention that the first issue showed her to be rather pragmatic when it came to combat) while Windblade seems more stodgy and bound to The Old Ways, but that's post-hoc and they probably should have caught it.

I don't think the writer can have a main character voice a foundational statement for the character's entire race only to have the only other member of that group change.

At best, had Scott used your point about Chromia adapting, it could have worked if this had been immediately voiced (as this is a narrated part of the story, it would have required a statement from Windblade about her ability to adapt and change with Cybertron's dangers rather than come out from Chromia's lips during banter), but I think Scott would have still come off a bit clumsily there.

Alternately, if Windblade had said "like many of my fellow Camiens, I chose to abandon ranged weapons for melee" that would have been fair too, giving Chromia the out (even though Chromia is giving Windblade melee combat training in the beginning of issue 1 which sorta undermines it).

Actually, now that I think about it, banter would have been the place for it, Windblade saying out loud something about ranged weapons, then having Chromia voice a counterpoint about adapting then firing - pew pew - I think that might have worked best, basically what you're saying but changing the structure of the reveal from Scott's narration-based to dialogue-based. (Then again, as we've recently learned, not everybody can tolerate banter during fights.)

[Mako Crab]

Or it's an extension of Windblade's naivete. She has this sparkling image of what her fellow Camiens are like, but there's Chromia right there shooting guns. Could attribute to Windblade's inability to see what's right in front of her.