Beast Wars (2021) ongoing series

"What? Transformers made from animals instead of vehicles and stuff? Doesn't sound so great, throw it to Kenner division, maybe they can make a quick buck or something."
Beast Wars, Machine Wars, Beast Machines... seeing a pattern? Coming soon: "Wars Wars"
User avatar
andersonh1
Moderator
Posts: 6323
Joined: Fri Jul 18, 2008 3:22 pm
Location: South Carolina

Re: Beast Wars (2021) ongoing series

Post by andersonh1 »

Beast Wars #5 - good issue, possibly my favorite so far. The dialogue feels unnatural sometimes, and we really should have reached this point in half the amount of time. They are really dragging this story out. But the issue is mostly action, and most of the cast get a scene or a line, so that's an improvement on earlier issues, enough to draw me in.

My oldest daughter loves this series. She's kind of lost interest in the main Transformers book, but she always looks forward to this one.
User avatar
Shockwave
Supreme-Class
Posts: 6205
Joined: Sun Jul 19, 2009 4:10 pm
Location: Sacramento, CA

Re: Beast Wars (2021) ongoing series

Post by Shockwave »

I've heard rumor that this is only going 12 issues? I thought this was originally slated to be indefinitely ongoing? It may be slow paced, but I'd like to see it continue if for no other reason than to give us more than one BW continuity and to finally have a story that isn't held back by having to fit in with the original cartoon.
User avatar
andersonh1
Moderator
Posts: 6323
Joined: Fri Jul 18, 2008 3:22 pm
Location: South Carolina

Re: Beast Wars (2021) ongoing series

Post by andersonh1 »

Shockwave wrote: Wed Jul 14, 2021 5:16 pm I've heard rumor that this is only going 12 issues? I thought this was originally slated to be indefinitely ongoing? It may be slow paced, but I'd like to see it continue if for no other reason than to give us more than one BW continuity and to finally have a story that isn't held back by having to fit in with the original cartoon.
That's what I thought too. From what I understand, according to Josh Burcham, it's scheduled for 12 issues but will keep going if sales are good.
User avatar
Sparky Prime
Supreme-Class
Posts: 5225
Joined: Wed Jul 23, 2008 3:12 am

Re: Beast Wars (2021) ongoing series

Post by Sparky Prime »

Issue 6

Tarantulas is still stalking Rattrap in the Axalon, but gets distracted and decides to gather some intelligence when he spots a lab. Apparently the Predacons failed to notice the Axalon ejecting the stasis pods into orbit during the crash, because this seems to be the first Tarantulas learns about them. He decides he could use them to build an army of his own, before he realizes he's talking aloud to himself. Having overheard all this from the air-vents, Rattrap (also talking to himself) decides he needs to protect the pods, but as he's not a fighter (?!) he needs some help, and gets the "GCMG-Five", which I guess is sorta like a Cybertronian forklift. It's reminiscent of the battle suit Megatron gave Rattrap in the Beast Machines episode "The Weak Component", except this has claw hands rather than missile launchers. Anyway, Rattrap bets it has enough punch to throw Tarantulas through a reinforced window... and then throws Tarantulas through said window.

Getting the shields back online, Rattrap is able to protect his fellow Maximals, but as Dinobot doesn't have a Maximal "source code", he's trapped outside with the other Predacons. Dinobot figures he can take all of them alone, but when Tarantulas stabs him in the back, they all take the opportunity to wail on him. Optimus brings the ships cannons online and fires a warning shot. The Predacons retreat, with Megatron telling Primal he should have destroyed them while he had the chance.

Days later, Rhinox and Optimus are sparing with Optimus admitting he's been thinking about some of his recent command decisions. Rhinox tells him they cannot afford to have him second guessing himself. Meanwhile, Dinobot is still recovering from the damage he took. Apparently the CR chamber in this comic can only do so much. Dinobot says he will save Optimus the trouble of dismissing him. Optimus explains the meaning of the designation "Dinobot" to Dinobot, by telling him about the G1 Dinobots who apparently mysterious disappeared at some point. Dinobot still thinks he should leave, as he'll probably never be the same warrior he was, but agrees to stay when Optimus says it would be an honor.

--

After 6 issues, honestly I felt this story could have been told in half that. A lot of it felt like filler, which is a shame because they could have used it to help flesh out some of the characters instead. Waspinator, Scorponok, Skold and Cheetor in-particular still feel like blank slates because they really didn't get to do anything in this arc. The dialog in this issue seems a lot more clunky to me as well, with some characters almost going out of their way to explain things that don't feel necessary to explain. Like how Tarantulas points out, to himself, that he's talking to himself, after explaining his intentions for the stasis pods for Rattrap to overhear, or how Optimus explains the meaning behind Dinobot's name to Dinobot. Rattrap's characterization gets changed with him pointing out (to himself no less) that he's not a fighter, despite being one of the best fighters the Maximals had in the cartoon. I get the writers is going for a new take on some of the characters, but some of the changes they've made feels so arbitrary, or just doesn't work for some of them. They've essentially just given Rhinox's role to Rattrap as the tech guy that tends to stay behind on the ship (which strangely works better for how he was portrayed in Beast Machines), and Nyx essentially has Cheetor's role as the brash young bot that tends to get into trouble. Dinobot continues to be completely off. I don't understand why he was with the Predacons in the first place when he's essentially characterized as a Maximal. There's also zero conflict with him joining the Maximals, he doesn't clash with their ideals at all, which makes him a much less interesting character.

I kinda like Rattrap's use of the "GCMG-Five" suit. It's kind of a cool callback to Beast Machines, and unlike in Beast Machines, shows Rattrap's resourcefulness as a fighter to get his own weapons. But it seems strange for Rattrap to take on Tarantulas with a mech suit though. Rattrap never had a problem taking on Tarantulas head on in the cartoon. Granted this version of Rattrap says he's not a fighter but... he doesn't even try to fight Tarantulas with out the suit.

It is somewhat interesting to me that it's established the CR Chamber is limited in its abilities to repair them here. Rather than fully repairing Dinobot, he is shown to have an eye patch on one of his beast mode's eyes, and is walking with the aid of a cane. Unfortunately, despite that they play up how extensive Dinobot was damaged, and seemingly will leave lasting effects, I have to doubt it will. To me, this plays exactly like how Bulkhead was paralyzed in Prime and Ratchet concerned he'd never be the same ol' Bulkhead. They make a big deal out of it, only for him to be back to normal after just a couple of episodes.
User avatar
Dominic
Supreme-Class
Posts: 9331
Joined: Thu Jul 17, 2008 12:55 pm
Location: Boston
Contact:

Re: Beast Wars (2021) ongoing series

Post by Dominic »

Rattrap was never a "fighter". He is a saboteur. Rattrap generally tried to avoid direct fights, unless he had a clear advantage.

A fighter has martial or technical fighting skills. Rattrap will kick a guy in the nuts and bolts (while they are already injured and disoriented) or set a bomb up in their toilet.
User avatar
Sparky Prime
Supreme-Class
Posts: 5225
Joined: Wed Jul 23, 2008 3:12 am

Re: Beast Wars (2021) ongoing series

Post by Sparky Prime »

Dominic wrote: Mon Aug 02, 2021 5:30 pm Rattrap was never a "fighter". He is a saboteur. Rattrap generally tried to avoid direct fights, unless he had a clear advantage.

A fighter has martial or technical fighting skills. Rattrap will kick a guy in the nuts and bolts (while they are already injured and disoriented) or set a bomb up in their toilet.
Saboteur? That's something he can do but honestly, how many times did Rattrap actually use those skills in Beast Wars? One, maybe two episodes? Rattrap in the Beast Wars cartoon was absolutely a fighter. Being a fighter is not limited to knowing martial arts or technical fighting skills what-so-ever. There is such a thing as "street" fighters for example, that has no formal training, but are proficient in their own right. Which, Rattrap very much is a street-wise type character, and yes, is a dirty fighter, but a fighter never-the-less. Having notably taken on Waspinator (Other Voices part 1) in a dirty fight, and come to think of it took on Tarantulas a couple of times (Beast Wars part 2 and Power Surge) while staying in beast mode. But I also didn't mean fighter strictly in the hand-to-hand combat sense. Rattrap was also shown to be more than proficient using a gun as well as demolitions.

I wouldn't say Rattrap generally tried to avoid direct fights. He was reluctant to put his neck on the line in some situations for sure, but there were plenty of times he was itching to fight, and even instigated a few as well.
User avatar
andersonh1
Moderator
Posts: 6323
Joined: Fri Jul 18, 2008 3:22 pm
Location: South Carolina

Re: Beast Wars (2021) ongoing series

Post by andersonh1 »

Yeah, Rattrap was shown to be a very capable fighter and survivor in numerous Beast Wars episodes. He was also second in command, or was given that role at some point.
User avatar
andersonh1
Moderator
Posts: 6323
Joined: Fri Jul 18, 2008 3:22 pm
Location: South Carolina

Re: Beast Wars (2021) ongoing series

Post by andersonh1 »

Beast Wars #6 - I'm with Sparky, this story has taken far longer to get to where it is than it should have. I'm seriously debating whether to drop the book, it's just not doing a lot for me. My daughter enjoys it, so I might keep buying it for her. For me, I was hoping for new and different things to be done with the setting, but it's all very familiar at this point. The characters are not being used well, some of them have barely spoken for six issues, and so little happens per issue that I'm done reading in five minutes. Again I have to contrast with Ruckley's book which has a lot more going on per issue in terms of ideas and dialogues and subplots and forward motion for the plot.

Beast Wars has just been a disappointment. There's potential in a remake of the series, but it's not being realized here.
User avatar
Shockwave
Supreme-Class
Posts: 6205
Joined: Sun Jul 19, 2009 4:10 pm
Location: Sacramento, CA

Re: Beast Wars (2021) ongoing series

Post by Shockwave »

I feel like this has been a lot of Simon Furman's problems during his run with Botcon, Dreamwave, and early IDW stuff, too slow of a burn. I mean a low burn is one thing, but this book and Furman's stuff was glacial. I'll stick with it, because I have to think this is going to pick up at some point, but I'm also reading through IDW's previous continuity, which used these characters far better and in more interesting ways, and comparing it to books like More Than Meets the Eye, where it's so dialogue heavy and everyone gets several things to say each issue that it takes almost an hour to read one issue. This is so quick, that... yeah, it doesn't take me long to read one issue either.
User avatar
Ursus mellifera
Supreme-Class
Posts: 765
Joined: Wed Apr 27, 2011 8:07 am

Re: Beast Wars (2021) ongoing series

Post by Ursus mellifera »

This is the first issue I've actually enjoyed. I still don't like the art, but I thought the characterization was good enough that I could hear their cartoon voices in my head while I read it. It makes me wonder if they can make up for doing not much of anything for the first 5 issues...
Check it out, a honey bear! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kinkajou
Post Reply