Tag Archives: beth mcguire-smith

Review: Transformers: Best of Arcee

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Transformers: Best of Arcee

When it comes to 80s cartoons, I can’t say that there were really any strong female protagonists. The exception being She-Ra, and even that franchise was marred with problematic representations. Then there were overtly sexualized female characters like Smurfette in The Smurfs.

As it was very rare to find any real character development in any of those characters mentioned. It was not until the Transformers movie, where we even saw character like Arcee, who can stand on her own. She not only was a fierce warrior but had a prolific story that carried on in comics. In Transformers: Best of Arcee we get to know more about this Transformers’ iconoclast.

In “An Uneventful Night”, Arcee gets in a friendly fight with her brothers , one in which she learns a n important lesson and saves Earth from a falling spaceship. In ”No Fair Fight”, Arcee delivers the a decisive blow in defeating Galvatron.  In “The Life Of Sideswipe”, Arcee and the rest of the Transformers find out an old ally has outlived his usefulness, giving him an honorable death.  In “Unforgivable”, Arcee flirts with a long time rival, showing her true intentions at the very end.  In “Aspects Of Evil Part 2”, Hot Rod and Arcee fight off an ambush from Galvatron as he attempts to steal the Matrix. In the last story ”Run”, we find out how Arcee and her brothers left Cybertron for Earth

Overall, Transformers: Best of Arcee is a fun set of stories which gives this character her proper spotlight. The stories by the creators are exceptional. The art by the creative teams are magnificent. Altogether, it’s a set of stories that will have fans wishing there was more.

Story: Mairghread Scott, John Barber, Simon Furman, Brian Ruckley
Art: Sara Pitre-Durocher, Andrew Lee Griffith, Kei Zama, Art Wetherell, Umi Miyao, Beth McGuire-Smith
Color: Yamaishi, Josh Burcham, John-Paul Bove, Josh Burcham
Letterer: Tom B. Long, Glib, Jake M. Wood
Story: 9.0 Art: 9.0 Overall: 9.0 Recommendation: Buy

IDW Publishing provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Purchase: TFAW – Zeus Comics – comiXology/Kindle

Review: Transformers: Escape #1

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Transformers: Escape #1

With Cybertron spiraling into war there’s far too much story to be told within the pages of the main Transformers comic book series. Transformers: Escape #1 kicks off the miniseries focused on certain aspects of the ensuing chaos and an attempt to escape.

Cybertron is descending into a state of war catching the civilians and unaligned in the crossfire. Organics are under attack from the Insecticons and the wounded are hunted by Decepticon gangs. If there’s hope, it looks to lie in the Ark program, the giant ships decommissioned from an earlier time.

Transformers: Escape #1 is an interesting comic featuring some well known characters in roles that feel rather odd since we know them from a later time. Characters we associate with the Autobots play pacifist tending to the wounded or only acting in defense. There’s talks of the numbers not being there to withstand Megatron and the solution is… to run.

Writer Brian Ruckley delivers a rather frustrating story whose lesson feels like it’s mostly to let bullies win and run for your life. It’s such an un-heroic story it’s hard to not lose respect for some of the future Autubots we love. Sure, we’ll see them evolve in their thought process but there’s little debate and the choice is so clear to head elsewhere, not stand and fight. It comes off as cowardly especially compared to those who are indeed taking a stand with Optimus Prime. Transformers: Escape #1 feels like it’s telling a sliver of the story and one where it’s really difficult to respect the decisions made. Maybe it gets better in future issues but there’s some characters here I just wanted to punch.

Beth McGuire-Smith provides the art with Priscilla Tramontano on color and Jake M. Wood on lettering. The characters look good but there still feels like there’s a crispness to the art that’s been missing since the new volume started. There’s nothing bad at all to it it’s just missing that little extra special. There is some solid detail though when it comes to the Insecticons and especially their teeth. It might seem like a small thing but it really drives home their characters and motivations of eating.

Transformers: Escape #1 isn’t bad in any way. If you’re reading the main series, you’ll want to get this. But, it feels like a missed opportunity. We get characters on the run from war, unwilling to stand and fight. They also don’t in any way come off as heroic by hatching a plan to get innocents to safety. They’re saving themselves as much. But, that’s emphasized by those that are doing exactly that and that may be the point of it all? The first issue doesn’t quite hook the reader but it’s possible it’s done what I dislike on purpose to deliver some growth as the series progresses.

Story: Brian Ruckley Art: Beth McGuire-Smith
Color: Priscilla Tramontano Letterer/Design: Jake M. Wood
Story: 7.0 Art: 7.0 Overall: 7.0 Recommendation: Read

IDW Publishing provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Purchase: comiXology – Kindle – Zeus Comics

Review: Transformers: Galaxies #7

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Transformers Galaxies #7

Cycles ago, a Reversionist ship left Cybertron in the wake of a great calamity. Gauge, the youngest Cybertronian in the universe, knows she was forged on the planet, but only remembers her life on the ship. Her life’s about to be shaken as her whole concept of the truth is thrown into question by the mysterious figures in the brig. It’s been some time since I’ve read the new volume of IDW Publishing‘s Transformers comics. Transformers: Galaxies #7 kicks off a new story-arc with “Gauging the Truth” and felt like a nice opportunity to dive back in and see what I’ve missed.

Transformers has always been an interesting series when it comes to the comics. While many see the toy tie-in or just robots fighting each other, the comics have been so much more. Like good science fiction, they’ve explored society, philosophy, culture, and religion, with a transforming exterior. “Gauging the Truth” kicks off a new story arc focused on the Reversionist sect of Cybertronians.

Reversionists are a religious sect who believe that Cybertron was once their creator Primus and thus every Cybertronian is a bit of Primus. They’re generally disliked for their piousness and also feel like a group that hasn’t been the spotlight as much as others.

We get to see some of their focus and beliefs in this comic as they come off as very regimented and not to be questioned. Through Gauge, we get to explore faith in the world of Transformers and what happens when that faith is shaken. It’s an interesting start of the story-arc and ends in a spot that’s unexpected. Where it’s going from here? I have absolutely no idea. But, it adds a bit to the Transformers menagerie of groups and factions.

Written by Sam Maggs Transformers: Galaxies #7 is presented as a mystery. But it’s one where you don’t know if the main character is going insane, being sent a message, or if they’re having a religious awakening of some sort. I actually expected that last one myself but was rather happy I was wrong (sort of). What we look to still be getting is an exploration of religion but one that’s more of an examination of cult-like following and infallible leadership.

The art by Beth McGuire-Smith is solid. Along with colors by Josh Burcham and lettering by Jake M. Wood, the look of the comic is great. The Transformers all look solid and consistent with IDW’s style. The coloring adds a dreamlike aspect that has us questioning what Gauge is experiencing. Much of the comic is told through Gauge’s thoughts so the panels are heavy in narrative boxes instead of dialogue bubbles. The design is interesting with some subtle choices that make it feel a bit more than meets the rectangle eye.

It’s been a while since I’ve read IDW’s Transformers line of comics but Transformers: Galaxies #7 feels like returning to a familiar friend. It has exactly what I want to see in a Transformers comic, an exploration of society, culture, and politics… with cool robots who can turn into things. It may sound cheesy but the property continues to be “more than meets the eyes.”

Story: Sam Maggs Art: Beth McGuire-Smith
Color: Josh Burcham Letterer/Design: Jake M. Wood
Story: 8.15 Art: 8.15 Overall: 8.15 Recommendation: Buy

Purchase: comiXology – Kindle – Zeus Comics

Preview: Transformers #11

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Transformers #11

Brian Ruckley (w) • Andrew Griffith & Beth McGuire-Smith (a) • James Raiz (c)

Chromia and Windblade raid a Rise base in search for clues about the identity of Brainstorm’s murderer, only to be discovered—and the Rise isn’t happy. Meanwhile, Bumblebee sees his first bit of action as the Ascenticon Guard is called to defend a building under siege!

FC • 32 pages • $3.99

Transformers #11

Preview: Transformers #10

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Transformers #10

Brian Ruckley (w) • Cachét Whitman & Beth McGuire-Smith (a) • Beth McGuire-Smith (c)

Fear spreads through Cybertron, leading more and more citizens into the waiting arms of the Ascenticon movement—making Bumblebee’s new job as part of the Guard much more difficult. Meanwhile, Chromia and Windblade follow-up on a lead, but digging up the dirt will put them face-to-face with a new foe…

FC • 32 pages • $3.99

Transformers #10

Preview: Transformers #9

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Transformers #9

Brian Ruckley (w) • Cachét Whitman & Beth McGuire-Smith (a) • Umi Miyao (c)

Time is running out! Orion Pax, his friends, and the Autobot security forces have to get a grip on their murder investigations as their superior, Sentinel Prime, makes his return to Cybertron!

FC • 32 pages • $3.99

Transformers #9

Preview: Transformers #8

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Transformers #8

Brian Ruckley (w) • Cachét Whitman & Beth McGuire-Smith (a) • Anna Malkova (c)

As Megatron seeks to bring about change to Cybertron, he meets with Termagax, a living piece of Cybertronian history and founder of the Ascenticon movement. Will she set him on the path to peace, or lead him to an unrepairable rupture with the Senate?

FC • 32 pages • $3.99

Transformers #8

Preview: Transformers #7

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Transformers #7

Brian Ruckley (w) • Cachét Whitman & Beth McGuire-Smith (a) • Christian Ward (c)

When another body shows up, Chromia and Prowl feel the pressure to get answers. Bumblebee, meanwhile, applies for a new job—as a bodyguard. But first, he has to impress Elita-1.

FC • 32 pages • $3.99

Transformers #7