Tag Archives: brian ruckley

Preview: Transformers Vol. 6 War’s End

Posted on by

Transformers Vol. 6 War’s End

(W) Brian Ruckley (A) Anna Malkova, Jack Lawrence (CA) Cryssy Cheung
In Shops: Nov 16, 2022
SRP: $49.99

With the Decepticons gaining ground and the Autobots at the brink, the war for Cybertron careens to its climax. Before now, the planet had known peace for 2,000 years, but there are those who remember the last war, and would bring that knowledge to bear to end the current one. Arcee, Windblade, and Chromia mount a desperate rescue mission that finally reunites Optimus Prime and Bumblebee, but is it too little too late? Even as the Decepticons lay siege to the last Autobot stronghold, new dangers emerge that threaten the entire world. Insecticlone swarms. Rust worms. And a great evil reborn-Exarchon, the Threefold Spark. Collects Transformers #37-43, Transformers: War’s End #1-4, and Transformers: Fate of Cybertron.

Transformers Vol. 6 War's End

Review: Transformers: Best of Arcee

Posted on by
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: Fate of Cybertron

Posted on by
Transformers: Fate of Cybertron

IDW Publishing has had a hell of a run with the Transformers license spanning 17 years. Some of that has been amazing, some a bit bumpy, but a lot of it was very entertaining. I didn’t enjoy the latest volume a whole lot, but decided to check out the finale of the run, Transformers: Fate of Cybertron.

Written by Brian Ruckley, the over-sized one-shot delivers the final stand of Optimus against Megatron for the fate of Cybertron. The issue wraps things up nicely but delivers few surprises, it feels like it’s pretty standard, checking off a lot of boxes.

Optimus attempts to be the voice of reason, wanting to end the conflict as peacefully as possible. Megatron wants nothing of that, headstrong and convinced his way is the correct and only way forward. He demands an audience to prove that.

The comic really only has a limited number of directions it could go. There’s little chance Megatron would win, it would leave a sad, depressing legacy for the series. So, the only two logical outcomes are a draw, entrenched in battle forever, or Optimus wins by defeating Megatron or he sees the light. The latter was also unlikely. Going that route would sully the legacy and what has come over and over in other volumes. So, that leaves us with the middle and where it all goes from here. And that’s an expected speech for us to attach our hopes to. As I said, pretty expected events.

The issue is packed with Transformers artists, Andrew Griffith, Winston Chan, Alex Milne, Ed Pirrie, and Angel Hernandez. They’re joined by Josh Burcham, Josh Perez, and David García Cruz on color and lettering by Jake M. Wood. The art is pretty good. The art style does shift at times and it’s noticeable. But, the comic hits the notes you want with titanic fights between combiners and a chaotic battle where you pause to see all of the bots taking part. But, the comic generally lacks that memorable visual moment that sticks with you.

Transformers: Fate of Cybertron does what it needs to. It wraps up the current volume in a nice package delivering the hope that Optimus and the Autobots represent. It’s not a memorable finale, but it is one. For those who have read the series up to this point, you might get a bit more out of it all but from the casual reader, it doesn’t feel like an ending to remember.

Till all are one.

Story: Brian Ruckley Art: Andrew Griffith, Winston Chan, Alex Milne, Ed Pirrie, Angel Hernandez
Color: Josh Burcham, Josh Perez, David García Cruz Letterer: Jake M. Wood
Story: 7.0 Art: 7.75 Overall: 7.0 Recommendation: Read

IDW Publishing provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Purchase: comiXology/Kindle – Zeus Comics

Preview: Transformers Vol. 5 Horrors Near and Far

Posted on by

Transformers Vol. 5 Horrors Near and Far

(W) Brian Ruckley (A) Anna Malkova, Bethany McGuire-Smith, Jack Lawrence (CA) Cryssy Cheung
In Shops: Jun 08, 2022
SRP: $49.99

The war grows desperate for Optimus Prime’s Autobots. With Energon and morale running low, they seize on a dangerous plan to boost Jumpstream’s teleportation abilities. Meanwhile, Bumblebee enters a criminal alliance and Megatron learns that his former mentor holds an artifact that could be the key to the Decepticons’ victory. The fall of the tether that anchored Cybertron’s moon was a critical step on the road to war, and the ancient Titan Vigilem caused it. Now the only other active Titan, Lodestar, and her cityspeaker, Lightbright, must hunt him down! And when Starscream follows rumors of a disembodied spark in the desert, what he finds will horrify and rattle him to his core!

Transformers Vol. 5 Horrors Near and Far

Preview: Transformers: War’s End #4 (of 4)

Posted on by

Transformers: War’s End #4 (of 4)

(W) Brian Ruckley (A/CA) Jack Lawrence
In Shops: May 25, 2022
SRP: $5.99

End of the line! Exarchon makes his final push to claim all Cybertron as his own. Can a ragtag group of Autobots and Decepticons working in parallel defeat one of Cybertron’s all-time greatest threats? And what happens if they fail and Exarchon gets his hands on the sparks he needs to be unbeatable? An extra-long final issue leading to next month’s Transformers Special 2022!

Transformers: War's End #4 (of 4)

Preview: Transformers: War’s End #4 (of 4)

Posted on by

Transformers: War’s End #4 (of 4)

(W) Brian Ruckley (A/CA) Jack Lawrence
In Shops: May 25, 2022
SRP: $5.99

End of the line! Exarchon makes his final push to claim all Cybertron as his own. Can a ragtag group of Autobots and Decepticons working in parallel defeat one of Cybertron’s all-time greatest threats? And what happens if they fail and Exarchon gets his hands on the sparks he needs to be unbeatable? An extra-long final issue leading to next month’s Transformers Special 2022!

Transformers: War's End #4 (of 4)

Preview: Transformers #43

Posted on by

Transformers #43

(W) Brian Ruckley (A) Anna Malkova (CA) Stefano Simeone
In Shops: May 18, 2022
SRP: $5.99

End of the road! Optimus Prime leads the Autobots in a desperate battle on multiple fronts-against the maniacal Decepticons, against the swarming Insecticlones, against the teeming rust worms, against Cybertron itself. But how many problems will the Autobots be able to solve and what offer could stop their journey? An extra-long final issue leading to next month’s Transformers Special 2022!

Transformers #43

Preview: Transformers: War’s End #3 (of 4)

Posted on by

Transformers: War’s End #3 (of 4)

(W) Brian Ruckley (A) Jack Lawrence (CA) Sebastian Piriz
In Shops: Apr 27, 2022
SRP: $3.99

The origin of Exarchon revealed! Find out the secret history behind one of Cybertron’s greatest threats, the Threefold Spark. As Exarchon looks for a third body to make himself complete once more, he also receives backup that could prove devastating to all who oppose him.

Transformers: War's End #3 (of 4)

Preview: Transformers #42

Posted on by

Transformers #42

(W) Brian Ruckley (A) Andrew Griffith (CA) Blacky Shepherd
In Shops: Apr 27, 2022
SRP: $3.99

Cybertron is under siege. Carnivorous Insecticlones and rust worms are eating the planet. Exarchon is returned, but Megatron’s not giving up without a fight. Against impossible odds, Optimus Prime, Ultra Magnus, and Bumblebee must make an unthinkable choice: Is Cybertron even worth saving?

Transformers #42

Preview: Transformers: War’s End #2 (of 4)

Posted on by

Transformers: War’s End #2 (of 4)

(W) Brian Ruckley (A) Jack Lawrence (CA) Angel Hernandez, Chris Panda
In Shops: Mar 30, 2022
SRP: $3.99

Trapped at the bottom of the Sonic Canyons, a group of Autobot scientists come face-to-face with Cybertron’s greatest threat, Exarchon, and his lost armory. Can the peaceful Autobots hold out until help arrives-and with the Crystal City under siege, can the Autobots spare any help to begin with?

Transformers: War's End #2 (of 4)
« Older Entries