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The Transformers - Escalation #5
By Hervé St-Louis
April 9, 2007 - 07:01

IDW Publishing
Writer(s): Simon Furman
Penciller(s): E.J. Su
Cover Artist(s): Klaus Scherwinski



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This is it guys and gals. It’s Megatron, leader of the Decepticons versus Optimus Prime, leader of the Autobots in a pitch battle to the finish and it seems from the looks that only one of them will survive. The rest of the Autobots are trying to fulfil their objectives but others are always getting in the way. Seems also like there are some old friends and enemies from the past ready to spring up to action.

I like how Furman used elements from previous continuity to mould an origin for the Dinobots and Shockwave. Their origin seems like it will be quite similar to Marvel’s Transformers’ lore, but with current actions diverging a little. I have no problem with that as it makes this current incarnation of the Transformers, the series we all wish we had read years ago. By the way, the demise of one of the leaders was unexpected. Great stuff!

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I’m beginning to like the scruffy artwork. It’s different from the mechanical feel of many recent work from Transformers’ series. I guess it took five issues for it to grow on me. Su has good sense of action and pacing and good storytelling to boot. The covers and the colours have not grown on me though. Both of the alternate covers this month were horrendous.


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