Brandon Borzelli's Geek Goggle Reviews
Transformers: Dark Cybertron #1
IDW Comics
Barber, Roberts, Jimenez, Griffith, Cahill & Perez
The big Transformers crossover begins this month with a huge cast of creators and an issue that is largely setup. Being a reader of only one of the Transformer books I can safely say that I was able to jump on board with this comic book and not miss a beat. I liked the story, but as an individual issue it might not be enough to hold readers attention as it seems like not enough happens in the comic. Proceed with caution but I think fans of the genre will like where this is headed.
Basically, this comic book pulls together the various Transformer factions to fight a common threat. However, this issue lets the reader know of the threat while the larger group finds a mystery to start them off. The comic is at its best when it digs into what the bad guys are up to. With the war over, the enemies are not as clearly defined by the badge that they wear and that is something that this book touches on nicely.
The problem I had with the comic book is that I found it largely ignores the characterizations that I associate with the More Than Meets The Eye comic's cast. Rodimus, Magnus, and especially Cyclonus all seem to have a much different voice here than in their regular comic and I found that slightly frustrating. I don't follow the other books but it seems like Starscream and Orion Pax (Optimus Prime) have the voices you would probably associate with them. If this is to appeal to an audience that may not pick up each book I can understand that rationale.
The artwork is good. Sometimes with Transformers comics you simply can't tell them apart but that is not the case with this comic book. The comic is light on action but that doesn't really factor in. The artwork gives you the epic feel that you need from a crossover of this magnitude.
Dark Cybertron pushes the cast forward into the beginning of this story. Not a ton happens beyond getting the characters together and making them discover the mystery that will lead to the threat. The characterizations seem watered down for the larger audience but that should only affect the diehard reader. This is worth checking out.
3 out of 5 Geek Goggles
