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Transformers: Dark Cybertron #1: Deluxe Edition
THE DELUXE EXPERIENCE! This once-in-a-lifetime book includes every page of the regular edition, plus behind-the-scenes material! Phil Jimenez's layouts - including unused alternate versions - plus James Roberts and John Barber's original plot, designs by Andrew Griffith and more!
54 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 6, 2013
3 people are currently reading
21 people want to read
About the author
James Roberts
536 books132 followersJames Roberts is a British comic book writer best known for his contributions to the Transformers franchise.
Librarian Note: There are more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Librarian Note: There are more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
July 8, 2014
(There are some spoilers here; I don't think they're anything major.)
I don't like to examine fiction too often from the standpoint of what it was I think the author or authors were trying to do. It's sort of presumptuous and I am normally wrong. But I will try here anyway for a second before getting into the meat of my review because, well...I don't know. I'm just going to.
Crossovers between major books in a continuity are nothing new. DC and Marvel make regular huge bucks off of them, so it's no wonder IDW tried as well. My hypothesis is that this particular story came about as trying to clear away some of the rubbish that existed from the run of the previous writers--most notably the "Dark Universe" idea.
I could spent a lot of time on how much I dislike any alternate reality storylines in fiction, but for this particular scenario, let me just put it this way: the Transformers exist as a space-faring species that are able to, it seems, cross the entirety of the universe with ease. And the only thing that they are able to reasonably combat and engage with has to come from a completely new universe? This sort of splitting into alternate realities is something we almost expect from stories set on Earth, restricted to Earth-creatures who don't hold dominance over star travel. But the Transformers do, and so requiring them to fight something from another dimension (and to fight THEMSELVES from another dimension) is a far cry from the fun swashbuckling tales from MTMTE and the engaging political intrigue from RID. But, maybe that it's a far cry from these was part of the point.
Anyway, the palette is cleansed, now. The Dark Universe is done. This big storyline is not without its merits (not by a long shot). I read all of them in the space of about a day. I enjoyed the many competing paternalistic influences, from the benovolent (Pax/Prime) to the irrational (Rodimus) to the nasty (Nova) to the indeterminable (Megatron) to the irascibly moral (Bumblebee). With so many tugs in so many different directions on the ethical latitudes of the Cybertronians, it's no wonder they've been in perpetual war. Everybody makes a certain sort of sense, which is terrifying considering some of their objectives.
All anyone can really agree on is that Shockwave is a bad guy, and even Shockwave is only bad (and specifically so) because he is a victim of his government's class-based mutilation of his rights. There is good exploration here of the manner in which we create monsters, in that when we make our punishments as terrible as possible, the things that go on to survive them become even more terrible in response. I mean, I know it's the thing to label Shockwave as some emotionless monster, but his goal is literally to keep things in stasis forever. Imagine that; a guy who has been horribly disfigured by his government wanting that to become literally impossible to ever happen again.
The thing I like about Transformers is the mirror that it holds up to ourselves. This is what I like about all science fiction. If there's a mirror here, it's not entirely friendly; but at least, it seems as though the Cybertronians are learning their lesson a little bit by the end of it. We can only hope the same.
I don't like to examine fiction too often from the standpoint of what it was I think the author or authors were trying to do. It's sort of presumptuous and I am normally wrong. But I will try here anyway for a second before getting into the meat of my review because, well...I don't know. I'm just going to.
Crossovers between major books in a continuity are nothing new. DC and Marvel make regular huge bucks off of them, so it's no wonder IDW tried as well. My hypothesis is that this particular story came about as trying to clear away some of the rubbish that existed from the run of the previous writers--most notably the "Dark Universe" idea.
I could spent a lot of time on how much I dislike any alternate reality storylines in fiction, but for this particular scenario, let me just put it this way: the Transformers exist as a space-faring species that are able to, it seems, cross the entirety of the universe with ease. And the only thing that they are able to reasonably combat and engage with has to come from a completely new universe? This sort of splitting into alternate realities is something we almost expect from stories set on Earth, restricted to Earth-creatures who don't hold dominance over star travel. But the Transformers do, and so requiring them to fight something from another dimension (and to fight THEMSELVES from another dimension) is a far cry from the fun swashbuckling tales from MTMTE and the engaging political intrigue from RID. But, maybe that it's a far cry from these was part of the point.
Anyway, the palette is cleansed, now. The Dark Universe is done. This big storyline is not without its merits (not by a long shot). I read all of them in the space of about a day. I enjoyed the many competing paternalistic influences, from the benovolent (Pax/Prime) to the irrational (Rodimus) to the nasty (Nova) to the indeterminable (Megatron) to the irascibly moral (Bumblebee). With so many tugs in so many different directions on the ethical latitudes of the Cybertronians, it's no wonder they've been in perpetual war. Everybody makes a certain sort of sense, which is terrifying considering some of their objectives.
All anyone can really agree on is that Shockwave is a bad guy, and even Shockwave is only bad (and specifically so) because he is a victim of his government's class-based mutilation of his rights. There is good exploration here of the manner in which we create monsters, in that when we make our punishments as terrible as possible, the things that go on to survive them become even more terrible in response. I mean, I know it's the thing to label Shockwave as some emotionless monster, but his goal is literally to keep things in stasis forever. Imagine that; a guy who has been horribly disfigured by his government wanting that to become literally impossible to ever happen again.
The thing I like about Transformers is the mirror that it holds up to ourselves. This is what I like about all science fiction. If there's a mirror here, it's not entirely friendly; but at least, it seems as though the Cybertronians are learning their lesson a little bit by the end of it. We can only hope the same.
June 16, 2014
This is a very neat idea overall with it being one of the ongoing Transformers series right now, but I didn't expect it to actually circle around Shockwave. That is SUCH a cool idea to have him be the harbinger of death and destruction--but does he even know it? And Starscream--don't get me started on how great his story is going. Makes me wish I had read all the previous issues and/or volumes before this, but I'm easy. I'll go with it. Can't wait to see how this series ends.
October 10, 2014
This whole crossover event thing was a little difficult for me to get into, but by the second chapter I was completely absorbed. There is a gigantic ensemble of characters being juggled. At times this can be frustrating. However, each character is fleshed out completely.
The art goes back and forth between several different artists - I liked all of it.
Necrotitans, a dead universe, dark prophesies, robots. It is literally impossible not to be entertained.
As always, Barber and Roberts deliver stunning dialogue, humor (often when least expected), and genuinely heartfelt moments.
DO NOT read the Dark Cybertron crossover until you have read at least most of the previous Robots in Disguise and More Than Meets The Eye series.
The art goes back and forth between several different artists - I liked all of it.
Necrotitans, a dead universe, dark prophesies, robots. It is literally impossible not to be entertained.
As always, Barber and Roberts deliver stunning dialogue, humor (often when least expected), and genuinely heartfelt moments.
DO NOT read the Dark Cybertron crossover until you have read at least most of the previous Robots in Disguise and More Than Meets The Eye series.
January 17, 2015
Transformers: Dark Cybertron Volume 1 by roberts, James is an interesting spin on time cycles cybertron with trusted and reoccurring characters.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews