“You just saw our technique,” Pohatu said. “We laugh in the face of danger.”
The creature lashed out, beams of pure force emanating from its eyes. They struck Pohatu, sending him and Photok crashing into the back wall.
“But sometimes,” grumbled the Toa of Stone, “danger doesn't get the joke.”
—
This is the beginning of the second-to-last BIONICLE story arc, and it’s the last one I really kept track of. This kicks off the 2009 storyline, with the first half in the skies over Karda Nui. The one where the villains are named after bats, and the Toa Nuva return!
It’s really cool to see the original heroes back as actual main characters again? Not just people to be cast aside for other heroes to step up. And they’re actually really good at what they do here; a problem with Toa Nuva stories in the 2001-2003 arcs is them having invented conflicts that prevent them from winning, whereas here, the villains are powerful enough that they can work as a team effectively while still facing a challenge.
Thing is… we really don’t get much on the new characters and setting. This book is introduces a new group of villains, who barely get any development. I don’t know if I can tell them apart because I remember from past material or not, because other than Icarax and Mutran, they don’t get much. I suppose there’s some you can infer some on Antroz, but Vamprah and Chirox? I don’t know. Vamprah’s silent, I guess.
It is good to see other Makuta, though, and see that they’re not all like THAT. Like, hey, the main villain has co-workers! And they’re also douchebags, but douchebags in the same way. Especially Icarax, who really should have more stories for him considering how much he chafes against Teridax’s whole schtick.
[And! One chapter misspells Teridax’s name.]
This one also introduces the Av-Matoran tribe, too, and like the Matoran of Mahri Nui, I barely know them? Somehow even less. Some of their powers are not really fully explored, either, and that’s a massive problem when them shooting beams of light or making light shields is part of the story. It feels like Greg’s pulling something out of nowhere to make a scene work, especially when other Matoran don’t have any of these powers.
The book is fine, and I guess for a BIONICLE book it’s pretty good, it’s just a bit rushed. I wish that LEGO had let Greg do more novels for this year, like how he did for 2004-2006.