Transformers vs G.I. Joe, Vol. 2

Transformers vs. GI Joe (Scioli) #2

by Tom Scioli, John Barber

The biggest space battle ever grows to universal proportions! Will the G.I. JOE team and the AUTOBOTS make peace—before COBRA and the DECEPTICONS end the war… the bad way?! Collects issues #5–9.

Genres: Comics, Science Fiction, Graphic Novels, Fiction

132 pages, Paperback

First published December 15, 2015

Reviews

[Chad · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tom Scioli has been out in the backyard again playing with his toys and creating new adventures to translate to the comics medium. The story is extremely dense and just kind of heads everywhere in that Axe Cop way. I can't say I love this book, but it's always inventive.

[Nicolo · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series is so dense. There's a lot of stuff going on concurrently that if you're a reader that doesn't pay attention, you're going to get lost. If you do get lost, just ride the energy off the pages leaving a contrail of Kirby krackle.

Each page has a ton of energy, a ton of story; that each could be expounded on its own into a separate issue. The manic pace is the only way to go, if there was any chance of cramming the entire line-ups of both the Transformers and G.I. Joe universes in the entire series. I don't think Tom Scioli succeeded, but he defintely gave it the old college try.

Optimus Prime is set up as a Christ-type character in this series, which is consistent for the character. Still, it disappointed this reader, when despite the build-up of him being overpowered, Megatron takes him down with ease, because that is what characters like Aslan, John Coffey, and Harry Potter do, they die in their own stories.

This reader can't wait for the next volume.

[Alex Sarll]

At least as energetically crazy as the first volume - high on a heady cocktail of Kirby, Moore and Morrison as it ricochets across space and time. Dark Age flashbacks, Prisoner-esque scenes in which it turns out the whole story is the delusion of one character playing with toys (or is it? Just wait until you see where the facility is located), "Some kind of brain mines, planted by a spider", and even space for appearances by also-rans like the Pretenders (no, not the band) and Battleforce 2000. Plus, General Flagg's brilliant excuse for massacring a whole committee of dangerously stupid politicians during his coup: "I dunno. They were reptilian shapeshifters or robots in disguise or something." Where are his like when you need 'em, eh?

[Little Timmy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice story and art makes this team up series a fun read. recommended

[Don · Rating 4 out of 5]

The scale of this series is impressive. You have city sized machines fighting each other while smaller battles are happening inside them. And the authors bring out ALL the characters for this one, even Cobra-La baby! Great fun. Been reading these so fast have to force myself to slow down and look at the details in the artwork. There's still lots of hidden pictures and dialog.

Their practice of having huge full page pictures with multiple actions happening at once is challenging, but in a good way. Rather than spoon feeding you smaller cells for each action in order you have to look at the entire scene and decipher it yourself. Pretty neat stuff.

[Andy Luke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reprints #5-9 of 13 issues (volume 2 of 3) and is one of those incredibly fun comics like JLI or Squirrel Girl. Adept artist Tom Scioli owns it with innvoatively designed layouts, myriad details and an all-over grime effect for the old school look. Works best in a print edition and will have you spinning the comic 360 degrees and looking at pages over and over again. Co-writer John Barber is on top of his game with a fast-moving tale inviting readers to often make interpretations of the story and some very funny dialogue to boot. There's an engrossing conversation commentary at the end too. You don't have to be a TF of GI fan to find this to your fan: it's just great comics.

[Jon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very mythological in presentation. Scenes drift from one to another in a dreamy haze, details are left implicit, it's psychedelic and emotional rather than driven by the precise logic you'd expect from thinking machines or elite military units. The Transformers are truly not of this world despite attempts to place them and the Joes are in such an intense berserker rage at all times they may as well be the distance from us as we are from apes. Very bicameral. Tom Scioli's Odyssey.

[Mark L · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this! Out of all the comics in the Hasbri Humblebundle these Tom Scioli/ John Barber ones are my favourites. The art evokes the classic Eighties comics as well as influences such as Jack Kirby, Herbert Trimpe and Frank Miller. The ideas go well beyond the source material in inventiveness though. Excited for volume 3.

[Carola · Rating 3 out of 5]

This volume was all over the place, with something different happening every 1-2 pages. Had a lot of cool (unhinged) ideas but the storytelling was really lacking. I'm surprised it gets a higher rating than volume 1.

[Kavinay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once you figure out the tone of the series, it's both a lot of fun and an extended nerd whistle to 80's nostalgia.

[Rory Toohey · Rating 3 out of 5]

All over the map, with moments of brilliance. The "director's commentary" in the back helps put it all together, but there's an issue with storytelling if it can't stand on its own.

[Joshua Williams · Rating 3 out of 5]

Story goes completely off the rails pretty quickly, but giving or 3 stars cause the art is still a blast

[PMoslice · Rating 2 out of 5]

More of the same. This story is all over the place. Good luck

[Patrick · Rating 3 out of 5]

It starts making slightly more sense.

[Bill Kte'pi · Rating 4 out of 5]

A masterpiece of ridiculousness. To quote the authors' notes at the end, "This is the only comic where a character has a removable head that is a separate character, who also has a removable head that is a separate character."

[Grump · Rating 4 out of 5]

Disjointed and crazy but really fun and campy.

[B · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this might have been too fevered. Also, I was really hoping for a conclusion.

[Jeff · Rating 4 out of 5]

More of the same madness from volume 1, plus some stabs at actually character work, such as it is!

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't even know how this book exists. It feels like an extended fever dream fed through an acid trip. I find myself googling little bits of trivia so I don't miss anything.