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Transformers IDW #53
Transformers: Distant Stars
After the events of COMBINER WARS, WINDBLADE and STARSCREAM race to recruit the lost CYBERTRONIAN colonies to the Council of Worlds but which of them will control the fate of Cybertron? Collects issues #4 7 of the Windblade series and the Combiner Hunters One-Shot."
126 pages, ebook
First published May 3, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
October 20, 2020
This Transformers collection, featuring the fan-voted character Windblade explores a concept I first encountered in the Transformers Cybertron cartoon. In the animated series, it introduced the concept of Cybertronian colonies divided along a certain theme. There was a Speed planet and a Beast planet inhabited by Cybertroninans, which are two of the worlds, Windblade visited in order to gain their support for faction in the Council. Not only that, the Beast planet had inhabitants whose designs and names are lifted directly from the Beast Wars, a critically acclaimed Transformers animated series.
Political drama is the series milieu and it is generated by the rivalry of Winblade and Starscream. It's a good and easy read. I'd rate it at 3.5 stars.
Political drama is the series milieu and it is generated by the rivalry of Winblade and Starscream. It's a good and easy read. I'd rate it at 3.5 stars.
October 15, 2018
Transformers: Distant Stars kicks off with Windblade and Starscream in open competition to gain delegates into their new united 'Empire' as they strike to bring back the colony worlds under one banner in order to strengthen Cybertron and create the ' Council of Worlds'! :D Underneath all of this Windblade and other former 'badged' Cybertronians have the sneaking suspicion that Cybertron under Starscream is actually busily Empire building! :D This gives the book a sharp edged kind of gun boat diplomacy feel! :D At the same time Starscream's political machinations are starting to roll out onto the street and the normal Cybertronians are starting to take not of what is happening! :D
Transformers: Distant Stars goes on an exploration trip throughout the book though as we get introduced to Titans such as Eukaris which is full of Aniformers from Beast Wars, and the planet Velocitron where everything has to be done fast and they travel on the remains of their Titan keeping ahead of their sun in a way like Kim Stanley Robinson's 2312! :D This of course leads to a toasting session but also illustrates the crazy culture they have developed on Velocitron! :D
The scope of the book is incredible with the colonies all opening up it gives the story the epic feel that we have come to expect and the set up for future plotlines is huge as the book starts to scratch the surface of all the different and varied cultures the Cybertronians are encountering out in the wider galaxy! :D Transformers: Distant Stars world building is epic in every sense really putting everything out there on the page and keeping you guessing at every turn you never know what kind of culture they are going to encounter and how this is going to work out! :D
At the same time the rivalry between Windblade an Starscream gives everything a sharp viscerally edge as the Cybertronians really play for keeps! :D The politics play their part throughout and the situation gets trickier and trickier throughout! :D How this is weaved throughout the plot and infects everything around it gives the everything in the tale ramifications for what it happening so seemingly inconsequential events come back to bite Starscream and Windblade in that back! :D The sheer deviousness that Starscream is willing to go to as well is on on display with him clearly blackmailing Windblade and Caminus in general! :D This is clearly setting up future plot points and is bound to come back and get Starscream on the hop again! :D As with any wannabe tyrant eventually these things will come and get you and the 'Council of Worlds' is certainly will be hard for Starscream to not find himself booted out if Windblades political side pulls off fast ones! : The characterisation is top notch and you can never know which way things are going to go as Starscream and Windblade keep pulling rabbits out of the hat! :D
Arcee coming in to mix things up and in the process really flips things on there head! :D The does a great of mixing things up and tying up loose plot threads from ongoing plot lines and at the same time it really goes to town setting up new plotlines! :D The book has the feel of breath being held as it clear things are all being set up for the next slalom ride! :D The introduction of Victorian is also neatly handled like the rest of the book and promises a change in power in future books! :D
Pitre-Durocer, Scott and Coller produce a great book with art and script all up there on the page! :D Transformers: Combiner Hunters Special is a crazy ride that mixes and set things up with every turn and really goes for it and is full of choices, heroics, adventure and action packed throughout! :D Brilliant and highly recommended! :D Go and Get! :D
Transformers: Distant Stars goes on an exploration trip throughout the book though as we get introduced to Titans such as Eukaris which is full of Aniformers from Beast Wars, and the planet Velocitron where everything has to be done fast and they travel on the remains of their Titan keeping ahead of their sun in a way like Kim Stanley Robinson's 2312! :D This of course leads to a toasting session but also illustrates the crazy culture they have developed on Velocitron! :D
The scope of the book is incredible with the colonies all opening up it gives the story the epic feel that we have come to expect and the set up for future plotlines is huge as the book starts to scratch the surface of all the different and varied cultures the Cybertronians are encountering out in the wider galaxy! :D Transformers: Distant Stars world building is epic in every sense really putting everything out there on the page and keeping you guessing at every turn you never know what kind of culture they are going to encounter and how this is going to work out! :D
At the same time the rivalry between Windblade an Starscream gives everything a sharp viscerally edge as the Cybertronians really play for keeps! :D The politics play their part throughout and the situation gets trickier and trickier throughout! :D How this is weaved throughout the plot and infects everything around it gives the everything in the tale ramifications for what it happening so seemingly inconsequential events come back to bite Starscream and Windblade in that back! :D The sheer deviousness that Starscream is willing to go to as well is on on display with him clearly blackmailing Windblade and Caminus in general! :D This is clearly setting up future plot points and is bound to come back and get Starscream on the hop again! :D As with any wannabe tyrant eventually these things will come and get you and the 'Council of Worlds' is certainly will be hard for Starscream to not find himself booted out if Windblades political side pulls off fast ones! : The characterisation is top notch and you can never know which way things are going to go as Starscream and Windblade keep pulling rabbits out of the hat! :D
Arcee coming in to mix things up and in the process really flips things on there head! :D The does a great of mixing things up and tying up loose plot threads from ongoing plot lines and at the same time it really goes to town setting up new plotlines! :D The book has the feel of breath being held as it clear things are all being set up for the next slalom ride! :D The introduction of Victorian is also neatly handled like the rest of the book and promises a change in power in future books! :D
Pitre-Durocer, Scott and Coller produce a great book with art and script all up there on the page! :D Transformers: Combiner Hunters Special is a crazy ride that mixes and set things up with every turn and really goes for it and is full of choices, heroics, adventure and action packed throughout! :D Brilliant and highly recommended! :D Go and Get! :D
November 26, 2017
This volume contains the second part of the second "Windblade" limited series. It would be very helpful to read the collected volume for "Combiner Wars" before this volume, because a lot of what happened in that series affects elements for the remainder of the story in this series, as well as the next series (Till All Are One).
At the end of "Combiner Wars", Metroplex locked on to the signatures for 5 other Titan Colonies......Starscream and Windblade rush out to try and win each colony to their side, inadvertantly creating a rift in the new Council of Worlds they're both trying to form. Starscream is still the grand schemer, though you can see some slight softening in his personality the longer he realizes HE IS IN CHARGE on Cybertron and some people are really looking to him to be a good leader. Windblade is securing her footing in the political arena and growing up, though she still doesn't trust Starscream--she is starting to see elements of change within him as well.
The three colonies found that are focused on (one is pretty much throwaway with a mere few panels of introduction, though it would've been nice to see more of their colony), two should be familiar from non-classic "Transformers" shows--Eukaris is basically the world of "Beast Wars" and Velocitron comes from "Transformers: Cybertron". The odd grouping on the third colony found has a lot of familar characters from many series, including Elita One from the classic series.
Without reading the "Combiner Wars" pieces of the story, if you are only reading the "Windblade" volumes on their own.......this collection is merely a setup for what happens in "Till All Are One", which I feel is the best part of the "Windblade Trilogy" (although it is not title-classified as "Windblade", it is a continuation from the two previous "Windblade" series, so I would classify it as thus).
At the end of "Combiner Wars", Metroplex locked on to the signatures for 5 other Titan Colonies......Starscream and Windblade rush out to try and win each colony to their side, inadvertantly creating a rift in the new Council of Worlds they're both trying to form. Starscream is still the grand schemer, though you can see some slight softening in his personality the longer he realizes HE IS IN CHARGE on Cybertron and some people are really looking to him to be a good leader. Windblade is securing her footing in the political arena and growing up, though she still doesn't trust Starscream--she is starting to see elements of change within him as well.
The three colonies found that are focused on (one is pretty much throwaway with a mere few panels of introduction, though it would've been nice to see more of their colony), two should be familiar from non-classic "Transformers" shows--Eukaris is basically the world of "Beast Wars" and Velocitron comes from "Transformers: Cybertron". The odd grouping on the third colony found has a lot of familar characters from many series, including Elita One from the classic series.
Without reading the "Combiner Wars" pieces of the story, if you are only reading the "Windblade" volumes on their own.......this collection is merely a setup for what happens in "Till All Are One", which I feel is the best part of the "Windblade Trilogy" (although it is not title-classified as "Windblade", it is a continuation from the two previous "Windblade" series, so I would classify it as thus).
October 3, 2019
Not Good
The story is really silly, and impossible to take seriously. The art is also terrible. It is so bad. It is very cartoony-looking, with highly exaggerated, silly expressions. The last story had good art but the rest stunk. It might be forgivable if the story was good, but this story is a total snorefest. At least it's a politically correct snorefest, if that's important to you.
It's frustrating because these IDW comics are such a mixed bag in terms of quality. You'll get one story that's totally awesome and just blows you away, followed by another story that's total nonsense. The clash in style and tone among their writers gives you whiplash. And it's the same with the art. Why can't IDW just hire and keep a few good artists that know how to draw Transformers? Instead of being all over the map with experimental art styles? This one in particular just looks like a bad webcomic. Surely we can do better than that!
The seeming decline in IDW Transformers comics continues here. Not recommended.
The story is really silly, and impossible to take seriously. The art is also terrible. It is so bad. It is very cartoony-looking, with highly exaggerated, silly expressions. The last story had good art but the rest stunk. It might be forgivable if the story was good, but this story is a total snorefest. At least it's a politically correct snorefest, if that's important to you.
It's frustrating because these IDW comics are such a mixed bag in terms of quality. You'll get one story that's totally awesome and just blows you away, followed by another story that's total nonsense. The clash in style and tone among their writers gives you whiplash. And it's the same with the art. Why can't IDW just hire and keep a few good artists that know how to draw Transformers? Instead of being all over the map with experimental art styles? This one in particular just looks like a bad webcomic. Surely we can do better than that!
The seeming decline in IDW Transformers comics continues here. Not recommended.
April 14, 2019
An entertaining second volume for Windblade, focusing on worldbuilding in the form of Cybertronian colonies based on non-G1 lore (including a Beast Wars planet). The various installments feel like they wrap up a bit too quickly and simply, but presumably this is just setup for more later (especially with Elita One). I also think Corin Howell's art was particularly well-suited to telling this story. (B+)
December 22, 2020
Could be an intriguing story but the writing ruins it - characters act like petty children and the holier than thou morally good protagonist has to save everyone every time. You know a character is badly written when their co-stars are made to look like idiots just to make them look good. Sigh.
August 26, 2017
The artwork has taken a bit of a dive and this particular story has turned from a reasonably well written political satire into just a pissing contest between Starscream and Windblade.
February 26, 2020
Overall, I have to say I'm not a fan of the way they're handling the introduction of these new worlds.
September 24, 2022
In this volume, we see Windblade and Starscream try to politically out-maneuver each other as they bring more long-lost Cybertronian colonies into the fold of an intergalactic council.
4/5
4/5
July 3, 2016
Yes! This one was so good!
To start, the art is phenomenal. Corin Howell creates an artstyle that makes the eyes want more and the characters look like they’re snapshots of an animated show. I looked her up the same way I investigated into Sarah Stone for the first Windblade novel and Howell has some comic art credentials starting out as a novice comic artist and carrying that into her career work here. I seriously can’t get enough of it.
This volume is one of those volumes where it seems like a series of side quests or mini stories when it’s actually a vital part of the main series plot. No, Megatron, Rodimus, and Optimus are not present, but the goal between Windblade and Starscream is to unite the lost colonies and make a multi-planeted government with all Cybertronians. But the plot explained plainly doesn’t take away the performance of the characters. You could have the plot be Windblade trying to keep Starscream from hurting a kitten and the characters would still shine.
One of the first things I thought was so fascinating was how the current TF comic-writing team are putting characters from ALL the series in here. Knockout, in complete Transformers: Prime style and personality, is not a Decepticon in this universe but an ambassador to the planet Velocitron. I love how they drop clues like Moonchaser mentioning that Knockout has a conjux endura and then completely detail Breakdown at the front of the crowd later (when I think about it it would have been awesome if they incorporated conjux endura in Prime but I can see why it would cause problems with parents of the younger viewers).
If the main plot of RiD (now just Transformers) or MTMTE ever end Transformers now has an infinite number of possibilities to continue with the 13 colonies and the histories behind them available. I also want to see Windblade prosper as a character. A new volume dedicated to her isn’t set for release yet, but I’d love to see her run as long as Transformers is still standing because she is such a great character. I’ll be surprised the day Mairghread Scott isn’t her writer because the two go together like...Windblade and Chromia?
To start, the art is phenomenal. Corin Howell creates an artstyle that makes the eyes want more and the characters look like they’re snapshots of an animated show. I looked her up the same way I investigated into Sarah Stone for the first Windblade novel and Howell has some comic art credentials starting out as a novice comic artist and carrying that into her career work here. I seriously can’t get enough of it.
This volume is one of those volumes where it seems like a series of side quests or mini stories when it’s actually a vital part of the main series plot. No, Megatron, Rodimus, and Optimus are not present, but the goal between Windblade and Starscream is to unite the lost colonies and make a multi-planeted government with all Cybertronians. But the plot explained plainly doesn’t take away the performance of the characters. You could have the plot be Windblade trying to keep Starscream from hurting a kitten and the characters would still shine.
One of the first things I thought was so fascinating was how the current TF comic-writing team are putting characters from ALL the series in here. Knockout, in complete Transformers: Prime style and personality, is not a Decepticon in this universe but an ambassador to the planet Velocitron. I love how they drop clues like Moonchaser mentioning that Knockout has a conjux endura and then completely detail Breakdown at the front of the crowd later (when I think about it it would have been awesome if they incorporated conjux endura in Prime but I can see why it would cause problems with parents of the younger viewers).
If the main plot of RiD (now just Transformers) or MTMTE ever end Transformers now has an infinite number of possibilities to continue with the 13 colonies and the histories behind them available. I also want to see Windblade prosper as a character. A new volume dedicated to her isn’t set for release yet, but I’d love to see her run as long as Transformers is still standing because she is such a great character. I’ll be surprised the day Mairghread Scott isn’t her writer because the two go together like...Windblade and Chromia?
December 17, 2016
I foolishly allowed this to languish on my shelf for months before finally giving it a try. Lesson learned. If only the political maneuverings of Earth could be as entertaining and surprising as those of Cybertron. Windblade continues to be an angel working alongside the devil himself (the devil here being Starscream, of course) in the perhaps vain hope that even the power-mad must at some point listen to reason. Terrific writing and idiosyncratic art really make this book shine. Learn from my mistake and discover this one for yourself sooner rather than later.
October 10, 2024
The art is NOT GOOD compared to the first 4 issues, which are not collected in this volume. Hoever, the story shifts into a fun political drama that is continued in Till All Are One, and that was enjoyable to me, especially to see a Starscream unshackled by megatron. 4/5 story, 2/5 art.
July 24, 2016
This series keeps getting better and better!
October 20, 2016
Just about reaches 4 stars, thanks to the excellent Combiner Hunters one-shot.
January 30, 2025
Standout issues: #5, #6,#7, Combiner Hunters #1 (One-shot)
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews