Transformers: Ironhide

Transformers IDW #23

by Mike Costa

During the Great War on Cybertron, one of the Autobots' fallen heroes was Optimus Prime's best friend -- Ironhide. Now, with Cybertron and Ironhide both fallen, their fates become intertwined in unexpected ways. Ironhide presents the tale of a hero's return that may bring new hope to Cybertron.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Science Fiction, Comic Book, 21st Century

104 pages, Paperback

First published December 28, 2010

About the author

Mike Costa is an American comic book and television writer.

Reviews

[Kavinay · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really like this book, yet I don't know why. The resurrection of Ironhide is poorly hand-waved away, but this is simply a beautifully illustrated book. Coller's pencils are really clean and cinemati, yet I really think the star of the book is Lafuente's colours. Seriously, this is just an amazingly coloured series. The next time someone laments about the nostalgic days of four colours, give them this book and tell them to shut up.

[Alexis Fleming · Rating 3 out of 5]

A weird one. Ironhide comes back to life, as does another Autobot. They meet Alpha Trion, who is a little crazy, and spend 6 pages if action beating up the Swarm on Cybertron. Felt like a "bridging"book rather than one that stands on it's own. I really want to see what they do with this story next.

[Ian · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ironhide awakens on Cybertron having lost his memories of the exodus from that planet, the war on Earth and his death at the hands of the humans there. He then encounters Alpha Trion, who tasks him with eradicating the Insecticon infestation on Cybertron and thereby making way for the rebirth of the planet.

One of my least favourite narrative tropes is when a character's memory is erased and they revert to an earlier version of themselves. It usually arises from writers having written themselves into a dead-end and finding that the best way to get back on track is just to revert to a previous status quo.
The reason I hate it so much is that it robs the character in question of any and all development they've had and, by extension, it means that the stories you've seen of that character are all rendered pointless. (My most-hated example of this trope is Donna Noble in Doctor Who). I've loved Ironhide since I was a kid, so to have him robbed of all his adventures on Earth seems like an insult to the character.

Aside from the stupid 'lost memory' plot point, nothing else really happens in this book.
We don't get any explanations of what's actually going on and we don't get any resolution to Ironhide's situation. It's all so clearly intended as preamble for some other story that it's annoying that this book tries to pass itself off as a self-contained graphic novel.

Still, I suppose we at least get to see Metroplex in action briefly.

* More reviews here: https://fsfh-book-review2.webnode.page *

[Jiro Dreams of Suchy · Rating 2 out of 5]

The ending page splash and some of the insectoid battle sequences are a lot of fun- this story is a little too mixed in with other stories (my fault I have not read the other stories) and seems to be too little information while not offering enough pure fun. I’m sure this will feel like a stronger comic when I read the others but right now it felt a little dry (even when an entire planet is destroyed).

[James Bowman · Rating 3 out of 5]

A decent Ironhide-centric story in the IDW continuity, which works better as a standalone than you'd expect under the circumstances. It did feel like a single-issue story stretched out into a miniseries, however, and Alpha Trion's involvement in the story doesn't quite make sense... (B)

[Don · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kind of a strange story. Had this weird metaphysical plot with Ironhide’s spark leaving his body but coming back later in another place. Usually in these spotlight stories you learn more about the featured characters, but this one was really shallow. Not much going on.

[Clint the Cool Guy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding

I wasn't expecting this comic to be so good, but it is. IDW does a great job of paying off long-term storylines. This is a good example. Recommended.

[chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Casey Coller is such a good artist, jeez

[ferdi 🍉 · Rating 4 out of 5]

i hate the whole amnesia cliche so much, but it’s still good to see ironhide again and, in a way, sunstreaker.

alpha-trion was also a good addition

[BCPL Youth Services Librarian]

Click to see book in BCPL's online catalog

[Martin Lund · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of the better installments of the series in my opinion. It gives enough of what's come (a long time) before to let the reader catch up, while telling a story that mostly stands on its own.