The return of Forest Lee

[KnightBeat]

Sometimes I regret closing my paypal account.

What are the chances that Diamond will distribute this in the future?

[Andy Turnbull]

I'm unsure, given that they are selling at the same cost for members and non-members means they might be looking to avoid using Diamond. (Not always a bad thing).

Andy

[Andy Turnbull]

Oct 27, 2008 23:00:25 GMT The Doctor said:

You've taken a hit for the team!

-Ralph

You knew I'd buy it the minute you sent me the email with the link!

Andy

[The Doctor]

Everything is proceeding as I had forseen.

-Ralph

[Deleted]

I've invested in a bunch of these too. They'll be in stock in the next few days so if anyone wants to avoid international shipping go here www.oneshallstand.com/shop/timelines3.html

I accept cheques/postal orders as well as paypal.

From what I could gather from speaking to the Fun Pub people, it was Hasbro which put the skids on them releasing this comic through Diamond. Something to do with IDW already distributing TF through Diamond.

[Andy Turnbull]

My copy arrived today very quick turnaround from the Collector's Club. I haven't read the thing properly yet but I wanted to say something good about them before I go into my rant.

Apologies to Steve if it puts a few people off picking it up.

It's $3.99. Now here is our biggest problem it's only 24 pages long and it's not even the actual size of a US comic it comes in at about the size of a DVD case in width, and smaller in length.

Now you aren't issuing it through Diamond so there's no costs to bear from retailer discount, so I expect a full size comic with more than 24 pages. It comes in with front cover, inside cover and then 22 pages of story.

Several marks off for this. The cover says "Cheap Shots" and you know what, it feels like that.

Andy

[Andy Turnbull]

Right I've just read it and story wise it's actually not too bad. It's a fairly good done in one tale and the cast are enjoyable enough and relatively well written. Minerva's inclusion is complete bollocks though, it could have been anybody to be honest. Just fan service, but aside from one shitty line she doesn't contribute (or drag down) the story.

The art by Dan Khanna and Jake Isenberg is okay enough, anyone who knows me is aware I'm not Dan's biggest fan. I still think his work comes across as perfunctory more than anything else but credit, where credit is due it's definitely stronger than it's been anywhere else. The storytelling is better than his last outing in Spotlight: Doubledealer.

The colours do sometimes verge on the dark and muddy side.

Lettering is much better than any of the previous efforts from Fun Pubs, they've gotten Jesse Wittenrich in to do the lettering and he's a hell of a lot better than Junemoon Studios or whoever, they actually were. Some of the SFX lettering could be a bit better, but then I am a real lettering snob so it's not the harshest of criticisms.

So a mixed bag then.

As a pack in for a toy this represents really good value, as a comic on it's own given the price point and size it's a mixed bag. A bit of a shame, if this had been either cheaper or bigger in size (page count and dimensions) I would have had no qualms in recommending people get a copy.

Andy

[grahamthomson]

Turnbull, you fool!

[Andy Turnbull]

Think of me as a test pilot on the frontier of human experience. I do things so others don't have to.

Now where the fuck is my medal and parade?!

Andy

[The Doctor]

Behind the bush.

-Ralph

[Andy Turnbull]

Well someone better fetch it!

Andy

[Deleted]

Andy was thar $3.99 plus the postage? What did you end up spending? Seems a strange move to make it A5 size or thereabouts.

[Andy Turnbull]

No it was $3.99 for the comic itself. That's the cover price. Postage was about $7 or so.

Andy

[Bogatan]

To the size I assume there are two reasons. First they more than likely just did one big run of them to keep costs down. Second FP bi monthly magazine/comic is that size too so it would have been kept that size to fit alongside them.

I"m kinda looking forward to reading it (I already have it but it for Christmas) I wouldn't have said that 12 months ago but this years botcon comic was fairly entertaining so I have foolishly raised expectations.

Andy

[Deleted]

$11 including the postage? That's just a bit over £7. Great it means I'm quite a bit cheaper. £3.99 including the postage for anyone interested.

[Deleted]

My copies have turned up at last, and (thank you god) escaped the unpleasant and seemingly random customs levy that I've copped for in the past. As Andy says its A5 which is initially a bit weird, but you soon adjust to it. It's 22 pages of story all in colour. The cover is by Dan Khanna but the story is drawn by a new guy, Thomas Deer.

The plus side of the A5 is that it makes postage a bit cheaper. So I'm now offering these for £3.15 plus 60p postage. A bit better than £7 from the club I guess.
www.oneshallstand.com/shop/timelines3.html

[Dave]

I had sworn off Fun Pub after the last issue, but this one sounds borderline OK-ish. So will give it a go.

[Dave]

My copy arrived the other day and upon finishing it had to flip back to the cover to check that it was a FunPub issue and not some other Nightbeat comic that had been released without my knowing. I enjoyed it.

This is exactly the kind of story they should be telling with the "Classics" fiction. Focusing on small groups in little tales. Before they seemed to want to tell BIG tales of the continuing adventures of the Transformers feat. main characters and er, only having one issue per year to do it in.
Also this feels like it could fit in at some point after the original series. It could also fit in before G2, OK if you give it much thought you run in to problems but unlike the previous "Classics" story it doesn't seem like it's going out of its way to contradict anything.
I could happily read a few more tales with this cast though due to the infrequent nature of Timelines I suspect this is the last we will see of them.