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Post by grahamthomson on Jul 15, 2008 12:51:48 GMT
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Post by Andy Turnbull on Jul 15, 2008 13:03:00 GMT
Just saw that a wee while ago, looks ace.
Andy
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Post by grahamthomson on Jul 15, 2008 13:07:43 GMT
It does indeed!
I have been intrigued by the whole Nightbeat/Dead Universe plotline since Spotlight: Nightbeat. Plus, within the space of a couple of captions, Hardhead gets more depth as a character here than in the entire Marvel US/UK run!
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kayevcee
Fusilateral Quintro Combiner
The Weather Wizard
Posts: 5,527
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Post by kayevcee on Jul 15, 2008 18:13:18 GMT
Looking good. The spotlights are about the only IDW TF comics I'm picking up right now.
-Nick
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The Huff
Thunderjet
Hufferlover
Posts: 4,070
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Post by The Huff on Jul 15, 2008 18:27:30 GMT
Is it me, or does the spaceship next to Nightbeat & Hardhead look a lot like a Tiridium (probably spelt that wrong) shuttle from Star Wars just without the huge fin on top? (If I got the name wrong, I mean the one the Emperor arrives in in ROTJ.) (The TF Emperor turns into it.)
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Post by Fortmax2020 on Jul 15, 2008 18:35:46 GMT
Looks good!
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Post by legios on Jul 15, 2008 19:58:14 GMT
Is it me, or does the spaceship next to Nightbeat & Hardhead look a lot like a Tiridium (probably spelt that wrong) shuttle from Star Wars just without the huge fin on top? (If I got the name wrong, I mean the one the Emperor arrives in in ROTJ.) (The TF Emperor turns into it.) Llambda class shuttle (Tydirium seems to have been a call-sign of a particular shuttle/flight) - at least as far as I know. It does indeed - just with the large v-stab shaved-off and replaced with two smaller ones. And on the comic itself... looks decent enough from those sample pages. Certainly Hardhead's personality comes over quite strongly I'm in much the same boat as Nick, I'm only picking up the Spotlight's from IDW at the moment, and it looks hopeful that this one will be worth my fistful of shannix Karl
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Post by grahamthomson on Jul 15, 2008 21:18:10 GMT
Is it me, or does the spaceship next to Nightbeat & Hardhead look a lot like a Tiridium (probably spelt that wrong) shuttle from Star Wars just without the huge fin on top? I personally wouldn't have said you look like a Star Wars spaceship, Matt.
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primenova
Fusilateral Quintro Combiner
Posts: 6,001
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Post by primenova on Jul 16, 2008 10:57:44 GMT
Be nice to see if the Headmaster characters from the original G1 turn up to be headmaster in IDW - ok Sunstreaker wasnt one.
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The Huff
Thunderjet
Hufferlover
Posts: 4,070
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Post by The Huff on Jul 16, 2008 12:18:09 GMT
Is it me, or does the spaceship next to Nightbeat & Hardhead look a lot like a Tiridium (probably spelt that wrong) shuttle from Star Wars just without the huge fin on top? I personally wouldn't have said you look like a Star Wars spaceship, Matt. Actually, Ido look a bit like one of those 'Chicken-Walker' things (Scout Walkers? AT-STs?) when I've got my shorts on. Except I have arms. And a head. And no Ewoks throwing sticks at me.
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Post by The Doctor on Jul 16, 2008 13:31:54 GMT
I've read the Hardhead issue. Very good. Furman really is better suited to 4-issue US format minis or 11-page shorts. Lots happens, including one 'No! They didn't do that, did they?' moment.
-Ralph
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Post by legios on Jul 16, 2008 18:51:30 GMT
Actually, Ido look a bit like one of those 'Chicken-Walker' things (Scout Walkers? AT-STs?) when I've got my shorts on. Except I have arms. And a head. And no Ewoks throwing sticks at me. Just as well Matt - those Ewok sticks, they hit really, really hard. Almost unbearably so. Karl
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Post by legios on Jul 19, 2008 15:29:41 GMT
Well, I must say that "Spotlight:Hardhead" feels like a return to from. Whereas "Cyclonus" felt a little bit light on content there is a lot of story in these pages. I get a strong sense of who Hardhead is as a character as well, He comes across quite strongly here. I quite like the way he has been reinvented here as well - from idiotically stubborn rendition in the Marvel comic and his original bio he has been transformed into something a bit more interesting - a career soldier with a degree of self-awareness. Fairly well plotted , and with a good strong pace to it . Yeah, good stuff. Very good stuff.
Karl
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Post by grahamthomson on Jul 19, 2008 19:14:19 GMT
An excellent issue.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Jul 21, 2008 9:12:16 GMT
Hear hear! Much more focus on the title character than Spotlight: Cyclonus, and someone who actually needed and deserved the attention for once (as opposed to the increasingly generic Spotlights wherein the title character struggles with the rage/insanity inside them and gets tempted to switch sides).
Definite feeling of everything coming together - especially with Jhiaxus' comments about the 3 sites being guarded (1 being Thunderbird/Cyclonus' site, 2 being Gorlam seen here, 3 being where...?).
And to no-one's surprise, the art was excellent. Hurrah!
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Rich
Protoform
Posts: 824
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Post by Rich on Jul 21, 2008 12:19:51 GMT
There are spoilers in this review and I don't know how to put in one of those nifty little boxes, so beware.
Yep, this was a really good issue.
I just recently bought a Hardhead and while he's being sitting on my windowsill I've been thinking, 'I should try to write a nice, old school tmuk short piece about him because he is one cool looking bastard!' but frankly, after reading such a definitive take on him, it would be a bit pointless.
There is loads going on this issue - bordering on too much, actually, but it gives it a real pace and energy. Despite that, Hardhead's character comes through really strongly and his pages feel very well paced and apart from one bit, which I'll mention in a minute, are impressively unhurried. I only wish I hadn't read the little intro because it borrows wholesale from the story and stops Furman's interpretation, which imbues HH with real pathos - a real tragic heroism, from being as surprising as it should have been.
The one bit that felt rushed, and this was more a Dark Universe plot point rather than a HH character page, was when we were told that Gorlam Prime is ‘frozen’. I found that due to having so much to get through that that wasn't explained clearly, which left me confused for a while. The only other thing that nagged was the fate of Banzai Tron: in the past I had got the feeling that he was being set up by Furman's to ‘do Bludgeon’, but today I felt that he was the victim of IDW's change in focus for the TF line which meant that his chance to shine was lost; shame.
Artwise, quite possibly Nick's best issue yet, although I do always seem to say that! I really love his portrayal of HH - he's got the coolest face ever: looks kind of like Gene from Disney’s ‘Aladdin’ film - and, as usual, all Nick's bots are hugely expressive and energetic - the Igor Jhiaxus panel is great. Didn't check the colourist, but they do a great job too.
If Furman can pull off a great ending - one with a real surprise twist would be my preference (something that I hope AHM hasn't spoilt) - then I think he will have achieved his goal to write a definitive (second time I've used that word) long TF story that builds to a conclusion and which can exist entirely complete of any other TF story; a paperback edition of the 4 'ions' plus, maybe, spotlights 'Nightbeat', 'Galvatron' and ‘Prime’ would make a magnificent book to have in the shops for the next movie. If he can do the end.
I can't wait.
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Post by charlesrocketboy on Jul 23, 2008 9:44:00 GMT
Bloody HELL! Hardhead just..... whoa. And on top of that, a character piece; the evil plot revealed; the Monstructor-Six plot diving into the Expansion; and things getting so desperate Optimus has authorised new Pretenders. Brilliant stuff.
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Post by The Doctor on Jul 23, 2008 9:49:03 GMT
and things getting so desperate Optimus has authorised new Pretenders. And whoever thought that would be an exciting plot point, back in the Marvel days, eh? -Ralph
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Post by charlesrocketboy on Jul 23, 2008 10:13:46 GMT
Indeed!
And is it me or are they implying the Gorlam Primers are turning into Micromasters, and this is what's going to happen to all life?
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Post by The Doctor on Jul 23, 2008 10:49:43 GMT
Possibly, which would be a really clever new way of doing Micromasters. Perhaps their leader is called Big Daddy.
-Ralph
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Post by charlesrocketboy on Jul 23, 2008 10:52:26 GMT
I shudder to think what reason Furman would give for him having that name!
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Jul 23, 2008 11:52:55 GMT
Indeed! And is it me or are they implying the Gorlam Primers are turning into Micromasters, and this is what's going to happen to all life? Definitely the impression that I got. And good on them, too.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jul 24, 2008 8:34:55 GMT
Crikey! I hadn't thought of that. It was strange that everything on the planet had come to a standstill and I kept expecting an explanation by the end of the book but we don't get one. Perhaps it comes next issue or in the finale.
A very enjoyable read though, and I echo the sentiments above that you get a strong sense of the character in the spotlight this time. I have to admit, when I heard Revelation was being sidelined to the spotlights I feared the worst. But if anyone can make it work it's Simon, and now the four-issue spotlight format is starting to look inspired.
What's the bets Nightbeat has to become a headmaster to recover?
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jul 27, 2008 23:35:56 GMT
Anyone else think 'hardheads in my pants' sounds wrong... solid lumps of poo are coming to mind.
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Post by grahamthomson on Jul 28, 2008 8:31:57 GMT
It has become tradition to announce anything that Nick is illustrating as "suchandsuch in my pants".
For example; Shockwaves in my pants, Kups in my pants, Soundwaves in my pants.
One day we'll have a Spotlight: Erector comic from him, I am sure.
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Post by charlesrocketboy on Jul 28, 2008 9:49:03 GMT
Or Spotlight: Big Daddy.
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Post by The Doctor on Jul 28, 2008 12:55:13 GMT
If only he'd done Double Dealer.
-Ralph
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Post by charlesrocketboy on Jul 28, 2008 14:34:41 GMT
Maximum Dinobots has been said to be Spotlight-ish in giving focus to all five guys, so he's doing Sludge and Slag...
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Post by The Doctor on Jul 28, 2008 15:13:09 GMT
I look forward to a Swoop in my pants.
-Ralph
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Gav
Drone
John Travoltage!
Posts: 2,045
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Post by Gav on Jul 28, 2008 19:36:09 GMT
Anything's better than Sludge in your pants.
I've been a fan of Hardhead since his Karaoke days, so I'll be picking this up.
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