Review for IDW Transformers vs. The Terminator 4

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Last week marked the final installment of the Transformers vs Terminator comic and I have to say, this issue felt more bombastic than any Michael Bay movie. That's because this is done in fifteen minutes and it's just non stop action. You've got another classic Optimus vs Megatron Battle, you have Megatron vs Starscream, and the Terminator killing left right and centre with a bombastic finish. Plus you have quite a bit of Ravage thrown in, which is always nice to see from Alex Milne.



However, throughout the cacophony there is also some plot and I will be honest, I didn't get it. The writing was not the strong suit of this series, far from it. Since this is a Terminator story, there is a time travel semi paradox story to tell, kinda, and that part totally escaped me. Meaning that the end made absolutely no sense to me. And aside from a tease to what may come later, a good part of this comic really goes out of its way to say that this part is done with an ending that almost reminds me of Beast Machine's ending with a new tomorrow being born from the wreckage. Except if you don't really get how we got to the this ending, then you're just left bewildered.



Also, Optimus rapidly gets over the death of his fallen comrades, who he has spent eons battling with. It felt really insincere, like the writer had to address it and just dedicated a quick line of dialogue. I don't know what it is with Transformers comics in general, they are very tedious for a long bit and then wrap everything up in a larger than life sort of way that never leaves me satisfied, with writing that jumps around all over the place, never making the comic feel cohesive. It reminded me a lot of the opening arc of the Optimus Prime, or All Hail Megatron or even Stormbringer in structure. I know that last one has it's fans and so may this Terminator crossover but I am not one of them.

Back to the art, it's always a treat to see Alex Milne draw Transformers. He draws as many transformations as he could, almost like he is making up for the times he didn't on the Roberts run to the point where it feels unnecessary. For instance you'll have Bumblebee in robot mode in one panel and then soon after you see him transform from car to robot in the next. I do really wish the shadows were left to the colorist, however, rather than adding a grid pattern, it muddies the art.




In the end, this was a well drawn short series that shows that the franchises can work together, I just wish it was better written overall. If you are going to write a yarn dealing with time travel, you have to make it simple and clear and I didn't get this here. In the end, my score for this issue is the same as the first issue and the series overall.




You can pick up this issue at the Seibertron.com eBay store or at your local shop, check here to find the closest shop to you.