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A review by adelaidemetzger_robotprophet
Robots in Disguise by John Barber
5.0
Man, I didn’t realize how hard of a time I’ve been giving the Robots in Disguise series.
My problem was that I was being biased toward the More Than Meets the Eye series and expecting just as much emotional stamina from RiD. But being the emotionless person I am I was getting frustrated with each volume I read and continued to have a bad attitude. I went over my reviews for the previous volumes before reviewing this one and skimmed through those volumes. With a cumulative point of view on the RiD plotline, I now have a better appreciation for Barber’s writing and understand what is really going on.
This volume covers issues #17 - #22 and I had read issues 17 and 20 before I got the actual volume (minor comic store pick-ups just for kicks). Yes, this continues from the 4th volume with the fate of Bumblebee and those loyal to him determined by Starscream, but this volume begins and ends with Shockwave and his connection to starting Dark Cybertron—it’s ALL ABOUT SHOCKWAVE. That’s important and freaking awesome simultaneously. Although the last two issues surprised me the most because they actually turned out to be about Soundwave. Never, in all the books, comic books, TV series, or games have I ever understood Soundwave’s personality and angle at being loyal to Megatron as I have in issues 21 and 22. Being that these modern IDW series’ reinvent all the classic Transformers characters in ways we could never think, Soundwave is not the cold-minded, monotonously-voiced Decepticon everybody knows. He is actually a very sensitive character that is tuned into the emotions of other beings and has a strong sense of honor. He has hope for a better future with Megatron leading a world of equality and has a personal relationship with Ravage and his other cassettesas it turns out they are the ones who helped him cope with his emotional abilities . This was something I did not expect and was thoroughly pleased with. Shockwave’s a badass and Soundwave is an emotional soldier. Love it.
Barber is a realistic writer, conducting a plot that no Transformers series has seen before and having the characters in play speak and act with individualism that we’d see in the real world; compared to James Roberts’ colorful style of hilarious and gripping dialogue and character situation that dwells more on the pathos of the reader. Sorry, John Barber. It just happened to be that time of the month every time I read a RiD volume. I fully embrace this series as it is supposed to be. Hopefully I have learned my lesson and continue to mature while reading…well, pretty much everything.
My problem was that I was being biased toward the More Than Meets the Eye series and expecting just as much emotional stamina from RiD. But being the emotionless person I am I was getting frustrated with each volume I read and continued to have a bad attitude. I went over my reviews for the previous volumes before reviewing this one and skimmed through those volumes. With a cumulative point of view on the RiD plotline, I now have a better appreciation for Barber’s writing and understand what is really going on.
This volume covers issues #17 - #22 and I had read issues 17 and 20 before I got the actual volume (minor comic store pick-ups just for kicks). Yes, this continues from the 4th volume with the fate of Bumblebee and those loyal to him determined by Starscream, but this volume begins and ends with Shockwave and his connection to starting Dark Cybertron—it’s ALL ABOUT SHOCKWAVE. That’s important and freaking awesome simultaneously. Although the last two issues surprised me the most because they actually turned out to be about Soundwave. Never, in all the books, comic books, TV series, or games have I ever understood Soundwave’s personality and angle at being loyal to Megatron as I have in issues 21 and 22. Being that these modern IDW series’ reinvent all the classic Transformers characters in ways we could never think, Soundwave is not the cold-minded, monotonously-voiced Decepticon everybody knows. He is actually a very sensitive character that is tuned into the emotions of other beings and has a strong sense of honor. He has hope for a better future with Megatron leading a world of equality and has a personal relationship with Ravage and his other cassettes
Barber is a realistic writer, conducting a plot that no Transformers series has seen before and having the characters in play speak and act with individualism that we’d see in the real world; compared to James Roberts’ colorful style of hilarious and gripping dialogue and character situation that dwells more on the pathos of the reader. Sorry, John Barber. It just happened to be that time of the month every time I read a RiD volume. I fully embrace this series as it is supposed to be. Hopefully I have learned my lesson and continue to mature while reading…well, pretty much everything.