Comics
Review: ‘Mars Attacks The Transformers’
Martians! Team ups! Double crosses! Lasers blasting! Explosions! Witty banter! Giant yellow boots! Don’t trust Mars to do anything but terrorize and entertain you at the same time! This fun issue feels like a classic wacky episode of the original Transformers cartoon but in comic form as Mars Attacks The Transformers One-Shot.
WRITTEN BY: Shane McCarthy
ART BY: Matt Frank
PUBLISHED BY: IDW Publishing
PRICE: $3.99
RELEASE: 23 January 2013
This enjoyable issue is at the same time honoring and poking fun at the classic Generation1 series. The dialogue from everyone is spot on with a dash of commentary you never realized was missing until now. Writer Shane McCarthy knows his characters well and has fun with them and the story as a whole. As usual, The Decepticons lose and are carted away which is the typical setup to any Transformers story. Then, Mars attacks! The Autobots quickly discover that Martians are no pushovers…just ask Ironhide.
I can absolutely see this as an episode of the original run of the TV show. I grew up watching the series and played with my when I watched trying to re-enact the action. Every now and then, there would be one episode where the focus shifted to someone else for the Transformers to team up and battle. They never made toys of them. If they had Martian toys back then, I think it would have been a good addition to my toy army.
Martians are visually so different than everything else in this world that it makes for some great artwork by Matt Frank. All the characters readers know are there with a lighter and emotive look which is a great touch. Each ‘Bot and ‘Con are given their big moments to smash each other and Martians too. This issue is bright and fun. The one-shot is executed as good as it gets.
Are there any lesson learned here? Don’t trust Martians. Megatron is dangerous at any size. Cosmos IS useful. Autobots will always fight Decepticons. A well done-in-one issue indeed. Autobots, Roll out!
3.5/5 Skulls
Reviewed by: Your Friendly Neighborhood Brady
Comics
‘Curse of the Where Wolf’ Bites Into August Release With Trio of Werewolf Theatrical Screenings [Exclusive Preview]
Larry Chaney‘s hairy misadventures are continuing in the sequel graphic novel Curse of the Where Wolf from creative team Rob Saucedo, Debora Lancianese, and Jack Morelli, and its author is celebrating with a trio of horror’s greatest werewolf films.
The Curse of the Where Wolf hits shelves on August 7 from Encyclopocalypse Publications.
That coincides with the launch of a theatrical screening event in Houston, Texas, featuring a trio of seminal werewolf flicks turning 45 this year: The Howling on August 7, Wolfen on August 14, and An American Werewolf in London on August 21.
Each screening features a “werewolf in film” presentation as well as a book signing from Where Wolf author and River Oaks Theatre artistic director Rob Saucedo.
In the new graphic novel, “Being a werewolf sucks. Reporter Larry Chaney wanted to be a hero. Instead, he became a werewolf. Now, caught between incredible new powers and a desire to eat everything (and everyone) in sight, Larry must find a cure for his curse. Or die trying.”
“With Where Wolf, I wanted to tell a whodunit set in a furry convention, so the story was pretty contained within a very specific setting and genre. With Curse of the Where Wolf, I wanted to celebrate everything I love about the possibility of comic books. Curse of the Where Wolf is a funny book, in every sense of the phrase, but it’s also an earnest look at a person’s struggle to become a better version of themselves, especially when the alternative is to become a literal monster,” Saucedo says of Curse.
The original graphic novel was previously serialized as the first webcomic hosted on Fangoria before being collected by Encyclopocalypse Publications in 2023 and has already been optioned for film, podcast, and television development ahead of launch by producers James Fino (“The Freak Brothers” for Tubi, “Rick and Morty” for Adult Swim) and Charles Horak (First Date for Magnolia Pictures).
Expect Larry to find himself in even weirder situations in the 362-page full color sequel; Saucedo has provided Bloody Disgusting with exclusive art pages from the upcoming graphic novel that showcase lupine humor.
You must be logged in to post a comment.