Mini Madness: Beast Wars The Gathering #3 Review

After an amazing first issue, this miniseries had a major slump with the second. Can Furman pull this one back out of the water and save a story with so much potential?

Yes he can! Again we are given a comic that draws you in and leaves you giddy with anticipation of the next issue. The story progresses at a fine pace setting up the final battle. Finally we get a glimpse of the TV show characters and how they fit in with this title. Furman makes sure that nothing is forgotten, bringing up story elements and tying up loose ends that I never would have remembered. The dialogue is very natural and well written to complement this incredible tale.

Figueroa's pencils are beautiful as always, with excellent shadowing that adds rich texture to the pages. Figueroa seamlessly blends organics and robotics unlike anyone else. Not that I'm ragging on the other artists, because they are drawing some wonderful covers (such as the one posted above), Don just has a real knack for it. Josh did another great job coloring, setting a great tone and tropical feel for the book. There are so many things to love about this miniseries, it's a shame that there are only four issues.

BW4E

Story: 9/10 Art:9/10 Quick Verdict: Grab It

Mini Madness: Beast Wars The Gathering #2 Review

Beast Wars: The Gathering had the best start of about any Transformers comic produced. An amazing and complicated story, brilliant artwork, and a wonderful coloring job worked together to build a masterpiece. But what of the second issue?

I can definitely tell you (as this is a retrospective review) that this issue is the series weak link. Not much happens here other than boring dialogue and mindless fighting. The art stays up to par, with smooth lines and fantastic shadowing. But the writing and the coloring seem a little off. That said, this issue is still better than most of the stuff IDW puts out. I can see why this issue was set in this direction, I just wish it was handled a bit better. The intrigue, the suspense are all lacking, until the very, very end. What made the first issue so amazing is missing here. All you are left with is a filler issue that sets up what is to come. And believe me, it's worth it.

BW4E

Story:6/10 Art: 9/10 Quick Verdict: Grab It/ Hold It

Mini Madness: Beast Wars: The Gathering #1 Review

Welcome to TF Zone's first edition of "Mini Madness." As explained in this month's newsletter, MM will be the place where past miniseries will be reviewed. Week by week the next issue will be reviewed. After the series is completed, a retrospective review of the series as a whole will be done. First up is Beast Wars: The Gathering to be followed by War Within Volume 1. This should be interesting for those who have read the series before and those who are new to it. Enjoy!

When Dreamwave collapsed many were disappointed. One of the biggest disappointments was that the promised Beast Wars series was seemingly never to come to light. But eventually IDW picked up the license and quickly announced the a Beast Wars miniseries was coming. And come it did with much anticipation from a rabid fan base. Was this comic book adaptation going to be as groundbreaking as the cartoon it was based off of? Well.... let's start at the beginning.

To put it simply, this issue is a masterpiece on every level. The story and script are brilliantly written and feature the lesser known characters that never made it to the show. Weaving a brilliant tale of politics, espionage, betrayal, and revolution, Simon Furman gives us the start to what seems to be one of the greatest Transformers stories told. And while this commanding story is being laid out, Don Figueroa brings his masterful pencils to the show. His talent with robotics and organics blend into a wonderful showpiece that accents an already amazing comic. Not that I usually mention the colorist, but Josh did some of his best work in this book, bringing lush colors and tones to this must read. Even if you never got past G1, you should seriously give this one a shot.

BW4E

Story: 10/10 Art: 10/10 Quick Verdict: Grab It