Reviews
REVIEW: Transformers: Shattered Glass #5
Book Title: Transformers: Shattered Glass #5
Book Description: In the fourth issue of Transformers: Shattered Glass we saw that Goldbug feels like he has something to prove to Orion Pax, Prowl, and the rest of the Autobots. He feels like they see him as a joke and a waste of spark.
Goldbug wants to be taken seriously. Being in control of a Titan would certainly help change the way he’s viewed on Cybertron. As it so happens, Goldbug has someone capable of communicating with a Titan in his captivity.
The issue wrapped up with Starscream being tortured for the ability. His ability to communicate with the Titans is connected to his spark. If he’s killed, Goldbug doesn’t get his prize.
The final installment of Transformers: Shattered Glass picks up from Jetfire’s perspective. He often thinks about how he and Starscream were friends collaborating on an experiment all those cycles ago.
That was before Jetfire betrayed Starscream. In his mind, it was for the right reasons. Sharing what he and Starscream had already discovered about the Titans with Orion Pax could end the war much faster. It would save the lives of countless bots.
Instead, it drove an irreparable wedge between Jetfire and Starscream. Starscream didn’t care about the war. He cared about doing what was right. He carried on with the research alone and established contact with Metroplex.
Shortly afterward he found himself agreeing with Megatron’s viewpoints on the future of bots if Orion Pax wasn’t stopped and joined the Decepticon ranks. A researcher converted into a soldier over politics.
Now Jetfire is torturing him. All Starscream has to do is cooperate. As we have seen time and again, getting Starscream to do something he doesn’t want to has never worked out well for anyone. It’s no different here.
Goldbug thinks Jetfire is intentionally being soft on Starscream. He demands results and isn’t afraid of going to drastic measures to get them. Goldbug shoots Starscream. He then rips out his spark, killing him.
With his prize in hand, Goldbug flees. In his wake, he leaves an infuriated Jetfire, Megatron, and a score of Decepticons that now see Starscream as a martyr. The story arc is complete, but this saga is just beginning.
Book Author: Danny Lore
Book Format: Paperback
Publisher - Orgnization: IDW Publishing
Publisher Logo:
Illustrator: Guido Guidi
- Story(4.1)
- Interior Art(3.4)
- Cover Art(3.9)
- Dialogue(3.7)
- Mechanics(3.7)
- Editing(3.9)
Summary
Starscream has always been a very polarizing character to me. On one hand, he’s very intelligent and a phenomenal fighter. On the other hand, his lust for power and inability to follow an order he doesn’t agree with is his undoing time after time. These traits make him a writer’s dream.
Because of his desire for power, I never thought I would read a Transformers book where Starscream comes out as the hero. Times change. Mr. Lore chose to accentuate the positive traits in Starscream for this series and pulled it off tremendously.
Over the course of the series we saw glimpses of Starscream’s hunger for power; but it was power for all of the Decepticons, not just himself. We also saw many other facets of him that had never been seen before. By the end of the series, I found Starscream cracking my top five list of favorite Transformers.
When I first saw this cover I was curious if Starscream had reverted to his old ways and pushed Jetfire too far. Learning where the anger is truly placed makes me appreciate Mr. Milne’s work on the cover much more.
The team of Guidi and Khanna did wonderful work on the interior pages. The lines were crisp and details seemed to jump off of the page. When coupled with Mr. Bove’s coloring, the artwork was everything a Transformers fan could ask for.
Transformers shaped a generation. To get a series that can recalibrate the way we see characters we’ve known for almost forty years is most impressive. Transformers: Shattered Glass changes perspectives in a way that has this geek on a budget begging for more.
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