Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen: Alliance

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen: Defiance

Movies have found themselves supplemented for audiences by releasing prequels in comic book format. Sometimes these books dilute the movie experience, while others seek to fill in the time and bring audiences up to speed. In this case, a pair of four-issue mini-series for this summer’s “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” — “Alliance” and “Defiance” by writer Chris Mowry with art by Alex Milne (Alliance) and Dan Khanna (Defiance) — delve into the past and present of this generation of Transformers.

“Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen: Alliance” begins literally where the Michael Bay-directed film ended, and comes to its conclusion where the film’s sequel begins. With the Decepticons defeated and the Allspark destroyed, the remaining Autobots now begin the slow process of building a new life on Earth and cleaning up the wreckage left in the wake of their war. The story of the book is narrated through the Autobot leader Optimus Prime, chronicling the beginning of a Human/Autobot alliance to combat the increasing Decepticon insurgency on Earth commanded by the enigmatic Soundwave. There are also smaller sub-plots, the dismantlement of the John Turturro’s Sector Seven organization and the return of Starscream (the Decepticon F-22 Raptor from the end of the first film) but these points are quickly addressed before the book fades into muddled ambiguity. The book quickly addresses some of the open holes from the film such as the fate of an Allspark-powered, rampaging soda dispenser (aptly named “Dispensor” by Hasbro) and the whereabouts of the missing Barricade (the Decepticon police car). Although “Alliance” is written to fill the void between the first film and its sequel, the book spends more time reiterating the outcome of the first film and ultimately speeds towards its film-ready conclusion. Despite its purpose of being a bridge-title, “Alliance” suffers from a number of drawbacks of being tied to the Transformers movie toy-line. The book tries to answer for the vast number of toy-exclusive characters (not shown on screen, but sold in stores), introducing them and then dispatching these characters in quick anti-climactic events that almost negates them being introduced in the first place before narrowly introducing the new characters that will debut in “Revenge of the Fallen,” panels before “Alliance’s” final pages. The book’s strongest moments are its fan-service, compliments of artist Alex Milne. These moments are intentionally drawn to appeal towards the Transformers franchise’s long-term, hardcore fans, with such moments having Optimus Prime tow a silver-and-blue striped trailer like his 25-year-old, Generation One namesake while being “driven” by a holographic Peter Cullen (Optimus Prime’s original voice actor). With a lot of attention drawn into Alex Milne’s artwork, Chris Mowry’s story feels as though it belongs somewhere else, and the story of “Alliance” only completes what audiences of the first film already know: “Revenge” is coming.

“Defiance” finally brings the movie Transformers back to the elements missing from its sister book and much of the first film: alien robots and their alien mythology on their home planet. Secondly, it is the only one of the movies’ literature to include “Revenge’s” title character and his influence of past events. The book begins at the beginning, before the “Great War” when the planet of Cybertron was divided into the factions we now know as Autobots and Decepticons. Under the joint rule of Optimus and Megatron, Cybertron is a peaceful planet, on guard against alien threats of their own seeking the Allspark’s power. At the same time, Cybertron’s scientists dig deeper into their origins as a species around the Allspark and the ruins of a forgotten time before theirs. The peace is irreversibly shattered by the discovery of a monolithic artifact bearing a now familiar mark of allegiance: the sarcophagus of The Fallen. Megatron is influenced by the corrupted essence trapped within this stone and begins his campaign to take complete control over Cybertron. With nearly an entire planet behind Megatron, the defiance of Optimus and his few soldiers set out to save their species and end their inevitable war. All the while, Optimus becomes aware of his own destiny to become the next Prime. As “Defiance” is contained to four issues, its story manages to move at the steady pace “Alliance” was missing but draws to the same “open for the movie to close” conclusion despite its historical placement. It is because of the films’ chronological order that “Defiance” is able to take its time without having to close at a given starting point with the exception to where the first film began. Where “Defiance” stands out once more is its attention to story telling, bringing the robot characters of the film to the center stage. Through direct narrative by both Optimus and Megatron and without the comedic shenanigans of humans running beneath their feet, “Defiance” proves that it is all about the robots. Additionally, the final chapters of the book reveal some of the plot behind the film it builds up to in dialogues between the mysterious voice of the Fallen and Megatron. Overall this book serves as a lesson learned for where the film franchise needed to go if it wants to draw in the older fans. Dan Khatta’s artwork does a respectful job in representing the film’s characters in their pre-Earth forms, but “Defiance” holds an added sentimental glory with the book’s third chapter’s (issue #3) guest artwork by long-time Transformers artist Don Figueroa. Nevertheless, “Revenge” is coming.