Linkara reviews Transformers Generation 2 #1 Options

[Magnusblitz]

I always find it difficult to review G2 on its merits because it's definitely #1 in the nostalgia spot for me, being my first foray into Transformers. Thinking about the plot of the first few issues (mainly just people killing each other for minimal reasons with some set-up for the Cybertronian Empire thrown in), it is pretty bad.

Really don't understand Detour's hate for Yaniger, though. Sure, it's overstylized, but in a good way. I'll have to look back but I don't remember any problems with proportion/perspective. Time for me to look back at the art methinks. Now, Manny Galan... I still have that one panel with Prime having a Lee-style neck length of nothing but cables burned into my memory.

He spends too much on Blades killing the guy surrendering who was going to kill Hound. Its all explained later yet he just brushes over it despite his rant earlier.

Yeah, listening to Linkara... I get this isn't a good comic, but man he likes to make some silly complaints. "Where do they keep those giant guns in their alt-modes?" "When did the Decepticons become construction workers?" "What's up with the little triangles in the speech bubbles?" ...Really? And the problem you pointed out is pretty bad. He cuts to TFTM and says "you wanna bring that one up?" No, I don't, how about we bring up the fact the Decepticon was armed, as explained two pages later?

This post has been edited by Magnusblitz: Apr 3 2012, 01:46 PM

[corgsopal]

The triangle and square speech signifiers were great. I wish they'd come back, but it probably takes a lot of extra work.

[Bass X0]

He was nit-picking there for the sake of nit-picking. Why is it that when I am familar with the subject in a review by these entertainment reviewers, I tend to disagree with them? Its a lot more obvious where they are nit-picking or blowing something minor up into something much bigger for the sake of a joke or criticism? AVGN, Nostalgia Critic and Yahtzee have done this. I prefer reviews where I am unfamilar with the subject.

Linkara has a few major points I disagree with or aren't that big of a deal.

Blades was in character here. Thats who he is. I always assumed Blades knew that the Cybertronian was armed but that Hound (and the reader) did not until a few pages later. Even to a new reader, it should be clear by Hound's reactions and the rest of the Autobots later that Blades is a one off jerk. Yet Linkara rants about Blades actions as being common amongst the Autobots and as I said, quickly rushes past the reveal that the Cybertronian wasn't unarmed as previously thought.

Too much emphasis was placed on it not being a continuation. Clearly the comic was a continuation and that a comment from Furman in the letters page was an exaggeration or not meant to be taken literally. Its a reboot at most with a new chapter to the continuity, not a completely new continuity. But why let facts get in the way of criticism, eh?

Ii didn't like the art or big guns either when I first read G2. I got used to them though and overlook its ridiculousness. It was the 90s after all and G2 was a product of its time. Not really a bad thing. If I were to redraw the comics personally though, I'd make the art and the weapons more traditional.

[corgsopal]

Linkara is the single most pedantic and self important reviewer around. His fame (notoriety?) went to his head and now seems to fancy himself the foremost expert on everything. Even stuff he's not familiar with. I stopped watching him a long time ago and I'm not even going to dignify this with a view. G2 wasn't perfect, but if nothing else it gave us Jhiaxus and the Swarm. For all its flaws and weird art and 90's "flavah", it does not belong in the same category as Dreamwave's early G1 stuff or Dark Knight Strikes Again.

[Magnusblitz]

Yeah, I mean, the GRITTINESS and HUGE GUNS and stuff are bad, like most 90s stuff. Panels of people shooting stuff off screen isn't as exciting as a real fight scene, I get that. I don't think Marvel at the time was trying to be ironic, I think they were trying to cash in on the 90s-era popularity. But still, there's a certain ironic charm about it all, probably because it's so hilariously over the top (I kinda think Yaniger knew that, just look at some of those gun designs). Whereas Dreamwave G1 is just cringe-inducing until you get to the So Bad It's Hilarious stuff like the vast amounts of DULL SURPRSE.

And yeah, I really do love those squares and triangles. I thought they were a neat touch that set the Transformers apart, personally. It still looks weird to me to see Transformers talking in round speech bubbles like humans in every other comic - I got used to the shapes (and the "spark corners" in the G1 comic).

This post has been edited by Magnusblitz: Apr 3 2012, 05:35 PM

[Cat]

He's got a voice that's great for text reviews.

[LBD "Nytetrayn"]

I think Generation 2 stands better as a whole, the sum of its parts, rather than as individual entries.

Also, the big guns don't bother me. In fact, there's never been a better place for them... just take another look at some of the toys sometime, from Targetmaster Hot Rod to... well, a good chunk of G2, actually. Remember all those huge missile launchers, which aren't even all that uncommon today? Jazz and Sideswipe's, for example?

Transformers was practically made for that stuff.

--LBD "Nytetrayn"

[Chris McFeely]

Linkara is the single most pedantic and self important reviewer around. His fame (notoriety?) went to his head and now seems to fancy himself the foremost expert on everything. Even stuff he's not familiar with. I stopped watching him a long time ago and I'm not even going to dignify this with a view.

Man, he really didn't USED to be, though. Used to really enjoy him. But now it's turned into half-hour reviews for a single comic with ten minutes of Power Ranger dress-up live-action fanfic, and you're so, SO right with that "foremost expert" stuff - he's always being called in by other reviewers if they do something associated with a comic, even if he *knows nothing about that comic*, just because he's the "comic guy".

This post has been edited by Chris McFeely: Apr 4 2012, 04:15 AM

[Bass X0]

I skip past all the fanfic stuff. Just doesn't appeal to me. I do still enjoy his comic reviews though.

[Cyoti]

I see Linkara is still an idiot.

Some things never change.

[Boltax]

Whether or not you actually think the G2 comic is GOOD, it struck me that a lot of Linkara's complaints here showed that he just didn't frickin' understand the comic he was reading.

He goes on and on about the Autobots looking like the bad guys when... THAT'S THE THEME OF THE COMIC. He even goes out of his way to ignore or downplay this -- like with the Blades thing. It's hard to tell the Autobots from the Decepticons? Well done son, you've identified what the comic is ABOUT. Yuzzah for you.

He's kinda right in his 'this comic isn't for new readers' complaint... it's certainly not for new readers by TODAY'S standard where you're not allowed to have ANYTHING that makes a backwards reference or OH NOES! NEW READERS WON'T GET IT! By 90s standards, though? I think it's pretty open and obvious. Characters are identified by name, there's flashbacks to show the status quo, and we get some pretty explicit dialogue setting up the themes and setting of the series.

I did cringe a few times at stuff that was more forgiveable -- ignorance of the Transformers brand. Like when he complains about the giant guns. Y'know, the giant guns that were styled after the giant guns that the G2 toys *had*. He even specifically complains about the giant missile launcher Optimus Prime has in the cover spread, asking where he'd put that in vehicle mode. Which... uhhh... that missile launcher is the TOY'S missile launcher. Y'know, the one that stores on his voice box unit in vehicle mode? But it's kinda hard to find out these things. You'd have to actually look up the Generation 2 toys, or actually ask a TF fan about these things and then you'd have nothing to bitch about in your review!

The fact that his complaints come out to, "I hate the 90s art style" and "I didn't understand the themes of this book" it makes me wonder how carefully he reads other comics he's, uhhh... "Reviewing".

I still enjoy Linkara's stuff to a certain extent -- but mostly when he's talking about stuff he's comfortable with, like DC and 90s Image comics. When he steps outside his comfort zone he's pretty awful.

--Andrew S.

[Bass X0]

They're for entertainment, not serious reviews. That includes Nostalgia Critic and AVGN. Its only obvious when you know the subject that's being reviewed. Otherwise I enjoy being taken for the ride.

[▲ndrusi]

I own a copy of Sonic Live! (...or I used to, I don't know where it is and that may mean it got destroyed at some point), which Linkara also wasn't familiar with, and his review of that is pretty spot-on.

[God Fire Convoy]

coolstorybro.jpg

[LiamA]

He's got a voice that's great for text reviews.

Amen. I can barely stand listening to his reviews because of his voice.

[TheMightyMollusk]

I have to laugh when he complains about where a tractor trailer would store something in vehicle mode.

Otherwise, that's half an hour of my life I'll never have back. He overacts and his voice feels like I'm being punched in the ear drum.

[LBD "Nytetrayn"]

I did rather enjoy his recent review of Captain Tax Return, or whatever it was called, as did my wife.

Of course, the surprise that it turned out to be a Canadian book just made it all the better...

--LBD "Nytetrayn"

[Spark]

His best work was reviewing The Ultimate Warrior's bizarre crap from the '90s.

[M Sipher]

His best work was reviewing The Ultimate Warrior's bizarre crap from the '90s.

Well, he also had Spoony with him for that. And Ultimate Warrior is a freakin' treasure trove of insane unintentional comedy. That kind of makes the whole deal a VERY high hurdle to clear.

I think people are missing that Linkara, along with many-slash-most reviewers on the TGWTG aggregate, are comedic reviewers and often playing characters to varying degrees, and as such, generally exaggerate complaints and self-depreciating traits for effect. Linkara frequently plays up the "nitpicky comic nerd" angle, even moreso in crossovers with other reviewers. The whole point of AT4W is to pick a comic apart bit by bit.

As it stands, I'm not seeing much here different in tone than his review of Dreamwave's TF output (a review I quite enjoyed), outside of the justifiable contempt for the GRITTY 90S AWESOME that G2 was dripping with. I can't help but wonder how much "this is a thing I like/have fond memories of" plays in here. (Let's be honest, trashing Pat Lee is kind of an accepted pastime in TF fandom.)

I think it's also fair to point out that yes, he's right in that the story's heavy backstory ties CAN be confusing despite Furman's protestations to the contrary and the vaguest of references in that like one flashback page... because I sure was confused back when I first read this. I'd stopped reading the old Marvel books shortly after the Club Con arc (but before #50, I'd not read the Underbase proper part), I'd not yet started hunting down the past issues... and going into G2, the first TF comic I'd read in years... I had no idea what the hell was going on with some of these returning plot threads. I had no idea who Bludgeon was or why he was important, or why, for that matter, he wasn't a robot. That barely even gets touched on when something directly related to that happens in the comic! In places it was kind of assumed you'd been around for the tail-end of the original run, like with Starscream being on the Ark for Megatron to revive.

And holy crap is Hot Rod UGLY. And I can't help but think that the oversized ridiculous hand-grenade-having-guns would be there regardless of whatever a small handful of toys had.

So yeah. I'm not getting the hate-on for this review. Maybe it's jsut that I'm not fond of the G2 comic; I don't hate it, but it's kind of a period I'd rather forget outside of creating a ridiculous parody of it. I generally enjoy Linkara's work, though admittedly, I tend to prefer his looks at the obscure and weird, like the aforementioned "Captain Tax Time" comic, "Black Web", that weirdass kung-fu thing from a few episodes back, "Bimbos In Time", and such. And the occasional foray into taking down this Big Boys (Identity Crisis), though that kind of ties into my own distaste for recentish comic trends.


M "But Then Again, I've Always Had A Hard Time Seeing The Point In Getting Upset At Reviews Of TF Media" Sipher

This post has been edited by M Sipher: Apr 12 2012, 05:18 PM

[Rosicrucian]

Yeah, Yaniger art is not necessarily good art. Distinctive? Definitely? Characterful as all get-out? Nobody would debate that. It's just not... conventionally good.