Further Preview of Transformers On-Going #1

Comic Book Resource has uploaded a preview of the big-time new Transformers On-Going comic. If you wanna check it out, please know that it contains a major spoiler.

As with most news about this comic series, the discussion over at TFW2005.com has been mostly that of negative reaction toward the new art style Don Figueroa has adapted. You know, the grand "experiment" that just happened to land on something more in line with the live-action Transformers movie aesthetic than anything else. Funny how that worked out, isn't it? Also criticized this time around is the coloring, which is obscenely bright despite the dialogue hinting that this takes place at night time. Niiiice.

I'll give you a look at one of the panels, spoiler free:

Over the years, I've loved Don's Transformers art and I hate having anything bad to say about it, but I just can't help being turned off by these designs. Some of this is retread of opinions already posted here, but screw it. It's mostly the faces that turn me off, which is pretty much the consensus thus far. Some defend the style's ability to emote better than the "standard" look, but I don't see how it's an even marginal improvement in that field.

Old Hot Rod up there is fairly expressive, but the construction of the face made it hard for me to even tell what some parts were at first. I "get it" now, but it was initially a bit hard to read, and no, I don't see how that design allows this expression "more" than a simpler one. Plus, given the general skeletal look, pretty much any expression is going to read more "I'm a mean scary robot, ARGHH!" than anything. That's about all any of the drawings so far have done. Cold grimaces everywhere! One forum post mentioned how tired the "humans mistake Autobots for evil!" angle is, but heh, if they did look like this, I can't think of any other appropriate response.

Yeesh. That's really all I see here. Maybe it's unfair. It probably depends completely upon context, but come on...you know that seems about right.

I know the old, simple "liquid metal" faces and general aesthetic might be seen as too cartoony or too worn out, but I feel this new style is so far in the other direction that some of the general attributes that have made me love Transformers in the first place are a bit lost. I don't look at these guys and see cool robots I could actually relate to and feel safe around. I don't see "heroic Autobots." I just see machines, here to smash shit.

Oh well.