http://www.seibertron.com/transformers/news/logic-is-the-ultimate-weapon-transformers-spotlight-prowl-review/18372/ “The evaluation is self-evident: one of their lives is not worth one of ours. That’s what the math dictates.”
Let me get this off my chest first and foremost. I am a Prowl S-L-A-P-P-Y. He was one of the first toys I owned as a child. From the TV show, he was also not everybody’s favorite robot, but he did see plenty of screen time, so I felt comfortable having him as a favorite that nobody else did. Man did I hate seeing him go down like he did in the movie.
In the Marvel comics, he was forgettable until the final issues of the series (“An 80- issue miniseries!”), mostly because in the span of the first 10 issues, he and a band of other Autobots were put down for the count early on by Shockwave, and then put into storage until they could be repaired. When Grimlock found the nucleon and repaired all the wrecked Autobots (wikitron fan fact- causing them to no longer have alt modes), Prowl came back to lead the Autobots as Bludegon led the Decepticons...and of course, Prowl led the Autobots into a Decepticon trap that just about destroyed them. Can’t catch a break. Grimlock dispised him as a weak leader as well.
So, I think you get the picture. Prowl’s claims to fame have been...
-right hand robot to the leader
-tactician/strategist
-unfeeling, logic driven cad
-incompetent leader and soldier
-overall ‘party pooper’ of the Autobots
He did have a shining moment, at least in this Prowl fan’s eyes.
The episode Roll For It in Season 1 was the closest we’ve seen to an independent Prowl who does more than think, or act as a ‘yes man’ to authority. Unfortunately, he needed Chip Chase’s help to be this remarkable a warrior.
The TakaraTomy Binaltech fiction saw the reemergence of Prowl as a character, but again, needing Chip Chase as his more human side.
Prowl has been in every re-imagining of Generation One continuity you can name. His importance, as already stated, has never really gone past that of strategist relying on facts. As you can imagine, when the Transformers Spotlight Prowl was announced I was really excited ('Starscream fangirl' excited, no, excited, yes) that we might get something more about this underrated character.
Artwork:
The return of E.J. Su. Through the hazy mists who is it that we see reappear to light our darkest hour? None other than Transformers artist E.J. Su, back at work with IDW drawing Transformers.
“Hi, I’m EJ Su, you may remember me from such previous Transformers stories as Transformers: Infiltration, the hiding, and Transformers: Escalation, the slow build.”
Oh, and remember when we didn’t like E.J’s new designs on our 'Precious'? Many of us would love to see him come back and give Transformers Ongoing pencils a go.
His art does create a familiar, happy feeling to return to though. E.J. calls upon his ‘-tion’ style mostly, and brings us simpler, blockier designs based on each character’s Classics and Universe toy (for those that had one).
The work is gritty, and energetic, and yet, it fits like an old glove. Textures are handled, but not in an overly complex way. The inks and colors work well with the pencils to create an effect that many of us have missed in our Transformers comics lately.
"AWESOME!"
What I really like though are the uses of the large, dark, shadow spots. They work well, and as a style, allow the artist to use less detail, and think more about the inter-workings of the negative and positive spaces these dark shadows cause. It also allows for more attention to be brought to the parts that are bright, which are usually the most important to helping us see the story.
I am sure that the art is going to cause some wincing among fans, but I find it refreshing, nostalgic, and interesting to look at. It has a certain Mike Mignola Hellboy feel to it (with less hell, more boy) that works well with Transformers.
Plot/Writing:
Since All Hail Megatron Coda #15, Prowl has been left out of things. We’ve seen him helping Rodimus Prime’s bunch trying to get off of Earth in the Transformers Ongoing series (wikitron Fan Fact: Prowl got captured by humans as he was baited into trying to save Breakdown then **edit** rescued, in the battle for his rescue, Ironhide was lost). We’ve seen him pulling some strings as a high ranking Autobot leader to get certain people into certain places (See Spotlights Kup, and Ultra Magnus, and Last Stand of the Wreckers #4).
All this has led us to think is that Prowl is pretty much the Autobot equivalent of Shockwave, albeit less powerful of a fighter. Always calculating the math, and making decisions based on logic and numbers, never using instincts, or feeling to make his decisions. Prowl supports the Autobot cause to no end, and really does not question authority, as long as logic, and the numbers, support it.
This 'attempting to save Breakdown' incident in TF Ongoing #1 was a step in a new direction for Prowl. For those who may have thought, ‘What the hell?’ when Prowl made that somewhat uncharacteristic move, you’re about to be enlightened. This story tells the tale of Prowl between All Hail Megatron, and Transformers Ongoing #1. It gives us insights into the character that we perhaps have not given much thought to, or thought that the writers had given much thought to either.
This spotlight also helps fill in some pieces (like AHM Coda did), it is a fairly necessary read for anyone trying to make sense of the continuity that IDW is placing together.
For fans of Generation One characters that transform into police cars that are not named Streetwise, Siren, or Stakeout, this is written for you, as well.
Finally, Prowl fans can feel good that their guy is not just a logic driven, uncaring, strategist. We saw some passion in the Marvel series, and on the old cartoon, but until now, have really only seen him giving, and receiving orders.
In this issue Prowl has some intense inner dialogue where he is calculating the effectiveness of what they are doing on Earth, making suggestions, and feeling the command structure fall to pieces around him. He is caught up between his emotions and the logic, and this is what drives the story.
And then we see the heart in the tin man...
The entirety of the issue is either Prowl ‘debating’ with himself, self-narrating the story, or dialogue where he interacts with others. It fits very well. It is well written, and Mike Costa deserves praise for this issue's success because he is sure getting enough people contesting his writing/pacing in Transformers Ongoing.
This issue allows us to get into Prowl’s head, and heart, and finally feel he’s...something.
Long time coming, long overdue, and well executed. Prowl fan happy. Enjoy.
Check out the 5-page Prowl preview here, the issue hits your local comic shop somewhere near tomorrow.
