REIGN OF STARSCREAM ISSUE 1 REVIEW

INTRO
I should begin with a bit of a disclaimer. I am firmly in the camp of fans of both Transformers and movies in general that found 2007's live action movie to be about as disappointing a summer blockbuster movie as it could be. The quality of the Michael Bay adaptation has served as a fair warning for me to stay an Episode I-sized safe distance away from any merchandise that shared the branding signifying a crossover with Bay's vision of Transformers.

If you're someone weary of tie-ins to the Transformers movie, or of movie tie-ins in general, don't let that stop you from giving Reign of Starscream a chance. IDW's sequel to the blockbuster film has managed to take the movie Bay & Co. created and make it feel like Transformers without diverting from the Transformers movie continuity.

CREATIVE TEAM
Written by first time scribe Chris Mowry and IDW Editor-In-Chief Chris Ryall, Reign of Starscream gives the impression that its creative team take their inspiration from the potential of the movie and follow that inspiration down the path of a promising and original story.

It's impossible for an outside reviewer to know which aspects of the writing can be accounted to which of the two writers. Together they make a capable and competent writing team, with the exception of a few rare and forgivable moments of somewhat stilted dialog.

It should be duly noted that Alex Milne's line art on the Reign of Starscream is as impressive and detailed as ever. Milne is probably one of the few comic book artists whose work actually looks better the more he leans toward realism. Milne's panels remind one of the high quality of art seen in comics like Marvel's Civil War series. Milne's storytelling has also improved vastly over the sometimes confusing panels of his earlier books.

If one criticism of Milne's art is to be made, it is that some of his original character designs share more of a G1 Transformers design than a more complex Transformers movie design scheme. This choice would be welcome except that it is occasionally distracting to see various characters that appear to be from different continuities. (If these character designs come from supplementary Transformer movie merchandise, I apologize to Milne for my ignorance.)

The colors in this issue, very skillfully handled by Josh Perez, shouldn't go unmentioned either.
Perez manages to create a wonderful feast for the eyes with limited color palettes. Perez is one of those colorists with the potential to become a recognized comic book name, despite the fact that comic book colorists are seldom able to stand out among fans.

THE STORY
Long time Transformers fans will see story elements and added details that harken back to the original G1 story lines, as well as fill in some fairly large cracks left in the movie's foundations.

It's probably safe to say that we get to see a bit more of the situation on Cybertron than we saw in Bay's film, and it provides a whole new context for some of the more puzzling elements of the live-action movie.

For anyone with concerns about a lack of Decepticon characterization, have no fear. This book is all about Decepticons, and is narrated and shown almost entirely through Starscream's point of view, as you might guess from the title.

Reign of Starscream's narrative tone feels a bit heavy on the exposition, but the first issue establishes details and ideas necessary for the story that promises to follow.

Mowry and Ryall blend the necessary exposition with enough original action and material to reassure the reader that they are setting up an original and entertaining ride for readers.

Numerous details absent from the movie are filled in for readers. For example, are you wondering what the heck happened to Barricade to cause his curious absence? You'll find out.

What about the remains of the Allspark? What of the data obtained by Frenzy? This first issue hints at the possibility of getting the answers to some of the questions.

SUMMARY
Don't discount this as a movie tie-in. This series promises to be as valid as any other original comic, instead of resting on what we've already seen on the big screen and on DVD.

Let me put it this way. Reign of Starscream is described as a sequel to the movie, and it remains to be seen if its story fits into the plans for the movie sequel. Having had the opportunity to read Reign of Starscream, I can claim a lot greater interest in seeing what IDW has planned as a follow-up to the Transformers movie than anything Michael Bay can deliver.

When the inevitable production of Transformers 3 begins, the movie's producers would be remiss if they didn't allow Chris Mowry and Chris Ryall the opportunity to present a treatment.