Panini UK- Transformers: Armada - Issue 6

Issue 6 of the UK Armada Comic from Panini came out on the 11th September 2003. We received two advance copies on the 6th September 2003 thanks to Dave Richards. Thanks dude. This review was written and published on the 6th September 2003 by Steve.

Thanks again Dave Richards once again for supplying us with some copies of the UK Armada comic. This time issue 6. Yes its been going 6 months. This months comic comes with a Mini-Con HOlding cell. Its a cell which can hold 1 minicon and have the door close. Its quiet a cool mini-gift. Now for the review (pictures to be added later)

The first story is called 'Between Two Worlds!' (Script by Simon Furman, Pencils by Andrew Wildman, Inks by Lee Townsend, Colour by Junior Tomlin, Letters by Neil Porter). The story takes place mainly on the Moon. The Autobots have found out now that the Decepticons are now based there and so Optimus Prime sends this issues new 'recruits' Jetfire, Smokescreen and Scavenger to go and get the Minicons that are on the Moon before the Decepticons do. Things to note about the art in this strip. Megatron still looks wrong on the first page, there is something seriously up with the colouring of him in this story. On the second page there is a decent picture of Optimus Prime in the smallest panel on the left, however 3/5 of the panels lack detail, one is just plain unacceptable. As you progress though you note that Smokescreen is drawn without any detailing this makes him look very generic, plain and unfinished. Scavenger on the other hand is coloured wrongly all the way through the strip. He is no longer lime green, but yellow. Think Gen2 Bonecrusher On the bottom right panel on page 5, we have a close up of his head, you can really see the Andrew Wildman style of art in the expression on his face and it does remind me of the latter Generation 1 comics. The amount of detail in each panel then shifts dramatically over the rest of the story. This is from no details at all just basically a smudge of colour to the closer picture of Smokescreen which is the only good one of him in the story. The last panel is terrible for details on the Transformers. That being said you know who the characters are and the humans are not in it.

Next up is the competition, this month you can win Transformers: The Movie on DVD AND A DVD player to play it on.

After this we have the Smokescreen battle file, the artwork on these two pages of him are much better than the first comic strip. Then you have more games, a poster of Jetfire, Smokescreen, Scavenger and a small badly coloured Starscream at the back. Then you get 2 more pages of games, this time a Mini-con writing Translator spinner. Then you get a two page competition to win Superbase Optimus Prime (they try there hardest to make him look a good toy) They claim he stands over 1 foot tall. Just before the 2nd story you have a profile of Liftor, with a very Bumblebee looking Sparkplug in one picture.

Comic Strip 2 Tales of the Minicons continues with Blast From The Past. Script by Simon Furman, pencils by Keiron Ward, Inks by Lee Townsend, Colour by Junior Tomlin, Letters by Neil Porter. Set in 1959, Nevada, Area 54 (yes another military base) it is all about the Land Military teams attempt to break free of the humans. Its a continuation of last months comic. Although the story does not fit into the normal Armada Universe, we think that these last two Tales of the Minicons have been the most enjoyable strips in the UK comic. Yes the Artwork is lacking, but the story it self although simple is fun and something different. The artwork is basically the same as last month, it has a very UK comic feel to it. Simple drawing, bold colours, extreme lack of detail, generic shapes. But its one persons style. The humans are drawn odd, sometimes they way they are drawn makes up for the lack of shading, in others it just makes them look far worse. The Minicons are drawn horridly, there are no faces, no real details ,they look like a very simplified version of the toys. Its not like there was that much to simplify, it would have been nice if the artist tried to give them some faces as an example. As we say though, the story is a pleasant minutes read After the 2nd strip you have the letters page. HotShot is gone now you have Starscream's Hate Mail. The answers are very harsh, and we hope the kids that wrote in and sent in their drawings are not offended, even though the comments are closer to the truth about them not being able to draw lol. Steven Norris from Glasgow had his letter published. The Artwork of Starscream at the top of the letters page is great!!! Its your 'old school' UK comic letters page style of comedy picture. You then get another colouring competition. Next months cover is Megatron Vs Prime with the StarSaber in the middle. Personally I think its a very Generation 1 looking Prime head. The images has a decent amount of inking on it, and I think its the best art overall they have produced ( with the possible exception of the Lee Sullivan poster in an early issue). You will get a free glow in the dark Transformer face with that one. Its out 9th October.

So overall Issue 6 keeps to the UK standard, the 2nd strip is a more enjoyable read, the free gift is the best so so, that artwork is still very changeable, we are hopefully it will improve later. Issue 6 is out on the 11th September in the UK.