Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good Story, A Worthy Addition To The Transformers Universe!, 29 Dec 2002
This was a pretty decent addition to my collection, especially as I was never really into the comics upon their initial release (What a fool I am!). Overall, the story was entertaining and kept going at a suitable pace, which was always going to be the case thanks to Simon Furman's superb writing.
This set comprises the first 6 issues of the G2 comic, with the Decepticons seeking to reclaim their "rightful" place in the galaxy, and to defeat the Autobots once and for all, under the leadership of Jhiaxus. However, former leader Megatron resurfaces, and with a brand new look!
Overall it was an enjoyable read, but my one complaint would have to be... what's up with their necks? They've suddenly got cables instead of a proper neck! I dunno what you might think after reading the book, but I just thought it looked a bit... silly. Ah go on, just ignore me and buy the book!
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Furman expands the Transformer universe, 25 Mar 2007
Transformers Generation 2 is a period of the franchise history generally overlooked. At that point in time, the early nineties, certain green skinned ninjas with artist names ruled the imagination of kids. However I would advise any Transformer fans to revisit this era that gave us not only some of the more articulated vehicle morphing robots but also the Marvel Generation 2 comic book.
Dark Designs collects the first six issues of the ill fated Marvel run and at the helm we have the faithful transformer scribe Simon Furman well known for his Transformer work in the UK and the US, treating the robots in disguise as a serious property rather than a thirty page toy commercial. And even after many story arcs it seems Furman cab still bring something fresh to the table.
Something fresh. Unicron has been laid to rest and the civil war is apparently over. So where do we go from here? How about a galaxy spanning empire that is colonising the universe, recreating their home world over and over. An empire that is Cybertronion in origin. Suddenly the war against the Decepticons looks like a small skirmish in comparison. So it's up to prime, Grimlock and the Autobots to spring into action against their new foe but wait, it seems Prime has other fears...premonitions of a greater threat from their past. Yes it's been done before but again it's building towards a new fresh enemy.
Of course we do get some past characters returning including Megatron himself who gets a chance to shine here compared to in the past when he was overshadowed by the likes of Shockwave, Galvatron and Scorponox (and even Rat Bat).Megatron is rebuilding the Decepticon forces so Prime may have more problems...or will he?
There are some negatives mind. The art for one. Whilst some appreciate Galan and Wildman's art in this volume I don't. It may be grittier to suit the tone of the book but it isn't as good as the later work on the original G1 comic.
The volume I have is the hard back which I prefer but it does to have messed up in regards the original covers. Whilst most are sensibly kept at the back of the material a few are randomly placed throughout the story creating a mess. Plus due to the original comic having the sub plots in a back up strip it sometimes feels a bit splish splosh in the way it is presented.
In truth Dark Designs is a good introduction but that's it, to get the best experience one should also purchase Rage In The Heavens for the complete story and a satisfying conclusion. Overall the Generation 2 story is short but is one of the most ambitious Transformer tales to date. Recommended to anyone who enjoyed Furman's work on the original US comic.
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1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
I never saw THAT coming..., 22 Jan 2004
I came to these stories new. I never even knew they existed when they were first published, in 1993 - 1994, and thought the Transformers comic had reached its conclusion in 1991 with 'End of the Road'. Discovering 'Dark Designs', therefore, was hugely exciting, being the first new Transformers story I'd read in more than a decade. Even on the first page I knew I was in for a treat. The artwork looked far more aggressive than I'd been used to and I loved it instantly. Simon Furman's storytelling was as great as ever, even to adult eyes. It seemed to me that the wait had been worth it. Then, a few pages into the book, there was a major twist. One which turned the world inside out. One I'd never have seen coming. One which tied in with what I'd known but pushed the world of the Transformers far beyond anything I'd ever read... and one which I can't go into here. Suffice to say, after the epic battle with Unicron which closed the 'Generation 1' (as it came to be called) comic, Simon Furman realised that to maintain interest in the new title he'd need to top what had come before and create another, even bigger, threat to all Transformers, one which would lead to another union between Autobot and Decepticon. This he managed. 'Generation 2', covered in 'Dark Designs' and 'Rage in Heaven', is a far darker and more mature piece of storytelling than most of the 'Generation 1' stories, a direction the original comic was heading toward as it neared its run. War is a messy, violent business and these stories don't shy away from that - one picture of a seriously battle-damaged Megatron has to be seen to be believed. The new artists, and returning 'Generation 1' artist Geoff Senior, don't spare anything in the detail. It might not be to all tastes, but I think the artwork suits the themes and stories here perfectly - this wasn't the 'safe' Transformers title of old. 'Rage in Heaven' concludes the 'Generation 2' title, which ran for only twelve issues before the chief villain's name, 'Jhiaxus', was no longer a subtle joke. Still, it was great for me to read fresh Transformers stories after all these years, and I'm glad I wasn't disappointed.
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