Last Stand of the Wreckers
Issue 1
Not bad at all. This is clearly a setup issue, but it’s a good one.

The first issue cuts back and forth between two major plot threads as characters are introduced and situations established. It begins with the fall of the Garrus-9 prison to the Decepticons, led by Overlord. I’m not very familiar with early 90s G1 characters, particularly European exclusives, so I’ve had to look up the various characters featured in the story to learn who they are. I’m sure Nick Roche will put his own spin on them, but I was still curious to learn who Skyquake was, or Kick-Off, or Ironfist. I always enjoy seeing obscure G1 characters get some page time and development, and this series will certainly do that.

That leads to the second plot, the introduction of the new additions to the Wreckers crew. Now I’ve never been a big fan of the Wreckers, but I’m willing to be won over. Kup and Springer’s commando group who take on near-suicidal missions has a rotating roster, and Springer expresses doubts about training new recruits who will likely end up dead. Given the severity of the violence under Overlord’s rule, I’d bet he’s right.

The violence is brutal under Overlord’s rule, as Autobots are hunted down for sport or corrupted as they try to survive. Kick-Off’s situation references his toy bio, as he’s trapped and forced to fight for his life, becoming just as ruthless as any Decepticon in the process. I did get a good laugh out of his “alt modes are for wimps” remark, since he’s an Action Master. Then of course, he rips off his opponent’s head, and the scene turns dark again.

I was surprised to see Verity turn up in the story. I’ve missed Simon Furman’s three human sidekicks, so it’s good to see Verity again, and her presence adds a much needed sense of scale to the characters and events. It’s amusing that she decided to stow away on Ultra Magnus’ ship and see the universe rather than go back to her old life on Earth. I hope she doesn’t suffer the same fate as poor Hunter.

I liked this issue quite a bit. The story is strong on continuity with earlier IDW stories, and gives us a glimpse of Megatron’s offensive that led to his victory in AHM, as well as showing us what’s going on elsewhere in the universe while the ongoing is focusing on Earth. It also shows us what life under Decepticon rule would be like, or at least what it would be like under a sadist like Overlord. It’s a good start to the series.

IDW's Deep Space Nine comic - Issue 1

Out of all the modern Star Trek series, Deep Space Nine is my favorite. I hadn't been really tempted by IDW's Trek comics up to this point, though I've thought about trying them out, but a DS9 mini-series was enough to get me to finally bite the bullet. And it's not bad... not stellar, but a good stab at capturing the look and feel of the show. I'll try to avoid too many spoilers, but some are bound to creep in.

The story: obviously we're in the introductory chapter here. There's a rundown of what the station is, and a little of its history as two space travellers arrive and dock, and one fills the other in. It's a decent refresher on the basic premise of DS9. Being an opening chapter, the story sets up the problem and poses questions without really giving very many answers, but that's about what I'd expect at this point. This particular story sits between the third and fourth seasons, after Sisko was promoted to captain and Odo killed the Changeling on the Defiant, but before Worf joins the crew.

I'll give the writer credit: he's done his homework. The story hits a lot of the right beats. The station exterior and interiors look like the sets from the show. The characters are recognizable from their actions and dialogue, particularly Odo. We get his rule against phasers on the promenade, his suspicion and rivalry with Quark, Sisko's baseball, Kira's aggressiveness when confronted with a problem, etc. We even get a "Morn talks too much" gag. Sisko and Dax's long time friendship is evident.

The art: servicable, if not as photo-realistic when it comes to the characters as I'd like, but I suppose it's not really fair to expect that level of precision. Not on a monthly book. Some of the characters are drawn more consistently than others. Some of the layouts are slightly busy, but then the artist is trying to replicate the details of the show, so that's good. Kira looks like she was melted down and poured into her uniform, which is a bit over the top. But overall everything seems reasonably authentic when compared to the TV show, and that's the important thing.

Overall: There's one thing that really made me enjoy this issue, and that's because it succeeded in capturing the look and feel of the tv show, even if the likenesses aren't always strong. A good start, and I'm looking forward to reading the second issue.

A great quote from one of Ronald Reagan's radio programs in the late 70s.

"Socialists ignore the side of man that is of the spirit. They can provide shelter, fill your belly with bacon and beans, treat you when you're ill, all the things that are guaranteed to a prisoner or a slave. They don't understand that we also dream." - Ronald Reagan

The chickens will come home to roost...

Let's start out the year with quotes from another excellent column by Victor Davis Hanson, highlighting the utter ineffectiveness of Barack Obama and his administration during this past year.

As part of our efforts to break with the Bush anti-terrorism past, President Obama also vowed he would close the facility at Guantanamo Bay by Jan. 22, 2010 - another deadline that won't be met.

But as 2009 ended, we were reminded that radical Islamic terrorists still want to kill us for who we are, and what we represent, rather than any particular thing we do.

Maj. Nidal Hasan, nursed on radical Islamic doctrine, murdered 12 fellow soldiers and one civilian at Ford Hood, Texas. Five would-be terrorists with U.S. citizenship were arrested in Pakistan on their way to link up with Islamist militant groups. And Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab was stopped in flight from Amsterdam before he could blow up an American passenger jet.

Note that all these recent terrorists were not poor, lived in the hospitable West - and cared little that the Obama administration has been critical of the U.S.'s prior war-on-terror policies.

So, while we assured the world in 2009 that we wouldn't be overzealous in our various efforts to stop terrorists, the terrorists proved they most certainly would be in theirs to kill us.

We were given a financial break on energy prices in 2009. The worldwide recession sent oil down to about $50 a barrel. But America did little during the year's reprieve to rush into production newly discovered domestic gas and oil fields, to tap existing finds in Alaska, or to license new nuclear plants.

By year's end, oil was creeping back up to $80. If the economic upswing continues, in 2010 it may near its old high of nearly $150 a barrel. Soon we will wish we had done something concrete in 2009 rather than offering more stale rhetoric about wind and solar power.

2010 is here!!

Happy New Year!!!!!!!!