[TFW2005]

Originally posted by: Tim Formas @ TFW2005.com

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TFW2005 is proud to provide another early Transformers comic review! Today, we review Spotlight Prowl! Spotlight Prowl is out tomorrow - Wednesday, April 21st - from IDW Publishing. Check out the review and a few new images from the issue by clicking on the Title Bar or thumbnail to the left.
TFW2005 is proud to provide another early Transformers comic review! Today, we review Spotlight Prowl! Spotlight Prowl is out tomorrow - Wednesday, April 21st - from IDW Publishing

Spotlight Prowl

Credits
Publisher: IDW Publishing
Written by: Mike Costa
Art: E.J. Su
Colors by: Andrew Dalhouse
Letters by: Chris Mowry
Editor: Andy Schmidt
Associate Editor: Denton J. Tipton
Assistant Editor: Carlos Guzman

Covers
Cover A – Art by Nick Roche and Colors by Josh Burcham
Cover B – Art and Colors by E.J. Su
Retailer Incentive – Art by E.J. Su

Review
As recent readers of the comics have noted, the Prowl featured nowadays is different than the Prowl presented in the first half of IDW Publishing’s Transformers comic run and in past representations. Prowl had a code to live by. Although he may have disagreed at times with orders given, he obeyed the chain of order. His actions were guided by established rules and through the analysis of data. Lately, some of his actions have involved actions of questionable ethics and decisions that seem to go against those he would have chosen in the past. His actions as of late seem to insinuate he’s more likely to follow his own agenda than that of the Autobots as a whole. Spotlight: Prowl attempts to fill in the history regarding why the readers see a change in Prowl. Although the story does provide reasoning why seems to be making decisions that are different than those in the past, it does not explain such questionable ethics as those found in All Hail Megatron #15 in which Kup was rebuilt with some personality sub-routines added and controlled by Prowl.

A majority of the story in Spotlight: Prowl takes place between the end of All Hail Megatron and the beginning of the Transformers ongoing series. Following the victory over the Decepticons on Earth, Optimus Prime struggles to determine the correct path for the Autobots to follow as he comes to believe the army structure of the Autobots is no longer necessary. Prowl, meanwhile, does not agree with orders given by Optimus Prime to perform an ongoing assignment of helping and monitoring the humans while keeping his disguise. As Prowl watches over the humans in his police car disguise, he continues to analyze the comparisons between humans and Transformers by running numbers/data. As the story proceeds and events unfold, Prowl learns that the data may not always dictate the correct course of action.

The writer on Spotlight: Prowl is Mike Costa, who is also responsible for penning the ongoing series. As such, the Spotlight is definitely written with the ongoing series in mind. The events in this issue help explain some previously unknown details from the first five issues of the ongoing series. Beyond Prowl’s new direction, the appearance of Jetfire, Seaspray, and Windcharger are explained along with the fate of a certain Decepticon. Since the story does flow with the ongoing storyline, Spotlight: Prowl is very much a story that will be liked only by those who continue to follow and enjoy the ongoing.

Spotlight: Prowl features the return of E.J. Su, who was the primary artist on much of the first few years of Transformers Generation One-era comics for IDW Publishing. Like Don Figueroa did for the ongoing series, E.J. Su has changed his style for Spotlight: Prowl. Not as drastic as Don’s changes, Su’s changes to the Transformers designs can best be described as a mix of his previous art style and that of the current “Classics/Universe” designs. The end result, especially in the case of both Prowl and Optimus Prime, are character designs that are more thin and lanky in appearance. The update to E.J. Su’s style is refreshing. Along with some striking backgrounds, Su shows that he hasn’t lost his touch since taking a hiatus from Transformers. His art is enhanced too, by the coloring of Transformers newcomer Andrew Dalhouse.

On the negative side, those who have been frustrated with the multiple art styles between the ongoing series and concurrent mini-series (such as Bumblebee and Ironhide) will continue to be frustrated that Spotlight: Prowl introduces yet another style into the mix.

As a stand-alone story, Spotlight: Prowl serves as a nice read. It’s simple and to the point. As part of the ongoing saga, it fills in some of the gaps readers have questions about. However, the spotlight does not fully answer all of his recent actions. More important than an explanation regarding why Prowl looks at the data differently now would have been an explanation of questionable actions such as the rebuilding of Kup. Unfortunately, questions such as those remain unanswered.

Original Source: TFW2005 Reviews Spotlight Prowl @ Transformers - TFW2005.com.