Though not necessarily the sales juggernaut it was when it debuted a couple of years ago, Dreamwave's Transforemrs comics machine is still chugging along strong, and the studio has launched another limited series. War Within: The Dark Ages v.2 isn't the most accessible Transformers comics I've read, but there's an edge to it that's interesting. It's not easy to relate to this story either, but the artwork dazzles with an unusual mix of traditional linework and computer-enhanced visuals.
The leaders of the Autobots and Decepticons -- Optimus Prime and Megatron -- were lost years ago as both fell through a dimensional gateway meant for only one of them. Now, on Cybertron, a robotic being steps back through a similar gateway, but it is not Optimus or Megatron. Or it may be both of them. Meanwhile, war escalates between the two Transformers factions, and a new Autobot strikeforce employs some unorthodox methods to achieve victory.
Given the vast number of Transformers stories that have come before this one, I'm sure this isn't the first time spiritual or supernatural elements have found their way into the world of Autobots and Decepticons. I'm a bit torn when it comes to this contrasting tone. On the one hand, it doesn't fit with the cold, sterile tone of the metallic characters and their home, but on the other, it brings an eerie feeling and a sense of the epic to the story.
Wildman's artwork, overall, boasts the same kind of meticulous detail that's been characteristic of most of Dreamwave's Transformers output. It's exciting and imaginative, and the computer coloring brings a sleeker, energetic look to things as well. I also like the cold, antiseptic look of most of the backgrounds. There are some moments in Wildman's work, though, that reminds me of the simpler tone one could find in Marvel's Transformers comics of the 1980s, some of which were illustrated by Bob Budiansky, if memory serves. That simpler tone stands out here, and I have to admit, it has a certain charm to it. Furthermore, the difference isn't so jarring as to get in the way of the storytelling.
I got the feeling in the earlier half of the book that I was missing some significant pieces of the puzzle in order to follow along with the story. Sure, I wasn't a faithful War Within v.1 reader, but still, I felt left out of the loop. But I was also impressed with the edge that Furman brings to the property. One of the "heroes" ends up in the role of a guerrilla commander of sorts, and the Autobot/Decepticon conflict seem much less like a conventional super-hero/villain skirmish here and more like a war.
