Transformers: Hardwired

http://www.amazon.com/review/R33IU6EKMBAFIA/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm

Let me state right off the bat that I love Transformers in all of its incarnations, from G1 through Beast Wars up to the current line, Armada. I'm also an avid reader, and a fan of sci-fi franchise novels like Star Trek, Star Wars, and X-Files. So "Transfomers: Hardwired" seems like it would be right up my alley, right?

Well...not really, it seems. There are so many things wrong with this book, I couldn't possibly list them all here. Here's a taste, though: (1) This book was not edited. The typos average about one PER PAGE from misued apostrophes to missing spaces, quote marks, and the occasional missing word. There are also many instances of switching tenses in the same sentence, and similar mistakes that would have been caught had this book been proof-read. But it obviously was not. (2) The Transformers characters are dull and uninteresting, for the most part. With so few characters actually appearing, you'd think the characterization would come through. But it doesn't. Prime and Megatron get some, and Bluestreak gets a little more. But that's about it. Besides Starscream, and perhaps Soundwave and Grimlock, the rest of the cast is virtually interchangeable. (3) The human characters are all very cliched and uninteresting. Franklin is the typical tough-guy gov't operative. Spike is your everyday angsty anti-hero hero. (4) The plot itself feels vaguely familiar, as if its many components have merely been rehashed from old TF comics and cartoons. (5) The "mature" feel the author tries to give the book is possibly the biggest letdown. The unnecessary profanity sounds weird and forced, especially coming out of the mouths of giant alien robots. And there's a large amount of pointless blood and gore that turned me off to the book practically from the get-go. It's also fairly disturbing how casually the author kills off Transformer characters -- especially since most of the "deaths" serve no real purpose, storywise.

On the positive side, it fits into the continuity of the current Transformers comics by Dreamwave. In fact, one of the book's best points is the characterizations of Prime and Megatron -- very much their DW comic selves, but expanded slightly. Also, Bluestreak gets quite possibly some of the best characterization he's EVER received. I also must admit that the last half of Hardwired is much better than the first. Though I found the first chapter or two to be very good, the next 150 pages or so turned me off so much that picking it up to read at night actually became quite a struggle. But the last half I actually {gasp!} enjoyed somewhat.

Still, the whole thing reads like weak fanfic. ( )

Some very crappy editing hurts this. Optimus Prime and Megatron are kidnapped by techo-organic space whale aliens.

What is the obvious thing they would do? Make them fight dinosaurs in an arena. First thing that comes to mind, isn't it?

Spike is dealing with cybernetic government spooks and honey trap whores on earth, and the Autobots and Decepticons end up fighting in big tacky casinos in Vegas, which is fun. Complete with Grimlock the dinobot.

http://superprose.blogspot.com/2007/04/transformers-1-hardwired.html ( )