“Lost in Space (Part 1): Ratchet”

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After last issue’s heart-stopping cliffhanger, “Lost in Space (Part 1): Ratchet” slows right down to a weak, almost imperceptible pulse. The story continues its Spotlight-like focus on one character at a time; this issue it’s Ratchet. The clue is in the title.

While it was all very exciting to see the Allspark launched into space and Megatron giving chase in the first two issues, this unnecessary diversion seems to highlight that writer Simon Furman might not yet have seen the finished Transformers (2007) film at the time of writing or scheduling logistics mean that the readers won’t have at the time of publication. Either way, the plot is treading water.

On the surface of things, Ratchet’s story and newfound circumstances would make for a compelling and intelligent political commentary. But a story requiring such depth is not suited for a 10-page strip, and so the interesting stuff is glossed over in favour for a quick, facile punch up.

Andrew Wildman’s artwork, frustratingly, is as bland and sparse as the alien desert setting Ratchet finds himself in. With very little in the way of backgrounds and environments, the characters are literally lost in space. And where the script calls for action, the artwork fails to answer. The colouring, too, is muted and featureless.

“Lost in Space (Part 1): Ratchet” is a disappointing start to the magazine’s first multi-part story, with a lot of potential that just isn’t realised. Hopefully this diversion is only temporary.

Verdict: two stars out of five.