"Guess Who the Mecannibals are Having for Dinner?"
COMICS REVIEW
The Mecannibals, as their clever, clever name suggests,
are what you might call robophages; robots who eat
robots. Transformers are robots. So a story in which
the Mecannibals meet the Transformers is just bound to
have hilarious consequences.
"Guess Who the Mecannibals are Having for Dinner?" The answer: Transformers. That's what I was kind of getting at.
In an otherwise insipid tale, it's not the titular Mecannibals that are the point of interest, but rather the relationship and banter between two Autobots: Landmine and Cloudburst. In a twist no one saw coming, Bob Budiansky has taken two Pretenders and given them personalities, opinions, ethics and a chance to connect with the reader. Cloudburst is uptight and Landmine ought to tighten up his mouth.
"Guess who th—aw, I'm sick of saying it" and its sequel, "Recipe for Disaster" are "buddy" stories through and through. Lethal Weapon, 48 Hours, and Some Like it Hot are all examples. Just replace the bad guys with robot-eating robots and you've got an entertaining double-act running around making quips, shooting things and making quips.
Delbo has an opportunity to illustrate all manner of exciting and interesting lifeform designs but instead, lazily, replicates the aliens from the Star Wars trilogy.
The mecannibals are more mirth than menace and the story doesn't offer much more than the odd bit of sharp dialogue and warm camaraderie. It's not worth missing dinner for, whether anyone's invited or not.
"Guess Who the Mecannibals are Having for Dinner?"
(21 pp) was originally published by Marvel Comics in
Transformers #52 (May 1989)
Bob Budiansky • Writer | José Delbo • Penciler | Dave Hunt • Inker
Manny Manos • Letterer | Nel Yomtov • Colourist
Don Daley • Editor | Tom DeFalco • Editor in Chief
"Guess Who the Mecannibals are Having for Dinner?" The answer: Transformers. That's what I was kind of getting at.
In an otherwise insipid tale, it's not the titular Mecannibals that are the point of interest, but rather the relationship and banter between two Autobots: Landmine and Cloudburst. In a twist no one saw coming, Bob Budiansky has taken two Pretenders and given them personalities, opinions, ethics and a chance to connect with the reader. Cloudburst is uptight and Landmine ought to tighten up his mouth.
"Guess who th—aw, I'm sick of saying it" and its sequel, "Recipe for Disaster" are "buddy" stories through and through. Lethal Weapon, 48 Hours, and Some Like it Hot are all examples. Just replace the bad guys with robot-eating robots and you've got an entertaining double-act running around making quips, shooting things and making quips.
Delbo has an opportunity to illustrate all manner of exciting and interesting lifeform designs but instead, lazily, replicates the aliens from the Star Wars trilogy.
The mecannibals are more mirth than menace and the story doesn't offer much more than the odd bit of sharp dialogue and warm camaraderie. It's not worth missing dinner for, whether anyone's invited or not.
VERDICT:
Bob Budiansky • Writer | José Delbo • Penciler | Dave Hunt • Inker
Manny Manos • Letterer | Nel Yomtov • Colourist
Don Daley • Editor | Tom DeFalco • Editor in Chief