Transformers - Spotlight: Nightbeat

Originally published second in the Spotlight running order, this is very much a mixed beast, all depending on what you're looking for.

If what you're after is a character piece this one delivers to a respectable extent. Nightbeat himself is engaging and well defined lead as an incorrigible semi-professional sleuth with an inability to resist a mystery; one habit Furman's writing had for IDW was that of cutting Marvel characterisations and pasting them into current work as reader shorthand. It's not hugely ethical but here it does no harm as the Marvel Nightbeat was superb and fits this universe and this story like a glove. The trick here is that you can't imagine this issue working anywhere near as well for any other character, so it's a thumbs up for the general scripting. 

The one downside in this regard is that it might have been nice to see Nightbeat have an adventure where he didn't walk into a trap and get turned into a sleeper agent first, but there we go. Rereading, it was also a bit of a shock that Nightbeat's brainwashing is so obvious when a vaguer handling might have brought a bit more suspense. Due to poor working memory of the following arcs I'm reluctant to lay into the convenience of Optimus Prime calling Nightbeat straight after his cranial modifications. 

The other thing to factor in to enjoyment of a spotlight is how it ties into the main book, and this can be a tricky one. You need a plot that stands on its own but at the same time it would feel like a waste if it was totally unrelated (cf. Wheelie, Mirage, Cliffjumper). The balance of this one is fine,  in that a couple of major threads are organically foreshadowed,  making the issue an effective standalone prelude. The only problem is with hindsight it's hard not to wince at the first mentions of the Ark-1 and the Dead Universe. 

Art duties are interestingly doled out to M. D. Bright, presumably on the strength of his cover for the fifth issue (...are all dead!) of the Marvel comic, though his CV includes well-regarded stints on Iron Man and The Green Lantern. It isn't a particularly great showing, sadly. While there are some good action dynamics -such as the chase sequence- too often the pencils look rushed and jumbled, and the style is a poor fit for digital colouring.

Overall this stands up as a respectable day in the sun for Nightbeat tethered to some unwelcome reminders of trouble ahead. While it largely does as promised on the cover the truth is the character's been done as well elsewhere and this outing only stirs memories of a continuity about to rapidly lose its way.

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