Book Review: "Transformers: Exodus" by Alex Irvine
I have to admit, the reason I picked up this book is because I saw it chilling on a bookshelf at my local bookstore and it's Transformers related.
Being a huge generation one fan, I decided that I would pick it up.
I want to start out by acknowledging that there were good things about it and some things that were not so good but overall, I did enjoy the book.
Keep in mind that this is a history for the Transformers: War for Cybertron video game.
Some people mistakenly believe that the game and the book are the history for the Generation 1 television show from the 1980's, but they aren't (there are some similarities though).
Certain aspects of the 80′s continuity have been "borrowed".
I outline some of the differences between the 80's cartoon (which was loaded with paradoxes anyway) and the history outlined in this book under "Spoiler Alert" below as well as similarities.
What you'll find with this book is that it seems to really expand and even re-write some of the weaker areas of the original 80′s show's history.
The author borrowed some things from other continuities, more I think just for some fun than anything else (Bumblebee's vocalizer was damaged by Megatron, as it was also prior to the events in the 2007 film, it doesn't really affect the continuity but it's just an easter egg).
There were several quotes throughout the book that have popped up in Transformers lore over the years, i.
e.
the quote "One shall stand, one shall fall".
The famous quote that goes back to being printed on the package for the Optimus Prime toy in the 1980′s is here, "Freedom is the right of all sentient beings.
" Again, I believe these are easter eggs for those of us who have been following for a while.
There are some paradoxes in this book though.
Starscream is mentioned to be a scientist, then in a quick description, it is said that "Megatron and Starscream weren't scientists".
Cybertronians were referred to as "people" on several occasions but there are no humans in this book.
What it comes down to is this.
As a long time Transformers Generation 1 fan, I enjoyed the book.
There were some slow parts in the beginning but it picked up as I read on and it really became quite exciting.
Just understand that this is not exactly a 1980′s origin story.
SPOILER ALERT Before you read further, this section is a bit of a spoiler so don't read it if you haven't read the book.
Orion Pax is a data clerk in the Hall of Records.
In the 80′s show, they really didn't give any mention of who he was.
In the show, after being badly damaged by a brutal attack from Megatron, he was rebuilt into Optimus Prime.
In the book, he was never rebuilt, the council renames him Optimus Prime under the recommendation of Alpha Trion (and incidentally, was NOT rescued by the Aerialbots who had traveled back through time).
Megatron was a gladiator in the book.
He didn't just pop up out of nowhere and start trashing everything like in the show.
He had reason to rebel against Cybertronian society as it stagnated with its caste system.
He and Orion Pax were friends until Orion was renamed Optimus Prime and given the title of Prime.
Megatron felt betrayed by his friend.
The Aerialbots were Seeker jets under Starscream but defected to the Autobot side.
They were not built on Earth.
Devastator is still the merge form of the Constructicons but the merge form itself was created by Shockwave.
Shockwave is a mad scientist, who is really twisted whereas in the show, he is a loyal drone for Megatron.
Transforming was developed after the start of the war between Autobots and Decepticons on the show, but it was present long before the war began in the book.
Now some similarities: Prior to the start of the war and even the caste system, the Transformers had overthrown the Quintessons and tossed them off Cybertron.
Starscream began as a scientist in the early years on Cybertron and he did so in the book also.
He is just as much of the plotting and power grabbing Decepticon as he is in pretty much every continuity, no surprise there.
Alpha Trion is an ancient Autobot who offers experience and guidance (one of the other reviewers compares him to Yoda).
The show offered this too, although Alpha Trion is only in a handful of episodes and is explored in much more depth in the book.
The Transformers leave Cybertron due to the depletion of its resources both in the book and in the show.
The book gives the explanation as to how the resources were dwindled (the perversion of the core with Dark Energon by Megatron, the destruction of Energon wells, etc).
Being a huge generation one fan, I decided that I would pick it up.
I want to start out by acknowledging that there were good things about it and some things that were not so good but overall, I did enjoy the book.
Keep in mind that this is a history for the Transformers: War for Cybertron video game.
Some people mistakenly believe that the game and the book are the history for the Generation 1 television show from the 1980's, but they aren't (there are some similarities though).
Certain aspects of the 80′s continuity have been "borrowed".
I outline some of the differences between the 80's cartoon (which was loaded with paradoxes anyway) and the history outlined in this book under "Spoiler Alert" below as well as similarities.
What you'll find with this book is that it seems to really expand and even re-write some of the weaker areas of the original 80′s show's history.
The author borrowed some things from other continuities, more I think just for some fun than anything else (Bumblebee's vocalizer was damaged by Megatron, as it was also prior to the events in the 2007 film, it doesn't really affect the continuity but it's just an easter egg).
There were several quotes throughout the book that have popped up in Transformers lore over the years, i.
e.
the quote "One shall stand, one shall fall".
The famous quote that goes back to being printed on the package for the Optimus Prime toy in the 1980′s is here, "Freedom is the right of all sentient beings.
" Again, I believe these are easter eggs for those of us who have been following for a while.
There are some paradoxes in this book though.
Starscream is mentioned to be a scientist, then in a quick description, it is said that "Megatron and Starscream weren't scientists".
Cybertronians were referred to as "people" on several occasions but there are no humans in this book.
What it comes down to is this.
As a long time Transformers Generation 1 fan, I enjoyed the book.
There were some slow parts in the beginning but it picked up as I read on and it really became quite exciting.
Just understand that this is not exactly a 1980′s origin story.
SPOILER ALERT Before you read further, this section is a bit of a spoiler so don't read it if you haven't read the book.
Orion Pax is a data clerk in the Hall of Records.
In the 80′s show, they really didn't give any mention of who he was.
In the show, after being badly damaged by a brutal attack from Megatron, he was rebuilt into Optimus Prime.
In the book, he was never rebuilt, the council renames him Optimus Prime under the recommendation of Alpha Trion (and incidentally, was NOT rescued by the Aerialbots who had traveled back through time).
Megatron was a gladiator in the book.
He didn't just pop up out of nowhere and start trashing everything like in the show.
He had reason to rebel against Cybertronian society as it stagnated with its caste system.
He and Orion Pax were friends until Orion was renamed Optimus Prime and given the title of Prime.
Megatron felt betrayed by his friend.
The Aerialbots were Seeker jets under Starscream but defected to the Autobot side.
They were not built on Earth.
Devastator is still the merge form of the Constructicons but the merge form itself was created by Shockwave.
Shockwave is a mad scientist, who is really twisted whereas in the show, he is a loyal drone for Megatron.
Transforming was developed after the start of the war between Autobots and Decepticons on the show, but it was present long before the war began in the book.
Now some similarities: Prior to the start of the war and even the caste system, the Transformers had overthrown the Quintessons and tossed them off Cybertron.
Starscream began as a scientist in the early years on Cybertron and he did so in the book also.
He is just as much of the plotting and power grabbing Decepticon as he is in pretty much every continuity, no surprise there.
Alpha Trion is an ancient Autobot who offers experience and guidance (one of the other reviewers compares him to Yoda).
The show offered this too, although Alpha Trion is only in a handful of episodes and is explored in much more depth in the book.
The Transformers leave Cybertron due to the depletion of its resources both in the book and in the show.
The book gives the explanation as to how the resources were dwindled (the perversion of the core with Dark Energon by Megatron, the destruction of Energon wells, etc).
Source...