All Hail Megatron #1-12 / TPBs

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Do You Like All Hail Megatron?

Yes
8
24%
No
14
41%
Jury Still Out
12
35%
 
Total votes: 34

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zigzagger
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All Hail Megatron #1-12 / TPBs

Post by zigzagger »

Well, after a brief dry spell these past few weeks, prepare to wrap your
fangirl/boy tentacles around Focus on the Decepticons. A bit of a piece mealed teaser feature, as I understand it. Yep, this is your all purpose Focus on the Decepticons reaction and discussion thread. Come, tell us what you thought. We promise not to leave too many marks on you.

Due to ship April 9th according to....an anonymous source?
http://www.tfw2005.com/transformers-new ... 08-164562/
Stay tuned for confirmation!

EDIT
I got your confirmation right here, bitches!
http://comicnewsi.com/article.php?catid ... emid=11391
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Denyer
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Post by Denyer »

Excellent. We've got an outline of the year to come already, but this is a thing I've been waiting for...
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zigzagger
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Post by zigzagger »

Hmmm.

Not a whole lot here. The book features interviews with Shane McCarthy, Guido Guidi, brief Dreamwave MTMTE profiles who are presumably the cast for AHM, and some random sketch work. A little background on the artist and writer is also offered, but that's really about it. Details for upcoming books continues to be teased, and though I was not expecting spoilers, what we do get is a bit insubstantial in my opinion. What information is here, I could probably find on the IDW forums.

Also, I must say I was expected a bit more previews, but instead we receive one eight page preview of All Hail Megatron. Sadly, for eight pages of nicely depicted visuals, there is surprisingly little content. The Decepticons bully some humans around, and that's about it. I get the impression that this will be primarily action based, going by the visuals and McCarthy's interview. It doesn't really reveal much of McCarthy's direction with the book, since we kind of already knew about AHM's premise beforehand. It's a great idea, but it does not seem apparent in the preview. So far, and this could change by the time the finished product is in our hands, doesn't feel like it is part of the main IDW continuity, but as a stand alone story. Personally, especially after reading this, Revelations is looking quite promising. It's a shame we didn't get further Revelations teasers from "Focus...."
Sorry, but this really hasn't got me amped up for AHM.
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Commander Shockwav
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Post by Commander Shockwav »

Well, this issue is just a promotional piece.

Anyway....

Loved Shane's interview and what he's trying to accomplish.

It's exactly what I felt has been missing from the TF IDW run thus far. Namely, more character focus and the journey these characters will take and how events around them will shape who they become.

Loved the Scrapper/Hook moment. These are the moments that help define the cast and distinguish one bot from the next. Provided they are consistent throughout the story.

A we got deaths! Bloody, bloody deaths! I'm not demented, mind you, but certainly I prefer this kind of tone. Readers of the Transformers are older now, and so, the tone must get darker.

Artwork was nice. A bit balloony in some panels, which we want to stay away from.

So I'm seeing some positives here, some potential.

It's a tricky game, though. What is my cause for concern?

Well, I really hope Shane made his best effort to jive with what Simon has done before (understanding that such jive won't be flawless, particulary when Simon's still telling his tale.) I see no problem with him taking things in a different direction, but it has to make sense with what's come before.

For example, if even one hundred human beings sighted the Transformers, as they likely did in Devestation when the Ark nearly crashed in their city, would we have anyone standing around a year later in the street saying "Hey! Look! Giant robot actors! What movie are they from?" as they did in this preview? Unless the nation underwent a total mindwipe, they would be more likely to go "run for your lives, it's those giant warring robots!!!".

So gotta respect the past. That's very important to the success of this title. If it doesn't, we're going to have a lot of angry, disenchanted fans.

Overall, I'm really stoked about this and can't wait to see how this unfolds. Liking what I'm seeing, cautiously optimistic
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Rossum
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Post by Rossum »

If most of AHM is like the preview pages, I don't think I'll enjoy it very much. However, I'm guessing the scene was chosen for the preview precisely because it has a G1 vibe, and lots of destruction, which should catch the attention of the fans who don't like the Furman/IDW take so far.
Commander Shockwav wrote:.

For example, if even one hundred human beings sighted the Transformers, as they likely did in Devestation when the Ark nearly crashed in their city, would we have anyone standing around a year later in the street saying "Hey! Look! Giant robot actors! What movie are they from?" as they did in this preview? Unless the nation underwent a total mindwipe, they would be more likely to go "run for your lives, it's those giant warring robots!!!".

So gotta respect the past. That's very important to the success of this title. If it doesn't, we're going to have a lot of angry, disenchanted fans.
I'm thinking maybe Skywatch or some other government entity could have covered up the Devestation events, somehow. Maybe called it a publicity stunt for a movie gone awry, or something.
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Post by Commander Shockwav »

Rossum wrote: I'm thinking maybe Skywatch or some other government entity could have covered up the Devestation events, somehow. Maybe called it a publicity stunt for a movie gone awry, or something.
I pray you're right, young man.

Cause if Shane didn't have a real heart to heart discussion with Simon about all the details, then we could have a real problem with the two jiving.
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Post by Rossum »

Right. I'm firmly in the "wait-and-see" camp as far as this goes, but the preview actually made me more worried rather than less. The tone seems very different to what's come before, and I'm hoping that doesn't mean Shane McCarthy has decided to brush aside the groundwork laid out in the first three arcs.
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Post by Commander Shockwav »

Rossum wrote:Right. I'm firmly in the "wait-and-see" camp as far as this goes, but the preview actually made me more worried rather than less. The tone seems very different to what's come before, and I'm hoping that doesn't mean Shane McCarthy has decided to brush aside the groundwork laid out in the first three arcs.
I don't mind a change in tone, so to speak. I mean, all titles eventually undergo this kind of change when a new writer comes aboard.

Hopefully, the tone is a darker, more serious one.

What I don't want to see change is the past. Maintaining the continuity should take precedence over everything. Change in writing style, pacing, artwork, etc. can be a good thing.

But change the past? No. Just no.
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Neuronutter
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Post by Neuronutter »

Hmmm. My LCS didn't have this today as their delivery was delayed, but I got to see it in another store. I'm not sure I'll bother picking this up after flicking through it. Seems a waste of time. Two interviews that normally would be posted on the net for free, a preview for a series that's many months away, and a few very, very brief profiles next to old profile pictures. Seems this should've been given away for free to stoke up some interest, not sold at an, albeit, reduced price. I'm thoroughly disappointed by this.

Now, if it had some info about the other upcoming events, preview art alongside AHM's preview, or something genuinely new, I may have been more interested. Was there even one piece of new info in it as I didn't read the interviews? Anything we haven't already been told on the IDW site?
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Post by Rossum »

Commander Shockwav wrote:I don't mind a change in tone, so to speak. I mean, all titles eventually undergo this kind of change when a new writer comes aboard.

Hopefully, the tone is a darker, more serious one.

What I don't want to see change is the past. Maintaining the continuity should take precedence over everything. Change in writing style, pacing, artwork, etc. can be a good thing.

But change the past? No. Just no.
Maybe tone wasn't the word I was looking for. I don't mind change, and the Decepticons actually doing damage to Earth could be exciting.

But having the characters return to G1 behaviours undermines, to my mind, any attempt at being "darker and more serious". I liked how the Megatron/Starscream dynamic played out in the 'tion arcs - it was familiar, but had some actual subtlety and motivation behind it. To return to plain "Starscream gloats, Megatron hits/insults" is making the series more kiddish. That's the change I'm worried about; getting rid of the characterization that we've had in the past in favor of broader cartoon personalities. I don't know if that counts as "changing the past" like you described, though.
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Post by Cliffjumper »

zigzagger wrote:surprisingly little content.
Commander Shockwav wrote: "Hey! Look! Giant robot actors! What movie are they from?"
Rossum wrote:The tone seems very different to what's come before
Rossum wrote:But having the characters return to G1 behaviours undermines, to my mind, any attempt at being "darker and more serious".
Argh, pretty much everything I was worried about, with by the sounds of it some Hardwired-inspired bits too.

Focus is like Infiltration #0, I gather? There's no real point to it, and whatever's in it will be heavily recapped for the first three issues of AHM, yeh? Groovy, money saved.
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Post by Commander Shockwav »

Rossum wrote:That's the change I'm worried about; getting rid of the characterization that we've had in the past in favor of broader cartoon personalities. I don't know if that counts as "changing the past" like you described, though.
No, I would say you're right, that it is somewhat changing the past. A change that I would not really welcome without some sort of acceptable explanation.

But I would also say that the most important positive that can come from a new writer would be his ability to make characters evolve and how events around him impact who he is. In other words, showing us the journey a character takes is the best thing McCarthy can offer us. For example, who can forget Ratchets journey in the old Marvel run, being the sole survivor (and a doctor at that), and how he is forced to evolve into a cunning warrior? Nobody forgets that kind of stuff because instead of the events of the story pulling us in, its the character himself we become fascinated with.

With a cast like the Transformers, I want to see these characters evolve, I want to see interesting character interaction.

I hope McCarthy brings us this.
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Post by inflatable dalek »

Is the preview actually original material (ala Infiltration 0 as cliffy says), or just a chunk of issue 1? If it's the latter I may skip this one.
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Post by Neuronutter »

I believe it's an 8 page preview of issue 1. So if you buy AHM you're effectively buying it twice. That's why I doubt I'll pick Focus up.
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Post by Denyer »

Rossum wrote: I'm guessing the scene was chosen for the preview precisely because it has a G1 vibe, and lots of destruction, which should catch the attention of the fans who don't like the Furman/IDW take so far.
Mmm.

I'd be a little dissatisfied if I hadn't got this free via OneShallStand's robot points reward scheme, simply because you don't expect recycled art from a different publisher at a normal comics price point (or at any price point with that image of Soundwave with thunder-thighs)... which brings me to the slightly more pressing issue that, at three bucks, the people this is really pitched at (new readers who benefit from potted character bios and the like) -- and should be pitched at -- aren't going to be reading it. Two bucks might've gotten it some attention.

Assuming what's to follow isn't as sparse on dialogue, I'm fairly happy thus far and do see some similarities to the Hitch method of visual storytelling. Not keen on the seeker hip kibble... it looks bad on the toy, so adopting it where engineering can be more precise makes no sense. Not too bothered by Starscream's personality shift or the way he's handled by his leader; he got gutted earlier on because he was successfully rising in power out of Megatron's sight -- he's under the thumb now.

Quick poll of Americans... does the skyscraper thing seem more impressive and/or "teh evil" to you folk than it does here?
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Post by Rossum »

Denyer wrote:Mmm.

Quick poll of Americans... does the skyscraper thing seem more impressive and/or "teh evil" to you folk than it does here?
All right, I asked this over at the IDW Forums, but what do you mean? I'm almost certain that the US doesn't have a premium on skyscrapers. Is there some obscure UK dislike or indifference to tall buildings that I should know about?
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Post by inflatable dalek »

Rossum wrote:All right, I asked this over at the IDW Forums, but what do you mean? I'm almost certain that the US doesn't have a premium on skyscrapers. Is there some obscure UK dislike or indifference to tall buildings that I should know about?
I think Denyer is asking if the destruction of skyscrapers has a special resonance to Americans post 9/11, that perhaps it wouldn't have for those of us outside the US.

[And we don't really have skyscrapers in the UK outside of places like London, and even then we just tend to think of them as office blocks].
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Post by Denyer »

inflatable dalek wrote:I think Denyer is asking if the destruction of skyscrapers has a special resonance to Americans post 9/11, that perhaps it wouldn't have for those of us outside the US.
Roughly, yeah. There were widespread complaints about popular media featuring similar for well over a year afterwards. I doubt that some of the property damage in The Authority would've flown in that climate either.
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Post by inflatable dalek »

Having now read the issue...

the preview is crap. Oh dear.
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Post by Neuronutter »

inflatable dalek wrote:Having now read the issue...

the preview is crap. Oh dear.
That seems to have been most people's reaction, mine included. Oh dear!
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