All Hail Megatron #1-12 / TPBs

[Grufflock]

The Good:

Jazz, Kup's cigar, mentioning the swarm, Jazz, Ratbat

The Bad:

Humans, Pacing is all over the place, thought they had drawn springer instead of Kup for the sucker punch (had to reread that bit) the Matrix, no continuation, Ratbat. How big is Ratbat?

However, it's far too obvious that the traitor is Mirage [I think that the awfulness that was Spotlight: Mirage was craeted to be a red herring, and I'm going for Drift as the traitor. That way, no rocking of the status quo boat.

[inflatable dalek]

It's good some people are enjoying it at least.

I thought Megs said he did conquer the world last issue? I pay so very little attention to the humans in this story, I tend not to really care about them.

"Decepticons, this world is ours, the human armies [plural] have fallen". It possible Megs simply equates conquering America with conquering Earth but then we're back to Americancentric attitudes. The annoying thing is that whilst skipping the fall of Earth between issues was unsatisfying it at least had some plot progression. The portrayal here of a functional world outside the US feels like two steps back.

A minor niggle, surely.

Not when they're making a major plot element of it. Fair enough, despite the claims I am fairly convinced this is aimed entirely at new readers who won't be familiar with recent plotlines. But someone who hasn't read any TF media in twenty years but does have solid memories of the cartoon isn't going to find the idea of Mirage as a potential traitor as shocking and new as this comic seems to think it is.

Actually felt the Jazz stuff was the best part.

In might have worked if they'd played up the cabin fever aspect a bit more and implied they were falling apart and likely to start a fight at any time. We've had that with Ironhide and slightly with Bumblebee and Wheeljack but pretty much everyone else there has been passive and quiet (tangent: Sunstreaker better do something soon to justify him being in the comic at all and being pally pally with Sideswipe).

I think my problem with the fight scene is the same one I had with Witwicky treating that CIA Agent like shit back in issue 2. It's meant to be the cool dude sticking it to the man but just comes across as pointless domineering bullying.

It makes perfect sense why Jazz would assume command. For one, other bots are punching Prowl to the ground, which doesn't do well for respect for command, does it?

Ironhide decked Prowl after Jazz was in charge. He won't do the same to Jazz but he's still happy to argue with his superior and look all sulky when he's told to leave Mirage alone. Not much respect there. Considering their prior established antagonistic relationship Prowl and Springer having a confrontation would actually make more sense character wise.

And who saved the entire crew of Autobot vets like Kup and seasoned leaders like Hotrod this issue? That's right. The leader of the Wreckers.

Not leader of anything at the moment. And he only saved them after nearly getting them all killed thanks to that stupid pain feedback driving stick. And AHM Hot Rod is young punk rather than seasoned leader.

And it's clear from the last issue that Jazz does not share the same suspicions about Mirage that Ironhide has.

Well, mainly because it seems so obvious Jazz himself sold them out. However, I was giving the benefit of the doubt in the hope there's a cleaver twist coming. And whatever he thinks the others must have some good reason for suspecting Mirage more than anyone else (unless they all know about the cartoon as well) and his own Spotlight shows/will show him as a conflicted character either way, having him as the only sentry is tactically unwise whatever his skills. Hell, letting anyone off by themselves is a bad move, everyone should be sent about in at least twos to avoid the traitor getting up to mischief alone.

Lucky really though that Kup wandered past at the only point so far when there has been a sentry outside.

Oh, and despite the colourists best efforts to make the hair a different colour in Spike we have another human who looks just like Andy. I seriously thought for a second he'd surrvived. Guido's seeming inability to vary his faces is hurting the story telling by this point.

[zigzagger]

heh, heh, heh

Soooo…the Decepticons built a tall purple tower….in the middle of New York City….Is Prime’s arm affixed to the top of it?

Again, were not making any significant bounds here. If anything, this issue seemed more like a diversion to that fact. Though a new group of Autobots show up, it’s really not much of an advancement (well, aside the big reveal of everyone’s favourite, glowing, disco ball, plot device) since the Autobots are still pretty much where we last saw them, and really, where they have been since the last 2 pages of the first issue. This is nowhere near being 5-issues worth (with one more away to complete the first volume) of story telling. It just isn’t.

The continuity quibbles are as equally frustrating…but I really don’t feel like going near that one right now, in fear of sounding even more redundant than I already do.

Annnd, which was really the core reason why I disliked this issue, I’m going to have to agree with Dalek – the human segments, I felt anyway, were hugely Americentric. I understand that McCarrthy, from my impression anyway, is attempting to capture that good ol’ solider family/boy mentality as the premise to the Witwicky characters, but it’s so dated and hackneyed. It’s made all the worse that Kup seems as equally formulaic.

Sure, AHM, at this point anyway, is meant to be mindless fun, I just need a little bit more to maintain interest. For continuing to milk 6-issues of story across 12-issues, I’d give this a 2 out of 5.

[inflatable dalek]

I’ve no problem with TF comics being mindless fun. Ramjet was pretty much nothing else and was brilliant, as was the 2007 film. I wrote glowing reviews of The Art of War because, whilst it was insanely stupid, it was also great fun (and had a decent plot and a great villain in SerpentO.R.). The problem here is twofold. First 12 issues is just to long to sustain this sort of story. Art of War was pushing it at six issues with a second instalment that was fairly crap.

The second is, that whilst it is mindless, it isn’t very much fun. The lack of incident and pace (which brings us back to the length) drains the whole thing of any energy. It’s like the 07 film spending the first hour with Blackout at the American base and Sam giving his school report. The lack of any likeable characters whatsoever on any of the sides is hurting it as well. Why care when Jazz is a knob or Bridge is such a cipher he doesn’t even get a first name? The fact the issue wastes five pages on a flashback that could have been summed up in two lines pretty much sums up how desperate the padding is getting.

[snavej]

Has anyone noticed the limited number of similarities between AHM and the G1 cartoon season 2 episode 'City of Steel'?

[Decepticons attacking New York, destroying some buildings, replacing them with Cybertronian-style buildings, fighting in Central Park.]

I've been watching the DVDs lately, so I'm joining a few dots with regard to TF lore.

[Halfshell]

Thought for a moment McCarthy had grown some dramatic balls and the courage to subvert expectations... but no, Spike lives.

Any real point to showing that Jazz is able to beat up Springer? Other than reinforcing how ubercool all the first year toys are compared to the impostors who came later?

Access codes to what?

What the **** was that in Kup's mouth? And don't tell me it's a cigar. It's not a cigar. Yes, it's meant to be something in lieu of a cigar, but what exactly is it? Or am I giving Shane O'Mac too much credit in assuming he put any thought into what it's supposed to be in-universe, given the half-arsed sex, drugs and alcohol subculture of Spotlight Blurr?

I can forgive Drift not doing anything, as he's just in this issue so he doesn't come out of nowhere when he gets his "moment" later.

Points for addressing Prowl not being in charge. Though lost for not addressing Kup's resurrection.

And why the hell is Ratbat a cassette now? Is there any plausible reason for Soundwave's return to be followed by somebody with a modern alt mode going "hey, my mate's got a form that's twenty years out of date - I'll switch to something compatible and equally as redundant, rather than retaining my current sleek and completely independent form"? Or will that come at the same time as the "totally valid" reason for the jets doing the same?

Odds on the frightened and wimpy Hot Rod being the one who reclaims the Matrix, anyone?

Optimus got the physical Matrix how now?

Sadly still better than Angel After the Fall.

[inflatable dalek]

What the **** was that in Kup's mouth? And don't tell me it's a cigar.

It's the traitor in teh shock twist.

And why the hell is Ratbat a cassette now? Is there any plausible reason for Soundwave's return to be followed by somebody with a modern alt mode going "hey, my mate's got a form that's twenty years out of date - I'll switch to something compatible and equally as redundant, rather than retaining my current sleek and completely independent form"? Or will that come at the same time as the "totally valid" reason for the jets doing the same?

I suppose it depends how much Soundwave made Ratbat his bitch in that-never-properly-explained-bit from Megatron Origin, it's possible that Soundwave just told him to match his other cassettes (though why they'd bother turning Ratbat into a mindless drone when his brain was the only thing worth force recruiting him for is one of those never-properly-explained things). The real question is, why didn't Soundwave update himself at some point? Actually, does anyone else think the Seekers having new Cubertronian modes in Blurr was a retroactive attempt to make it look as if they've always changed bodies all the time for no real reason?

Optimus got the physical Matrix how now?

To be fair, that doesn't contradict anything said so far despite Furman doing a funny little dance to avoid coming out and saying it directly either way. I wonder if Revelation was originally going to involve the Matrix properly (either it having gone evil to allow Nemesis to complete his bad Marvel Thunderwing impression or in some other way) before someone decided both it and AHM using the Mcguffin would be to close together? It would explain some of the slightly odd wording around "Matrix Succesion".

Sadly still better than Angel After the Fall.

Leprosy, more fun that Aids.

[Commander Shockwav]

Vote

[Neuronutter]

Vote

Wow, six whole votes. Impressive. Didn't they already do this on the IDW forum. Yep they did with a whole 54 votes. That's still crap.

Anyway, my two cents. AHM started out crap but has gradually improved, with each issue being better than the last. By the time it ends it may actually be decent. Having said that we're almost at issue six and f*ck all has happened yet. So maybe not.

[Halfshell]

Having said that we're almost at issue six and f*ck all has happened yet.

Liar. Jazz bodyslammed Springer.

Completely pays off the hundred and ten pages so far.

[Cliffjumper]

Jazz bodyslammed Springer.

Thatz awezum becoz Jizz was one of the 1s from the originul Transformers and Springer was one of those gay Generation 2 Go-Bot knockoffs. LOLZOR!


Wow, so that's what it's like being registered on TFormers. It's certainly less effort than having a brain.

[Sir Auros]

Why are IDW trying to make a big shocking thing out of something they’ve already done at least twice recently?

What!? Do you think any of those idiots actually read the comics they print? It's the same way Kup went from being almost irreparably insane to robo-cigar-chomping hardass. The only reason I'm still getting their garbage is because I'm too lazy to call my comic shop and cancel.

[Sir Auros]

Anyone who votes "yes" is retarded.

[Grufflock]

oh god. AHM insults every fibre of my being. whilst having very small parts I like.

IDW! LISTEN! DON'T PUT MEGATRON IN A TITLE! IT'S A CURSE!

[Sir Auros]

See, this guy won't be banned...today.

[secretcode]

Jury's still out for me, as I haven't read it yet. Is it worse then Megatron Origin at this point?

[Blackjack]

Blackjack votes no.

[inflatable dalek]

Dalek finds it hard to give enough of a **** to actually vote.

[starlord]

Guys, give us more detail why you do or don't like it? Some of us can't find a copy and it would help to know if it is worth buying ?

[Blackjack]

read Dalek's reviews.

The art is nice, from what I've heard. But the pacing's too slow, plot is almost non-existent, earlier developed characterization unravelled into sunbowism, continuity issues, changing alternate modes 'to sell toys', Drift, Kup smoking a cigar (come on. IDW's giving a bad example for kids;)), cast extends only to first two seasons of the Cartoon and Movie + Roadbuster + random generic fanmade Writer's pet + ugly humans... need I go on?