All Hail Megatron

[The Doctor]

In days gone past, I would give comics a few issues to try them out. But now they cost £2.85 I am far less tolerent. That's more than my average daily meal.

-Ralph

[charlesrocketboy]

You should save money by eating the bad comics.

[legios]

Jul 19, 2008 18:10:54 GMT charlesrocketboy said:

You should save money by eating the bad comics.

Not a good idea - bad comics, like bad anything, tend to result in indigestion.

I'm having to be ruthless with my comics budget at the moment. A lot of stuff I would be picking up I'm passing on - shifting more and more to trade. (If "Revelation" hand't been canceled and the bits shifted into spotlights I probably wouldn't have picked that up either) So if AHM manages to redeem itself in later issue I can still buy it at a later date. But the prices of single issues are too high these days to be taking chances on ones that I suspect I'm not going to enjoy.

Karl

[Andy Turnbull]

Finally got my copy at the end of the week there. Now it's not the worst comic by a country mile but it is a frankly terrible first issue. It's one long (and pretty uninteresting) fight scene with some interminable top gun cribbing.

The art and colours by Guido and Josh carry the issue to some degree of respectability.

Fair enough it's jump starting things again following on from the Furman era but it seems hell bent on repeating the mistakes of DC when they did their One Year Later line wide wankfest following Infinite Christ-this?

There should be at least some cursory sense of continuity between what has happened and what is now happening. Having Megatron and Starscream go all Sunbow on us is pretty terrible given the rivalry between them in IDW has so far been fairly interesting and well done but now we seem to be going down the oft-tread path of wankery.

The Top Gun bollocks, is exactly that - bollocks. Lazy, lazy writing.

Cybertron - now it's an inhospitable warzone now and the only way the Autobots can survive is in forcefield enclosed encapments AS HAS ALREADY BEEN SEEN!!! So why did the writer not put in his script that one of the characters could touch the force barrier have a slight energy ripple effect and hey presto - jarring continuity flub solved.

Well I can't see me picking up any other issues of this, if it improves I will get the trade. If not I've money to spend on better comics.

Andy

[Rich]

Though it pains me to say this as I'd have liked Furman to keep going, this is probably the issue 1 that TF needed: great line art, superb colouring and a big, familiar story (which I believe it was despite the ’cons being in charge) featuring big, familiar characters.

The question is, has the boat already been missed - is this the story that TF needed when DW took over, or when IDW took over? Is it too late to hook the casual browser? Will this simply alienate the hardcore who've stuck around?

Only the sales figures will answer those questions. Personally, I'm going to stick with the main IDW comics in single format because I like to have some comics to read. Apart from that I'm moving back to the trades (which I did during DW. Unfortunately, not all their stuff got released (which still annoys me even though I suspect it was mostly bad) so I'd moved back to singles as well as trades for everything. So, fingers crossed nothing goes wrong!).

I thought the most interesting thing was that Jazz seemed to be of a rank that his original tech spec seemed to demand. Other than that, for me as a long-term reader, there wasn't much to be surprised by.

[charlesrocketboy]

I don't know why this would be more inviting to new readers - all that happens for most of the comic is the Decepticons hit things for a long time and for no stated reason, and few of them talk or show anything beyond the basics of characterisation.

The only hook I can see is "hey, it's the cast from the original cartoon series!", and the Earth-based cast in the -ations were already predominantly made up of characters from the cartoon (with a few later additions).

[Rich]

I think that the comic's Sunbow TF feeling is exactly what McCarthy was looking for, and I don't think it's lazy writing either, just cynical. Stuff 'appears' to be happening, the status quo 'appears' to be radical (if you've only read 3 TF comics in the last 10 years and found them to be slow) and stuff gets blown up in spectacular style. It's the Michael Bay movie in comic form. So yeah, if the people IDW want to read it, read it, I think they'll be enthused and come back again for issue 2.

[charlesrocketboy]

I just get the feeling there aren't actually that many of those type of fans IDW is going to be able to get.

[Andy Turnbull]

Jul 21, 2008 13:16:01 GMT Rich said:

I think that the comic's Sunbow TF feeling is exactly what McCarthy was looking for, and I don't think it's lazy writing either, just cynical. Stuff 'appears' to be happening, the status quo 'appears' to be radical (if you've only read 3 TF comics in the last 10 years and found them to be slow) and stuff gets blown up in spectacular style. It's the Michael Bay movie in comic form. So yeah, if the people IDW want to read it, read it, I think they be enthused and come back again for issue 2.

I didn't think the Sunbow stuff was lazy, I'm with you on the cynical and calculating.

It was the Top Gun scenes that were absolutely lazy and devoid of any creativity whatsoever.

I honestly don't think the book will reach out to new readers. I think Transformers best shot at that is the animated books and even then only if they get sold in TRU and places like that.

Andy

[Rich]

I think (and perhaps hope) that McCarthy's plan is to give people what he thinks they think they want from a TF comic and then gradually to do something a bit more interesting with it. If that makes sense:)

As for Top Gun stuff, I didn't mind it - seemed fairly knowing to me. This is Big 80s Action Stuff and apart from maybe one panel, it seemed entirely devoid of post 9/11 sensibilities.

Reaching a wider comics audience will entirely depend on how good their publicity has been and whether they managed to get favourable reviews from the wider comics community on sites like CBR and Newsarama and mags like wizard (it's still going isn't it?).

[charlesrocketboy]

Only review I've seen so far was on IGN, and it didn't do very well.

[Andy Turnbull]

Jul 21, 2008 17:29:46 GMT Rich said:

I think (and perhaps hope) that McCarthy's plan is to give people what he thinks they think they want from a TF comic and then gradually to do something a bit more interesting with it. If that makes sense:)

But that's the biggest problem. You should never give the audience exactly what they want, as it usually results in a bad story. Give them what they need. Something folks like Alan Moore and Mark Waid have talked about at length. Pandering to the audience almost never produces good work.

Andy

[Rich]

You're right: you tend to end up with fanwank. It'll be interesting to see if McCarthy can stay away from that.

[grahamthomson]

***TRIVIA ALERT****

Q: Which Transformers toy appears in the film "Top Gun"?

[grahamthomson]

SPOILER: Click to show

A: Starscream!

[legios]

One thing that has struck me as amusing from the preview pages I have seen is that Starscream et al appear to have reverted to the old '84 alt-modes.... Just at a time when, if time flows roughly the same in the IDW universe as in ours, the F-22 is becoming a much more viable disguise. But then, Starscream hasn't demonstrated entirely genius level intelligence so far in the IDWverse so t'is fair enough.

Karl

[charlesrocketboy]

Are F-15's more common in other countries? Cos that could be it.

Or Megatron deliberately made them change down as a disciplinary measure. That'd be amusing.

Course if they're changing their alt modes for a different version of the same mode, will they ever change into things that aren't planes? That's the logical end for the "they just change alt forms regularly" excuse for the F-15 change.

[grahamthomson]

Beast Wars taught me that Transformers need to "learn" how to use a new alt mode. (See Cheetor trying out his Transmetal form in "Aftermath".) So, maybe the likes of Starscream stick to jets as it's a better/more economical strategy than taking the time to stop and learn a different mode.

[charlesrocketboy]

Good point.

Though we probably won't see any of the IDW cast having to meditate in battle so they can transform out of car form.

[legios]

Jul 22, 2008 11:54:05 GMT charlesrocketboy said:

Are F-15's more common in other countries? Cos that could be it.

Or Megatron deliberately made them change down as a disciplinary measure. That'd be amusing.

Course if they're changing their alt modes for a different version of the same mode, will they ever change into things that aren't planes? That's the logical end for the "they just change alt forms regularly" excuse for the F-15 change.

They are more common even in America than the F-22 (although that is becoming less significant what with the grounding issue and the likelihood that the -15's will be phased out of service even faster than originally planned). It's just that rather than a half-squadron's worth of F-22's in the whole US when IDW's TF comic started there are now several squadrons in different parts of America, and they have even done an overseas deployment (to Kadena AFB in Japan). Worldwide F-15's far outnumber -22's and always will. (The US isn't prepared to sell -22's to anyone else, but the Japanese, Israeli's and Saudi's to name but a few are large users of the F-15). So it is possible that it is to give them better cover elsewhere in the world. (Although given their refusal to hide their rather distinctive paint schemes, and their tendency to fight at far shorter ranges that most human Air Forces train for.... I figure that their disguises won't last that long before word gets around...)

Although the idea of it as a disciplinary measure amuses me - "Right Starscream - I'm no longer amused by your antics. Trade your alt-mode down for the previous generations model. Oh, and now Playstation for a week".

Karl

[charlesrocketboy]

Shane McCarthy on USAF not knowing about Transformers and going "I can't believe we thought they were a hoax!":

You'd think IDW would have hired a guy that would at least be aware of such a significant point as this. I mean hasn't he read ANY of the comics?? In the months of planning hasn't anyone even bothered to mention it to him??

Because he could never have planned on explaining a significant story element like this within AHM. Never!

There's an explanation for how the Air Force thought the Decepticons were a hoax despite having seen them, engaged them, been shot at by them, and being the armed wing of a government that knows they exist (remember Skywatch) and when foreign armies know for a fact they exist cos they saw them?

I dunno off-hand how you can explain this without the Air Force looking dumb. (Also, WHY do that? Their existence only just got made public!)

[The Doctor]

There's something ironic about AHM#1 generating more discussion here than any other IDW TF issue for a while, yet most posters aren't buying it and/or think it's crap!

-Ralph

[charlesrocketboy]

Well, there's lots of different ways to slag something off, but how many ways are there to say "Spotlight Wheelie was awesome!" when everyone agree?

[The Doctor]

Spotlight Wheelie was...rhubarb.

-Ralph

[Deleted]

Jul 22, 2008 18:12:56 GMT The Doctor said:

Spotlight Wheelie was...rhubarb.

-Ralph

Does that mean you covered it in custard and subsequently ate it?

[The Doctor]

Yes. Yes I did.

-Ralph

[grahamthomson]

I like a sprinkling of sugar on my Wheel-- I mean, rhubarb.

[kayevcee]

It does.

-Nick

[Deleted]

Good points Graham (and by the way I very much enjoyed Hubris - I'll pm you about this). I may have to deviate from the consensus and say that I enjoyed AHM #1. It's true that not a lot happens in terms of advancing the plot past the five-page preview, but it was nicely written and paced and the cliffhanger at the end really made the book for me. Seems like Jazz is in command of the bots and feeling the pressure, if I interpret his negative body language correctly. Perhaps shades of T2006 with the Autobots leaderless theme.

It sits uneasy with me that Simon has been pushed to one-side by the IDW powers-that-be (at least that's how it looks to me) especially as his story was starting to get somewhere, but I'm hoping Revelation and Max Dinos gives it a decent finish.

Presumably the facsimiles are surplus to requirements now the Deceps have publicly broken cover... but it would be a shame if the new writer discards everything Simon has built. I don't think there's any great appetite for a reboot and I for one want to see some continuity. My suspicion though, is that Simon will be left to do all the running on that score, and tailor all his stories to fit with All Hail and not the other way around.

Oh, and by the way, if anyone's LCS has sold out, or if you want to save yourself a trip, I still have plenty of AHM #1 copies (plus the incentives) at OneShallStand.
www.oneshallstand.com/comics1.html

[KnightBeat]

IDW inflict fan character on to world. Character expected to be 'wicked cool' and 'more powerful than Megatron'. Look, see here.

(although the vehicle and robot mode do look quite good, I'm still reeling from the pointlessness of DW's Suncream).