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Post by grahamthomson on Jan 6, 2011 20:35:44 GMT
You there! Did you know that Polaris Magazine 16 is OUT NOW?  That's right. It is! In fact, it's already begun shipping! If one is on its way to you, you should already have an email about it. To get your copy, all you have to do is visit the Polaris Magazine web site and either get a subscription for issues 16-20 at just £6+P&P or buy the individual issue as a Digital Edition for just 69p. What do you get in Polaris Magazine 16? See below. Eight full-colour pages of features, including: AtoZ Impactor (illustrated by Ed Pirrie), our first Marvelpiece feature, and an AtoZ Commentary on Bruticus, Bugly, and Bumblebee. Also: 20 additional pages of Transformers fiction, including "No Offence, Portland" and "Grounded Theory".  That's amazing, right? If you'd like to subscribe, please follow this link: www.polarismagazine.co.uk/subscribe/If you'd like to buy just Polaris Magazine #16, please follow this link: www.polarismagazine.co.uk/digital-editions/polaris-16/Thanks for listening! |
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Post by grahamthomson on Jan 6, 2011 20:36:46 GMT
And if you'd like to leave any feedback for the magazine, and possibly have your comments feature in an upcoming letters page, you can use the special form here: www.polarismagazine.co.uk/feedback/ |
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Post by Andy Turnbull on Jan 7, 2011 0:08:40 GMT
Wahey!!!
Andy
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Post by grahamthomson on Jan 7, 2011 8:57:13 GMT
Indeed.
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Post by Grand Moff Muffin on Jan 7, 2011 20:10:57 GMT
Thank you, Graham, for (a) my lovely new FREE copy of Polaris #16, and (b) reassuring me of the comforting truth that no-one is perfect.
The pages in Polaris #16 were in the following order:
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28.
BUT
A quick prising open of staples, removal of pages, refolding, reinsertion and closing of said staples, and we have one fanzine perfectissimo. (And it is of course FREE to subscribers of Hubris, so tell me if you see anyone complaining...)
Now: to read!!!
Already read the Impactor profile which is spot on, and delighted to see that the A-Z commentary has survived the fanzine rebranding and proceeds with steadfast assuredness towards the letter 'C'.
Martin
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Post by Grand Moff Muffin on Jan 8, 2011 8:48:54 GMT
All finished now.
Cover is super duper, and spot on for the story, reminding us what the shuttle is that we're talking about, and portraying Prime as suitably gloomy and downcast.
Loved the opening 'Marvelpiece'. Totally agree with the views expressed therein. The only thing I would have added though is that 'The Icarus Theory' is an essential opening chapter and should really have been printed as the prologue and Part 1 of a six-issue 'Dinobot Hunt' rather than a nominally separate story too superfluous to even include in 'Collected Comics'. It was at least as good as the four issues following.
Impactor - already said this, but tip-top stuff.
Comic book reviews - commentaries interesting as ever. I'd forgotten that the letters page declared the date in these stories to be wrong. It doesn't need to be, of course, since this is a revised future and there's nothing to say how much can happen on a single day, or that the Time Wars cast didn't arrive back in the future slightly earlier than they left (which is I think the view Andy Dornan took in 'Parallel Lives').
'Grounded Theory' - the fiction highlight of the issue for me, tying in well with Andy T's current strip adaptation of 'Another Time and Place'. Excellent characterisation and continuity. Interesting to read of "hundreds of Autobots" flooding the streets of Helex, which puts some sense of scale on the extent to which the Last Autobot and Nucleon brought Autobots back to life following Klo. ('End of the Road' only showed us a handful of survivors, to which 'Another Time and Place' added another named handful. The implication was that there were more, and that they would include all the Action-Master Autobots, but how many more lived on the restored Cybertron was unclear.) Erm... clever Autobots, bringing to Cybertron a store of Nucleon so vast that a single missile strike on it will destroy the planet. Who needs Unicron???
'Timecode - Recap' - a very, very helpful recap of disjointed pieces of a saga that has been simmering for some years now. When you put it all down like this it looks very coherent, and I'm sure it would too if I read the stories straight through, but because of the time intervals between segments I haven't really got that into it to date. From this it is starting to look like a second great alternate Thomson present-day reality grounded in the mainstream TMUK (post-Eugenesis, pre-Beast Wars) future, the first alternate reality being that of 'Globequake'. Interestingly, both are linked to time-travel-type stuff in the 2300s involving characters such as Brave Maximus and Towline. So far, I would say the 'Globequake' present-day saga is more memorable and distinctive than this post-G2 one, because of its exclusive signature cast of Fire Convoy and co, and the frequent flashes forward to Star Saber and his story. I'm guessing that the 'Timecode' cast is also based on a recent toy-line that updates the vehicle modes of the classic cast?
'No Offence, Portland' is the next chapter in 'Timecode'. Skywarp and Thundercracker really make their mark in this one, particularly with Skywarp's cruel teleportation stunt, and the amount of punishment the two seem to be able to take (including being blasted by Bluestreak and crashing nose-first into the ground) without being deactivated or compromising their fighting ability. But most of these situations could just as well have been told in the mainstream Marvel continuity, so it's still all very vague as to where this is all going.
And the 'A-Z Commentary' tackles a couple of minor characters and then one of the biggest of all - Bumblebee - whose story is so long that it appears we will need separate entries for Pretender Bumblebee and Goldbug.
If I hadn't already subscribed to the next four issues, I'd be doing so right now.
Martin
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Post by The Doctor on Jan 8, 2011 18:53:36 GMT
I eagerly await this, and have subbed up for #17-20.
-Ralph
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Post by grahamthomson on Jan 8, 2011 19:30:54 GMT
Many thanks for all that feedback, Martin. I appreciate that. And I'm sorry you got a copy with the pages mixed up... I hope it's not like that on others. I'm happy to sort you a replacement if you want.
Glad you enjoyed Grounded Theory... I'm actually enjoying these short standalones that weave in and out of the Marvel storyline.
When I was putting this issue together I realised Timecode was started in 2003... Yikes! So I thought a recap would be in order.
I do see your point about the Icarus Theory, and I do agree. But I did review that in Hubris 15 and didn't want to repeat myself.
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Post by Grand Moff Muffin on Jan 9, 2011 7:43:38 GMT
I'm happy to sort you a replacement if you want. Good gravy, no. I was just teasing you. My copy is now indistinguishable from one that was right in the first place. Martin |
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Post by legios on Jan 9, 2011 19:18:36 GMT
I am eagerly awaiting the arrival of ish 16, and a quick skim-read of Martin's review suggests that I have some cracking content to look forward to.
As I have every confidence in the editorial staff of Polaris I have already fired off monies for a subscription to the next batch of issues as well.
Karl
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Post by grahamthomson on Jan 9, 2011 22:33:53 GMT
Your copy of issue 16 should be well on its way to you now! Martin's reviews are the best marketing tools I have!  |
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Post by legios on Jan 11, 2011 20:38:35 GMT
Your copy of issue 16 should be well on its way to you now! I'm sure it is somewhere in the postal system and will show up in due course - the postal system is a bit weird around here but give it a few days and it will likely show itself. That and the quality of the product itself! Karl |
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Post by Shockprowl on Jan 12, 2011 13:30:09 GMT
Mine arrived yesterday, and yet again I'm amazed by the quality both in terms of style and writing. I too am enjoying the standalone stories weaving in and out. Prowl continues to get lots of excellent, and most importantly accurate, coverage! Good idea about the subscription reminder! I'll be damned if I can remember such things so it's much appreciated. Alot goes on up stairs in the mind of shockprowl, you know. MAKE MINE POLARIS!
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Post by grahamthomson on Jan 13, 2011 8:55:21 GMT
Thanks for your comments Shockers, I appreciate them! And I'm glad I've been writing Prowl to your satisfaction!
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Post by The Doctor on Jan 13, 2011 19:59:49 GMT
Come on Postie, come on!
-Ralph
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Post by Andy Turnbull on Jan 13, 2011 20:24:04 GMT
I wonder whether Turn or Burn will get theirs first.
THE TENSION...MOUNTS!
Andy
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Post by legios on Jan 13, 2011 20:34:16 GMT
My copy has arrived safe and sound. I have had a quick skim and it looks rather good. It has been put aside for reading tomorrow evening once my week of stress is behind me.
Karl
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Post by The Doctor on Jan 13, 2011 23:10:49 GMT
I wonder whether Turn or Burn will get theirs first. THE TENSION...MOUNTS! Andy As both suffer postal torment, who can say who the winner will be. -Ralph |
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Post by Dark Stranger on Jan 14, 2011 0:10:29 GMT
Got it, read it, loved it, want the next one already!!
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Post by grahamthomson on Jan 14, 2011 8:56:39 GMT
Got it, read it, loved it, want the next one already!! Bless you, Donal. Very glad you liked it! |
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Post by grahamthomson on Jan 14, 2011 9:14:29 GMT
I wonder whether Turn or Burn will get theirs first. THE TENSION...MOUNTS! Andy As both suffer postal torment, who can say who the winner will be. -Ralph Damn Royal Mail. I hope they arrive soon. |
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Post by The Doctor on Jan 14, 2011 18:28:26 GMT
Only 9 days after being posted, Royal Mail have now coughed it up.
-Ralph
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Post by grahamthomson on Jan 14, 2011 19:24:29 GMT
Hooray! I hope they didn't bend it.
Hopefully Andy's copy will be waiting for him when he gets back.
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Post by Shockprowl on Jan 14, 2011 19:30:40 GMT
Thanks for your comments Shockers, I appreciate them! And I'm glad I've been writing Prowl to your satisfaction! Only the Might Roche has written him better! |
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Post by The Doctor on Jan 14, 2011 19:31:16 GMT
Impactor A-Z! Hurrah!
-Ralph
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Post by grahamthomson on Jan 17, 2011 9:49:18 GMT
Impactor A-Z! Hurrah! -Ralph More Marvel characters in future issues! And I heard from Andy that his copy was waiting for him when he got home last night. |
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Post by Andy Turnbull on Jan 18, 2011 0:43:51 GMT
It was indeed!
Andy
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Post by grahamthomson on Jan 18, 2011 9:23:35 GMT
Yayy!
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Post by legios on Jan 18, 2011 21:26:19 GMT
So, Polaris Magazine issue 16 eh.....
To borrow a phrase from a certain purple dinosaur (no, not that one) - New Packaging, Same Product. Fortunately in this case that product is a high quality fanzine composed of finely presented fiction and opinion material.
The magazine even opens with a summary piece on one of my favourite Transformers stories - Dinobot Hunt. As ever your thoughts are cogent and interesting to read, and I certainly am not going to argue with your conclusions about the story's quality. (Although I think I am fonder of the Cowboys-versus-robots issue than you are). The rest of the non-fiction pieces are up to the usual high standard as well. The reviews of The Void and Edge of Impact are interesting to me as these were stories I never read back in the day and only came to in the last few years, and it is always interesting to hear a well expressed opinion on it.
The AZ Commentary remains a handy reference tool for people like me (whose memories fail them with age.... or Guinness, I forget which) summarising what was done with whom over the course of the run. I do like the somewhat dry tone that runs through them as well. It lifts them away from merely by flat statement of what happened when. The A-Z entry for Impactor is a great inclusion. For a character who appeared very little in the UK comic he looms large in the hearts of some quarters of UK fandom, so it is good to see him get the full treatment - it rings true to what we saw in the comic as well. Good stuff.
For me the real meat of things remains the fiction, so it is good to see that there is still a sizeable chunk on offer here. "No Offense, Portland" moves Timecode forwards and sideways all at the same time. Like previous Graham Thomson works like Globequake I get the feeling that this is another where the full picture will only become clear once all the pieces are on the table and we can see how they relate to one another. (And that is a good thing by the way). Fortunately it stands fairly well as an installment in its own right too. The characterisation of Thundercracker and Skywarp is good - and I do love Skywarp's very unpleasant "joke", very in character for him.
(I have an odd brain quirk regarding this story though. My brain won't form mental images of the characters new vehicle modes for some reason. Although I know that they have all got new alt-modes without a peg to hang them on my brain just defaults to supplying the old ones as "last known" mental images for a lot of them. It is probably just my brain being odd than anything else to be honest).
The Timecode Recap was handy for those of us whose brain cells are starting to age, it helped me slot it all back into place in my head quite nicely. (It also gave me the feeling that your Transformers fiction as a whole is starting to fit together almost like a set of overlapping venn diagrams with things folding, reflecting and casting shadows across mutliple universes. That may just be a perceptual illusion on the readers part though).
I think my favourite piece in this issue has to be "Grounded Theory". An interesting piece, looking at the post-nucleon, post-Last Autobot era in a slightly new light. The idea that some Autobots might suffer from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder after such a long period of war makes a lot of sense, and it makes for a very different lens to explore courage and bravery than is usually brought to the table. It has certainly given me a new perspective on Silverbolt that is for sure. I had always just accept the conventional "Silverbolt is an aeroplane who is afraid of heights" without really thinking about the remainder of the concept "but everyday he goes up anyway". Coward, or hero? It did get me thinking about it and it makes for a nice counterpoint with the theme of fear for and of the future. An interesting piece, with a real grasp of its central characters makes this the stand-out item of the issue for me.
Ed Pirrie's cover is very nice. The out of focus Cybertron as the background works very well I think. (The only niggle I have is that the silver-grey text for things "The Void" and "Edge of Impact" was quite hard for me to make out against the background.) The Impactor image is nice as well - the "boxy hovertank" mode fits quite nicely with Marvel UK's general aesthetic for Cybertronian alt-modes, visibly the product of the same general design sense as Outback's vehicle mode in "Distant Thunder"
Another really solid issue. It would definitely make me take out a subscription, except for the fact that I had already done so by the time I read it......
Karl
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Post by grahamthomson on Jan 19, 2011 9:08:13 GMT
Ah, Karl! Feedback. Which I love.
As Polaris is now, at least 71% fiction, I'm glad you're finding the stories to be the highlight of the fanzine!
"No Offence, Portland" is actually only chapter 9 of 24 of "Timecode", but I am sure soon things will start to gel together soon, much like "Globequake" did. And my intent is to make each chapter stand as an instalment on its own, so I'm glad you recognised a bit of that.
And with "Grounded Theory" I am pleased you managed to see Silverbolt in a new light. Mr Budiansky, considering how many characters he had to introduce when the Special Teams came out, certainly provided the foundations for some good characters.
Ed continues to out-do himself with the covers. His next one will be issue 20. That's a wraparound.
Thanks again for your feedback, Karl, much appreciated!
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