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Post by KnightBeat on Mar 15, 2012 22:55:09 GMT
Featuring an appearance by Marc Graham of this parish in the letters page.
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Post by Grand Moff Muffin on Mar 17, 2012 7:53:42 GMT
It's a Star Trek story with Buffy-type wisecracking dialogue (and attitude to death of nobody characters), with a cast made up of Transformers, but I still enjoyed it immensely. There are little ways it could be made to feel a bit more Transformer-ish - such as simply asking the artist to draw the characters in non-humanoid mode when they don't actually need to be in humanoid mode. The proper way to do it would be to have an issue told from the perspective of natives on a planet that they visit who see giant alien machines towering over them and speaking in a weird electronic language - but for all I know, that's on the way at some point!
The character I find myself thinking the most about after reading this issue is Rodimus. In the Marvel era I thought Rodimus Prime was a terrible leader, making poor decisions from 'Wanted: Galvatron Dead or Alive' when he took the eye of the ball and let the Decepticons regroup and put a bounty on Galvatron's head before deciding that he didn't want one after all, to 'Time Wars' when he sent Optimus Prime to Limbo and proved absolutely useless in his place. But he did agonise over his mistakes afterwards, in particular those that resulted in deaths (the Decepticons he executed in 'Wanted', the Junkions he told the Dinobots to kill in 'The Legacy of Unicron', etc.).
This Rodimus, by contrast, appears to have utter contempt for all those who have foolishly put their lives in his hands. From his "Not a good start" quip when Polaris and Hyperion burnt up in the atmosphere, to his "Cool" when he learnt of a 'sparkeater' on board, he doesn't seem that bothered that he has failed those who trusted him, and that lives lost - lives which like Middle-Earth Elves have no natural limit to their span - are not tragedies to him, but at worst nuisances - and at best, welcome heralds of excitement.
He doesn't respect his followers enough to tell them what's going on, and locks them in their rooms as if they were less rather than more mature than he is, incidentally causing the death of Animus. And at the end, he tells Ultra Magnus that he answers to no-one, not even his second-in-command. A good leader answers not only to his second-in-command but to his whole crew - contrast to Optimus Prime in Marvel US #14, telling Jetfire "As for serving me, understand that only common cause and mutual agreement bind one Autobot to another. It is I who serve - for that is what the other Autobots ask of me." And Prime to Ratchet, in the same issue, of the injured Autobots, "Do what you can, but for their sake, not mine." And in issue #19, "One life lost is one too many. I have failed in my role as Autobot Commander."
I wonder if Rodimus will begin to see his responsibility to the individuals who put their lives in his hands as the series progresses, or whether he will remain self-centred and indifferent.
Martin
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Post by KnightBeat on Mar 17, 2012 13:31:42 GMT
In the words of Darkwing, “I mush disaghreeâ€.
This is the Rodimus who announced "No one dies on my watch. No One. Not this time" on the penultimate page of MTMTE1. I interpreted the "Not a good start" line as recognition that Rodimus had failed to protect his crew. Similarly, I thought his response to the sparkeater seemed more stoic than you took it. Rather than being unconcerned or immediate excited, his face freezes in a look of concern for three panels. He eventually reacts with a single word, without exclamation or other emphasis. This is not a robot who is giddy to be fighting a mythical character. If we were to see his thought processes, I imagine (speculation mode on) that he would express his concern that he’d failed his crew again (speculation mode off). His concern for his crew is shown in the plan that he devises. His first action is to minimise the likelihood the creature will encounter and kill other crewmembers. As he later states on p16, he thought the hab suite doors would be sufficiently thick to keep out the creature. Rather than being a sign of superiority, his decision to lock them in is based upon an understanding of his crew. Unlike Optimus, he does not inspire or assume the best in people. He knows that they will disobey orders, because he is the same. “UM: Lock them in? You think they’d disobey orders? Rod: I would if I was them.†The death of Animus is a combination of slowness and Whirl’s initial indifference to his roommate. This is supported by his reaction to Rung, apologising for putting him in danger on p16 and using his as bait on p19.
Sure, we get signs of the old Rodimus – I can’t imagine Optimus describing his plan as a ‘cracker’ or assuming that he had the brightest spark (does Rodimus keep the Matrix fragment in his chest, or is this simply his ego coming into play?). However, I took these to be signs of inexperience rather than flippancy. Similarly, his arrogant response to Ultra Magnus shows considerable egotism. However, I could understand his desire to establish his authority as ship commander.
Things I liked about this issue:
- The story is written for single issues rather than a 6 issue trade. We are shown the effect of the quantum generator in the first panel, introduced to the various plot lines, and return to the quantum generator as the solution in the final pages.
- Each character has their own distinct character traits or props that are expressed/appear in the story. Ratchet is grumpy, Cyclonus is stoic, Rung has his ships
- The serial nature of the story. We’re three issues in and the crew have only just started to settle in. Rung has just started to unpack his ships, Tailgate has only just had his legs replaced. There are no gaps in between issues.
- Rung, the background character, possesses a spark brighter than the regular cast that we’ve known for years. Admittedly, there’s an element of fanfiction in his creation, but at least James has avoided the Sunstorm approach of giving us a fan character whom is better than the regular cast.
Things I didn’t like:
- The colouring in this series is too light for my tastes. I would prefer the internal comic to match the darker shades of Josh Perez’s covers. Whenever I think of the issue, I just imagine a light orange colour.
- Drift has been a one-note character so far. Hopefully this will change in the next issue.
- I enjoyed the Buffy-like wisecracking in issue 1 & 2, but found it a little tiring in this issue. Not sure if it is my mood at the moment or something else.
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Post by Grand Moff Muffin on Mar 17, 2012 14:05:29 GMT
But what sort of relationship can Rodimus have with his crew if they know that he is liable not to tell them when important things are going on, and lock them in their rooms without warning? How can any sort of trust develop between them? They're all with him by choice, not military compunction, after all, so "Everyone to their quarters at the double, never mind why," won't cut it. Rodimus isn't a military general reporting to a civilian government. As there's no-one above him to be accountable to, he must be accountable to those below him, or he won't remain commander for long.
Martin
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Rich
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Post by Rich on Mar 17, 2012 14:14:44 GMT
Wrote a review and then lost it. grr. My take on the TV comparisons is that this issue reminded me of Red Dwarf.
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Post by Grand Moff Muffin on Mar 17, 2012 14:16:53 GMT
You're probably right, James was a bigger fan of RD than of the other series I mentioned, if I remember correctly. I never got into it myself though.
Martin
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Post by legios on Mar 18, 2012 19:42:10 GMT
But what sort of relationship can Rodimus have with his crew if they know that he is liable not to tell them when important things are going on, and lock them in their rooms without warning? Possibly a bad one. One of the things I am actually quite liking about this series is that Rodimus, having convinced a load of folk to follow him off on a possinly quixotic quest by means of charismatic speechiffying, is demonstrating why charisma is not a sufficient quality for a leader. He does lack the capacity to engender trust in his shipmates, and he is clearly getting by without anything that really resembles a good plan. It seems as if he accepts the first course of action that leaps into his head and hares off after it, rather than stopping for even a cursory evaluation of the idea. (If he reminds me of anyone it is a slightly less deranged version of Farscape's John Crichton - they certainly seem to have the same slightly skewed approach to planning). Is that a quality I would want in a leader? No, of course not. Does it make for an entertaining comic book? Yes. The fact that Rodimus is so clearly ill-equipped to be a leader makes for an excellent way to generate unexpected plot directions and character interactions. Indeed, one of the things that strikes me is that none of these characters are entirely on an even keel. All of them seem to have one or two cogs out of line - if Rung is the only therapist Cybertron can offer then he is probably in the right place in terms of maximising his business. I really appreciate the fact that this issue hews to Stan Lee's "Every issue is someone's first" maxim - if you picked this up cold you would swiftly know that there were robots, they were on a space ship, and there is a monster. Then the rest of the issue is about how these three facts play out. There are sub-plots going on to tempt you back for next issue, but if you don't come back you have still got a complete story for your money. This is a good thing. The lack of this is why I stopped buying US comics. It is nice to see that structure make a comeback. I also must say that I appreciate the pun of the duobots turning out to be double agents. I always appreciate a bit of wordplay. Karl
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Post by Grand Moff Muffin on Mar 19, 2012 8:05:05 GMT
In Eugenesis the double agent was Doubleheader. Martin
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Post by The Doctor on Mar 20, 2012 21:17:25 GMT
Hurray, hurray. #3 was fun.
-Ralph
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Post by The Doctor on Apr 18, 2012 18:46:59 GMT
#4 is my favourite issue thus far. The pacing was spot on, split well between the ship and Delphi. Swerve's bar scene was genuinely funny and Tailgate's storyline becomes increasingly interesting.
And Milne's art is coming on leaps and bounds.
-Ralph
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Post by Grand Moff Muffin on Apr 21, 2012 17:14:13 GMT
#4 is my favourite issue thus far. And mine. I'm particularly glad poor Tailgate has been 'fixed' - Rodimus does something right! I'd like to see more of Sausage Man. He hasn't done anything in the comics I've read (i.e. these ones) to annoy me, and it's nice seeing characters who don't share the names and looks but not the biographies of 1980s characters. (I mean, a Cyclonus who wasn't created by Unicron in 2006, beaten up several times by Death's Head and sent back in time to become a Targetmaster, and an Ultra Magnus who didn't fight Galvatron in 1986-7, and a Fortress Maximus who didn't abandon Cybertron seeking peace and get binary-bonded to Galen and Spike, will never read well for me.) Swerve, Pharma, Ambulon... I'd like to see more of characters that are being written for the first time rather than re-written. The Delphi story is excellent. Great to see James' first multi-parter, where each part is a dense, satisfying read in itself. But... I don't trust James not to make this get very unpleasant indeed before it's over. Martin
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Post by Andy Turnbull on Apr 22, 2012 22:28:24 GMT
Really enjoyed issue 4.
Drift is not as offensive as he was when he was being rammed down our throat as cool. Something that I noticed which really appealed to me, was the similar body-types of Pharma and Ambulon and to a slightly lesser extent Ratchet I always like it when the form of the Transformer complements their function. It's a small detail but one that just adds something.
We are four issues in and the book's energy is still there, with no signs of flagging and we get our first multi-parter in the middle. God bless you James for avoiding the decompressed pish or the six issue arc bullshit that comics have become so lost in.
Andy
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Post by Death's Head on May 22, 2012 11:03:30 GMT
Any idea when issue '5 is out, chaps? It's been so long since I've bought a regular, on-going comic that I've got no idea any more...
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Post by Andy Turnbull on May 22, 2012 11:05:43 GMT
Tomorrow.
Andy
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Jim
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Post by Jim on May 23, 2012 16:29:32 GMT
I think #5 may be my favourite issue yet. Funny, well-plotted, a nice call-back to an early IDW thing, fan-pleasing character appearances, brilliant little details, and some intriguing, even spine-tingling, hints at what's to come. It feels like an awful lot happens in a single issue. It is so much what I want mainstream comics to be more often, Transformers or otherwise.
And the last panel made me laugh out loud.
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Post by The Doctor on May 23, 2012 19:06:02 GMT
Me too!
I especially involved the reveal surrounding Ambulon's name.
And this was bloody dense. Just like comics should be.
-Ralph
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Jim
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Post by Jim on May 24, 2012 9:57:46 GMT
Oh yes, I loved that bit about Ambulon! Clever.
I regretted not putting it in my bag this morning to reread on the underground and may get it again on Comixology at lunch time, tiny iPhone screen or no. I swear the only comics I have reread at all in the past few years have all had Roberts in the writing credits, discounting collections of old Marvel Universe stuff (which share that sense of fun and density and character-fuelled drama. And action.).
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primenova
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Post by primenova on May 24, 2012 10:11:04 GMT
We knew this series was going to eb amazing. Most of us on here [not counting any Movie era onwards fans who would have missed out on the Transmasters Uk stuff mainly 90-02 being the time when we got lots of stuff out] have read many a text story by Mr Roberts in Transtext etc.
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Post by Andy Turnbull on May 24, 2012 14:08:28 GMT
Alongside Saga, Prophet and The Bullet Proof Coffin this is my favourite comic coming out right now. Not just because it's a Transformers comic. Well written, with bubbling sub-plots aplenty, wit and action and splendid art.
Loved the end to the issue and the callback to some of the Furman era tech.
Andy
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Post by Grand Moff Muffin on May 28, 2012 6:04:44 GMT
Favourite issue yet! This is the Ratchet I grew up with in the 1980s.
And I like stories that shock me with the cleverness with which the writer avoids killing characters off much more than ones that try to shock me by killing them.
Martin
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Post by glaug on May 28, 2012 7:10:04 GMT
And I like stories that shock me with the cleverness with which the writer avoids killing characters off much more than ones that try to shock me by killing them. You might have just summed up why I loved this "arc" so much. Can't wait for more.
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Post by Death's Head on Jun 1, 2012 18:32:49 GMT
Great treat to get back from holiday to. Magnus' inability to form the word 'fun' had me properly laughing. By contrast, immediately after reading this I read the first issue of the Star Trek/Doctor Who crossover in which, well, nothing much happened...
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Post by dinogrrl on Jun 2, 2012 3:15:23 GMT
This issue was a great way of wrapping up the Delphi subplot (for now, as I refuse to believe it has ended all that neatly), with the serious drama of Delphi contrasted with hilarity from Magnus and Tailgate, and Rung and Skids.
Ratchet has always been one of my most adored TF characters, but I am quickly developing an attachment to Rung, who is just fun. I very much look forward to reading this book each month. Milne's art is just rocking socks as well.
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Post by legios on Jun 6, 2012 18:58:43 GMT
Ish Five was marvellous stuff - comedy and drama in just the right quantities, lots of plot going on - seriously, some comics would have taken three issues to cover this amount of story and not had any more to show for it at the end - heroism, moral cowardice... An issue with so much content to recommend it.
I think that is what I most appreciate about this series - the density of it is impressive. So much is packed into this issue but it doesn't feel like any element is short-changed, more that they had to lean on the covers to get it closed because there was so much in there. One of my favourite comics of the moment, and certainly the one that provides me with the most satisfying reading
My favourite joke is probably the revelation of the origin of Ambulon's name. It manages to make it simultaneously an even more fitting name and at the same time and even more rubbish one. That amused me. (Of course, Ultra Magnus and the stick up his exhaust stack never fails to entertain either).
Karl
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Post by KnightBeat on Jun 6, 2012 22:44:59 GMT
The MTMTE trade paperback is out on June 13th, according to Diamond. The page count and publication schedule for the paperback suggests that it will contain MTMTE 1-5, similar to LSOTW, rather than the six issue paperbacks of previous collected editions.
I'll be interested to see how IDW handle the reprints for the hardcover collected editions. We'll probably see eight issues of MTMTE and RID in a single edition. However, I find myself more interested in a RID collection featuring #1-16 (or 1-15, as it may be), followed by a MTMTE edition featuring the same number of issues.
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Post by Jaymz on Jun 6, 2012 22:53:10 GMT
The MTMTE trade paperback is out on June 13th, according to Diamond. The page count and publication schedule for the paperback suggests that it will contain MTMTE 1-5, similar to LSOTW, rather than the six issue paperbacks of previous collected editions. Sadly not, it contains Death of Optimus Prime and MTMTE #1-3. I am opposed to 4 issue TPBs.
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Post by verity on Jun 7, 2012 15:35:21 GMT
Really? That sucks... unless...
The solicits say it has 128 pages. Four issues would make up 88 pages... does that mean we're getting extras?
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Post by Jaymz on Jun 7, 2012 23:37:16 GMT
Nothing major like extra stories, I think there may be scripts or something like that. We'll find out for definite next week!
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Post by verity on Jun 8, 2012 9:53:17 GMT
I've heard sketches. But I could go for scripts as well...
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Post by The Doctor on Jun 9, 2012 18:52:20 GMT
I am reading RID and MTMTE by keeping up with it it in digital single issues and going for trades for a physical copy so I will find out soon enough what is in this...
-Ralph
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