IDW "Combiner Wars" comic discussion and speculation

The modern comics universe has had such a different take on G1, one that's significantly represented by the Generations toys, so they share a forum. A modern take on a Real Cybertronian Hero. Currently starring Generations toys, IDW "The Transformers" comics, MTMTE, TF vs GI Joe, and Windblade. Oh wait, and now Skybound, wheee!
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JediTricks
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Re: IDW "Combiner Wars" comic discussion and speculation

Post by JediTricks »

Dominic wrote:Flipped through today' issue at the comics shop. It looks like Barber was saving the "merged mind" dynamics. Shame on us for being impatient. (Comics require patience now.)
Bullshit, it's a 6-issue event and the first 5 issues are a slugfest.


Since I haven't picked up the book yet, I'm going to refrain from reading past there for now.
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See, that one's a camcorder, that one's a camera, that one's a phone, and they're doing "Speak no evil, See no evil, Hear no evil", get it?
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Dominic
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Re: IDW "Combiner Wars" comic discussion and speculation

Post by Dominic »

Barber addressed it. The fact he did not address it in the first issue is not really a problem.



And, the preview for the next issue is up.

http://www.newsarama.com/24802-the-comb ... eview.html


It looks like Barber/IDW
Spoiler
is going in circles with Prowl.
The developments that go back to
Spoiler
before "Dark Cybertron" (
if not
Spoiler
going back to pre-Costa )
are no longer changes so much as they have
Spoiler
become the new stasis quo.
It looks like
Spoiler
Prowl's "going back" schtick
is just going to be the state of things, not unlike
Spoiler
Starscream being just about to overthrow Megatron in the old cartoon
.


We know (from solicits) that next month's issue will be a stand alone story focusing on
Spoiler
Soundwave and Cosmos.
I might buy that, as a sort of "last chance" for the Barber TF series.
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Sparky Prime
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Re: IDW "Combiner Wars" comic discussion and speculation

Post by Sparky Prime »

JediTricks wrote:
Dominic wrote:Flipped through today' issue at the comics shop. It looks like Barber was saving the "merged mind" dynamics. Shame on us for being impatient. (Comics require patience now.)
Bullshit, it's a 6-issue event and the first 5 issues are a slugfest.
Yeah, I had the same complaint. There's absolutely no reason to hold off on exploring any of the combiner dynamics until the last issue, and it's shameful that Superion, Menasor and Defensor get little or no characterization in this at all.
Dominic wrote:Barber addressed it. The fact he did not address it in the first issue is not really a problem.
The fact it took him until the 6th issue to address it is.
And, the preview for the next issue is up.

http://www.newsarama.com/24802-the-comb ... eview.html


It looks like Barber/IDW
Spoiler
is going in circles with Prowl.
The developments that go back to
Spoiler
before "Dark Cybertron" (
if not
Spoiler
going back to pre-Costa )
are no longer changes so much as they have
Spoiler
become the new stasis quo.
It looks like
Spoiler
Prowl's "going back" schtick
is just going to be the state of things, not unlike
Spoiler
Starscream being just about to overthrow Megatron in the old cartoon
.
Seems to me that things haven't gone back that far, or really at all. While
Spoiler
Prowl
might finally understand the others thanks to his recent experience, he still clearly believes he did the right thing and his only shortcoming was being arrested for it.
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Dominic
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Re: IDW "Combiner Wars" comic discussion and speculation

Post by Dominic »

It is less a question
Spoiler
things going back and more a question of Prowl's
antics becoming
Spoiler
a constant.
There used to be
Spoiler
a sense of progression to Prowl's dodgy behavior. But, for the last few years
a pattern has emerged. How many times has
Spoiler
Prowl been caught
with his
Spoiler
(often bloody) hands in the robo-cookie
jar?
Spoiler
Prowl's
plans never
Spoiler
quite succeed (in terms of ending the war or whatever). However,
those same
Spoiler
schemes only ever
implode
Spoiler
so badly.

There is a difference between
Spoiler
using Prowl to write an arc or two about motives and morals and
writing
Spoiler
Prowl's antics
as
Spoiler
an assumed
state. At this point,
Spoiler
"Prowl the dodgy Autobot" is
no longer progressive or interesting,
Spoiler
it is almost a cliche that makes one wonder why the other characters have not
addressed the problem
Spoiler
decisively on
page.
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Sparky Prime
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Re: IDW "Combiner Wars" comic discussion and speculation

Post by Sparky Prime »

Dominic wrote:There used to be
Spoiler
a sense of progression to Prowl's dodgy behavior. But, for the last few years
a pattern has emerged. How many times has
Spoiler
Prowl been caught
with his
Spoiler
(often bloody) hands in the robo-cookie
jar?
Spoiler
Prowl's
plans never
Spoiler
quite succeed (in terms of ending the war or whatever). However,
those same
Spoiler
schemes only ever
implode
Spoiler
so badly.

There is a difference between
Spoiler
using Prowl to write an arc or two about motives and morals and
writing
Spoiler
Prowl's antics
as
Spoiler
an assumed
state. At this point,
Spoiler
"Prowl the dodgy Autobot" is
no longer progressive or interesting,
Spoiler
it is almost a cliche that makes one wonder why the other characters have not
addressed the problem
Spoiler
decisively on
page.
You're kind of leaving out a little detail that in the last few years, Prowl's behavior hasn't always been free from someone else influencing him, between having Bombshell controlling his actions and then the Constructions in his head after being forced to merge with them. But before that... Has anyone actually discovered what he did during the war? As far as I know, things like the Aequitas trials and having Kup tampered with, he's managed to keep that all secret. Not to mention, those plans seemed to be more long term oriented. Seems to me, Prowl's just taken on more of a direct approach lately, trying dealing with problems himself, which could be the result of who has been in his head seeing as how this is a very different approach for Prowl compared to his plans during the war.
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Shockwave
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Re: IDW "Combiner Wars" comic discussion and speculation

Post by Shockwave »

Dominic wrote:It is less a question
Spoiler
things going back and more a question of Prowl's
antics becoming
Spoiler
a constant.
There used to be
Spoiler
a sense of progression to Prowl's dodgy behavior. But, for the last few years
a pattern has emerged. How many times has
Spoiler
Prowl been caught
with his
Spoiler
(often bloody) hands in the robo-cookie
jar?
Spoiler
Prowl's
plans never
Spoiler
quite succeed (in terms of ending the war or whatever). However,
those same
Spoiler
schemes only ever
implode
Spoiler
so badly.

There is a difference between
Spoiler
using Prowl to write an arc or two about motives and morals and
writing
Spoiler
Prowl's antics
as
Spoiler
an assumed
state. At this point,
Spoiler
"Prowl the dodgy Autobot" is
no longer progressive or interesting,
Spoiler
it is almost a cliche that makes one wonder why the other characters have not
addressed the problem
Spoiler
decisively on
page.
Damn it, would you quit using spoiler tags for every other word? If you wanna use them, just tag the whole thing. This and your last few posts have been borderline unreadable.
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andersonh1
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Re: IDW "Combiner Wars" comic discussion and speculation

Post by andersonh1 »

Sparky Prime wrote:You're kind of leaving out a little detail that in the last few years, Prowl's behavior hasn't always been free from someone else influencing him, between having Bombshell controlling his actions and then the Constructions in his head after being forced to merge with them.
I've pointed this out a few times. Who can say who the "real" Prowl even is at this point, given all he's been through?
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Dominic
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Re: IDW "Combiner Wars" comic discussion and speculation

Post by Dominic »

At this point, the real Prowl
Spoiler
(in operational terms) is "Prowl the less than trustworthy".
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andersonh1
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Re: IDW "Combiner Wars" comic discussion and speculation

Post by andersonh1 »

Looking through the latest issue, which I haven't had time to read yet, it appears that
Spoiler
Optimus has finally had enough of Prowl's insubordination and scheming. To the point that he nearly kills him in a fight, though he ultimately decides that he can't do that.
This has been a long time coming.
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andersonh1
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Re: IDW "Combiner Wars" comic discussion and speculation

Post by andersonh1 »

Transformers #42
The aftermath of Combiner wars goes back and forth between Arcee and Galvatron conferring on Earth, and a long overdue conversation between Prowl and Optimus Prime on Cybertron.

the Earth storyline: it's the less interesting of the two only because the other half of the issue is so much better. Arcee and Galvatron discuss the recent events on Earth, and Galvatron brings up Blackrock's technology and its link to Cybertron. Arcee takes a tablet computer back for Jetfire to examine, while sending Cosmos to investigate the Decepticon commune under construction near Jupiter. After hearing about that place for some time, and suspecting that there's more to it than has been said, it will be interesting to see just what it turns out to be. So who put Arcee in command? I guess she's just the dominant personality and so she takes charge whether anyone else likes it or not.

On Cybertron, Optimus Prime confronts Prowl for all his recent actions and nearly beats him to death, despite Prowl getting in a hit or two. As I said, this is long, long overdue. Prowl is completely unrepentant for all his actions, insisting that everything he's done has been for the good of Cybertron. He's perfectly willing for Prime to kill him if that will push Optimus into putting Starscream and Megatron in their place. But Rattrap drags him away while Prime has his back turned, so it's not over yet. This is a good character-based plotline that's been building for awhile, and as such it's very satisfying to see it all play out.
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