Comics are awesome.

[Mako Crab]

It is still possible Magmatron was planning on going ahead with his rebellion, but first they had to deal with Razorbeast. And in the meantime, he needed to keep the Tripredacus Council from suspecting he was up to anything or it could ruin his plans before he could even launch his rebellion.

How would they even know? Magmatron's displaced in time and space. They were surprised to learn that Megatron was even still alive. What happens on prehistoric Earth stays on prehistoric Earth. Magmatron could spend a million years on prehistoric Earth and then return to his own time a minute after he originally left. How would the Tripedicus Counsel ever know?

I thought Ravage's appearance was a nice touch personally. He's an interesting choice for Magmatron to select as a commander to deal with the Maximals while Magmatron took care of other concerns.
They don't actually show Magmatron finding Ravage's remains... He pretty much just leaves and comes back with Ravage's torso and spark in hand. Magmatron probably just used his 3 beast modes to search the area. And Ravage has been through enough in billions of years of war, I doubt he was phased that much by the experience and Magmatron would have likely just briefed him on what he needed to know. I don't see what's to miss there..

I should rephrase that. I don't mind that Ravage is in the comic. I've read plenty of fanfics where someone goes back and finds him. That's not the problem. I just think his role in the comic was squandered. The thing that's missing is the part where Ravage decides to give up on Megatron's plan of rewriting history in favor of slogging it out alongside Magmatron. Consider that Megatron even makes an appearance in this comic. Ravage could've been used as a nice bridge between Megs and Mags. There could've been some uncertainty as to whether Ravage would attempt to carry out Megatron's plan again or step back in line. We don't get any of that. He may as well be an ordinary henchman for all he does. In the cartoon he was anything but ordinary. His status as a former Decepticon was vastly important. It set up the entire second half of "The Agenda". Here in "The Gathering" it means nothing. Ravage is just another goon.

[Sparky Prime]

How would they even know? Magmatron's displaced in time and space. They were surprised to learn that Megatron was even still alive. What happens on prehistoric Earth stays on prehistoric Earth. Magmatron could spend a million years on prehistoric Earth and then return to his own time a minute after he originally left. How would the Tripedicus Counsel ever know?

Because that's not how time travel is portrayed in Beast Wars... Take for example, when the Transwarp Wave arrives at the present day Cybertron, the Tripredacus Council says Ravage will trace it back to it's source. Ravage doesn't arrive at the point in time when the Transwarp explosion occurred (it's actual source) though, he arrives relative to how long it took the Wave to travel into the future and reach the present day Cybertron after the actual explosion occurred. Also, the reason why the Council is surprised Megatron might still be alive is because he's been missing for what's indicated to be at least a year. Which, again, is relative to how much time has passed for the Maximals/Predacons while they've been on Pre-historic Earth. The evidence from the show would suggest Magmatron wouldn't return to when ever he wants but at a point relative to how long he's been gone for. Something the Tripredacus Council would be able to take notice of.

I should rephrase that. I don't mind that Ravage is in the comic. I've read plenty of fanfics where someone goes back and finds him. That's not the problem. I just think his role in the comic was squandered. The thing that's missing is the part where Ravage decides to give up on Megatron's plan of rewriting history in favor of slogging it out alongside Magmatron. Consider that Megatron even makes an appearance in this comic. Ravage could've been used as a nice bridge between Megs and Mags. There could've been some uncertainty as to whether Ravage would attempt to carry out Megatron's plan again or step back in line. We don't get any of that. He may as well be an ordinary henchman for all he does. In the cartoon he was anything but ordinary. His status as a former Decepticon was vastly important. It set up the entire second half of "The Agenda". Here in "The Gathering" it means nothing. Ravage is just another goon.

Do we know if Ravage actually knew of the plan to rewrite history? I mean, Megatron only had a fragment of the Golden Disk with essentially only the introduction of G1 Megatron's message left on it. It was enough to convince Ravage that Megatron was following his namesakes direction, but not enough for Ravage to know what the plan itself was, unless Megatron filled him in off screen, but we don't know what Megatron may have told him. As for Magmatron being able to trust Ravage, this was actually brought up by Iguanus, to which Magmatron explains Ravage serves whoever can facilitate his agenda. In the long run, that agenda is for his side (Decepticon/Predacon) to conquer Cybertron, and apparently Ravage thinks Magmatron has the better shot of accomplishing that.

I'd also very much disagree that Ravage is just another goon here. Ravage's status still sets him apart in this story as well. Magmatron puts Ravage in command to go after Razorbeast because of his status in fact. And this means Ravage is in charge once Magmatron is trapped in temporal limbo as well. This isn't a position of a goon. Ravage becomes their leader, he doesn't fill a henchman role at all.

This week I bought...read...uh...some stuff..and uh....

Dom
-just so tired.....

Yeah, I've been meaning to get around to making some comments on some interesting developments that took place in this weeks Green Lantern and Brightest Day myself...

[andersonh1]

Speaking of which...

Brightest Day #16
The focus of this issue shifts to Aquaman and Firestorm. We find out exactly who the new Aqualad is (and I still don't see why Garth needed to be killed off to make room for the new guy, since he's so different). It will certainly be interesting to have him linked to Black Manta, Aquaman's biggest enemy.

There's also the scene with Deathstorm, who is just a hilarious, over-the-top surfer dude villain. He's the Black Lantern version of Firestorm, and he's the kind of villain who knows he's evil and loves it, so he's fun to watch. Turns out he's delivering the white lantern to someone ("I'm just the messenger boy" he says at one point), so we might get the big reveal next issue. Though my guess it that it'll be the same villain from GL #60.

And then Firestorm destroys the universe? I don't quite think that's what happened, but I can't offer an alternative explanation at this point. It does make for a great cliffhanger though.

Green Lantern #60
Flash as Parallax didn't exactly seem like the best idea at the end of the last issue, but it's put to good use here as we learn not only how well Hal knows Barry, but how the adversarial relationship between Hal and Parallax has changed. And then we finally get down to it, as the mystery villain of the storyline is attacked by all the emotional entities on Earth (who were drawn there by the white lantern, answering a question I had). The villain then reveals that he wanted to draw them all there to capture them, and it turns out that he's Krona, a big bad who has turned up many times in Green Lantern history. And though I've never seen the character before, he's apparently a pretty significant threat.

[138 Scourge]

(and I still don't see why Garth needed to be killed off to make room for the new guy, since he's so different).

Well, if you're missing Garth, I wouldn't worry too much. Garth'll be back when someone decides we need the one, true Silver Age Aqualad back, and then the new guy'll be killed off to show that Ocean Master is serious this time.

[Dominic]

Krona is the guy responsible for the first Crisis.


Dom
-pretty sure guys like Furman should be banned from writing about time travel.

[Sparky Prime]

And then Firestorm destroys the universe? I don't quite think that's what happened, but I can't offer an alternative explanation at this point. It does make for a great cliffhanger though.

Yeah, I'm really curious to see what's going on there. Like you, I'm doubting he actually destroyed the universe, but what else would have left him in an empty void like that? I also thought the Deathstorm scene was interesting. I was surprised he would give them the chance to kill him, but then of course he was just toying with them showing how much he enjoys tormenting others. And it was nice to see the new Aqualad in costume for the first time.

Flash as Parallax didn't exactly seem like the best idea at the end of the last issue,

Really? I thought Barry was an excellent choice for Parallax to possess. Between his super speed and playing off of Hal's fears he makes a pretty good advisory as this issue shows. But of course Hal knows both Barry and Parallax quite well so it's nice to see that coming through as well.

Krona is the guy responsible for the first Crisis.

Indirectly perhaps but he wasn't responsible for the Crisis itself... Krona was a scientist obsessed with learning the origins of the universe. He created a machine to witness its very birth but the moment he did, the machine exploded and the universe itself splintered into a Multiverse. As punishment, his fellow Maltusians (the race that would become the Oan Guardians of the Universe, Zamarons and the Controllers) destroyed his body leaving him a being of energy to drift the cosmos. Although Krona has gotten his body back on several occasions, only to be defeated and returned to his energy form.

[andersonh1]

Flash as Parallax didn't exactly seem like the best idea at the end of the last issue,

Really? I thought Barry was an excellent choice for Parallax to possess. Between his super speed and playing off of Hal's fears he makes a pretty good advisory as this issue shows. But of course Hal knows both Barry and Parallax quite well so it's nice to see that coming through as well.

It just seems like the more people Parallax possesses, and the easier it gets for his control over his hosts to be broken, the less effective he is as a villain. It took the Spectre and every bit of Hal Jordan's willpower to get free the first time. Now it just seems like no challenge at all to exorcise him.

[Sparky Prime]

It just seems like the more people Parallax possesses, and the easier it gets for his control over his hosts to be broken, the less effective he is as a villain. It took the Spectre and every bit of Hal Jordan's willpower to get free the first time. Now it just seems like no challenge at all to exorcise him.

I really don't agree with that... It's still shown to be a struggle to free someone who has been taken as a host of Parallax here. It's always taken a host some help from someone/thing else to get free. How do you see it as less of a challenge?

[Onslaught Six]

So, what the hell, man. After a good couple years, I finally have almost the entire Sandman series in TPBs--I'm missing the last two volumes. And what happens?

They start rereleasing it with different covers and spines, and they recoloured it. Awesomely, I'll add.

Jerks.

[andersonh1]

It just seems like the more people Parallax possesses, and the easier it gets for his control over his hosts to be broken, the less effective he is as a villain. It took the Spectre and every bit of Hal Jordan's willpower to get free the first time. Now it just seems like no challenge at all to exorcise him.

I really don't agree with that... It's still shown to be a struggle to free someone who has been taken as a host of Parallax here. It's always taken a host some help from someone/thing else to get free. How do you see it as less of a challenge?

Well, as I said, it took Hal years to get free, and he had to have the Spectre's help to do it. They Kyle frees himself much more easily, with Hal's help. And then Hal's in and out in one issue thanks to some of the other corps. Each time someone's possessed, it's less time and trouble to free themselves.