Transformers - ongoing series

[BWprowl]

Fine, I won't even come close to spoiling it either.

But yeah, it's a big deal, and while I kinda sensed that they were building up to it, I didn't think they would go *that* far. I think the best part is that the conditions were ambiguous enough that it's hard to say who was really in the right. It's a tough call. And it all building up to that moment is what made this issue great.

On the subject of the slightly less intense spoiler:

Spoiler

I like that Megatron clearly didn't expect Prime to just shoot Soundwave. Hey, neither did I. That ties in wonderfully with the theme of the book. Prime, while berating Megatron for not changing, shows that he's willing to grow beyond what Megatron, and the readers, have come to expect from his character after all these years. He's not going to just trade tough banter with Megatron. And he's not going to be oblivious when a comic book villain uses EEVIL MIND CONTROL either. Optimus Prime has been a big force moving the Transformers forward here in Costa's run, and this was one giant leap.

It is DAMN impressive that Costa hasn't run out of steam after seventeen straight issues. I can't wait to see where this arc leaves us.

[Dominic]

I have been worried that Costa is going to burn out for about a year now. (Remember, he also writes one of the regular "GI Joe" books, and the occassional one-shot.) But, until he does, I am going along for the ride.

I think the best part is that the conditions were ambiguous enough that it's hard to say who was really in the right.

Yeah. There was a definite case for everybody in that scene. Both had moral/rational basis for what they did or where intending to do. The key thing to remember is that Cybertronians =/= humans.


Dom
-has been wanting this kind of TF book for years.

[Shockwave]

Seriously. This book has given me everything I've wanted TF stories to be. We got the awesome Thundercracker development and now this. We're living the dream, Dom!

Shockwave
-Is pretty sure I've recently given Dom nightmares.

[Sydew]

I have been worried that Costa is going to burn out for about a year now. (Remember, he also writes one of the regular "GI Joe" books, and the occassional one-shot.) But, until he does, I am going along for the ride.

I think I read somewhere that Costa had about fifty issues worth of TF stories planed out, But don't take my word for it. But i do believe that he has the whole story he wants to tell in his head; the one worry I have is that the sales of the book drop causing IDW to take Costa off the book without finishing his story. I mean most forums I've seen don't seem to like Ongoing and specifically Costa's take very much.

[andersonh1]

I have been worried that Costa is going to burn out for about a year now. (Remember, he also writes one of the regular "GI Joe" books, and the occassional one-shot.) But, until he does, I am going along for the ride.

I think I read somewhere that Costa had about fifty issues worth of TF stories planed out, But don't take my word for it. But i do believe that he has the whole story he wants to tell in his head; the one worry I have is that the sales of the book drop causing IDW to take Costa off the book without finishing his story. I mean most forums I've seen don't seem to like Ongoing and specifically Costa's take very much.

Yeah, there was an interview, possibly on CBR, where Costa mentioned having about sixty issues worth of story plotted. He admitted he didn't know how long he'd get to stick with the book and tell his story, but he's got it worked out.

[Dominic]

Costa is writing above the maturity of a large segment of the audience, and they do not much like it. ("Oh Noes! Teh huminz am bossing the TF around.!!") Sub-text and ideas are beyond them.

If IDW pulls Costa from the book, they better have a damned good replacement. (If it is Furman, I might consider dropping the book.)

-Is pretty sure I've recently given Dom nightmares.

Those pics could shift prices on eBay.


Dom
-is kind of sad that so many people want Furman back.

[BWprowl]

Costa is writing above the maturity of a large segment of the audience, and they do not much like it. ("Oh Noes! Teh huminz am bossing the TF around.!!") Sub-text and ideas are beyond them.

Dom
-is kind of sad that so many people want Furman back.

See, this kind of bothers me. Is that really what people are complaining about with the ongoing? What do they *want* exactly, from a TF comic? This thing has the 84-85 cast, they're on Earth, and there's not a tagalong kid or Drift in sight! Maybe Transfans really *are* totally unpleasable. This is why we have a bad rap with the other fandoms, guys!

The whole Furman thing gets to me too. I realized that your enjoyment of All Hail Megatron was inversely proportionate to how much you liked Furman's "-ion" series. What surprised me was seeing how many people actually *liked* that series. It was boring, agonizingly paced, jumped around too much, and filled to the brim with MacGuffins. Maybe it wasn't the worst thing ever, but it hardly seemed worthy of the praise so many people were heaping on it in the wake of AHM.

[/rant]

[Onslaught Six]

It's not even the -ation series people are clamouring for...but DW.

[Shockwave]

I wonder if there's really that much complaining going on. It could just be that the ones that hate are just the most outspoken. Also, I still don't understand why everyone thinks it's cool to bag on Furman. I mean, he is a good writer, but not every writer can just crap gold every single time. I think that's the thing that concerns me about Costa. Sure he's good now, but what about later? And I'm especially concerned to hear that he has things planned out for 50-60 issues. I honestly think that might be part of Furman's problem is that he had an idea for TFs (regardless of the fact that it amounted to little more than "OMG cosmic gibberwank") and never got far enough along to fully convey it. I think if somewhere along the line he could have completed his idea he could have moved on to others and finally let the gibberwank go. Likewise, if Costa has things planned out this far, what's going to happen to him as a TF writer if those ideas don't see fruition? Is he going to keep going back and trying to get them out there everytime he revisits the franchise like Furman does? Only time will tell...

[Dominic]

What do they *want* exactly, from a TF comic?

Generally, they seem to want a mixture of old characters acting the same way they did in '85 or so, along with obscure characters and references that validate the obsessions of the more "devoted" fans.

New characters are bad bad bad. New ideas are bad. Humans are bad, especially when they take up page space that could be spent on showing Transformers doing stuff.

I realized that your enjoyment of All Hail Megatron was inversely proportionate to how much you liked Furman's "-ion" series.

I was okay with "Transformers: Resignation" early on. I was getting tired of it during "Devastation", but that was because Furman was jumping ahead to upsetting a status quo that he had not even finished establishing. (Truth be told, I would have like to have seen his original plans for HunterStreaker play out.) "Stormbringer" was shit. "Beast Wars" nearly put me off the comics.

Furman's record for the last 6, never mind 10, years has been middling at best though.

I wonder if there's really that much complaining going on. It could just be that the ones that hate are just the most outspoken.

The fandom boards are pretty consistently anti-Costa.

Sales figures, (calling Sparky, calling Sparky), show that the general market just does not like TF. (Sales have been dropping consistently, with slight bumps that are likely due to the movies.)

And I'm especially concerned to hear that he has things planned out for 50-60 issues. I honestly think that might be part of Furman's problem is that he had an idea for TFs (regardless of the fact that it amounted to little more than "OMG cosmic gibberwank")

Furman's ideas were much more vague. (Even the "slow" points in Costa's run serve a purpose. People are just impatient.) Oh, and Costa's ideas are better.

I really want to see where Costa is going with all of this.

think if somewhere along the line he could have completed his idea he could have moved on to others and finally let the gibberwank go.

I do not think that Furman had anything beyond gibber-wank though. He really has not progressed much as a writer in the last 25 years. And, as I have said before, his best work was largely done under an editor. "War Within" is the only recent, (if not *only*) example of Furman writing well without an editor.


Dom
-and that was damned near a decade ago.