Beast Wars (2021) ongoing series

"What? Transformers made from animals instead of vehicles and stuff? Doesn't sound so great, throw it to Kenner division, maybe they can make a quick buck or something."
Beast Wars, Machine Wars, Beast Machines... seeing a pattern? Coming soon: "Wars Wars"
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Sparky Prime
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Re: Beast Wars (2021) ongoing series

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Something else I meant to mention about issue 4...

When Dinobot arrives at the Axalon, Optimus pops out one of his arm cannons... while staying in beast mode. If they can just whip out their weapons while in beast mode, doesn't that mean they could avoid energon build up altogether while still having access to abilities of their robot modes? I feel like that devalues the purpose of them being able to transform. I mean, in the cartoon, they had to effectively use each mode for what it was, which made for interesting situations when they couldn't transform for whatever reason.
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Ursus mellifera
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Re: Beast Wars (2021) ongoing series

Post by Ursus mellifera »

Sparky Prime wrote: Thu May 27, 2021 1:35 am I feel like that devalues the purpose of them being able to transform. I mean, in the cartoon, they had to effectively use each mode for what it was, which made for interesting situations when they couldn't transform for whatever reason.
Having access to even some of their robot weapons while in beast mode really lessens the gravity of when to use their robot modes.
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Shockwave
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Re: Beast Wars (2021) ongoing series

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That might be unique to Primal because of where they're located. Like, Cheetor probably can't just disembowel his beast mode to use his "gut gun", plus his beast mode doesn't have limbs capable of holding a weapon. With Primal's arm cannons being built in and not needing to be held, I really feel like that's something specific to him and the way those weapons work.
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Sparky Prime
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Re: Beast Wars (2021) ongoing series

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Shockwave wrote: Thu May 27, 2021 10:08 am That might be unique to Primal because of where they're located. Like, Cheetor probably can't just disembowel his beast mode to use his "gut gun", plus his beast mode doesn't have limbs capable of holding a weapon. With Primal's arm cannons being built in and not needing to be held, I really feel like that's something specific to him and the way those weapons work.
There are also a number of them that potentially could use their weapons without hands or removing parts of their beast modes... Does this mean Megatron can fire energy beams from his mouth and missiles from his tail while in beast mode? Can Waspinator fire his stingers? Scorponok his claw missiles and bee drones? Could Rattrap just pop out his gun, or a couple of bombs while still in beast mode?

Regardless of where the weapons are located, I don't think any of them should have access to their robot mode weapons while in beast mode.
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Shockwave
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Re: Beast Wars (2021) ongoing series

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Did Megatron shoot missiles from his tail? I don't remember that. Wasn't there an episode where Scorponok launched a missile while in beast mode? I mean, logistically, I don't see why it couldn't work. But again, it would depend on the alt mod. I couldn't see either Tarantulus or Blackarachnia flipping over and using their leg guns in alt mode and rhinox wouldn't be able to hold his weapons either. Terrorsaur and Air Razor would also be weaponless. As for Rattrap and Waspinator... sure, I guess. Waspinator would essentially be limited to aiming with his butt, but Rattrap... maybe. Depends on where his gun comes from and how much dexterity his rat feet would have.

For the sake of the story, I do think you're right, it would make for more interesting stories if they have to access robot mode for weapons. It would also be easier for the writers if they don't have to keep track of who can access what in which modes. This would get even worse when the story reaches the Transmetals.
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Sparky Prime
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Re: Beast Wars (2021) ongoing series

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Shockwave wrote: Thu May 27, 2021 3:38 pmDid Megatron shoot missiles from his tail? I don't remember that.
Yeah, he fires missiles from his tail weapon in the cartoon. I remember he uses it twice in Beast Wars part 2... The first when the Predacons destroy the bridge Optimus and Dinobot are fighting on. And at the end of the episode when everyone is fighting at the mountain of energon, Megatron transforms and fires a missile from his tail at Optimus, which Dinobot deflects with his tail.
Wasn't there an episode where Scorponok launched a missile while in beast mode?
Nope. He transformed every time he used his weapons or bee drones.
I mean, logistically, I don't see why it couldn't work.
For the sake of the story, I do think you're right, it would make for more interesting stories if they have to access robot mode for weapons. It would also be easier for the writers if they don't have to keep track of who can access what in which modes. This would get even worse when the story reaches the Transmetals.
Logistically, sure, it could be like a "Stealth Force" thing used in Dark of the Moon, where characters were able to deploy weapons while in their otherwise defenseless vehicle forms. But the thing is, in the Beast Wars setting, the whole point of the beast mode is to protect them from the energon fields and makes it so they couldn't use their robot mode all the time. This feels like a cheat that undermines the plot.

By the time the Transmetals came about, the energon fields weren't a concern anymore, and the beast/robot lines were blurred to the point some of them had weapons while in beast mode.
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Ursus mellifera
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Re: Beast Wars (2021) ongoing series

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This book doesn't seem to know what to do with its characterization. First, Dinobot takes up with a terrorist group of thugs, murderers, and at least one cannibal, and then he's upset when they act like thugs, murderers, and a cannibal. Now Megatron, who was obsessed with his plan and the Golden Disk enough to assassinate political leaders and TRAVEL THROUGH TIME.. now, now he's willing to blow up his entire HQ, and lead the Predacons all over the planet to look for one traitor and an injured escapee.

These guys motivations are all over the place. It's like a collection of mental illnesses in robot form.
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Re: Beast Wars (2021) ongoing series

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Issue 5

The Maximals throw Dinobot in the brig, which Optimus claims is actually meant to hold malfunctioning protoforms. Optimus doesn't buy Dinobot just wants to switch sides. Dinobot jokes if he'd prefer he challenged him to a battle to the death for command. Nyx asks to talk to Dinobot alone to understand why Dinobot helped her. Dinobot explains Predacons thrive on conflict, not just in war, but in athletics, law, science, peacekeepers... In Dinobot's case, he believes in honor. Megatron apparently recruited him by telling him the Maximal Science Ministry was trying to cover up the Golden Disk's significance. Once he saw his teammates behavior though, he turned against them. He assures her, if she'd come at him with a weapon, he would have killed her, but he respected that she was defenseless and refused to give up. Meanwhile, the Predacons locate the Axalon. With the ship defenses offline, Optimus tells Rattrap to fix them while they buy some time and a fight breaks out. Tarantulas breaks into the Axalon to find a way to destroy the ship and comes across Rattrap, while Nyx releases Dinobot and they join the fight outside.



So we get an explanation for how Megatron was able to recruit Dinobot given his radically different characterization, and it's pretty weak. Dinobot's sense of honor made it so he felt compelled to expose the truth of the Golden Disk's significance? That's seriously it? And this still doesn't work with the likes of Tarantulas having a well known reputation as a butcher. It's still only after he saw his teammates behavior that it sent up any red flags for him?

It's a little strange to me Optimus would say the brig was meant to hold malfunctioning protoforms. Is that a common problem? Why wouldn't the Axalon just have a brig?

I kinda liked that Optimus stopped short of telling Nyx he's glad she's alright, which Dinobot picked up on, cluing him in on the fact this version of Primal is still new to the commander role.

Not really a fan of how Dinobot jokes about challenging Optimus to a fight to the death for leadership. I mean, it just highlights to me that the writer doesn't seem to understand the significance of the changes he's made to Dinobot's characterization in this comic.

Waspinator apparently can fire energy beams from his stinger, while in beast mode, similar to Optimus popping out his arm cannons in the previous issue. As I said with the previous issue, this feels like a cheat, it takes away that each form had advantages and disadvantages. If they can just stay in beast mode to be protected from the energon fields, and still use their weapons, then why would they ever bother to use their robot modes outside the base?

The art feels a little worst in this issue. Optimus' head crest thing is drawn ridiculously large on a few pages in this issue, making it look like he has a big mohawk. Cheetor uses his speed to dodge Scorponok but the art makes it look like he's teleporting. There's no blur lines, or afterimages, nothing to indicate he's moving. Then, on another page, there are afterimages of Cheetor as he avoids both Scorponok and Waspinator, but it kinda makes it look like there is four of him, as they're all colored exactly the same.
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Ursus mellifera
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Re: Beast Wars (2021) ongoing series

Post by Ursus mellifera »

Why do I keep reading this book? Am I so desperate for new BW content that I'll read this book solely because that's all there is, and has been, for years now?

Yes. Yes I am.

Plus it's only 12 issues, so the pain will end soon.
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andersonh1
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Re: Beast Wars (2021) ongoing series

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I still haven't been by the shop to pick up my books. I'll admit to being disappointed by this series, but I enjoy enough about it to keep reading.
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