Movie II tie-in comics and novels

[Sparky Prime]

Um....issue 3 *does* pretty much undo large chunks for the first two issues. The characters are moved around...in circles. It looks like Mowry has no plan beyond "fill pages".

Like what? Because I'm not seeing what you're talking about.

[BWprowl]

There's a couple I can think of Sparky. Wreckage wakes up...and then dies. Bumblebee's got his voice back...until he doesn't anymore. The Autobots leave the military to go do the trench thing...and then come right back and start paling around with the military again. Starscream leaves Mars...and then goes back to Mars. All these new Decepticons show up on Earth...until they're inevitably killed off before the actual Movie's story begins. You see what we're getting at here? They're just filling up four issues with a bunch of stuff that's not going to be consequential to the plot of the movie at all. If it was actually interesting or entertaining or...something I might be able to forgive it, but as it is, it comes across as pointless and, even worse, like it *knows* it's pointless.

OTOH, I will admit that, having read the second issue, 'Defiance' now has my attention. The change the artifact sparks in Megatron is actually very well-handled, to the point that I can actually see his possibly-clouded reasoning behind his actions, regardless of what's causing those thoughts. Kudos to the team on this one, they might have something good here after all.

[Sparky Prime]

I got the impression Wreckage was dead to begin with. The Allspark shard revived him but he was quickly killed again because they're more prepared to deal with Decepticons now. Perhaps a foreshadowing of events in the movie? Bumblebee's voice thing I'd agree with was a little too repetitive. The Autobot's have things to do so they're going back and forth between those points so I don't see any issues with it. The thing with Starscream I don't see any issues with given he's regrouping after his defeat on Cybertron. We haven't seen the new Decepticons get killed off yet, so we don't actually know that they will (they might surprise us, albeit unlikely). So no, I really don't see what you're getting at.

[Dominic]

Prowl forgot to mention that all of the stuff happening in "Alliance" is in the context of a story that really has no plan, and less to really say about anything.

"Reign of Starscream" had a plot, and a point. "Alliance" is just aimless. "Defiance" hews a little too closely to "False Gods", ("Horus Heresy" book II), but is still worth reading.

Dom

[Sparky Prime]

all of the stuff happening in "Alliance" is in the context of a story that really has no plan, and less to really say about anything.

Well that's your opinion, and I'd have to disagree with it.

[Onslaught Six]

I love how you think Alliance is going places but AHM isn't.

[Sparky Prime]

I never said Alliance was going far, I do think they could do more with it. However, I do see the progression here where as I see none in AHM.

[Dominic]

The only progression in "Alliance" is that they are moving pieces around on a board, and saying nothing. At least AHM has something to say.

Dom

[Sparky Prime]

At least AHM has something to say.

Which is what exactly? I have yet to see anything truly happen in that book.

And I still say there is more going on in Alliance than "moving pieces on the board".

[Onslaught Six]

That the Decepticons are crumbling from the inside out. Now that there's nothing left to conquer, what is a race of warriors going to do? 'Civil' war. It's brewing and you can almost taste it. I just hope they follow up on it.

Or maybe what the phrase Peace Through Tyranny really 'means' to Megatron, and Starscream?

Maybe seeing what the Autobots do when they are finally, truly broken? They do the same--they blame each other and tear themselves apart from the inside instead of focusing on the outer threat that they truly 'should.'

Or what about the whole underplayed subplot about how humanity bands together in the face of Armageddon? One could even argue an almost Ozymandias-esque 'Kill a million to save a billion' thread being played by the politicians, although it's obvious that they're going to get stopped--likely because Spike is going to show up and saaaave the daaaaay.

Better him than Drift.