The Transformers (IDW, formerly "Robots in Disguise")

[BWprowl]

Mako, if you want 'new and different' then you definitely should check out the two current books, as that's what they are. They've even managed to avoid proper Autobots vs Decepticons for nearly a year!

[Onslaught Six]

Am I the only one reading this book? Really?

I'm behind. I haven't been to the comics shop in a few months and my downloads have fallen behind because...I'm lazy.

-oh, and

Spoiler

Megatron comes back.

urrghh

Okay, okay, it's probably good in context.

Mako, if you want 'new and different' then you definitely should check out the two current books, as that's what they are. They've even managed to avoid proper Autobots vs Decepticons for nearly a year!

Bingo. MTMTE especially!

[Dominic]

Too lazy for free downloads? Wow.

I haven't touched a TF comic since Costa ran me off.

Your loss.

Barber is definitely a more even writer than Costa. Nothing he has written has impressed me as much as the first 6 issues of Costa's run or "Police Action". But, RiD has also avoided any serious "what the hell" moments, such as Spike's "really powerful acid brewed from stuff he found in a normally stocked kitchen". Not sure which I like better. Barber has had a few "and here is some stuff wut happund" moments. But, the series is good over-all.

MtMtE reads like fanfic. I am having an increasingly difficult time justifying it every month.

urrghh

Okay, okay, it's probably good in context.

We will know for sure next issue. I am wary about

Spoiler

Megatron returning

, but I trust Barber enough to give it a chance.

This may tie back in to

Spoiler

Megatron's dressing down of Starscream

from "All Hail Megatron". But, that is just speculation.


Dom
-would also say "ReGeneration One" is worth picking up.

[Mako Crab]

Mako, if you want 'new and different' then you definitely should check out the two current books, as that's what they are. They've even managed to avoid proper Autobots vs Decepticons for nearly a year!

Which I applaud. I'm planning on buying the trades, I just haven't bothered visiting IDW's site to see what all is in their online store. It is nice to see them try a different type of story for once other than the constant warring. I think that's why I'm so wary about

Spoiler

Megatron returning

. After spending so long building up an actual *culture* and showing us what Cybertronian life is like during peacetime, I'd hate for them to throw all that out in favor of going back to the same ol' war stories. Besides, RID added SkyByte to the G1 cast, so that alone makes me happy.

I haven't touched a TF comic since Costa ran me off.

Your loss.

My wallet thanks me for every issue that I didn't throw $4 down for.

[Dominic]

My wallet knows to shut the hell up when I tell it to.

One of the upcoming solicits describes Bumblebee's goverment as collapsing. But, there have been a few other solicits for this book that looked like a probable return to the same old stasis quo, so the best thing to do is wait and see.


Dom
-flipped through the Diamond catalogue today, in case anybody could not figure it out.

[Shockwave]

Ok, so I've read the latest ish and... I think this title is starting to lose me. The political crap is dragging on too damned long. They should already have an established official government by now and they technically still don't. And this also seems to be IDW's catch-all title bucket for "tEh Awshum characters show up coz' they am awshum!" I mean, we had the dinobots show up with a cliffhanger three issues ago with no follow up, then Metrotitan was there for two seconds and now they have Omega Supreme (let's see how long he lasts), then there was Sky Byte, and now Megatron is back. Oh and apparently the last conehead is dead. Ramjet died in his Spotlight, Thrust died in Prowl's Spotlight and now Dirge. IDW hates coneheads apparently. Bumblebee's mopy and broody which is getting annoying, Prowl's running around like a corrupt cop, Starscream is getting some good characterization but we'll see how long that lasts... I mean really, I'm liking MTMTE much better at this point. I mean that needs to move along now too, but at least with that we get humorous dialogue, fun moments and murder mysteries along with some deeper underlying ideas and themes being presented.

Shockwave
-Regeneration One still seems to be IDW's clear winner among the current ongoings. Did not see that coming.

[Dominic]

The point of the book is not supposed to be "the Autobots won". The point is "the war is over and now somebody has to take over without being a complete heel". How much sense would it make for Cybertron to just have a functioning government after however many years of war?

I agree about Metrotitan's appearance being kind of pointless. "Yay, an obscure character with mysterious back-story shows up and crowns Starscream to be king of England. Z to the O to the double-R O!" The Dinobot story will be resolved. (There is no reason for people to be impatient when reading an ongoing comic published after 1980. Single issue arcs are rare.) I am just hoping that the Dinobot story is worth the page space it has gotten so far. So far, I have no reason to distrust Barber, so I am staying with it.

Skybite could have been anybody. Barber needed a sympathetic character to show returning to Cybertron and trying to adjust to things. And, if calling that character "Skybite" appeases the fanboys, then so be it.

How is Prowl acting like a corrupt cop? He is not a street level thug. He is not in league with the crooks. Prowl is trying to build a stable regime on a planet with a less than stable history. Prowl is more "ruthless political operative", similar to a Kissinger or a maybe G. Gordon Liddy. And, that fits the tone of the book.

Dirge is not dead. Arcee implied that she could kill him at any time. But, she has not killed him. Mind you, I am not betting on Dirge surviving much longer. I get the feeling that his death is going to be the event that causes Starscream's downfall. Starscream's failure to protect Dirge could be the thing that makes Cybertron lose faith in him. Megatron, Shockwave or possibly Prowl would have motive. (Arcee is unlikely to kill him because she has already passed up the chance to do so.)

And, even if he does die, so what?

I am wondering who took a shot at Omega Supreme. Was it Prowl? Was it Shockwave? Both characters are shown to deny any involvement. But, neither is credible.

Prowl: Would I do something like that?
Shockwave: Why would I do something like that?


Dom
-agrees that "ReGeneration 1" is much better than one might reasonably expect.

[andersonh1]

Starscream is the highlight of this book. Prowl and Arcee are the villains. Seriously, Barber has me feeling sympathy for Decepticons, which almost never happens. Nothing like hanging out, having a chat when psycho Arcee turns up and slaughters you. Nice due process there, Prowl.

Apart from the fact that Barber has just about ruined Prowl for me, and the fact that I hate Arcee, this book is far more interesting than the open warfare we've always seen. Starscream is in his element as a schemer and politician, and the Decepticons get to be individuals with different goals rather than just Megatron's soldiers.

[Onslaught Six]

What? Ruined Prowl how? This is how the dude has always been! He's just turned up to 11 a little bit.

Prowl is the dude who does what has to be done because it's necessary, and then covers it up because it won't look good. Optimus Prime can be the ideal, but every so often something like the Wreckers executing rogue Decepticons comes along and needs to be kept hidden. And then you gotta send a truckload of guys to go get that information. And if most of them die? Screw 'em, they were all no-name European characters anyway!

[andersonh1]

What? Ruined Prowl how? This is how the dude has always been!

No, he's been this way when written by Roche and Roberts. Only not this bad.

He's just turned up to 11 a little bit.

And turning him up to 11 has crossed a line. Compare the Decepticon body count in RID to the body count racked up by Prowl and/or Arcee and tell me which is worse. Prowl has gone from doing shady, questionable things to just killing Decepticons left, right and center. Sure, they're pretty much cold-blooded killers themselves, but they're no longer in a position of power, and Prowl has become as bad as they are, no matter how he attempts to justify it.