TF Views

andersonh1 wrote:That's what I'm wondering. Out of all the casualties of this series so far, why choose Rewind in particular to restore to life?

1. His role was somewhat unique and integral to the plot (such as it was), at least moreso than a lot of the other characters who have been offed.
2. Roberts liked him.
3. The readers liked him.

None of those are good enough reasons. Rewind should have simply faded away with the rest of the "other" Lost Light and its crew, leaving only his correctly dead body.

BWprowl wrote:

andersonh1 wrote:How did quantum duplicate Rewind survive if everyone else on board died? That seems very convenient.

One easy argument is that when the quantum conundrum 'resolved' itself, and restored everyone, Rewind was able to stick around because his 'other' self was already dead, as opposed to vice-versa like everyone else who was effected. Now granted, that still brings up why it just *happened* to be Rewind who was the sole survivor of the massacre, but then the answer is already as you said: To conveniently allow him to come back after dying previously. It's hard to say how much Roberts intended for this to be the story, though one thing I will give him is that he seems to plan things pretty well in advance (especially if this engine-malfunction thing with Brainstorm plays out), so it's entirely possible this was his plan all along and he's going somewhere further with it.

I like it, sounds good. There are several outs, that's as good as any. I honestly don't know why this is still a conversation a month later, either you buy it or you think it's cheap, but it's done.

Also wasn't crazy about the excerpt from Megatron's writing in the middle. Yeah, thanks Roberts, I really like being told that transforming and altmodes are stupid and liking them as a key element of my favorite franchise of all time makes me a horrible person, that's really great.

I don't understand how Roberts gets such a pass, he comes across as more vindictive towards TF and its concepts than Costa ever did.

I think you've entirely missed Megatron's message there, it's not that transformation and altmodes are stupid, it's that predestination is stupid, being born into a class system is stupid. It's akin to saying that it's wrong to pigeonhole a person based on who and what they are, that it's wrong to say a person born black must be a laborer, or a person born ethnically jewish must be a doctor. Roberts is saying that just because a person has the physical attributes of a warrior doesn't mean they couldn't choose to be a musician instead, that all beings are equal and deserve the right to self-determination rather than determination by a system propped up by conventions of political and religious interpretations, the powerful should not decide over the masses.

I like it, sounds good. There are several outs, that's as good as any. I honestly don't know why this is still a conversation a month later, either you buy it or you think it's cheap, but it's done.

It is kind of stupid and capricious to just bring back Rewing, and some of us are hoping there is more to it rather than just "Rewind is back".

missed the latest issue. But, I will give it a few more issues before I throw my hands up. (Gillen is on the new "Angela" book *and* a new "Star Wars" book. Might have to make room on my pull-file.)

person born ethnically jewish must be a doctor

Exactly, they can lawyers, accountants, entertainment executives or bankers.

Joking aside, it is less Roberts shitting on the concepts and more him drawing on jokes that were part of the file cards for years. ("X-character is a afraid of heights. Sucks for him, because his alternate mode flight ready.")

JediTricks wrote:I think you've entirely missed Megatron's message there, it's not that transformation and altmodes are stupid, it's that predestination is stupid, being born into a class system is stupid. It's akin to saying that it's wrong to pigeonhole a person based on who and what they are, that it's wrong to say a person born black must be a laborer, or a person born ethnically jewish must be a doctor. Roberts is saying that just because a person has the physical attributes of a warrior doesn't mean they couldn't choose to be a musician instead, that all beings are equal and deserve the right to self-determination rather than determination by a system propped up by conventions of political and religious interpretations, the powerful should not decide over the masses.

See, it’d be easier for me to believe that this was all there was to it if Roberts hadn’t already been undermining and spitting in the face of transformation as a concept in Transformers at every turn. As it is, we have stuff like Monoformers, the entire thing with Rung’s altmode (“You shouldn’t care about what a Transformer turns into! It’s not interesting and doesn’t amount to anything!”), Chromedome getting made fun of for wanting to transform, and the fact that *no one ever transforms in this book* (seriously, what the hell is Megatron’s altmode why even give him a new body if you’re only going to show off half its functionality grarghrarghgnashgnash). And now we get this, a solid page of Roberts, via Megatron, going “What Transformers transform into isn’t important and if you DO care about that or question it that makes you a bigoted communist horrible person”.

If he was actually SHOWING Transformers, free from the reign of the Functionalists in The Old Society, taking on new altmodes and using them for what they wanted to do with their lives or even recreation or taking pleasure and enjoyment in them the way you claim they should be free to, that would be one thing. But Roberts isn’t particularly good at showing anything in this book, and instead what we get is guys standing around complaining that they have altmodes at all and that people expect them to transform.

I just genuinely wonder what his big issue with Transformation as a concept is, and how he can claim to be such a ‘fan’ of the franchise in the face of that issue.

TF stopped being a "toy book" a while ago. Roberts is a fan and a writer of *comics*, and is probably not going to bother writing a scene where a guy shows off all the cool stuff that a toy can do unless Hasbro specifically mandates it. And, Hasbro seems less interested in showing off what a toy can do so long as the toy/character shows up.

The characters transform as needed (Hoist in the "Spotlight" issue). But, Roberts is not going to write a scene just to show off a character's alternate mode.

how he can claim to be such a ‘fan’ of the franchise in the face of that issue.

Not since Mike Costa has a writer so failed to understand TF!

Joking aside, have you considered that Roberts is writing comics, not TF? Maybe he was a fan of TF comics because he liked the comics, not because they had a bunch of characters that shared names with poorly made toys in the late 80s?


And, for the record, I am not even that give a fan of Roberts. He is kind of foo-foo for my tastes. But, the lack of transforming in the book is the least of my worries about it.

Transformation is a pretty fundamental part of who these characters are. I got a bit tired of characters rarely ever changing form, though I'd agree that it's a minor complaint in the grand scheme.

Dominic wrote:TF stopped being a "toy book" a while ago. Roberts is a fan and a writer of *comics*, and is probably not going to bother writing a scene where a guy shows off all the cool stuff that a toy can do unless Hasbro specifically mandates it. And, Hasbro seems less interested in showing off what a toy can do so long as the toy/character shows up.

The characters transform as needed (Hoist in the "Spotlight" issue). But, Roberts is not going to write a scene just to show off a character's alternate mode.

I’m not necessarily asking for Japanese-fiction-style spotlights on specific features or the like, but I would like to see *the* fundamental element of the franchise and its characters incorporated more effectively into the fiction. Especially since, in my case, that’s one the THE driving elements that I find so compelling about the franchise as a whole. Altmodes and transformation can be incorporated into the storyline without overtly calling attention to them. Worse writers than Roberts have pulled it off. “Sure beats walking”. Have characters incorporate altmodes into combat maneuvers during battle scenes. ‘Beast Wars’ and the movies were able to do that much. Roberts, instead goes out of his way NOT to have characters transform (and have Chromedome point it out, no less), invents characters who can’t transform, or have no reason to transform (Rung and Ambulon with their useless altmodes).

It goes with my whole problem of conservation of detail: If the characters never transform, they may as well not even HAVE altmodes, and if they don’t have altmodes, why did this story need to be about ‘Transformers’ in the first place?

Joking aside, have you considered that Roberts is writing comics, not TF? Maybe he was a fan of TF comics because he liked the comics, not because they had a bunch of characters that shared names with poorly made toys in the late 80s?

If he was a fan of the comics but not for the actual Transformers in them, then what was he a fan of? Simon Furman’s writing? He could be on a ‘Death’s Head’ or ‘StarCraft’ book in that case. At least there it wouldn’t stick out like a sore thumb when he not only just ignores the primary defining feature of the fiction he claims to be a huge fan of, but shows such blatant contempt for it. Transformation IS what makes TFs unique not just as toys, but as a franchise where almost every character can handily switch between forms. Their transformations, their altmodes, those ARE what make them special and unique. And instead of acknowledging that, and incorporating it into his story in a meaningful way, what does he give us? “No, transformation and altmodes have nothing to do with what make TFs interesting and if you think they do you’re a horrible person.” It’s that utter contempt, not just for the concept of Transformation but for the people that are entertained by it (I’m presuming a large portion of ‘Transformers’ readership) that really gets to me.

And, for the record, I am not even that give a fan of Roberts. He is kind of foo-foo for my tastes. But, the lack of transforming in the book is the least of my worries about it.

The book has, honestly, greatly improved in this ‘Second Season’. It’s actually funny now, it feels like there’s more of a plot moving along at a better clip, there’s some wonderful ideas in there being used for all they’re worth (Autobot Megatron!). My biggest issue thus is just this: This impression that Roberts would be better served writing something entirely of his own instead of superimposing his own fanfic over Transformers names and shapes without actually incorporating the main elements of that fiction and dismissing them with prejudice at every turn.

Have characters incorporate altmodes into combat maneuvers during battle scenes. ‘Beast Wars’ and the movies were able to do that much. Roberts, instead goes out of his way NOT to have characters transform (and have Chromedome point it out, no less), invents characters who can’t transform, or have no reason to transform (Rung and Ambulon with their useless altmodes).

Roberts on "Transformers":Slott on "Spider-Man"

They both love to troll the fans?

It goes with my whole problem of conservation of detail: If the characters never transform, they may as well not even HAVE altmodes, and if they don’t have altmodes, why did this story need to be about ‘Transformers’ in the first place?

Because "Transformers" is the book that Roberts is on right now.

I am not even the biggest fan of Roberts. But, I keep feeling obligated to defend him.

Simon Furman’s writing? He could be on a ‘Death’s Head’ or ‘StarCraft’ book in that case

For all I know, Roberts is reading "Star Craft". But, he is working on TF. And, he was clearly a fan of TF before he got the job. And, yes, maybe he was in it for the comics.


The lack of transforming is not the biggest problem this book has had. If Rewind is just back....because, that will be a much larger problem than Rewind not turning in to anything on page.

Dominic wrote:Roberts on "Transformers":Slott on "Spider-Man"

They both love to troll the fans?

No, see, because Slott still has Spider-Man doin' Spider-Man stuff in the comics. He incorporates Spider-Man's powers and how he uses them as a superhero to fight crime into the stories he tells, instead of dismissively sweeping them under the rug because he...doesn't like those elements for some reason.

And you can hardly accuse Roberts of 'trolling' fans because the fans of his work seem to love him just because he can write snappy dialogue, in spite of his clear contempt for key elements of the subject matter. Am I crazy, and I'm the only one who loves Transformers *because* they transform? What's cool about TFs if not that that all-encompassing functionality makes them the absolute greatest toys in the universe, and you want to see that represented in the story somehow?

For all I know, Roberts is reading "Star Craft". But, he is working on TF. And, he was clearly a fan of TF before he got the job. And, yes, maybe he was in it for the comics.

Then why isn't he writing 'Transformers', instead giving us 'Firefly' with people in big boxy suits?

I'm just wondering how you can be a fan of 'Transformers' when you hate the 'transforming' part of it. It'd be like being a fan of GI Joe, but...hating the military, or something.