TF Views

Dominic wrote:The problem is that "Spotlight" was not meant to be read as a series unto itself. Initially, it was intended to be one-shots about various characters. Then, it became a necessary component of the main series. Different issues need to be read different ways....and IDW just assumes we are going to sit there and figure it out.

I'd say the "Spotlight" issues started out as a necessary component to the main series actually. In the very first issue on Shockwave for example, it wasn't so much about a spotlight on Shockwave, as it was explaining the background of the energon deposits on Earth as Shockwave attempted a solo plot to save Cybertron from an energon crisis and setting up for a later story of Shockwave and the Dynobots being discovered by Skywatch.

Transformers #18:
It looks like the fallout from the "holy shit I cannot believe they went there" moment last issue is not going to be played to its fullest. Prime puts Jazz on inactive duty until Bumblebee recovers. Meanwhile, Megatron manages to play off of lingering distrust between the humans and Autobots. Jazz's and Spike's actions are likely to drive a wedge between the Autobots and humans. What is telling is that Megtron's accusations have no evidence to support them, (as shown on the page), but Prime still thinks they are worth considering. (It bears pointing out the we as readers know that Megatron is telling the truth about Spike killing Scrapper. But, he does not have any real evidence for Prime.) I would be a bit twitchier about this possibly setting up for a regressive step for the book, except that Costa gave himself and out at the beginning of the run by saying how resistant TFs are to change.
Grade: B

Spoilers, so if you haven't read the issue, you've been warned.












Transformers #18

I got the Shockwave mugshot cover, because it was just too good to pass up. I think this may be my favorite issue of the ongoing yet, as Prime gets seriously ticked off and tries to kill Megatron, exploding in frustration when it doesn't work. Magnus gets one scene, and it's a good one. Jazz is in trouble for his actions last issue. Soundwave isn't quite dead, but he's in bad shape. And unlike the last time they crossed paths, this time Prime isn't exactly nice to Thundercracker.

It's interesting to me to see that what really finally ticks Prime off seems to be a combination of a personal disgust with Megatron and a possibility of his beliefs being proven wrong. And I have to wonder if it's wise to make Megatron so indestructible. He's a little too powerful at the moment, leading one to wonder why he never bothered to undergo a smiliar upgrade in the past. I suppose Prime's speech about the inability to change is meant to partially address that.

There are a few nods to past continuities in this issue. Prime and Magnus clasp hands while one is badly injured, in a reverse of the scene from the animated movie. And Megatron takes one of my favorite lines from G2 and reverses it, throwing it back at Prime. In another continuity patch, Shockwave explains why the Decepticons sat on an asteroid for three years and seemingly did nothing, along with what happened to the last of the Decepticons' ore-13.

Very nice. This continues to be a series I look forward to month after month.

The implication is that the upgrade was really expensive, and only worth doing because Megatron was the leader, and damned near dead in the first place.

Dom
-I guess.

Dominic wrote:The implication is that the upgrade was really expensive, and only worth doing because Megatron was the leader, and damned near dead in the first place.

Dom
-I guess.

Yeah, I agree. I just wonder why he didn't do it centuries ago since he's apparently so powerful now that Prime can't touch him. Which certainly wasn't the case in Escalation, when Prime put up a good fight, even against the Ore-13 powered Megatron. It seems like the two were fairly equal when it comes to power levels, but now Megatron's much stronger. It would seem like something he should have done long ago, and my guess is that it plays into Costa's theme that the Transformers are slow to change, absent some catastrophic event forcing them to alter their ways.

In this case, Megatron had to be salvaged, and the new stronger body was the way it was done. I'm guessing that if he hadn't nearly died, he'd still be the same old Megatron.

As Prime said during their confrontation, it was Megatron's first upgrade in years. Prime himself was more or less the same as he had always been. Transformers are resistant to change, unless it is forced. Of course Megatron is not going to upgrade unless he really has to...

Part of it could be his arrogance. When you believe yourself to be the ultimate power in the universe, why upgrade? Your top of the line anyway and no one can beat you so what's the point?

Transformers issue 19 preview has been posted. This is the Hot Rod resurrection issue.

And, because it is the start of a new arc, I am holding off on reading #19 until I catch up on my other comics. (This will likely be a few weeks.)


Dom
-has a copy though.

Besides obviously Rodimus' return, there is another returning character in this issue. Although he seems to have lost his memory and gone insane since we last saw him in his Spotlight issue. I'm guessing it might be the result of some trauma he's experienced given the story he was about to explain...

It's interesting to find an alien, with maybe a few hours to study the Matrix, apparently was able figure out more about the Matrix than Megatron could while he had it during AHM.