TF Views

Dominic wrote:There is precedent for the Matrix being absent when Megatron needs it, and I assume that is at play here. I assume things like the Decepticons changing their alternate forms, Kup being something other than a raving loon, and exactly what happened to the Autobots will be addressed later.

Yes.

I always figured Kup would eventually snap out of it, and a year+ seems like a good amount of time for him to get a bit back to his old self again.

Dominic wrote:There is precedent for the Matrix being absent when Megatron needs it, and I assume that is at play here.

And this precedent would be what exactly? If Megatron had been targeting the Matrix and has killed two Prime's, plus nearly killed Optimus on a couple of occasions, why is it only now that Megatron has claimed the Matrix?

He only just now figured out how to get those Goddamn chest doors open!

...what? It's as plausible as anything else.

BWprowl wrote:He only just now figured out how to get those Goddamn chest doors open!

...what? It's as plausible as anything else.

Not really... Given we saw Megatron had ripped a hole in Sentinel's chest in 'Megatron: Origin' and used his bare hand to rip through Optimus's chest in 'Escalation'.

That may be accounted for later in the run. Or, McCarthy could simply be ignoring previous material. Furman himself does that on a regular basis, though he is rarely over-written. AHM is good enough, and it is over-writing lack-luster enough content, that I can live with these little flubs.

Dom

All Hail Megatron #2: The plot ambles a bit this issue, establishing just how large and in charge the Decepticons are, in case readers did not pick that up from issue 1. I am all for keeping books accessible, but McCarthy seems to be erring on the side of caution here. So far, there has been no information about the "lost year" between "Revelations" and this. I doubt the remainder has much to say on this question, assuming Furman and co have any answer to begin with.
Grade: B/C No real problems yet, but I am not sure if this is worth running out and buying if you are not looking for a new book to read.


All Hail Megatron 3: The book ambles along a bit. The Decepticons destroy more stuff. It feels like the same battle sequence that began in the first issue, but I am pretty sure it is supposed to be closer to several weeks later. This issue is mostly a re-hash of the last one, (albeit with Astrotrain getting to shine a bit more than the usual A-listers), being a drawn out (and one-sided) fight scene. There is some vague explication about Megatron's plan. If the next issue of this comic does not have more than Decepticons cackling and saying, "oh look, stomp the 'umies", I will probably just write this off as more noise than signal from IDW. And, either way, I am wondering how much the events of this series will stick over in the Furman written books a year or so from now. At this point, I may have to get 2 copies of some issues, to ensure that I get a full run of the "propaganda poster" variants. Grade: C Buy it as much for curiosity as filler




All Hail Megatron #7: The issue opens with a vaguely framed, but very well written, flashback sequence. (The tip-off is Starscream, Thundercracker and Skywarp being in their F-22 bodies, not the traditional F-15 bodies.) McCarthy's writing and Guidi's pencils are giving us some well realized character moments in a story with a good over-arching premise that still does not quite come together. For those wondering, my money is on either Sunstreaker or Sideswipe being the traitor. I may or may not go back and read back-issues for clues on this. Grade B/C This one is a mixed bag, but there are some goodies in there.

Dom
-likin' this series.

Y'know, if it weren't for the fact that he wasn't in Prime's group, my guess for the traitor would be Drift, because where the HELL did he come from? As it stands, I'm thinking that there actually is no traitor, and that it's jsut something Megatron said to create dissention in the ranks. I mean come on, the way he just out-and-out TOLD the Autobots? I don't understand why they even believed him...

Anyone know who that scientist-whatevery Decepticon dude from the flashback is? He kinda looks like IDW Jhiaxus to me, but...blue. Plus, Jhiaxus wasn't a Decepticon in IDW, so.

No idea on the scientist.

There is something planned with Drift, but I do not know what.

Dom

All Hail Megatron volume I: As many people have speculated, this story does in fact read better compiled. The pacing issues that some people complained about early on are less apparent when the story is read as a whole. (The seemingly redundant scenes of Decepticons tearing across the US read better when presented with both the explanation for why they are doing so and with scenes depicting the world's reactions.)
Grade: A Easily worth picking up. Be aware that a second volume is due soon.

I agree with everything there. I bought it, started reading it, and could not put it down. The pacing is pretty good, but if I have one complaint it's that this is only the first six issues, and the ending of Issue 6 is kind of a letdown to end the entire book on.

I mean, sure,

Spoiler

some guys decide to nuke New York City

but it's nothing truly *exciting.* Issue Six 'is' exactly the point where the book starts to tread into "Wow, this is freaking awesome," territory, as you get stuff like Megatron and Starscream having a deep philosophical debate about the meaning of the Decepticons. I'm starting to see very much where this series is going, though--what happens when the warrior race of giant robots finally kills all the other ones? They start to turn on each other and destroy themselves from the inside out. A similar thread runs through the end of Reign of Starscream, but gets cut off by the obligatory Autobots-show-up-and-own-everybody scene. *Hopefully* that doesn't happen here. I mean, it still has to at 'some point' but I'd like to actually see the full collapse of the Decepticon empire.

Drift still sucks. His name is stupid, so is his design, so is his character.

But there's so many awesome moments in this book. Roadbuster's talk with Ironhide is 'really' cool, because they're literally just standing around talking like two guys for a little bit. It only lasts a page or so, but reminds me so much of some of the stuff I've written that I can't help but think it's awesome. "We got shot down." "I heard."

Watching Skywarp argue with the Insecticons also rules, especially since it's Bombshell that Skywarp is arguing with--adding a fun touch, since (even though TFTM doesn't occur in this continuity) it's under debate whether it was Skywarp or Bombshell that became Cyclonus. Seeing Perceptor be a badass and then seeing some of the Cybertron-bound Autobots actually expressing that "Woah, Perceptor is a badass now," is really awesome.

All in all, I can't wait for the rest of this series. Buy this!