Megatron: Origin #4 Review (SPOILERS)

Post by **Denyer** » Mon Nov 05, 2007 8:29 pm

Best First wrote:maybe, but i think there is a certain implication to the post that if you did this you would have a good comic - IMO that isn't the case.

You'd have a better comic, and it shouldn't be the case that very simple changes (i.e. anything a reader knocks up in five minutes) will improve things; that's what the editing process is for.

Yaya · Post by **Yaya** » Mon Nov 05, 2007 9:11 pm

snarl wrote:Sorry, I read that end bit about beating somebody up being a more powerful act then killing them...

That's just ******* stupid.

You know what's even more powerful than just beating them up?

Threatening to beat them up, but not actually doing it. (Stuart Moore, New Avengers/TF Crossover, Prime vs. Megs, Marvel Publishing Co., circa 2007.)

Brendocon · Post by **Brendocon** » Mon Nov 05, 2007 9:34 pm

You know what's more powerful than threatening to beat them up?

Getting beaten up, then running away (copyright The Cartoon).

Post by **Best First** » Mon Nov 05, 2007 9:45 pm

Denyer wrote:
Best First wrote:maybe, but i think there is a certain implication to the post that if you did this you would have a good comic - IMO that isn't the case.
You'd have a better comic, and it shouldn't be the case that very simple changes (i.e. anything a reader knocks up in five minutes) will improve things; that's what the editing process is for.

i'd say with this thing half the people that post at this board could come up with something better in a short amount of time. There's a spectacular amount wrong with this.

and structuraly there might be a very minor improvement but content wise it would still be dross.

BB Shockwave · Post by **BB Shockwave** » Tue Nov 06, 2007 5:49 pm

Have to agree... Besides, I never understood why they gave such a pivotal story arc to a writer who's totally new at writing comics. Writing stories for games... is different.

One thing that bugs me, though... The gladiatorial games, Kaon, Sentinel Prime, Starscream executing the council... How long until Pat Lee comes and sues IDW for stealing from 'his' TWW comic?

sprunkner · Post by **sprunkner** » Tue Nov 06, 2007 10:40 pm

Pat Lee is hiding from Simon Furman, who, as we all know, is a fearsome figure.

Legion · Post by **Legion** » Wed Nov 07, 2007 2:03 pm

BB Shockwave wrote:One thing that bugs me, though... The gladiatorial games, Kaon, Sentinel Prime, Starscream executing the council... How long until Pat Lee comes and sues IDW for stealing from 'his' TWW comic?

Well... seeing as the Gladitorial games and Sentinal Prime were first brought up way back in the Marvel run... i doubt Pat Lee would have a leg to stand on!

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Wed Nov 07, 2007 6:50 pm

Unlike Simon Furman, who recently won the award in the category of "better than people who need to sit on chairs".

Pat Lee is probably having a hard time getting off his (cigarette) butt.

Impactor returns 2.0 · Post by **Impactor returns 2.0** » Sat Jul 19, 2008 10:59 am

Having read all the other IDW comics, i thought id complete my task and read megatron Origin.

I like the way it started off, they manipulation of by soundwave etc, thought that worked quite well but it doesnt completely explain why megatron is so nuts. I can understand being a bit peeved off with the senate but to raise an army and go to war, the reason is a bit weak, beyond hes just a psycho.

So, how was megs able to defeat S.Prime, when hes got some monster APEX suit on or somthing, cant see that one myself.

My biggest grip, apart from a few plot holes and slightly bizzare SW Ep.3 type reasoning behind ones evil ways was the artwork.

The artwork has detail but it doesnt flow at all, it made so hard to see what was going on, and the colours made it even worse - most of the time I was just reading the text and making do with a few splodges of colour.

Could have been so much better - I hope they do an Origin of Optimus Prime, showing how he makes a stand, and pushs back, that would be cool!

Post by **Best First** » Sat Jul 19, 2008 11:05 am

*gives Impy a post M:O hug*

Post by **spiderfrommars** » Sat Jul 19, 2008 11:07 am

Can you believe this is a back up strip in the UK comic now? Madness.

Post by **Best First** » Sat Jul 19, 2008 11:09 am

oh i know, i was not pleased about that at all. And the way its printed it will run for what, a year or so?

A year of Megatron: Origins. Jeez. I thought that was the level of hell they sent people who hold conversations in doorways to.

Impactor returns 2.0 · Post by **Impactor returns 2.0** » Sat Jul 19, 2008 11:48 am

Just scanned over it all again, really, WTF? - its a mess, in places i think its good, actually really good, I like the way different characters behave but when the story comes to crunch points, or I think about the plot for a few seconds longer than I should, it just falls over, grr its actually annoying me now.

Theres so much scope here for somthing so clever - Megatron comes across as brute, but also a bit of a dumb brute, its obvious he didnt rise to power without a brain. We know megatron is almost the equall of OP's interllect so why portray him like some puppet to Soundwave?

Essentially, the entire war on Cybertron boils down to:

Soundwave wants to sell a few guns, and megatron is erm somehow forced to fight in a pit because he got the sack. right...

ill go back to hardhead.

Post by **Best First** » Sat Jul 19, 2008 2:58 pm

"They took ma job!"

Manchester Devil · Post by **Manchester Devil** » Sat Jul 19, 2008 6:46 pm

"...and for this, I'll raise an army of hundreds and smite you all!"

Post by **Denyer** » Sat Jul 19, 2008 7:02 pm

Would've made Brassed Off far more entertaining.

Impactor returns 2.0 · Post by **Impactor returns 2.0** » Sat Jul 19, 2008 9:15 pm

I was thinking about how bad the colours were, then I saw this, and my thoughts were compunded further...

More of this please!

Post by **spiderfrommars** » Sat Jul 19, 2008 9:23 pm

Best First wrote:oh i know, i was not pleased about that at all. And the way its printed it will run for what, a year or so?

A year of Megatron: Origins. Jeez. I thought that was the level of hell they sent people who hold conversations in doorways to.

And the other back up strip is now the mess that is Beast Wars Ascending! Yikes! IDW have done more in-continuity movie stuff that would have worked better. eg. the movie adaptation or Reign of Starscream.

And the main strip's wandered off into a permanent alt. universe it seems. I can't imagine it being much harder to write around the movie than it was to fit between Budiansky's stuff. A challenge yes, but still.

Liked the free pen tho.

Manchester Devil · Post by **Manchester Devil** » Sat Jul 19, 2008 10:05 pm

Denyer wrote:Would've made Brassed Off far more entertaining.

Isn't that what Megatron: Origin is? Brassed Off with guns except that M:O wasn't entertaining.

sprunkner · Post by **sprunkner** » Sun Jul 20, 2008 5:53 am

Best First wrote: i'd say with this thing half the people that post at this board could come up with something better in a short amount of time. There's a spectacular amount wrong with this.

Yep.

You start with some gladiatorial combat. Megs is presiding. Says some inspiring words. You see Megatron through everyone else's eyes as a genuine mystery--Starscream's envious, Grimlock's admiring, Shockwave's sort of jealousy/hypnotism by his ability to appeal to emotion.

At the end we see Megs getting the payoff from the senator. Megs has political ambitions and plans to rid himself of all the combat. He's going to let them take the fall. He's part of the corrupt system.

Those viewpoints--Grimlock, Starscream, Shockwave--continue throughout the comic. Something happens to change Megs' mind about discontinuing the games. Not sure what.

Anyway, I think that'd be a better way to present the themes and ideas Holmes is working with.