Megatron: Origin #4 Review (SPOILERS)

[BB Shockwave]

Got to read it today, and even with EmWee trying to explain to us what was going on, I didn't understand a lot...

-As Yaya put it, so now Soundwave is a triple-changer, able to change from Straxus to a chair to Soundwave?!?

-One minute, Grapple and Inferno are aboard a ship, trying to douse the flames and regain control... next panel, they are on a street and said ship falls on their heads!!! WTF?!

-Speaking of killing off characters, so now Motormaster is dead? Thanks to Holmes we'll never see Menasor now?

-I didn't understand a thing from what happened during Ratbat's speech. Is that Blades? Some weird animal grabs him and he explodes? WTF?!

-So, Megatron gets his fusion cannon and mace, and he doesn't even uses them agains SP? Gah.

-Speaking of whom, he seemed pretty dead to me. How do they try to correct that in the TPB, give him a speech bubble saying "I'm not dead yet, Jim?"

Overall - keep Holmes away from writing TF stories. If IDW wants to someone else then Simon to give a try, heck, hire a professional comic writer and have Simon explain the story/characters to them. I'd love to see Paul Dini write a TF comic. He has a knack for doing character-centered stories, especially for villains (read his latest work in Detective Comics).

Sometimes I really, really want to comment on the IDW board. Thank Primus I forgot my password, I'm sure Holmes would comment on what I'd write there. 'Goodchild'... Heh.

[Denyer]

Finally got this. Best issue of the bunch, IMO.

What could usefully have been emphasised at regular internals in earlier issues was that events were localised to Kaon. Probably particularly for non-US readers, who're used to "the senate" being a singular institution in American writing.

I'm happy enough with the overall plot; there's nothing in there that blocks fan-speculation to fill in gaps. (Though the sudden appearance of Soundwave, and Starscream having stashed weapons after the senate has just read out a list of crimes including murder are both WTF moments.) The reproduction makes it a chore to read, and the colouring as seen in the end product doesn't help -- way too much block white, way too many tiny white highlights in some places, whilst pages from the other named colourist are smeared with light effects.

Something I'd have liked to have been looking forward to for a few months turned out to be basis for a lot of discussion amongst fans (some of which was enjoyable) and more "better than it could've been" than impressing. #3 and #4 work pretty well; the first two fizzled for the lack of focusing on fewer characters or offering cliffhangers to make me think "yeah, can't wait to see how that gets resolved."

Would like to see more of Sentinel Prime -- because he's just a design and a loose character archetype at the moment -- and a spotlight to round out Megatron's character progression (the idea of The Pit mentioned by the author, for instance) wouldn't be a bad idea either.

Not really convinced [as suggested elsewhere] that the darkness of the colour reproduction is the printer's fault, since the adverts at the back of the issue came out fine (apart from the CGC third-party ad... but that's not repro at the printer's end, just that Grimlock's been scanned from a paper source image with insufficient resolution.)

As others have commented, the thing I like least is that the story could fit into almost any continuity, with nothing really tailoring it to the one it's been printed in -- and several snippets of dialogue / panel appearances placing it at odds.

[Hound]

Im a bit late to this thread, but having just read the issue several times I cant make out what the [composite word including 'f*ck'] happened.

I'm guessing there were few casualties to established characters like Motormaster. We see Hound look pretty dead but he is about to pop up in Devastation...

[Legion]

Im a bit late to this thread, but having just read the issue several times I cant make out what the **** happened.

Me too. Just got my hands on #4 last night and gave it quick going over... whilst the art is much clearer in this one than in previous ones, i still had little idea what exactly was going on. each frame seemed disjointed with little coherent flow from one panel to the next... Where did Soundwave come from? What was the point of Straxus being there? Why was Ratbat carrying a cassette in his torso? The whole Decepticon attack on Kaon was just a mess... what the heck was going on there? More tittybots too. Ugh! Maybe they all got wiped out... we can only hope!

All in all, probably a 4 out of 10... but that's the highest scoring issue of the run... all i can say is "IDW, don't publish crap like this again please!"

[Brendocon]

Where did Soundwave come from? What was the point of Straxus being there?

I think Straxus was Soundwave in disguise...

Why was Ratbat carrying a cassette in his torso?

I think that Soundwave ripped his spark out and transferred it to a cassette he already happened to have to hand.

It's all very badly thought out.

[Kaylee]

Why did Soundwave have a cassette? They were invented in 1963, not 4 million BC or whenever

[BB Shockwave]

it's more like a data-cube... and re-reading it, I just noticed Megatron is holding that cube Ratbat was talking about uploading all the Kaon financial data into in the last panel of the comic.

[Brendocon]

Why did Soundwave have a cassette? They were invented in 1963, not 4 million BC or whenever

Same reason Ratbat was watching telly, they speak English and one of the miners in the first issue is using "paws" as a colloquialism for his hands?

[Kaylee]

Why did Soundwave have a cassette? They were invented in 1963, not 4 million BC or whenever

Same reason Ratbat was watching telly, they speak English and one of the miners in the first issue is using "paws" as a colloquialism for his hands?

Now the language thing I always just rationalise by 'we're seeing it through the eyes of another Transformer', hence we understand their jibba-jabba. Did Ratbat have any salty snacks of any kind?

[Brendocon]

Yeah, but paws?

[Kaylee]

You're right, it's hopeless

[Metal Vendetta]

Why was Ratbat carrying a cassette in his torso?

I think that Soundwave ripped his spark out and transferred it to a cassette he already happened to have to hand.

It's all very badly thought out.

Yep, especially with Rumble and Frenzy being converted last issue...did Soundwave shoot them and pull out their sparks too, or what?

[Brendocon]

Yep, especially with Rumble and Frenzy being converted last issue...did Soundwave shoot them and pull out their sparks too, or what?

Mhm. Didn't seem they were willing participants at the very least.

Not that it matters, considering their appearance was limited to, what? one panel in the whole massacre scene... that being after it happened, too. Renders the whole exchange as pointless as... well, the mace stuff.

Any firm answer on exactly why Soundwave was released? I'm presuming Ratbat arranged it... but, y'know, some hint would be nice.

Or why Megatron seemed so panicked by Starscream's release? Considering it was part of the plan?

[Legion]

Where did Soundwave come from? What was the point of Straxus being there?

I think Straxus was Soundwave in disguise...

Riiiight... i'm glad that key plot point was well explained...

Why was Ratbat carrying a cassette in his torso?

I think that Soundwave ripped his spark out and transferred it to a cassette he already happened to have to hand.

Oh right... that's quite a handy talent... i mean... WTF?!

Any firm answer on exactly why Soundwave was released? I'm presuming Ratbat arranged it... but, y'know, some hint would be nice.

Don't think so, not seeing that Ratbat asks where Soundwave's been of late as he's been out of touch....?

Or why Megatron seemed so panicked by Starscream's release? Considering it was part of the plan?

bad dramatic license? (either Megatron's or the writer's, you pick).

[Brendocon]

Where did Soundwave come from? What was the point of Straxus being there?

I think Straxus was Soundwave in disguise...

Riiiight... i'm glad that key plot point was well explained...

Seriously, it's the only thing I can think of. The panel with Straxus in serves absolutely no purpose other than to show us Straxus... and seeing as that's pretty much where Soundwave magically appears out of nowhere...

It's utterly stupid and insane, but it's the closest I can come to making sense of it.

Any firm answer on exactly why Soundwave was released? I'm presuming Ratbat arranged it... but, y'know, some hint would be nice.

Don't think so, not seeing that Ratbat asks where Soundwave's been of late as he's been out of touch....?

Maybe Soundwave's Ratbat's aide or something and, as such, has diplomatic immunity? So he was immediately released as soon as they realised who he was?

This pisses me off even more about the series... the more I dig, the more it seems that there are actually vaguely-decent plot ideas buried under there somewhere... but it seems like Holmes has decided that, because he knows what's going on, the rest of us don't have to.

[snarl]

I was watching Cop Land last night (good film!) and when Stallone goes to De Niro and says he'll help and De Niro tells him YOU BLEW IT!

Well, I just couldn't help thinking of MEgatron Origin.

I've actually now just found wav of the <a href="http://henancius.martin-scorsese.net/so ... e.wav">You blew it!</a> clip.

I've now got a mischievous mental image of Holmes as Stallone going to Furman as De Niro whilst he's trying to wrap the script to issue 4...

[Legion]

This pisses me off even more about the series... the more I dig, the more it seems that there are actually vaguely-decent plot ideas buried under there somewhere... but it seems like Holmes has decided that, because he knows what's going on, the rest of us don't have to.

I think you're actually giving him more credit then he's due if you ask me.
I thinnk it's more of the case that there just huge great gaping plot holes that we're having to fill in ourselves... and doing a better job of it than he did of the main plot!

[spiderfrommars]

I was watching Cop Land last night (good film!) and when Stallone goes to De Niro and says he'll help and De Niro tells him YOU BLEW IT!

Heh! Good scene.

[BB Shockwave]

Although it's the last thing I would want do, I have to defend Holmes here because logic dictates... (Curses!)

Basically - he wrote a 6-issue script for the story. Then was told to have it clipped into 4 issues... Being a starting comic writer, it's understandable he had to cut out some explanations... This also explains the not-too-shocking cliffhangers in the series.

Then again - while this is some excuse he can make, still, if he'd have swallowed his pride and would have asked for help in shortening the story from another IDW writer (not co-writing, just comic writing ideas, simply)... This could have been avoided somewhat. But as we have seen on the IDW boards, pride is something Holmes has in abundance.

I just hope Simon will ignore this story totally, or get some of the better plot points of it and re-work them - case in point, when I told him about Clench's role in MO, Simon was genuinely surprised. I hope does a flashback explaining how Clench didn't die there just got his arm cut off or something...

[Denyer]

This also explains the not-too-shocking cliffhangers in the series.

Cliffhangers? The solitary one at the end of #3?

In terms of pacing, this is what I'd think'd work better, keeping the existing format and most of what was already produced:

http://idwpublishing.com/phpBB2/viewtop ... &start=105

[Best First]

This also explains the not-too-shocking cliffhangers in the series.

Cliffhangers? The solitary one at the end of #3?

In terms of pacing, this is what I'd think'd work better, keeping the existing format and most of what was already produced:

http://idwpublishing.com/phpBB2/viewtop ... &start=105

meh, soz, but its still not really adding anything new to the existing mythos is it? Pacing was far from the only issue with this series.

[Denyer]

More a "here, let's look at the basic structural flaws" comment with example of writing for issues.

Adding to the number of which probably wouldn't have helped.

[Best First]

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.

[Metal Vendetta]

"Goodchild" has posted in the thread over at IDW and addressed some of the issues raised, including the "empty chairs" reference.

[Best First]

gah. some of the other ideas he trumpets are pretty poor IMO - all very obvious/simplistic one way or another.

sounds like the whole thing really needed to be built up from scratch once IDW took it one but instead we got a bit of a bastardised mess of the DW proposal.

[snarl]

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

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

If I was fighting a gun nut bossman and gave him a slap without his massive gun, first thing I'd expect him to do is come back to [composite word including 'f*ck'] me up with his massive gun. So I'd kill him.

I guess the writer never saw James Bond. Or any other convoluted action film. That **** works best with Bruce Willis, he aint an autobot.

It's just... It's just a great big pile of ****. Sounds like the chopping out of stuff was just more pointless, non plot advancing fanwank scenes, a la:

"Oh, we were going to have this section where Snarl was getting ****** up at night but the sun came up and suddenly he ****** up everybody that was ******* him up, it would have been so kewl!"

"Oh yeah? why?"

"It would have been kewl?"

There is [composite word including 'f*ck'] all development is there? Just convoluted leaps that we're supposed to swallow. Load of cock.

It just feels like the bloke had a dream about the TF cartoon with loads of non related "wouldn't it have been kewl if this happened scenes..." and then wrote it all out as soon as he woke up.

That story has bad AIDS.

[Best First]

i love you man.

[snarl]

I appreciate that.

Peace and love.

I meant ******* - peace and *******. BELIEVE!

[BB Shockwave]

I wish you'd post at IDW, Snarl...

I love Goodchild's answers:

Jack Cade wrote:

Why was Starscream ushered into a trial, rather than treated as a grass?

He was pushing for an urgent meeting, that he could reveal something vital to the council - and this was backed up by Megatron organizing his cellmates to kill Starscream as soon as they saw him talking with a guard.

Not how he doesn't answer (despite numerous people remarking about it) why Starscream wasn't checked for guns, or put a inhibitor claw on him...

- The scientific development of the internal weapon systems, and the role the Constructicons play in deploying them. Originally Starscream was behind this, playing off his G1 cartoon roots a scientist, but Simon's new direction for the character nixed this. Would also have allowed for us to feature Jetfire if we'd wanted.

Starscream... as a scientist. Pleaeeese... :X That was stupid in the cartoon as well (what wasn't, anyway?) considering Starscream's not the most intelligent Con around, and he never showed any skill in any field of science. It's typical fanwank like the Sunstorm saga, I bet the whole "Jetfire and Starscream were friends" originated when one of the Sunbow writers noticed "Hey these guy are both jets and are both red and white, they must be brothers or friends!". Geez.

That sad thing? It's obvious now that without Simon's control, this could have been much, much worse...

Megatron's idea, his plan is that a Sentinel Prime serves a more powerful example of what happens if you cross Megatron if he breaks him in two; a respected warhorse of a leader turned into a 'broken man' will serve the creation of his mythology among the Autobots a lot better than the act of simply killing the Prime. This is right there in the dialogue.

Yes, because Transformers can obviously get their spinal columns broken permanently, dear Eric. I can't wait to see Sentinel Prime in a wheelchair, being fed through a tube. Really, Sentinel Prime came off as the type of guy who was defiant to the end, I don't see him broke - he'll spend some time in the CR chamber and get back to kicking Megatron's tail. Seriously, did this guy watch the cartoon, read TWW and thought he knew everything about TFs. Gah.

[Best First]

i think he means spiritually broken, not physically broken.

i do agree that a 'broken' Prime is probably better than a new one - but that's a risk given no one really knows how Sentinel will react to such a thing (other than with confusion as no one could actually tell how he got beat).

That really p*sses me off as well, Megs essentially beats a far superior foe because... the writer says he does.