Devestation #5 Review (SPOILERS)

[Yaya]

Last issue was the strongest of Devestation thus far.

This issue? Unfortunately, the weakest on several accounts.

For one, nothing really happened this issue. This was a step in the wrong direction in terms of pacing, reading something like a filler issue. Where I was hoping things were ramping up after the last issue, I find myself underwhelmed.

Secondly, things just don't jive. Why would Blitzwing and Astrotrain, after seeing Megatron's beatdown on Starscream in Infiltration, side again with Starscream and again risk their lives? Why would Sixshot suddenly at the behest of the Reapers leader experience a moment of internal conflict, the result of which is to turn on his fellow Decepticons?

If this was an attempt at deepening the character of Sixshot, it was a shoddy job of it. Instead, I find myself more confused now by what it is Sixshot actually wants than I was after reading his spotlight. One minute he's blasting through the Reapers ship, the next minute he's attacking Starscream? WTF? I'm beginning to hate Sixshot shearly because thinking about him makes my brain hurt.

We still get Hotrod and Wheeljack vs. the Sunstreaker clones, the third such issue featuring this. We still get Hunter running around in the Machination's building, the third or fourth such issue featuring this.

As we approach the end of this series, I feel things are starting to stall. What has happened in five issues could have been told in three. It's Infiltrationitis again, if you will.

What did I like? As many predicted, the Autobots are leaving Earth, a welcome turn of events which will make things more interesting (because Verity and Jimmy being raised from the dead certainly isn't). I liked the idea that Starscream had a means of taking Sixshot out from the beginning, cunning mech that he is. Makes Screamer more of a realistic threat than a whiny sidekick. Though I'm not E.J.'s biggest fan, the art was strong.

So this issue gets a "C-" from me. Filler issue, somewhat monotonous, predictable and confusing without many redeemable moments.

[Best First]

Disagree strongly, maybe because i had seen your score and read the comments on The Buy Pile at CBR and i was expecting to be let down, but i thought this issue was great.

Firstly, and this probably helped - EJ is back, and as far as i am concerned there really is no one better in the TF art roster - i thought his work here was sublime, espcially the second half of the book.

I don't agree that this was filler at all - you do tend to have a habit of describing scenes with a collection of characters in that we have seen before in such a way that they sound repeptetive, but everything here moved things along.

Pro's for me:

- Better insight into Starscream and Megs relationship from one page than the entirity of Megs: Bore-igin
- Starscream
- The bot's run ragged
- The Reapers actually seeming a more credible threat - loved the exploding crab things
- Hot Rod's scene with the Headmasters, again, just because he has had a scene with the does not mean that this one is not progress - he ****s one of them over for a start
- Similarly we get a nice view with Hunter's scenes of what is changing for him now he is bonded to Sun Streaker
- I actually thought that this issue did a better job on Six's internal struggle - he is essentially a tool with no life beyone it and no end in sight, Megs manipulation of him is his undoing
- Jhiaxus reference!

Negatives:

- the Verity & Jimmy thing was so flagged it was a waste of time
- not really a negative for me but i guess this issue loses its impact a bit if you have not read Spotlight: Prime (especially as the colours mean that does not look much like Jetfire on the screen). In fact this was kind of a plus for me as i like the broader tapestry stuff, but its a bit rough on those who don't pick up the Spotlights
- would have preferred to see the Decep's get in the mix a bit quicker rather than sit around waiting for Six Shot - although the scene where they stride out is the balls.
- multiple colourists - not as bad as Beast Wars in terms of starkness, but its not ideal.

7/10

[Manchester Devil]

I'd like the fact Ratchet acknowledges that Verity & Jimmy stand a very chance being brain damaged as he tries to revive them. And Hunter ******* that scienctist before pegging it to the 'Sunstreaker' bodies.

Funny that Sixshot's like "Can't kill my fanboys." in his spotlight but has no problems going "Sure, where do I sign?" when Starscream flies into action. Screamer essentially going "As it happens, yes. RESET BUTTON, BI*CH!" before boming the Reapers is priceless.

Ratchet's helmet is still being coloured incorrectly!

[Yaya]

Disagree strongly, maybe because i had seen your score and read the comments on The Buy Pile at CBR and i was expecting to be let down, but i thought this issue was great.

Amazing how tastes differ sometimes.

I mean, I know there's good in the issue, but in the end, I'm left with this feeling that things are plodding along too slow. Agree or disagree?

[Best First]

disagree, but i guess that depends on your definition of progress - reams of character development and action is forn progress for me.

For me this was the most nuanced issue so far - this is why i like Su on art so much becuse he can be relied upon to convey emotion so well - lots of little character developments...

If you ignore this stuff maybe its a bit slower, but i don't.

its pretty depressing to see people on the IDW site wondering how Six Shot was taken down. Jeez....

[snarl]

Some of them are a right bunch of thick *****.

I thought it was really cool.

"Raze" is a typo though isn't it?

I've really liked the colouring from Zack, but I thought his stuff wasn't the greatest on this ish - I remember seeing the page 2 as a spoiler on the IDW boards and I didn't think the colours and inking did the line are justice.

I thought it read pretty quickly - I think all of the issues have.

[Yaya]

I thought it read pretty quickly - I think all of the issues have.

Like Infiltration, I think Devestation is going to read a hell of a lot better as a trade.

It's becoming too obvious in my mind that these stories have to last six issues for the trade. It's unfortunate that instead of just letting things flow the way the writer would like, he has to be constrained by this six-issue format.

[Best First]

i love the way you make statements like that. Its like that daft statement about it being 'clear to you' that IDW is losing artists

every interview i have seen indictates SF is pretty comfortable with the 6 issue format. Not to mention we have had a couple of 4 issue series.

my main concern at this stage is that there needs to be some form of resolution of a few threads in issue 6 for this series to work.

Agree they read quick - but actually thought this was one of the meatier ones to be honest.

[Yaya]

i love the way you make statements like that. Its like that daft statement about it being 'clear to you' that IDW is losing artists

Not going to let me live down that "losing artists" thing, are you? Don is gone. He's worth three artist, so there.

Sure, Simon's going to say he's comfortable with six issues, it's crucial to sales. It's clear this series could have been done in less issues. It's so damn obvious, it's distracting.

We're talking about a guy who has written great stories in three pages, and you're telling me he's determining it should be six issues? The market has determined this, he's just trying to fit into that mold.

An ongoing would work a lot better for him. If he wanted, he could write two-issue tales, and we'd love them.

I'm going to ask him myself.

[Best First]

i love the way you make statements like that. Its like that daft statement about it being 'clear to you' that IDW is losing artists

Not going to let me live down that "losing artists" thing, are you? Don is gone. He's worth three artist, so there.

please - EJ, Guido and Roche are all better story tellers, besides which it was jusy another of these daft absolutist statements you insist on making as if you posses some amzing insight that everyone else doesnt and nothing is up for debate that don't mean anything, like pretty much all of the below:

Sure, Simon's going to say he's comfortable with six issues, it's crucial to sales. It's clear this series could have been done in less issues. It's so damn obvious, it's distracting.

We're talking about a guy who has written great stories in three pages, and you're telling me he's determining it should be six issues? The market has determined this, he's just trying to fit into that mold.

An ongoing would work a lot better for him. If he wanted, he could write two-issue tales, and we'd love them.

I'm going to ask him myself.

I'm sure he'll be thrilled by the interaction. Jeez.

I'd prefer an ongoing - but saying the stories are deliberately (obviously!) streached out is insulting to SF and your accusations of padding and pacing are poorly argued.

also - "so there"?

[spiderfrommars]

Loved the issue, and it's great to have EJ back.

Starscream's takedown of Sixshot was ruddy brilliant.

Glad the humans aren't dead - it would have been a pretty silly way to write them out. And interesting things are being done with Hunter.

The market has determined this

Well yeah, the days of telling a whole story in one issue are over, so it's time to move on from that criticism really.

We've still got the Spotlights for that style of storytelling.

[Yaya]

Well yeah, the days of telling a whole story in one issue are over, so it's time to move on from that criticism really.

I'm just saying, people complained about pacing issue with Infiltration, with Devestation.

Maybe Simon hasn't figured out yet how to go from four or five issues to six effectively enough.

[Legion]

Maybe Simon hasn't figured out yet how to go from four or five issues to six effectively enough.

Oh I dunno, he used to do it fairly well back in the old Marvel days...

Sure, i thought Infiltration felt a bit slow on the pacing front, but re-reading it back afterwards though and it was fine. I've not thought that about any of the series' since then tho. Certainly not Devestation. Sure, the delays between issues have been a bit of a pain in the arse, but that's not a fault with the stories pacing.

Everyone is entitled to their opinions of course, but it does seem to only be you Yaya who has had this problem with Devestation?

[Best First]

i think Lee is on to something , pacing seems far more of an issue when you have 7 weeks between comics and then 4-6 months between series.

if Infl-Esac-Devatstation had been back to back...

[snarl]

Def true - it can feel like we've been at certain scenes for yonks due to the series being schedueld so far apart, plus the delays etc.

On the surface you're seeing the same locations, same characters and their may not be a masive leap in the story in those terms, well it can seem slow - but the characters are all being developed a great deal.

I get the impression that a lot of the readership ignore the fact that this is a re-boot and go into the story with their pre-concieved idea for the characters and then just gloss over a lot of what is said, only really looking out for the payload, i.e. moving to new scenarios, having a ruck with actual casualties etc, with a new plot line developed and an old ones closed each issue.

Looking at the way the whole arc has developed, I expect by the end of Dev we'll have gone a good way to having considerable payoff Re: several of the strands that have been developing since the IDW serise started.

I mean, in real time, how long has actually gone... how many days? It's not been much has it? It's been really compressed, but we've been learning a lot about the relationships, motives etc.

I'm not neccassarily saying the comic will get a brisker pace after Dev, but it will certainly have very firm foundations to do so, should Furman / IDW want to.

IMO We've learnt / seen cool stuff each issue. Since it has looked in great detail at a small timeframe it can quiet easly seem like it has dragged. But if you pay attention to it, there's been plenty of enjoyable, cool stuff. We're getting a lot of detail. Maybe I would have preferred more quickly resolved, quickly evolving, dynamically changing plot lines but I guess that's just conjecture on my part. I think though, if you have a 'monster / crisis of the week' thing going on, the storylines dont carry as much weight and they are easier to forget or trivialise.

I enjoy the comic, if it ups the pace after Dev I think it would be all the better.

Sort out the delays and move the series release scheduel more cloesly together and it'd nuke this "percieved" pacing problem IMO.

[Brendocon]

"Raze" is a typo though isn't it?

Nah. Raise = to, well, raise. Raze = to flatten. I think.

Loved the issue. Actual surprises - ie the Starscream/Sixshot thing. Loved that. All the hooha about how it'll play with Sixshot and the Reapers and this and that and the other, and Starscream just waltzes out and turns him off.

Liked the fact that Sixshot's decision was effectively made for him by Astrotrain back in Part 1.

Crossover with the Arcee spotlight. Acknowledgement that there's other stuff going on.

More pragmatism from Prime. Doing what was predicted, but for radically different reasons.

Megatron shows more smarts in one panel than in an entire cartoon run.

Grimlock. Always good. Believable reaction from Skywatch to the situation.

Actual backstory for Starscream and Megs. He's an effective bodyguard. He's threatened by how powerful Sixshot is. He uses that to connive info on how to beat him. Simple. Straightforward. As BF said earlier - more characterisation/depth-to-interplay in two pages than was in the entire Megs Origin mini.

Random Thundercracker colouring is pretty much the only downside I'd call it on.

Oh, and:

One minute he's blasting through the Reapers ship, the next minute he's attacking Starscream?

No. For a start there's several pages between those two incidents, and some dialogue between Sixshot and the Reapers. But let me explain it:

- The Reapers give Sixshot their ultimatum.
- He is torn. Much as he was in his Spotlight.
- The reason he turned them down before was because of the kinship he felt with the Terrorcons.
- Starscream rushes out and challenges him.
- Sixshot's sense of loyalty is no longer an issue, as his "friends" have now turned on him.
- "Thank you, Starscram... for making this decision that much easier."

What the hell is confusing about that? He's torn between a kinship for the Reapers and his ties as a Decepticon. The Decepticons turn on him... no more ambivalence.

[Yaya]

Everyone is entitled to their opinions of course, but it does seem to only be you Yaya who has had this problem with Devestation?

Hardly. On this board, that might be so, but check out other boards like tfw2005.com. Even on IDW's board, there are people complaining about the pacing. Maybe to you, that's surprising, but there are pacing problems, whether perceived or real.

But I think what snarl said here:

Sort out the delays and move the series release scheduel more cloesly together and it'd nuke this "percieved" pacing problem IMO.

no doubt contributes to this feeling. I mean, I'm certain when I read Devestation as a trade, like I did with Infiltration, its going to be a much better read.

No. For a start there's several pages between those two incidents, and some dialogue between Sixshot and the Reapers. But let me explain it:

- The Reapers give Sixshot their ultimatum.
- He is torn. Much as he was in his Spotlight.
- The reason he turned them down before was because of the kinship he felt with the Terrorcons.
- Starscream rushes out and challenges him.
- Sixshot's sense of loyalty is no longer an issue, as his "friends" have now turned on him.
- "Thank you, Starscram... for making this decision that much easier."

What the hell is confusing about that?

Nothing. Oh, I get it alright. It's just so effing stupid (particulary the dialogue). Seriously. It's just lame.

[Legion]

Everyone is entitled to their opinions of course, but it does seem to only be you Yaya who has had this problem with Devestation?

Hardly. On this board, that might be so, but check out other boards like tfw2005.com. Even on IDW's board, there are people complaining about the pacing. Maybe to you, that's surprising, but there are pacing problems, whether perceived or real.

Well, i find it surprising that there are so many die-hard fans of the original cartoon, it doesn't make me consider their opinions to be any more valid than mine. Live and let live is what i say, except when people try to enforce their opinions on others as fact.

But I think what snarl said here:

Sort out the delays and move the series release scheduel more cloesly together and it'd nuke this "percieved" pacing problem IMO.

no doubt contributes to this feeling. I mean, I'm certain when I read Devestation as a trade, like I did with Infiltration, its going to be a much better read.

I'm in total agreement with snarlos on this too... any perceived pacing issue is probably due to the scheduling of the series' as opposed to within the actual series themselves (bar the occaisonal painful gaps between issues)...
and if people are dim enough to not realise this, then well, maybe they should aim for comics for the younger reader... in my humble opinion of course.

[Brendocon]

Nothing. Oh, I get it alright. It's just so effing stupid (particulary the dialogue). Seriously. It's just lame.

Sixshot's dialogue is him convincing himself.

It's the silent panel of him hanging his head in contemplation which is the key one.

Have read it three times, I have no problem there at all.

Secondly, things just don't jive. Why would Blitzwing and Astrotrain, after seeing Megatron's beatdown on Starscream in Infiltration, side again with Starscream and again risk their lives?

Surely that's an issue with Part 1?

For one, nothing really happened this issue

We got a glimpse at Starscream's relationship with Megatron prior to our events.
Starscream returned in full flow.
Sixshot turned against the Decepticons.
Starscream iced him easily.
Hunter completed the bonding process and found a body.
The Machination found Hunter.
Optimus Prime pulled the Autobots away from Earth.
Skywatch decided to unleash Grimlock.

Yeah. Nothing at all happened.

Not like Part 4, which was essentially "Soundwave signals the tapes, the Autobots and Sixshot shoot at each other for a bit before the 'bots run a way and the brats die." [/gross oversimplification]

[Yaya]

Nothing. Oh, I get it alright. It's just so effing stupid (particulary the dialogue). Seriously. It's just lame.

Sixshot's dialogue is him convincing himself.

It's the silent panel of him hanging his head in contemplation which is the key one.

Have read it three times, I have no problem there at all.

Him convincing himself? Because to me, he's aiming his words right at that Deathbringer guy.

I'm glad you like it though, cause to me, the worst thing about the Infiltration/Escalation/Devestation arc has been Sixshot, his motivation, and that lame-ass circus show he brings with him wherever he goes.

Thankfully, these things haven't played that big a role in IDW's continuity.

Secondly, things just don't jive. Why would Blitzwing and Astrotrain, after seeing Megatron's beatdown on Starscream in Infiltration, side again with Starscream and again risk their lives?

Surely that's an issue with Part 1?

How's that? What makes it stupid is Part 3, not Part 1. Part 1, they actually believed they could pull it off. Part 3, I don't know what the hell they were thinking.

Again, what's the motivation on Astrostrain and Blitzwing's part to do this?

Sorry, IMO, it's bad writing. Sixshot is bad writing, and so was Astrotrain and Blitzwing in this particular instance.

[spiderfrommars]

I thought Starscream wasn't popular in these parts. Did absence make the heart grow fonder?

[Brendocon]

The motivation was shown in #1. Pay attention. I'm not going to explain it to you if you can't figure it out for yourself.

I thought Starscream wasn't popular in these parts. Did absence make the heart grow fonder?

I think a lot of it comes down to how he's treated. Generally I can't stand Starscream, mostly because he's overexposed and shows little variety in his characterisation. But at the moment I've got no problem with him at all.

IDW Starscream made a sensible powerplay that failed, and has been sidelined ever since, allowing the plot to move on without having to accomodate his one-track behaviour... he didn't attempt to stab Megs in the back the moment he returned, instead skulking about in the shadows before moving into action and actually doing something cleanly and efficiently.

Also, it's a very different take on Starscream's dynamic with the rest of the Decepticons. In this instance he's got the implicit backing of the entire unit, as they prefer his way of running things to Megatron's.

Cartoon Starscream would have stood about whinily arguing with Megatron about Sixshot (which is what the 'cons wanted him for, as none of them had the stones to do it). IDW Starscream just waltzes out and deals with the problem himself.

He's got leadership qualifications beyond "wants to be in charge." Which puts him head and shoulders above most previous iterations of the character.

[sprunkner]

I thought it hung together as a single issue really well, with the intro regarding Starscream and Sixshot playing into the final battle.

[Metal Vendetta]

Pacing-wise, I think it's spot on - after five issues I'm now champing at the bit to get into issue 6, and it looks like it will knock our socks off. We've got Hot Rod and Wheeljack (plus maybe Ironhide) against an army of Sunstreaker clones; Hunstreaker against "SK-NK" and probably a bunch of other Sunstreaker clones (they do seem to have a lot of them at Machination HQ); Megatron, Starscream and the rest of his infiltration unit against the Reapers and potentially each other; Ratbat, Ravage, Laserbeak, Soundwave and Grimlock all in play somewhere...I think Furman's done a brilliant job of tying all the loose ends from the Spotlights into the ongoing continuity, and keeping all the secondary players (Magnus, Jetfire, Galvatron, Shockwave, Scorponok, Hound's Team, Dealer, Blaster) all out there just on the periphery of the main story. Not that the main plot hasn't advanced - just five issues ago the Autobots were enjoying a relatively normal day in the Ark under the lake. Now they're pulling out of Earth altogether.

[edit] and I'll go on the record to say that Furman writes the best Starscream of them all - his appearances in G2, War Within and this are probably my favourite iterations of the character. My favourite moment overall would be when he executed the council in Age of Wrath, but carpet-bombing Reapers is a pretty close second. Whenever he's written as truly dangerous and clever, rather than snivelling and comical, really.

[Yaya]

Here's Simon's answer to the question about pacing.

http://simonfurman.wordpress.com/2008/0 ... /#comments

Seems he doesn't have a problem with the six-issue format.

[Best First]

oh. my. the shock.