All Hail Megatron # 1

Post by **Best First** » Mon Jul 14, 2008 7:52 am

Hot Shot wrote:
Ryall wrote:The only part that's dismaying for me is that some people seem so resistant to any change at all that they almost disliked this sight unseen.
It's almost funny. When fans don't like a product, the creators(among others) claim we're afraid of change.

That i agree with.

Also, McCarthy declared Furman's Mosaic is no-longer in continuity.

McCarthy wrote:I think it should be pointed out that, no, "Hail and Farewell" is not in-continuity. I know it had been announced as such but that announcement didn't come from Chris, Denton or myself. I mean no disrespect to those involved in that particular story but we need to be clear about this due to how it will impact events in AHM.
Apparently, Furman has no say in continuity but this **** does.

[/quote]

However - If you read the topic properly you will finf that what you have just posted is melodramatic BS. There is no need to call him names either.

stranger · Post by **stranger** » Mon Jul 14, 2008 11:29 am

Hi there. I've been a long time lurker of these forums, but the events of AHM have compelled me to sign up and throw in my 2p's worth.

I pretty much agree with the sentiments of the first post of this thread. I was none to pleased that Simon Furmans entertaining and hugely promising story arc had been essentially mashed into 4 spotlights to make way for a new 12 issue arc (by a different guy). I'd invested 2+ years in the story so far, and then suddenly, it's being hurried to a close. Ryall's laughable "Your all scared of change" comment was just salt in the wounds: Next time he's 2 hours into a film, I'll enter his living room, tell him the ending and switch over to something else he doesn't particularly want to watch, and isnt even as good.

Just everything about the first issue is wrong. Random design changes? Check. Or are they random? The only changes I can see are ones that Hasbro would drive. i.e. anything that is a current product on a shelf. MP Screamer.Seekers, and the two new universe toys (whats the betting Tankor shows up a bit later on?). Everyone else is either in the devastation mode, or worse in G1 Mode (Constructicons and the fresh from thin air insecticons). It looks incosistant, even with some admittedly pretty artwork. I'd comment on the plot, but apparantly we're being told to wait till later in the series for that (what, you want plot AND artwork in the FIRST issue? Blimey!)

Sorely dissapointed, and sorry to start my posting's here with a rant.

Post by **Best First** » Mon Jul 14, 2008 11:50 am

Don't worry, all the best people start with a rant.

Welcome to transfans.

I agree the "why do people fear change" comment was a bit off - i like Ryall's inputs in general but he has a nasty tendancy to mischaracterise negative responses when the criticism starts to fly.

Impactor returns 2.0 · Post by **Impactor returns 2.0** » Mon Jul 14, 2008 11:50 am

Welcome! - we like rants!

Have to agree, after reading the whole issue yesterday I was feeling confused, let down and in general WTF?!?!

Still, like the artwork but why jump ship when they were on to a good thing? doesnt make sense...

Post by **snarl** » Mon Jul 14, 2008 1:53 pm

Hmm...

Flash in the pan. I just looked at the pictures quickly and sighed a bit.

I bought the boys on the same trip and have read that a few times since. The TF one I've merely glanced at and couldn't give a monkies about it any more.

Post by **Best First** » Mon Jul 14, 2008 3:07 pm

I know. I have kind of forced myself to reread it due to the ammount of commentary but have no actual desire to.

On a sepeate note did anyone else find the colouring in their suffered from excessive sunlight? Ie the glare from the sun seemed to obscure/ wash out the art a bit?

Manchester Devil · Post by **Manchester Devil** » Mon Jul 14, 2008 7:00 pm

You're not the only one, Besty.

I only just realised that no one pointed out that Bombshell was a drone Soundwave used on Beachcomber in Spotlight: Blaster, and yet is a "character" in his own right here.

Yes, I am using the term character rather loosely in this books case.

Post by **Best First** » Mon Jul 14, 2008 7:48 pm

Was he established as a drone in the Blaster story? I don't recall the anrrative being that specific.

Manchester Devil · Post by **Manchester Devil** » Mon Jul 14, 2008 8:20 pm

I remember Beachcomber refering to the Bombshell in Blaster as an "it" and it was something Soundwave used on the Autobot. I'll admit that's the only pieces that support my theory and will withdraw them if I'm in the wrong.

Post by **spiderfrommars** » Mon Jul 14, 2008 8:54 pm

The Prowl/Jazz and Megatron/Starscream interchanges annoyed me in this issue, but other than that I feel neutral about it. It wasn't neccesarily bad, it's just the sidelining of a lot of what went before that leaves the bad taste. But I'll try not and judge it by that... yet.

The art was nice of course.

sprunkner · Post by **sprunkner** » Mon Jul 14, 2008 9:36 pm

Hello stranger!

A drunk post and a religious rant and your baptism will be complete.

sprunkner · Post by **sprunkner** » Mon Jul 14, 2008 10:03 pm

[quote="Chris Ryall""]Throw out? Why is change always a negative? Should a storyline that was getting hard to follow for some longtime readers be allowed to run forever with no change ever coming? To use a book with less of a timeline than X-Men as an analogy, Robert Kirkman really changed up the direction of Invincible after 12 issues and it seems to have come out fine. Nothing is being thrown out. We didn't bring in Mephisto and say it didn't happen. We're saying "that happened, and now THIS is happening." Wonder if LOST writers took as much grief for their flash-forward thing on that show.[/quote]

This is kind off worrisome. The whole "move beyond Simon's stories" thing is weird to me.

Manchester Devil · Post by **Manchester Devil** » Mon Jul 14, 2008 10:59 pm

sprunkner wrote:Hello stranger!

A drunk post and a religious rant and your baptism will be complete.

You're telling me I'm still unbaptised.

Hot Shot · Post by **Hot Shot** » Tue Jul 15, 2008 1:39 am

sprunkner wrote:[quote="Chris Ryall""]Throw out? Why is change always a negative? Should a storyline that was getting hard to follow for some longtime readers be allowed to run forever with no change ever coming? To use a book with less of a timeline than X-Men as an analogy, Robert Kirkman really changed up the direction of Invincible after 12 issues and it seems to have come out fine. Nothing is being thrown out. We didn't bring in Mephisto and say it didn't happen. We're saying "that happened, and now THIS is happening." Wonder if LOST writers took as much grief for their flash-forward thing on that show.

This is kind off worrisome. The whole "move beyond Simon's stories" thing is weird to me.[/quote]
It is worrisome. It sounds to me like Ryall thinks Simon's work is too complicated for most readers and that dumbing TF comics down is the right move for the series.

stranger · Post by **stranger** » Tue Jul 15, 2008 7:20 am

Drunken rant: It's only a matter of time. Watch this space.

Is it me or does anyone else think Ryall is increasingly losing it over this? His reference to LOST is a bit skewed - the writers of that show had taken a huge amount of flak for season 3's various failing before they introduced the flash-forward to (IMO) improve the show. The polar opposite of what is seemingly happening with AHM.

I do kind of feel for the guy as I do think he had a valid point about Simons work being a little hard to jump in and out of. Infact I probably wouldn't have so much of an issue with AHM if the original plan had been allowed to play out in the way it was intended before introducing this new series.

Impactor returns 2.0 · Post by **Impactor returns 2.0** » Tue Jul 15, 2008 8:42 am

Hot Shot wrote: It is worrisome. It sounds to me like Ryall thinks Simon's work is too complicated for most readers and that dumbing TF comics down is the right move for the series.

I bloody hope not, that would switch me right off!

Post by **Best First** » Tue Jul 15, 2008 1:28 pm

sprunkner wrote:[quote="Chris Ryall""]Throw out? Why is change always a negative? Should a storyline that was getting hard to follow for some longtime readers be allowed to run forever with no change ever coming?

[/quote]

I find this kind of starwman arguing quite irksome.

Where is anyone saying what they want is inacessable stories or no change ever? Frikkin nowhere.

Brendocon · Post by **Brendocon** » Tue Jul 15, 2008 3:43 pm

"getting hard to follow for some longtime readers"

Some DNE all.

Why should I suffer because some muppet has trouble keeping up?

Also not keen on the undercurrent that being a reset/jump-on point excuses the fact that, well, basically nothing happens. Thunderbolts had no trouble.

Post by **Best First** » Wed Jul 16, 2008 10:25 am

Indeed, if you want relaunch lesssons - Captain Britain bitches.

Yaya · Post by **Yaya** » Wed Aug 06, 2008 6:42 pm

Been eagerly anticipating this issue for a long time.

When I read the first issue of any new story, it's absolutely critical that it begins with a bang. It should be something that "wows" us, that gives us something that we won't forget and makes us think, "yes, this sucker is going to be good!"

Does this issue accomplish this? From an art standpoint, mission accomplished. More importantly though, from a story standpoint, sadly, I don't think it does.

Others have said this is only the first issue, and that's true, I wouldn't dare prematurely judge this series by a single issue. So I'm evaluating it only on the basis of what a first issue should accomplish, and in this regards it falls flat, IMO.

It's waaaaaaaay too short an intro. This is what Focus on Decepticons should have been.

Regarding the events of this issue, the human elements were quite cliche, in particular the Kamikaze style death of that pilot. I mean, did any reader have any sort of emotional connect with him at all? We know him for three panels, and then we're supposed to be moved by his actions.

There are positives, for sure, like the incredible talent of Guido and the masterful colors. It really is presented in a cinematic way, and that's what McCarthy is aiming for, I suppose. It was nice to see the Big Three Cons rendered the way they were, smugly taking everything the humans threw at them.

The most interesting elements of the story, IMO, were the pages involving the Autobots. Seeing Prime down was a nice surprise, an example of providing the reader with something that jolts them from the getgo, and more along the lines of what I would have expected from this first issue.

My only hope is that each issue of this year-long tale has double the content and story that this one did. Otherwise, we're looking at a six to eight issue tale strecthed to 12, and that's not something I want to see. That's the formula for boredom and frustration, so let's hope we stay away from this.

As a preview issue, it's perfect. As the first issue of the series, it underperforms.

I give it a "C+". Artwise, it's quite nice, but the story thus far is trite, cliche, and needs to really pick up next issue.

Post by **Best First** » Thu Aug 07, 2008 8:16 am

hang on! He's just copying and pasting from other threads on other boards!

Is this really Yaya, or some sinsiter drone?

Halfshell · Post by **Halfshell** » Thu Aug 07, 2008 8:46 am

Yeah man, have some thoughts of your own - don't just copy from Shockwav!

Yaya · Post by **Yaya** » Fri Aug 08, 2008 3:22 am

Halfshell wrote:Yeah man, have some thoughts of your own - don't just copy from Shockwav!

Shockwav copied from me!

Manchester Devil · Post by **Manchester Devil** » Fri Aug 08, 2008 10:31 pm

Well, we never see you and Shockwav in the same place anyway.

I mean you enter a phonebox but never leave, yet Shockwav can exit said phonebox but no-one ever see him enter one.

Let's be honest though, Guido didn't have much to do, other than have the 'cons blow up buildings and planes, the 'cons stand around like morons at a photoshoot, and giving Megatron those ridiculous facial expressions. I mean, is it really necessary for Thundercracker to be "mmm, not sure I like blowing fleshies up" when he's been a Decepticon for most of the IDWverse? M:O, yes but not AHM.

Judging from Guido's AHM 2 cover, it looks like the Decepticons "shocking secret" is Soundwave being the Gary Glitter of all Transformers, I mean, even Jhiaxus would find kiddie fiddling to be rather distasteful.

Sunyavadin · Post by **Sunyavadin** » Tue Aug 12, 2008 11:59 am

I can't believe I'm saying this about a Transformers comic, and I feel almost dirty for ever requesting it for ANY comic, but:

WTB Retcon!

I have a sudden urge to draw an alternate version of the last page where Prowl walks into that room and Optimus is standing in the shower....