Much Ado About Megatron #5 Review (SPOILERS)

Jack Cade · Post by **Jack Cade** » Fri Dec 19, 2008 2:50 pm

So are they using comics to sell toys or using toys to sell comics? That's the burning question!

Post by **Best First** » Fri Dec 19, 2008 2:55 pm

No man, its great stories with great characters. In contrast to the previous totally different great stories with great characters. And the next set of great stories with great characters when this direction fails.

man i love that its all about great stories with great characters.

Jack Cade · Post by **Jack Cade** » Fri Dec 19, 2008 3:12 pm

That's what I miss about the IDW board - the opportunity to interact directly with creators. Not many companies are prepared to tell you straight up that their product is great, or that they're really excited about it.

Post by **Best First** » Fri Dec 19, 2008 4:29 pm

Jack Cade wrote:That's what I miss about the IDW board - the opportunity to interact directly with creators. Not many companies are prepared to tell you straight up that their product is great, or that they're really excited about it.

And in a specifically non marketing way too.

BB Shockwave · Post by **BB Shockwave** » Sat Dec 27, 2008 10:10 am

Whew, last weeks before Xmas have been hectic, so I now sat down and read this thread from where I left off (around page 3?)...

I gather (and agree with) that a lot of people complain what the scrap are the Cons doing on Earth... They have won, surely the leader of the Cons and his "elite" (remember Meggie's "gods among us" or something speech?) would be better placed in space, hunting down the remaining key autobots (where's Omega, btw? This looks like a last resort situation...)

Now, after 6 issues AHM seems to finally get into this. And explains it with Shane's usual charming storytelling (by charming, I mean 'makes-you-headbang-your-keyboard' frustratingly idiotic):

http://comicbookresources.com/?page=pre ... disp=table

See page 6. I mean... that's so typical of this series. I wasn't so frustrated by dialogue like this since Sunstrom's long-winded going-nowhere speeches. Is something wrong with my english, or does this makes no sense to you 'natives' as well? I simply don't understand why Starscream is acting like an idiot (maybe because that's what Megs always called him in the toon), talking about speeches and such and everything for hours, before even getting to the point? And Megatron is like, "Don't go there Starscream..." or "I'm telling mom!"...

Also love how Jazz and Kup are playing "FBI vs. Police bickering" again. And how he names him second in command... "Springer is a big boy, he can handle it". I agree with Sprunker, we need Grimlock to kick their skidplates and shake up this rabble.

Oh, and you're gonna love this... apparently, Megs already killed 2 Primes, and only now did the idea occur to him that, y'know, taking the Matrix would be nice. Since then there'd be no next Prime... And they want to shove it down my throat that this doofus is leading an empire?

You know, I loathed Megatron: Origin too, but at least that one stayed true to the naming and was - a bit - working to characterize Megs. AHM doesn't even try. 5 issues, and what did he do? Blow stuff up, and give corny speeches.

Reading comics has been fun for me. Now, with AHM, it feels like a chore to read the latest when it comes out...

sprunkner · Post by **sprunkner** » Sat Dec 27, 2008 3:23 pm

What is he waiting around for?

Manchester Devil · Post by **Manchester Devil** » Sat Dec 27, 2008 4:57 pm

I cannot believe this is the half-way point of AHM!
I cannot believe this is the work of a professional comic book writer!
I cannot believe this was green-lighted by IDW!
I cannot believe people, myself included, have paid good money for this crap!
I cannot believe Guido Guidi and Josh Bucham have wasted their talents on this crap!
I cannot believe this gets 12 issue compared to Revelation's 4 spotlights!
I cannot believe something this consistently poor continues to sell!
I cannot believe I have been reduced to this repetitive state!

UNBELIEVEABLE JEFF!

arkonseal · Post by **arkonseal** » Sat Dec 27, 2008 6:47 pm

Agghh, Kup still has that damn cigar.

Edit: and Starscream's expression on the bottom of the sixth page is really familiar, but I can't place it for the life of me.

Manchester Devil · Post by **Manchester Devil** » Sat Dec 27, 2008 7:00 pm

I do like the fact that Starscream and Bombshell had caught onto the fact they're in one of the worst TF comics ever written. It's funnier when the latter, bar a flashback sequnce in SL: Blaster, hasn't appeared in the IDW-verse beforehand!

I wished I made that up.

BB Shockwave · Post by **BB Shockwave** » Sun Dec 28, 2008 9:29 am

Manchester Devil wrote:I do like the fact that Starscream and Bombshell had caught onto the fact they're in one of the worst TF comics ever written. It's funnier when the latter, bar a flashback sequnce in SL: Blaster, hasn't appeared in the IDW-verse beforehand!

I wished I made that up.

And frankly, just why the heck are Skywarp and Bombshell getting into a fight over nothing particular? Oh I see... they are "bad guys". Bad Guys always fight among themselves to prove that they are unruly, stupid bunch. Never mind the fact that we have seen these Cons to be a professional, orderly infiltration unit a few comics earlier...

Manchester Devil · Post by **Manchester Devil** » Sun Dec 28, 2008 12:17 pm

"bt teh decpticns wer neva p0fesinal in da cart00n d00d!!!1111"

Man, I can't believe I used l33t to poke fun at this rubbish! I'm going to read a Furman written TF story to dull the pain.

BB Shockwave · Post by **BB Shockwave** » Sun Dec 28, 2008 12:29 pm

I do that all the time. I re-read the Furman-written spotlights recently, Soundwave's is one of my favourites (proving that you can write a story featuring only Decepticons and have it be NOT about mindless destruction like AHM's first issues).

In other news, apparently THIS is the Swarm now, McCarthy's latest great idea, from AHM #7...

Looks like the G1 insecticons and Movie Scorponok had some affair, and this is what hatched from those eggs...

Don't worry, Drift will come and save the day! Gooey Insecticon limbs flying everywhere! Because that's why we buy TF comics (at least it appears some people do), to see gore and giant robot action without a sensible plot...

Manchester Devil · Post by **Manchester Devil** » Sun Dec 28, 2008 1:07 pm

What's truly sad is that EJ Su drew that image for AHM7! Did McCarthy take EJ's daughter hostage and forced him to come up with that... thing?

The "Swarm" itself looks like it consists of different mash ups of Flame's zombies, Bay-verse Scorponok and the Insecticons.

Jack Cade · Post by **Jack Cade** » Sun Dec 28, 2008 1:59 pm

The EJ picture is pretty impressive. I don't mind the Swarm idea so much, since it should, at the very least, give us some proper conflict.

The issue 7 preview is slightly different to what's come before in that I think I understand what McCarthy is *attempting* to achieve. These are obviously supposed to be pivotal character moments where relationships are established. I get the feeling he wants the hypothetical critic to remark, "It's in the small exchanges, the revelatory moments, that the characters really come to life."

But there's so much to infuriate anyone who expects basic competence from a writer, even in a few pages. As with Megatron the 'military genius', he is now a 'poet'. Yes, Starscream is mocking him, but that line is still, I think, supposed to tell us that Megatron's orations are stirring and eloquent. Key word being 'tell'. We don't get to actually see for ourselves that Megs is a military genius or a poet - we get told by other characters. Surely it should be a golden rule that if you don't have the talent or work ethic to be able to write a convincing 'genius', whether oratory or military, then don't big a character up to be one.

And then there's this: the story could start here, couldn't it, and new readers would be in no worse position than they were with issue 1? There's nothing of the concept of the series that isn't explained again in the expository dialogue right here. I mean, for [composite word including 'f*ck']'s sake.

Manchester Devil · Post by **Manchester Devil** » Sun Dec 28, 2008 3:38 pm

Considering how much space has been wasted in the preceeding 5 issues, what's to say that the Swarm isn't just more padding to artifically lengthen the series - or better still, why not have a squad of Decepticons *cough*The Mayhem Attack Unit*cough* arrive in issue 3 or whatever and have The Wreckers save the day and put the "traitor" in his place. None of this faffing about that has been a McCarthy trademark here.

But that would mean involving concepts McCarthy couldn't be arsed to use because that would get in the away of having the Decepticons going on a sight seeing tour of New York City.

Mr_Tigg · Post by **Mr_Tigg** » Sun Dec 28, 2008 9:56 pm

is this interior art or a cover?

sprunkner · Post by **sprunkner** » Mon Dec 29, 2008 5:13 pm

BB Shockwave wrote:giant robot action

What giant robot action? It's been six issues of AHM and there has not been one single TF-to-TF fight. Talking and trashing humans.

Post by **Best First** » Mon Dec 29, 2008 9:51 pm

Suggesting that EJ should not accept work relating to this project seems ridiculous to me. I think its important that criticism of this series remains rational (despite IDWs attenpt to stamp such things out...) focussing on its faults from a TF perspective and in terms of its failings to meet the standards that i would consider make a good comic. Implying that EJ has betrayed "us" or something is... improper, sir.

Equally - i have no issue with the reinvention of the swarm per se. I expect i will have issues with the fact they may be introduced as canon fodder to make the 'bots look cool and their questionable origins or whereabouts prior to this story (all TBC) but the fact they aren't a big glowing cloud of stuff that kind of eats things because there was too much asexual boning going going on should not be a reason for upset in my opinion, which i just typed rather than saying IMO. Ha.

Non of which is to say that i don't think the preview for issue 6 makes it look like a big load of cock, which i absolutely do.

Mr_Tigg · Post by **Mr_Tigg** » Mon Dec 29, 2008 11:32 pm

The thing I like most about this forum is that I find myself nodding in agreement with so many posts. So much common sense seems to exist here as oppose to the IDW boards, where everyone seems to have been brainwashed by IDWs "you will love AHM no matter what" approach.

Although I can understand why EJ is doing art for AHM (man's gotta earn a living) it's a shame it happens to be for such a bad comic. I use to really like Guido's work but I can't help but feel my criticism of AHM spill over onto the art itself. It's like AHM is the titanic and Guido is playing the role of DiCaprio - he is on a sinking ship and despite all his valient efforts he will drown with it! My fear with EJ doing the interiors is that his art will suffer equally.

On the preview itself - the exchange between megs and SS is a load of bollocks. Really badly written, didn't feel like it was the IDW rendition of the characters talking at all.

Manchester Devil · Post by **Manchester Devil** » Tue Dec 30, 2008 3:06 am

Suggesting that EJ should not accept work relating to this project seems ridiculous to me. I think its important that criticism of this series remains rational (despite IDWs attenpt to stamp such things out...) focussing on its faults from a TF perspective and in terms of its failings to meet the standards that i would consider make a good comic. Implying that EJ has betrayed "us" or something is... improper, sir.

If this is aimed at me, then I can only hope to clear this up by saying I wasn't suggesting that EJ is "betraying us". I'm more concerned that EJ's good name and art would suffer by being tied to AHM, like Casey Coller and Teveor Hutchinson's covers seem to be tied to McCarthy. And the more I look at EJ's page, the more the mish-mashed designs of the Swarm zombies appear to be bland. It really doesn't do EJ justice at all, much like Guido's art for the majority of AHM.

That preview would've been hilairous if it wasn't for the fact it wants to be taken as seriously as the majority of Furman's IDW work. On top of the following fact of it being rubbish.

Jack Cade · Post by **Jack Cade** » Tue Dec 30, 2008 7:10 pm

Mr Tigg wrote:It's like AHM is the titanic and Guido is playing the role of DiCaprio - he is on a sinking ship and despite all his valient efforts he will drown with it! My fear with EJ doing the interiors is that his art will suffer equally.

Not sure the comparison works. Guido's art seems to be far more sensitive to editorial control. The first issue of Hearts of Steel saw him turn out some very impressive new Transformer designs and detailed panels. As the concept went rather off the rails in terms of writing, so did his art (I know he didn't do issue 3, but I'm thinking of issue 4's uninspiring Scourge and Astrotrain cameos). Similarly, Spotlight: Galvatron saw him pull out all the stops while Spotlight: Mirage, which was a bit half-arsed in every way, was the first time he started doing those panels where a packed crowd of angry Transformers all jump up at once and miraculously don't even brush up against each other.

EJ, on the other hand, has been consistent, producing some of his best panels on poorer issues.

But I agree that AHM is dragging Guido down. I bought all of his covers during Infiltration, apart from number 5 - and not out of loyalty. I just picked my favourite one each time, and five times out of six, it was his. On AHM, I find his TFs blocky, his expressions repetitive and his depiction of 'battle damage' (scratchy lines) pretty lazy.

sprunkner · Post by **sprunkner** » Tue Dec 30, 2008 8:21 pm

Yeah, I thought he was better on S: G.

In other news, there is some serious sniping on the IDW boards. The place has not yet been entirely cleansed.

Jack Cade · Post by **Jack Cade** » Tue Dec 30, 2008 9:05 pm

I think any lull was purely down to people feeling broadly positive about Max Dinos and briefly forgetting that AHM is the future. The reality is that the management didn't do anything apart from ban me for poking fun at them. Everyone knows that as long as they play nice when DJT and Ryall jump in it's business as usual.

Mr_Tigg · Post by **Mr_Tigg** » Wed Dec 31, 2008 12:45 am

Sprunker Wrote:
In other news, there is some serious sniping on the IDW boards. The place has not yet been entirely cleansed.

How so? I don't visit there anymore. Pretty disgusted with how it has been run of late.

Sunyavadin · Post by **Sunyavadin** » Wed Dec 31, 2008 2:25 am

See, this art would be great....

......if it were for a new continuity analogue of Legion of the lost/Meltdown.

sprunkner · Post by **sprunkner** » Wed Dec 31, 2008 6:29 am

the AHM-related threads (#6 preview and Shockwav's poll) are getting snappy.

E.J.Su · Post by **E.J.Su** » Wed Dec 31, 2008 7:47 am

Mr_Tigg wrote:is this interior art or a cover?

Page 1 of AHM#7

Post by **spiderfrommars** » Wed Dec 31, 2008 11:17 am

Mr_Tigg wrote:It's like AHM is the titanic and Guido is playing the role of DiCaprio - he is on a sinking ship and despite all his valient efforts he will drown with it! My fear with EJ doing the interiors is that his art will suffer equally.

Actually, if AHM is the Titanic, aren't the artists Industrial Light and Magic?

Gotta admit, some snazzy effects in that film...

Jack Cade · Post by **Jack Cade** » Wed Dec 31, 2008 5:39 pm

E.J.Su wrote:Page 1 of AHM#7

Hey, E.J - nice to see you on a board I can still post on!

Does this mean you've tweaked the toy designs a little?

E.J.Su · Post by **E.J.Su** » Wed Dec 31, 2008 7:46 pm

Hey Jack, sorry to hear about your situation...

I don't really have control over the designs that are already established. This isn't my book, so I gotta respect what I was asked to do.