Marvel UK comics marathon

Impactor returns 2.0 · Post by **Impactor returns 2.0** » Fri Apr 22, 2011 3:19 pm

I like Fire on the High, it doesnt feel as grand as T2006 but i recall being somewhat shocked when it finally escalated to such big proportions. I just didnt expect all these characters to be involved in what seemed like a pretty average story arc.

Simon really seems to have got the art of using Galvy down to a T now. Left to his own devices I still believe Galvy has no equal, yet like any super villain he battles with insanity and other silly problems that stops all the best from fulfilling thier goals.

The artwork is super, the 'Draw' sequence is awesome. Roddy actually looks menacing yet I get a feeling of unease about him. The shot of Galvy stomping Roddys head into the floor is epic!

It also throws up one of the best bits of cover art IMO:

Question, where a Cyc and Scourge at this point?

The upcoming stories take a dive here dont they? - I mean we go from this:

To this:

bumblemusprime · Post by **bumblemusprime** » Fri Apr 22, 2011 3:32 pm

spiderfrommars wrote:I must've re-read Vicious Circle 100 times at the time. It's another story that really disturbed me, but I couldn't tell you why. Perhaps it was the really downbeat ending. And the action seemed more brutal - and less caperish - than earlier parts of the saga.

Talking of Annual stories - don't forget the other two strips in the same book!

Depends if Titan reprinted them... what were they?

inflatable dalek · Post by **inflatable dalek** » Fri Apr 22, 2011 3:43 pm

bumblemusprime wrote: Depends if Titan reprinted them... what were they?

What's In a Name (in the Prey book) and Ark Duty (in Space Pirates).

As I whored my Target: 2006 review, here's my Fallen Angel one as well:
http://thecomicscode.weebly.com/fallen-angel.html

Basically lots of nice stuff, but less than satisfying at the end and dragging stuff out past its natural end into the Annual hurts the story. Death's Head is great though, even if he's more of an amoral bastard than he will be next time round.

DJ_Convoy · Post by **DJ_Convoy** » Fri Apr 22, 2011 4:37 pm

Obviously , Geoff is responsible for that fantastic cover for 117... but do we know who did the cover for 120?

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Fri Apr 22, 2011 5:19 pm

DJ_Convoy wrote:Obviously , Geoff is responsible for that fantastic cover for 117... but do we know who did the cover for 120?

The inside cover says Jeff Anderson. However, they were known to get that wrong on occasion.

DJ_Convoy · Post by **DJ_Convoy** » Fri Apr 22, 2011 5:34 pm

That sounds right- the Galvatron particularly looks like his work. But DH was throwing me off.

I own that issue- I didn't realize I could go look at the credits inside!

bumblemusprime · Post by **bumblemusprime** » Fri Apr 22, 2011 11:40 pm

inflatable dalek wrote:
bumblemusprime wrote: Depends if Titan reprinted them... what were they?
What's In a Name (in the Prey book) and Ark Duty (in Space Pirates).

There's a lot of bouncing around. Case in point.

To this site: http://www.bloodforthebaron.com/comics/ ... index.html

For Ancient Relics!

Ohhh my. Page after page after page of Seniory goodness.

This arc is like an essay on Why It Was Stupid To Put Grimlock In Control. Unfortunately, the Autobots don't do a damn thing about it. Wheeljack and Blades whine a little. This explains why Simon spends a good portion of Grimlock's rule in 2007.

But then we get Grimlock looking like he is about to eat humans. And munching on Megatron. And that… thass a'ight.

Centurion. What the heck? Has Professor Morris merged with his brain? Is he a separate person? At this point, Simon seems to be treating him just like another Transformer. I suppose that he didn't want to explain who Centurion really was to Action Force readers. Or why Centurion has grown a face. Or why the Autobots ever bothered to obey Grimlock's orders to go find "traitors" instead of fighting Decepticons. Also…

Who gives a [composite word including 'f*ck']. An entire arc by Senior, full of Grimlock fighting Megatron.

That's all I need. You listening, IDW?

Post by **spiderfrommars** » Tue Apr 26, 2011 10:20 am

I didn't read Ancient Relics at the time (couldn't afford Action Force comic as well) so it wasn't until I read online scans that I caught up.

And it was a bit of a letdown after the exciting first part to get only 5 pages to each part, but the art was nice (a rare case of Senior not inking his own stuff).

Post by **Best First** » Tue Apr 26, 2011 12:36 pm

Yeah i was the same with Ancient Relics - trying to explain to your mum why you need two comics this month only to be met with the awesome logic of "They just do that deliberately to make you buy more"

Post by **spiderfrommars** » Tue Apr 26, 2011 1:06 pm

And to think, it was only 32p!

Parents are stingy.

Post by **Best First** » Tue Apr 26, 2011 1:26 pm

i think it was more the case my mum thought i should be reading King Solomom's Mines rather than this stuff

DJ_Convoy · Post by **DJ_Convoy** » Tue Apr 26, 2011 2:54 pm

I just bought Ancient Relics 'cause I don't trust IDW to reprint it when the time comes.

bumblemusprime · Post by **bumblemusprime** » Wed Apr 27, 2011 12:58 am

Best First wrote:i think it was more the case my mum thought i should be reading King Solomom's Mines rather than this stuff

You were a rather mistreated kid, weren't you, Besty? Gobots, no TF movie, no Ancient Relics... Eight-year-old Spencer pities you. And will destroy you slowly.

So, my chronology actually has "Worlds Apart" next... which is way over in the Time Wars TPB. It doesn't make a lot of sense, but I already read the thing, so...

Worlds Apart!

Not much to say. Nice to see a story that deals with what would be the primary weakness of Headmasters, although it's dealt with in a fairly ham-fisted way with a pep talk from Chromedome. It's no wonder that Simon never mentions the Headmaster business again, and only uses HiQ as an excuse to bring Prime back from the dead.

I gotta say, kudos to Simon for making Headmasters work in the IDW continuity. It's a great way for meddling humans to meet Transformers on their own playing field. Another thing that the post-AHM continuity has gotten wrong.

Sigh... sometimes these reviews make me sad.

Post by **spiderfrommars** » Wed Apr 27, 2011 2:22 pm

World's Apart sets up a nice dynamic between Highbrow and Scorponok that'll be explored later. Where the story fits in Headmasters continuity is a bit sketchy though.

Don't forget to read What's in a Name before Grudge Match.

bumblemusprime · Post by **bumblemusprime** » Wed Apr 27, 2011 3:05 pm

Done... although for some reason, the list I have also lists "Kup's Story" next. Which is not too bad, since it's a good eleven pages.

Combat fatigue! In the TF universe! I really like the concept. The Autobots often seem rather brave and gung-ho, jumping into their ten millionth battle just as eager to smack a Decepticon. What about combat fatigue, PTSD, and that oft-missing component, a mourning of one's fallen brothers?

Granted, it doesn't go far with it. "Last Stand" is the closest thing to a TF war movie we will get. And honestly, I don't want it too much closer, although it would be nice to see Roche and Roberts do a similar piece to "Kup's Story" in which some characters try to recover from the death of their longtime friends and companions. (As for Ironhide's death in the blahngoing, people with combat fatigue and PTSD do not typically go surrender themselves, thus compromising the rest of their army and possibly getting them killed. But we all knew that.)

Kup gets over his fear in a somewhat contrived way. Simon flirts with a big issue here but ultimately shies away from what could be one of his deepest stories, although this probably paved the way for the masterfully complex Kup of IDW.

I love Dan Reed's strange, strange art. Eight-year-old Spencie hates it, or would if he wasn't in the backyard skinning squirrels alive and watching them die.

Post by **spiderfrommars** » Wed Apr 27, 2011 3:36 pm

Dan Reed drew some awesome freaky aliens in that story.

Post by **Best First** » Wed Apr 27, 2011 3:59 pm

yeah, i love Kup's Tale - it's not the world's most original tale, but it's well executed.

It's a good point about Ironhide in the ongoing - no one seems to mention it after issue, what, 3?

bumblemusprime · Post by **bumblemusprime** » Thu Apr 28, 2011 2:08 pm

What's in a Name?/Grudge Match! (way the heck back to the Prey TPB--fer chrissake, Titan!)

I'm itching for a more ambitious set of plots at this point, but if I had to have yet another self-contained story, this is a good one. The plot is hardly airtight--the Dinobots would never let a bunch of Decepticons go scot-free--but dang is it an entertaining concept.

Simon has a knack for self-contained stories, although it's still in chrysalis. The skills he learns on tales like this will serve him well on the Spotlights.

Poor Swoop. He's been mind-controlled by a human, then mind-controlled again, then he submitted himself to being that human's bitch again in order to fight Galvatron. But this is by far the lowest low we've seen, and the funniest.

I never really thought about how Transformers must fight over their monikers. There were probably a good dozen Grimlocks back on Cybertron before our current Grim went around kicking each one's ass, Scott Pilgrim-style. Poor Swoop is so very embarrassed to admit that Divebomb took his name.

The art is quite serviceable if not Geoff-dynamic in both chapters. Jeff Anderson looks a lot better when inked by Baskerville. Shiny!

And of course Grimlock knew all along. What a good mom... er, leader.

In the finnnnal analysis, the story could live and thrive without all of Swoop's agonizing. He's more interesting if he sticks to his original story without once thinking that he has done wrong. I think Simon made some similar missteps in Maximum Dinobots, though I need to reread it.

The Dinobots are better as brawling toughs without too much self-awareness. A little is good, but too much makes Swoop whiny.

Post by **Best First** » Thu Apr 28, 2011 2:17 pm

I am Ramona's first evil Ex-Grimlock!

Post by **spiderfrommars** » Thu Apr 28, 2011 2:53 pm

What's in a Name, the annual story is nice. It's sequel feels a little padded, but it's fun seeing the Predacons get trashed by the Dinobots (they're not in the same league).

Funny how all the way back in The Icarus Theory Simon gave Swoop a Cybertronian name, only for a Predacon to turn up on the toy shelves with the same name, and that he felt the need to explain it. But it was serendipitous that it pertained to the aerial/bird type members of each team... and we got a story out of it that looked like it was planned all along.

bumblemusprime · Post by **bumblemusprime** » Fri Apr 29, 2011 6:14 pm

Ark Duty!

Not much to say. Diverting. Possibly entertaining. Valuable for many of the same reasons that Kup's Story was as it provides character development for the movie bots.

Once again the Decepticons leave an Autobot alive. Shoot yer damn enemies, guys. Shoot em, shoot em and they won't keep fighting you for four million more years, especially this one, who is going to end up as a Prime, duh...

By far the best part of this was Blurr's internal monologue. "That'sme!that'sme!that'sme!that'sme!"

Post by **spiderfrommars** » Fri Apr 29, 2011 7:44 pm

It's nice to get a future story that's set pre-movie, and it's an important one for the timeline as we see when work began on Autobot City (continued in Aspects of Evil). It also confirms that in the future timeline the Ark never left Earth.

Poor Hot Rod gets a kicking doesn't he?

Odd that there were no credits for the story, though I'd hazard a guess at Furman/Simpson.

bumblemusprime · Post by **bumblemusprime** » Sat Apr 30, 2011 12:52 am

For those keeping track, we went from the Fallen Angel trade to the Time Wars trade to the City of Fear trade to the Prey trade to the Space Pirates trade and now...

to...

The Legacy of Unicron trade, which in strangely more-or-less chronological order boasts Headhunt, Ladies' Night, Legacy of Unicron and Enemy Action right in a row.

According to my so-far-fairly-wrong chronology, Ladies' Night is first, but we're going to do Headhunt first. Because that's how I roll.

After a series of one-offs and two-parters with minor ambitions, Death's Head is back! 2008 is back! Rodimus is still kind of a pansy! Death's Head is back, yes!

Simon does not let the utter impracticality of a Cybertronian sewer stop him from having a badass sewer fight. Between Dan Reed and Geoff, the art is wonderfully quirky-then-dynamic. Asses are kicked. Because Death's Head does that. He gets shot in the back by Scourge and still gets up, then kicks his ass.

Rodimus is... still a bitch. Has anyone, ever, ever written a heroic and winning portrayal of Rodimus Prime other than the last five minutes of the animated movie?

He pulls a rather stupid move at the end, too, when he hires Death's Head. Granted, this one turns out all right. Kind of. But did none of those Autobots in that room have the brains to say "Last time you put a price on a Decepticon's head it was a colossal cock-up--why are you doing it again?"

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sat Apr 30, 2011 11:56 am

bumblemusprime wrote:According to my so-far-fairly-wrong chronology, Ladies' Night is first, but we're going to do Headhunt first. Because that's how I roll.

Well, Headhunt is first. Actually, it's so first it's before Grudge Match!

bumblemusprime · Post by **bumblemusprime** » Sun May 01, 2011 1:36 pm

...

Tiiiiiiitan!

I don't think Titan ever reprinted Destiny of the Dinobots! I just realized this while I was wiki-ing the Annual stories. Chain Gang, yes, and Dreadwind down, yes, but not the story of Snarl sickening and dying?

http://tfwiki.net/wiki/Destiny_of_the_Dinobots!

Post by **spiderfrommars** » Tue May 03, 2011 6:20 pm

bumblemusprime wrote:...

Tiiiiiiitan!

I don't think Titan ever reprinted Destiny of the Dinobots! I just realized this while I was wiki-ing the Annual stories. Chain Gang, yes, and Dreadwind down, yes, but not the story of Snarl sickening and dying?

http://tfwiki.net/wiki/Destiny_of_the_Dinobots!

I've taken some pictures of the story with my iPhone that will probably turn you cross-eyed, but I can send them your way unless anyone else can help?

bumblemusprime · Post by **bumblemusprime** » Wed May 04, 2011 3:35 am

spiderfrommars wrote:
bumblemusprime wrote:...

Tiiiiiiitan!

I don't think Titan ever reprinted Destiny of the Dinobots! I just realized this while I was wiki-ing the Annual stories. Chain Gang, yes, and Dreadwind down, yes, but not the story of Snarl sickening and dying?

http://tfwiki.net/wiki/Destiny_of_the_Dinobots!
I've taken some pictures of the story with my iPhone that will probably turn you cross-eyed, but I can send them your way unless anyone else can help?

Where's Karl when you need him?

Post by **Best First** » Wed May 04, 2011 7:37 am

Usually at the pie shop.

Metal Vendetta · Post by **Metal Vendetta** » Wed May 04, 2011 7:50 am

I have it, but I'll have to wait till I get home to upload it, unless Karl gets here first

bumblemusprime · Post by **bumblemusprime** » Wed May 04, 2011 2:09 pm

Metal Vendetta wrote:I have it, but I'll have to wait till I get home to upload it, unless Karl gets here first

I think he's still at the pie shop, eating enough pie to round out plenty of decimal places.