MTMTE #10 Review (SPOILERS)

Yaya · Post by **Yaya** » Wed Oct 31, 2012 11:11 pm

I feel sorry for whoever takes on the mantle of "Writer of TF Comics" when Roberts has finished his run. Hell, I feel sorry for whoever came before his run. Cause he's "The Best". By a country mile.

This issue, IMO, was his best thus far. I know I say that every issue, but what Roberts is doing with this run, well, let's just say I think I'd put it up against any other comic series I've read. How he is able to create such an intricate plot is beyond me. There seems to be purpose to everything he introduces, even if it seems negligible at the time. He makes us care about the characters, varied though they be in personality and drive.

And he makes Optimus an even greater badass than before. No easy task.

I think about how far we've come from some of the stupidest plot lines we've had to endure the past few years. "The Autobots can't leave Earth cause they're stranded there despite being capable of intersteller travel". Wow. It's like night and day.

Love the Sherlock Holmes/Watson vibe I'm getting from Prowl and Chromedome. Love the mystery in this. The political intrigue in this story is chilling. Torture chambers and experimentation to alter personalities is a nightmare that is likely a reality, given what's going on in the world today. Violent attacks to alter popular opinion. It's all there, in this story and one could truly make a commentary (a very sad one) on the state of affairs in our world today using this. I once stated when Costa was writing that I wanted stories that reflected the human condition. I should have been more clear, because Costa gave us stories about the human condition using humans, whereas Roberts is doing so the way I had hoped, with Transformers. Just what the doctor ordered.

What a read. Art continues to be strong.

"A+" Best issue yet. Shadowplay is shaping up to be one of my favorite TF story arcs every.

inflatable dalek · Post by **inflatable dalek** » Thu Nov 01, 2012 8:55 am

Right, before I get to the good stuff, let me talk about my big problem with this issue, and what I think now is the major (only really recurring) problem with Roberts writing.

That is, for no less than the third time in the series (following the Autobots blown out into space and Rung) an issue ending with the seeming death of one or more characters only for that to almost instantly turn out not to be the case.

Individually, each of those cases worked (even if I personally found them a bit groan inducing). Collectively it's Martha Jones syndrome (ie, where the one big stupid thing she would do every episode wasn't enough by itself to ruin the character but added up they managed to make her a complete and utter moron).

I'm not suggesting going to RID extremes, but Roberts can't keep faux killing people for cheap drama, this needs to be avoided like the plague from now on. Either don't blow off character's heads, or follow through. If you're a good enough writer (and Roberts is), you should be able to tell the story you want by taking either option. And it's odd the writer of Wreckers is being so shy about this (then again, Springer's "He's gone into a coma" ending was probably the first example of this, even if there wasn't a cliffhanger between Overlord seemingly ripping him a new one and the panel of him on the bed).

Mind, it's probably lucky that this one flaw is there, because otherwise I'd now be more gay for Roberts than Prowl is for Chromedome.

And onto the good stuff....

Well, everything else. But lets start with that last thing I mentioned. The Rewind/Chromedome thing has been handled wonderfully, slowly building up the fact they're like an old married couple in an unobtrusive way that could be read in any way (personally I'm going with them as "partners", but without any even slightly quasi sexual element to it as they are of course still asexual beings).

After that, Prowl coming out with such a shameless teen romance line ("I thought you'd come with me!" It's like he's suddenly a Twilight character) should ruin the subtlety, but Rewind's instant jealousy makes it hilarious. And still just about possible to read in other ways (Prowl and Chromedome were "Just Good Friends" and Rewind is just oddly jealous of that). I'll have to go reread the scene where Chrodome said he was leaving back in issue one now to see if there's any SUBTEXT.

And I've been saying from near the off it'd only be a matter of time before Impactor turned up. I doubt it'll be the last we see of him either (after all, all these characters are connected, right?).

Sympathy for Whirl! That was neat, though him talking about his hands being so swiftly followed up by a character with strange hands did make me wonder if the baddy was supposed to have Whirl's, which briefly confused me.

Optimus Prime jumping on things from a great height.

The ironic sign.

Prowl generally being written as a fairly cool dude rather than the complete and utter cock he has been in pretty much every iteration since Dreamwave.

AWESOME AWESOME AWESOME.

Four out of five, with a minus one for the death cheat.

Post by **snarl** » Thu Nov 01, 2012 10:16 am

Yes, this issue is awesome.

And it's all down to Michael Bay.

THANK YOU MICHAEL BAY FOR MAKING TRANSFORMERS SO AWESOME!

Seriously, The last time I was this engrossed in a comic was Y: The Last Man.

Post by **Kaylee** » Thu Nov 01, 2012 11:50 am

Absolutely superb

I love the characters. The artwork, I think, is really full of expression and very sexy.

Hound · Post by **Hound** » Thu Nov 01, 2012 1:52 pm

I don't care about the cheat deaths personally. The drama is still there and eventually there will be plenty of deaths

These guys are supposed to be able to take a bit of damage after all...

Post by **snarl** » Thu Nov 01, 2012 3:29 pm

I don't either - a bloke on the idw board summed up how I felt: As Ben said, theyr'e ******* war machines, they're durable, think there is on the record stuff that they need to have either / or their brain modules or sparks done to definitely be dead.

Doesn't mean that if you suffer significant trauma that you'll be up and about after a week, just means survival from massive damage is possible.

inflatable dalek · Post by **inflatable dalek** » Thu Nov 01, 2012 8:25 pm

I've certainly no problem with them being portrayed as virtually unkillable death machines (which is pretty much how they've always been since Gears was put back together after falling off a mountain).

But if you're going to do that, you can't keep having ZOMG! HE'S DEAD!!! moments. As said, by itself Red Alert isn't a massive problem (especially if it still turns out Red Alert shot himself as part of some elaborate plot), but together it just all adds up to meh and seriously undercuts any attempt at drama with those cliffhangers (the Gears case did it much better because it's not treated as high drama, all the Autobots know they're hard to kill and he'll be OK and it's only Spider-Man who has a real emotive reaction to it). It's certainly a trope that need to be left well alone now, next time it's going to look really silly.

EDIT: I do wonder at this point what Flywheels had done to Roberts to wind up properly dead rather than just mostly.

It's a shame to have a small blemish amongst an issue with so much good good stuff in it. I mean, how awesome is the Drift and Cyclonus bit?

Yaya · Post by **Yaya** » Fri Nov 02, 2012 12:57 am

inflatable dalek wrote: Well, everything else. But lets start with that last thing I mentioned. The Rewind/Chromedome thing has been handled wonderfully, slowly building up the fact they're like an old married couple in an unobtrusive way that could be read in any way (personally I'm going with them as "partners", but without any even slightly quasi sexual element to it as they are of course still asexual beings).

I don't know why on other boards some posters can't fathom a relationship of love between two guys (or in this case, masculine-like robotic beings) as being anything other than sexual in nature. Particularly as you say, we are dealing with beings that are asexual, at least in the way we understand it. There are men in my life that I can say I truly love, would kiss them on the cheek and give them a big hug, and yet there would be nothing sexual about it. It's like there's no middle ground between apathy and full-on carnal lust with some people. I used to cringe when some bot would have the hots for Arcee. She's a robot!

I cringe even more when some fans have the hots for Arcee.

Post by **Best First** » Fri Nov 02, 2012 8:17 am

Hound wrote:I don't care about the cheat deaths personally. The drama is still there and eventually there will be plenty of deaths

These guys are supposed to be able to take a bit of damage after all...

My initial reaction was more in line with IDs but after a few rereads i can't help but think that it's becoming an interesting exploration of just how much punishment a TF can take.

Also, in the case, as the assailent was almost definitely an Autobot, could the fact Red ain't Dead have been a deliberate move? Maybe, maybe not, but that's part of the outright beauty of Robert's writing.

It saddens me that the vast majority of the world will never read this.

Er... but makes me feel kinda groovy as well.

Death's Head · Post by **Death's Head** » Fri Nov 02, 2012 12:18 pm

"You know, sometimes I wonder what it takes to kill us. Bluestreak's been flayed alive and yet he'll still pull through. What did we do to deserve such unnatural endurance?"
- Eugenesis

Yaya · Post by **Yaya** » Fri Nov 02, 2012 1:31 pm

Anyone else notice that smile on the Senator's face at the end. Does it not appear a little....smirkish to you? As if to say "Fools, I'm the bad guy! Me! Me! BWAHAHAHAHAHAA!"

Or maybe it's just a "So glad I have some help here" kind of smile.

Nah. He's the bad guy.

inflatable dalek · Post by **inflatable dalek** » Fri Nov 02, 2012 2:22 pm

The fact he's not be named on page yet (though presumably Pax and the other's who've met him know who he is) I am now fairly convinced he's someone we'd recognise in an earlier form. Hopefully not Alpha Trion, Xaaron maybe?

Two other thoughts on reading the physical copy:

"Free in 63" graffiti appears twice, a new meme or more significant?

We've not found out Swerve and Tailgate's connection to the story yet. Whilst the former could pop up in any capacity (hey, he's the senator!:0 ) Tailgate will be a bit harder to fit in. Considering that Pax is about to go all Adam West Batman with a bomb and Tailgate was a bomb disposal expert, with he use some archaic file of the little ancient dude to disarm it?

Post by **snarl** » Fri Nov 02, 2012 2:58 pm

DH, you know him and Nick don't you?

Post by **Best First** » Fri Nov 02, 2012 4:31 pm

Is Tailgate part of the story? Hadn't he fallen down a hole by then?

inflatable dalek · Post by **inflatable dalek** » Fri Nov 02, 2012 4:42 pm

Someone at the Archive pointed out that Swerve and Tailgate were specifically excluded from Rewind's Dirk Gently style inter-connectivity of all things experiment and were just there to be the audience. So I am just talking slightly more bollocks than usual.

Mr_Tigg · Post by **Mr_Tigg** » Fri Nov 02, 2012 4:42 pm

inflatable dalek wrote:The fact he's not be named on page yet (though presumably Pax and the other's who've met him know who he is) I am now fairly convinced he's someone we'd recognise in an earlier form. Hopefully not Alpha Trion, Xaaron maybe?

Two other thoughts on reading the physical copy:

"Free in 63" graffiti appears twice, a new meme or more significant?

We've not found out Swerve and Tailgate's connection to the story yet. Whilst the former could pop up in any capacity (hey, he's the senator!:0 ) Tailgate will be a bit harder to fit in. Considering that Pax is about to go all Adam West Batman with a bomb and Tailgate was a bomb disposal expert, with he use some archaic file of the little ancient dude to disarm it?

Someone on the IDW boards reckoned it was Tarn. If you look at their head designs they're suspiciously similar, plus Tarn is a confirmed transformation-addict while the senator likes changing colour palettes. Suspicious no?

inflatable dalek · Post by **inflatable dalek** » Fri Nov 02, 2012 4:46 pm

Mr_Tigg wrote: Someone on the IDW boards reckoned it was Tarn. If you look at their head designs they're suspiciously similar, plus Tarn is a confirmed transformation-addict while the senator likes changing colour palettes. Suspicious no?

Ohhhh, I like that.

Post by **snarl** » Fri Nov 02, 2012 4:49 pm

I've seen a few shouts for Roller being Tarn, based on physique + other fairly plausible reasons.

Death's Head · Post by **Death's Head** » Sat Nov 03, 2012 12:00 am

DH, you know him and Nick don't you?

Yeah, I was lucky enough to work with both of them briefly back in my TMUK days. I scripted the second issue of The Prime Sacrifice for Nick, and collaborated with James on a couple of collective fanfics. It's why I've not commented too much on the series, since I'm far too biased, albeit in a good way. The truth is I've been champing at the bit for each issue! After falling away since Furman was kicked off it's a genuine thrill to head to the comic shop each month and grab a comic I really, truly love.

Someone on the IDW boards reckoned it was Tarn. If you look at their head designs they're suspiciously similar, plus Tarn is a confirmed transformation-addict while the senator likes changing colour palettes. Suspicious no?

Mmm. I like that as well!

bumblemusprime · Post by **bumblemusprime** » Sat Nov 03, 2012 4:06 am

Death's Head wrote:I'm far too biased, albeit in a good way.

You are among friends. No worries.

Death's Head · Post by **Death's Head** » Sat Nov 03, 2012 4:57 pm

It's been great to see James and Nick's stuff so well received. Back when I was a more frequent poster, particularly on the largely American boards, I'd always be banging on about the quality of their fanzine work to the point where I imagine people got heartily tired of it!

Post by **snarl** » Sun Nov 04, 2012 4:32 pm

I have some of those somewhere, very good stuff...

Although my mother has probably chucked them.

My Megatron Re-Issue has vanished, amongst others.

When I found that out, I could barely finish my lunch.

Death's Head · Post by **Death's Head** » Wed Nov 07, 2012 11:58 pm

My parents are under strict orders. Nae chucking.