Regeneration #87: SPOILERS

Shanti418 · Post by **Shanti418** » Wed Jan 09, 2013 8:06 pm

Wow I really like that issue!

I had been unenthusiastic about this comic lately, but this issue moves a lot of pieces and does so in an interesting and prompt fashion. For example, when Scorponok and Grimlock leave on their ship, I figured it would be another few issues before they actually showed up. Instead by the end of this issue we have a full-scale infiltration. Hot Rod finally stops staring at his navel to make a plan and go do something of merit. It makes sense and I buy Op staying on Earth (although see below), and him against those three (for some reason, I like the dynamic between Galvy and Screamer more than Meg/Screamer with SS in his mute sniveler mode) is going to be awesome. The Scorpy invasion gave me a real sense of danger: things could get very bad very quickly.

A few things that don't make sense:
Why Scorpy settled for three bots: were these bots the only ones left on Nebulos in continuity?
Grimlock. He's certainly going for the loooong con here, no pun intended.
Why Shockwave is sitting perfectly intact in an AI Mausoleum

And I had problems with the art in a lot of places. There's been nothing that made me feel like I am reading the original series as much as the incredibly horrible coloring on Perceptor. The small panel with the bad guy key in Grimlocks arm was unclear. The panel where the guy got blasted before you could call for help, I was confused as to whether the blast was coming from behind or from the button based on the angle of the blast.
Optimus says "TLA erred, my faith was preordained. I was never meant for resurrection. I see that now. I just pray whatever damage my rebirth has done can still be undone. WTF is that? Where is he getting that from?

Overall though, this was one of my favorites of this regeneration series so far. Hope everything I've written make sense: I typed it all on a phone with a lot of help from Voice typing.

Metal Vendetta · Post by **Metal Vendetta** » Wed Jan 09, 2013 8:53 pm

I certainly enjoyed it. It moved quickly and lots of stuff is happening at once.

Shanti418 wrote:Why Scorpy settled for three bots: were these bots the only ones left on Nebulos in continuity?

Tricky. Chromedome should be there but he didn't explicitly die in Marvel US continuity, unless he was killed off-panel on Klo and then resurrected by the Last Autobot. Which raises questions about whether Stylor would have been resurrected as well, and where they are now. There's still been no mention of any of the Targetmaster partners either, which is a bit odd considering we've got Hot Rod, Kup, Blurr, Sureshot and Crosshairs running around.

Presumably if Scorpy's head was still there then so were those of Mindwipe, Skullcruncher, Apeface, Snapdragon and Weirdwolf. If Scorponok can only re-animate their heads if their Headmaster incarnations are dead then Spasma-Apeface was killed (off-panel) fighting Unicron and Krunk-Snapdragon was shot in the head on Klo so they would be available. The other three don't seem to have been killed at all - two of them were in G2 and one of them was serving Bludgeon in issue #83, so whether they can be brought back, or whether their "Nebulos" heads are, like, living their Headmaster bodies lives (as this Scorpy seems to be aware of Zarak-Scorponok's life) remains to be seen.

I suspect a lot of this will get swept under the carpet which is a shame, because "Two Weirdwolves!" would make a spectacular one-off issue.

Hound · Post by **Hound** » Wed Jan 09, 2013 9:07 pm

Maybe some nebulans ran off with the heads of Fort Max and Chromedome and they will be used to mount some kind of fight back.

Some of the art was really sloppy. Why do Brainstorm and Hardhead have different faces now?

Also not buying this 'warrior gene' stuff still.

Meh

Yaya · Post by **Yaya** » Thu Jan 10, 2013 7:40 pm

One of the better issues of this series, for sure. Any issue that effectively takes me back to the original run, quirkiness and all, is a plus in my book. That's really what I'm looking for out of this series-a continuation that comes across naturally from where it ended.

I've been confused about the whole Scorponok thing from the start. So, is this Scorponok wholly the Decepticon Scorponok without Zarak? That would make most sense, because Zarak pretty much melted, right? Unless Zarak himself also 'backed up' his personality somehow. The 'warrior gene' is still crap, but hey, it's very 80's, so I guess it fits.

We're starting to get to the 'cream of the crop' alliances and team-ups that I was hoping for. Screamer, Galvy, and Shockwave. Nice. Scorpy and Grimlock. Meh. Waiting for Thunderwing, Bludgeon and Soundwave.

Grimlock is even more stupid than I last remember. Selling his soul isn't something I expected him to do. But there you go.

Still upset about the way Megs and Ratchet went out though.

All could be forgiven if Simon brought in Budiansky Blaster. How cool would that be?

Post by **snarl** » Fri Jan 11, 2013 3:31 pm

I'm not a massive fan of naughty Grimlock or Naughty headmasters, but the issue moved along at a nice pace and was generally pretty decent.

Something something don't like the colouring, something something sometimes Wildman draws their legs funny etc

Post by **snarl** » Fri Jan 11, 2013 3:31 pm

Oh yeah, the headmasters faces - WTF.

Post by **Best First** » Fri Jan 11, 2013 4:14 pm

i know - if the idea was to align them with their Toys fair enough but Brainstorm just has weird Generiface™.

Or maybe random face swapping is intended as some kind of nostalgia reference.

Am assuming the other cons might be with Scorps - Hardhead and co were intended to infiltrate the Autobizzle which is probably harder if you are a 'con.

Don't think there has been any suggestion Scorps can only "re-body" people if they have dies elsewhere, which is good as i don't think that follows any logic at all. Maybe someone left the fridge open and Chromedome's head went off.

The warrior gene stuff is a load of old Saville - it's one thing to say you are altering someone's inhibitions but why does that instantly mean they will start following Scorponok?

Metal Vendetta · Post by **Metal Vendetta** » Sat Jan 12, 2013 1:42 pm

Best First wrote:Don't think there has been any suggestion Scorps can only "re-body" people if they have dies elsewhere, which is good as i don't think that follows any logic at all. Maybe someone left the fridge open and Chromedome's head went off.

Yeah, I was just speculating about possible reasons for Chromedome's absence. Myself, I'm still hoping for "Two Weirdwolves!" - and Fort Max has surely got to crop up again at some point, so maybe there will be further revelations about the whole resurrection process.

Best First wrote:The warrior gene stuff is a load of old Saville - it's one thing to say you are altering someone's inhibitions but why does that instantly mean they will start following Scorponok?

It's possible that as well as unlocking their naughty side, the key also infodumps the key elements of Scorpy's plan into their brain modules. Or something, I'm not too fussed about that element of it.

Something very odd is going on with the Autobot Headmaster heads. Didn't Brainstorm look normal in the issue #82 flashback? Is it perhaps intentional?

Post by **Best First** » Sat Jan 12, 2013 7:38 pm

Two Wierdwolves would be the bizzle.

Rather than these nonsense silent issues I want a doppelganger rhyming issue.

Shanti418 · Post by **Shanti418** » Mon Jan 14, 2013 8:54 pm

BTW, I'm not a fan of the "warrior gene" either, but I'm willing to take it as an assumption of the writer and move on. Given the copious counterfactual provided in RiD and MTMTE, I'm getting plenty of a more nuanced, social understanding of the factions over there.

Post by **Best First** » Tue Jan 15, 2013 9:39 am

i'm still suspending judgement depending on how it resolves itself.

bumblemusprime · Post by **bumblemusprime** » Fri Feb 08, 2013 3:38 pm

I think I will need to reread these in a clump with the original issues, because ReGen leaves me cold every single month. To be honest, I'm enjoying RiD more overall, partially because of the art.

I think I need some time to summon the old nostalgia and forget G2 for a bit. The utter brilliance of G2 gets in the way of me enjoying this series. I would much rather see a sequel to A Rage In Heaven at this point.

The Last Autobot · Post by **The Last Autobot** » Tue Feb 12, 2013 5:46 pm

If one becomes the "bad version" of oneself. Shouldn´t you act as a barstard mainly with your original enemies?

And poor Slapdash. At least it wasn´t Getaway!

Metal Vendetta · Post by **Metal Vendetta** » Wed Feb 13, 2013 12:48 pm

The Last Autobot wrote:And poor Slapdash. At least it wasn´t Getaway!

Getaway *must* be dead already, surely?

Post by **Best First** » Wed Feb 13, 2013 1:10 pm

Should have been bought back to life by the last Autobot on Klo shouldn't he?

Metal Vendetta · Post by **Metal Vendetta** » Wed Feb 13, 2013 2:28 pm

Yeah you're right, he was blown up at the start of US#80 but would have been resurrected by the issue's end.

The Last Autobot · Post by **The Last Autobot** » Wed Feb 13, 2013 6:42 pm

I resurrected him, I remember!

I hope he wasnt killed in the last 20 years offpanel.