Spotlight: Megatron

Metal Vendetta · Post by **Metal Vendetta** » Tue Feb 05, 2013 3:26 pm

Preview here - http://www.fullmetalhero.com/t11440/

Post by **Best First** » Tue Feb 05, 2013 5:34 pm

Argh - Costa run!

Seriously - nice so far, too many preview pages if i am honest.

Post by **Best First** » Wed Feb 06, 2013 9:57 pm

Kinda liked this.

Kinda felt like papering over the horrors of the past.

So it was kind of like a particularly charming excuse for something i really didn't like.

Post by **Kaylee** » Wed Feb 06, 2013 11:17 pm

Not fussed about it myself. It wasn't bad, but not great for me either. It felt like someone trying to retcon why Megsyboo keeps the Screamster this side of oblivion, which I think was already perfectly handled by Megabone's line in G2: "Because I'm an idiot!"

I also can't tell if Megapuss is meant to be a mind-bendingly clever, in-control genius who just pretends to be a borderline insane fist shaker... or if he is just meant to be mind-bendingly clever and in-control and the writers just forget and lapse him into a borderline insane fist-shaker.

In other news, I quite liked the art (very G2/Dredd-esque with the big chins) but it seemed a bit inconsistent- eg Star Squawk looks normal head-on, but then turns to profile and has a snout like a bald eagle and a chin you could park an aircraft carrier on.

Yaya · Post by **Yaya** » Thu Feb 07, 2013 3:14 am

The first five or so pages of writing were fantastic. But it kind of waned for me a bit the second half, for the reasons Karl mentioned above. I mean, it's nice to attempt to give a logical explanation for why Megatron has kept Screamer around all these years, in every continuity ever known. But it's almost like we've all already come to the conclusion this issue brings out, that it kept Megatron on his toes and that he valued Screamer as a Decepticon. Pretty much accepted that already without this issue.

Particularly enjoyed the interaction between Megs and Shockwave. Honestly, if there's ever been any interaction between two Transformers that I've never tired of, it's the ole Megs-Shockers rivalry. Prime-Megs? Eh. Meg-Screamer? Yawn. But Megs-Shockers is always fun. For me, anyway.

One thing I will say is that this Megatron comes across as much more believable in the competency department in spearheading and leading the Decepticon movement. Maybe crazy Megatron has always just been a facade? Maybe crazy Megatron was never really crazy.

Also, maybe Roche is trying to give a more logical explanatory bridge story on how Starscreamer went from flat out depressed in this issue to indifferent to crazy in RID where he acts more like an Autobot than a Decepticon.

bumblemusprime · Post by **bumblemusprime** » Fri Feb 08, 2013 3:07 am

Meh.

Look, I was excited for this. And it was nice to see Megatron work that form that he only used in the Costarunthatdidn'thappen. I would love a Voyager-style Megs figure in those mode.

But... monologueing about things that no Transfan questions? For an entire issue? While fighting? Talking and talking and talking?

I hate to say it, Nick. It might be the time period.

It occasionally almost felt like a goddamned Costa issue.

Said fighting was the only thing that saved this.

Look, I know Nick knows this, we know this, everyone knows this. The definitive Megs/Screamer fight has been done. We were all there. Issue #6 of Infiltration. "Take your punishment like a Decepticon."

If Furmanation did nothing else for the TFs, it gave us a defining Prime/Megs showdown and a defining Screamer/Megs showdown. And in order to better that, you have to bring something more unexpected, more thrilling, more concise. Simon broke the great taboo and had Megs kill Starscream (more or less, with a slight out that he unfortunately followed up on).

And I hate to say this as well... but with all that's happened to Starscream in RiD, where he is possible the only character I'm still interested in, this doesn't matter much.

But.

I am in agreement with the Buy Pile guy in that this was a great characterization of Megatron. Very clearly a man (bot) who has set himself the Sisyphean task of conquering the universe and embraces it.

It's just... Nick, you could have communicated the same thing without so much retread.

bumblemusprime · Post by **bumblemusprime** » Fri Feb 08, 2013 2:36 pm

I am an old man.

I have just written about how the defining fight between two franchise characters has been done. That was in 2006. Seven years ago.

There was no Michael Bay movie yet. We didn't even know if IDW would outlast Dreamwave. There were still people on the IDW forums starting petitions for Brad Mick to write an IDW comic.

That was eons ago in franchise comic time.

I am an old man.

Yaya · Post by **Yaya** » Fri Feb 08, 2013 3:27 pm

bumblemusprime wrote:If Furmanation did nothing else for the TFs, it gave us a defining Prime/Megs showdown and a defining Screamer/Megs showdown. And in order to better that, you have to bring something more unexpected, more thrilling, more concise.

Can't really agree with this sentiment. I found the Megatron/Screamer battle in Infiltration predictable and old. In fact, I felt that whole dynamic was quite boring compared to the Ratchet/humans dynamic, which was the strength of Infiltration.

I do, however, agree that in order to stifle a yawn, a comic writer most certainly must bring something more unexpected and thrilling to a Megatron/Screamer battle. For example, Starscream has some advantage and Megatron defeats him with cunning rather than brute force, which seems to always be the way it goes down. This would convey that Megatron is leader of the Decepticons not simply because of his raw power, but also because of his intelligence and cunning.

The Prime/Megs battle was beautiful in Escalation though.

Metal Vendetta · Post by **Metal Vendetta** » Sun Feb 10, 2013 1:32 pm

Seems that the creative team on this title don't get on at all.

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set= ... 938&type=1

Post by **Kaylee** » Sun Feb 10, 2013 6:21 pm

Metal Vendetta wrote:Seems that the creative team on this title don't get on at all.

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set= ... 938&type=1

Mr_Tigg · Post by **Mr_Tigg** » Sun Feb 10, 2013 6:29 pm

Generally I'll echo the sentiment that the first half was excellent but it fell a little flat towards the end.

Considering the limitations of the spotlight series though I found it a decent tale - the exchange between Megs and Screamer, while perhaps tired territory, was one of the best I have read. Superior to McCarthy's attempts in All Hail Megatron for sure.

The art was superb - Roche's line work were as per usual imperious.

Metal Vendetta · Post by **Metal Vendetta** » Mon Feb 11, 2013 10:08 pm

So now I've seen pictures of the Orion Pax and IDW Megatron toys (and the Metroplex toy which is the theme that ties this all together) does this mean there's going to be a...duh, there's going to be a Starscream so of course there's going to be a Thundercracker. Or the other way around. Odds on we'll get a Skywarp, a Sunstorm, an Acid Rain and probably one of the Coneheads as well. Or all three. Hm, I seem to have gone off on a redecoing tangent.

But at least some of Hasbro's strategy is becoming clear with the Spotlights being adverts for the toys, which is quite fun. And the IDW Megs toy looks quite fun also. Not so much sold on the Orion Pax, though I'm intrigued as to what (if any) repaints we'll see of these two down the line.

As for the issue itself, the story was a nice little segway from old Megs (boo!) to new Megs (uh, yay?) and suits the current RID dynamic perfectly, so I don't mind too much that nothing much happened. I just liked getting some time to catch up with what Megatron's been up to. I think my only real gripe is that in his new body, Megs has an "M" on his head, which is really annoying and obvious in closeups. Pretty sure Shockwave did that to spite him.

Post by **Kaylee** » Tue Feb 12, 2013 7:37 am

M for Malibu. Meg's tipple of choice.