Regeneration One #88

[Metal Vendetta]

Preview here, out today. Not picked it up yet, but will grab it on the way to the new Die Hard tonight.

Not overly impressed by the preview, tbh, but let's hope it picks up a bit.

[Kaylee]

I thought it was a bit... meh. I'm getting thoroughly bored by Snorepanok and his ridiculous plan to blah blah bollocks zzzzzzz...

Hot Dog's stuff was interesting but seemed to take four pages to go nowhere.

Galvabum, again, looked like he was up to something cool but the issue finished before he could do anything but go "I'm Galvabum! Nya ha ha! Ark go fly now!".

I'm amused by the idea that Megatroll didn't have the know-how to build a zombie army, but did have skillz enough to hack into the Ark computer and wire it to Shockwave using science!

Slimgrock isn't up to much either. Pootling about Cybertron looking angsty and then looking all suprised when Skorpaschlok turned out to be a snatch. I mean, of all the evil, conniving, merciless deadbeats in the universe you would think you could trust this one!

[The Last Autobot]

Unless Scorpy gets some "from the grave by Zarak" kind of crowning moment of awesomeness I think he should have stayed dead.

[Metal Vendetta]

Yeah, for the first time I was a bit, er, underwhelmed by this issue. I know it's the middle section of an arc and I understand that there's a sort of narrative logic to it - big cliffhanger next issue, finale the one after, and then on to the next Galvatastic plot arc.

I dunno, a lot of this issue I was just sitting back and marvelling at the fanservice. Hey look, it's Dreadwind and Darkwing! Gunrunner and Guzzle! Straxus's head! Yay, it's one of the Omnibots! And Punch! Hurrah, in-continuity acknowledgement that Hot Rod looks just like Primus! And who doesn't love to see that kind of thing in a Transformers comic?

But yeah, I think Karl's right on the money with this one. It'll maybe read better in the trade.

[Yaya]

Wow, the pacing is killing this thing. It's quite slow and Simon's trying to feature too many subplots in a single issue. He should just focus on two and let the others simmer instead of flashing back and forth between Galvy pushing buttons, Hot Rod walking down a tunnel, Grimlock being stupid with Scorpy laughing in his face, Bludgeon getting Soundwave up to speed, etc.

I agree with Karl about Scorponok and his ridiculous plan. He will use music to activate the "Warrior Gene" sequence to turn good Autobots bad. Wow. Even in the 80's that would have been considered lame.

All in all though, it's not awful. I like where things appear to be heading, anyway.

I read the message boards and many are saying they wished this never even happened. I'm not in that camp. I still say I'm enjoying this more than RID, despite it's flaws. And it is very 80's, really.

[snarl]

I agree that it seems like too much is going on at once.

Going back to 80 / 332 issues of comic, there were always going to be fave characters - for the fans and from a writers stand point. It feels to me like SF is trying to give screen time to as many of them as possible, but it's diluting the whole thing, making it a bit hit and miss. I mean, I fully expect UM v Galvatron to take place, but we've hardly had UM in the story at all. We will likely have him stuck jarringly back in the story at some stage.

The great issues towards the end of the first run mainly focussed around several key bots, with strong supporting cast. correct me if I'm wrong, but Fort Max was dealt with in one issue really, wasn't he, as a stand alone running parallel to the main story. But it felt better, i.e. he got a dense, proper story, instead of having it spread across 3 issues where we're jumping backwards and forwards.

Don't get me wrong, I am enjoying it (not so much this issue / plot device. Gene key... I'm not a fan.), but... it just feels like something is missing. Can't quite put my finger on it.

Some stumpy lower legs again in some panels, that first page of scorpy was ace though.

[Metal Vendetta]

Looking back at this, I'm thinking it would have made more sense for Magnus to have remained on Cybertron in charge of the Civil Defence. He could have been wrong-footed by Grimlock's reappearance, come off second-best in a confrontation with Scorpy and had to retreat, leaving him somewhere around where Grapple is now. His role in the trip to Earth could have been filled by Prowl, Jazz or Ironhide quite easily and the Hot Rod stuff could still have happened more or less the same way.

I'm amused by the idea that Megatroll didn't have the know-how to build a zombie army, but did have skillz enough to hack into the Ark computer and wire it to Shockwave using science!

Ah, but he was sharing a mind with Ratchet as well, remember, so wiring Shockers' brain into a computer would probably have been within his abilities. Maybe not as jarring as it first seemed.

[Sunyavadin]

See, what I'd really been hoping all along would scupper Scorponok's plan seems to actually have gotten a nod this issue. Through all this "Amorality gene" stuff (Because I'm sorry, that's what it is if you're going to give a stupid idea a stupid name) I've been wondering where it's going to stand on autobots who are, and let's not mince words here, complete dicks. Some o the autobots do indeed have quite questionable, somewhat fluid moral codes. Grimlock in particuar. A lot of his behaviour stands out as more inclined towards achieving Autobot ends by Decepticon means. And he's not the only one by far. That's a bunch of Autobots who arguably ALREADY EXPRESS THIS "GENE".
My guess? Scorponok gets sick of Grimlock's behaviour. Uses the Key thingy on him. Gimlock is unaffected but plays along. Foils his plans, pointing out in some semi-witty retort to Scorponok at the end that this kind of thing is "in his oil" or somesuch. And that it's not genetics that makes him an Autobot or Decepticon but choice.

Expect Furmanisms aplenty, too.

[Best First]

Seemingly going against the grain i enjoyed this:
- awesome opening page
- lots of threads (with a feeling of collision, which puts me in mind of the end of g1)
- some great Furmanisms, especially from Hotrod