MTMTE #53

[Metal Vendetta]

iTunes preview here.

[Hound]

Domey is ****** isn't he. There have been a lot of references to how bad injecting is for him recently, and he's about to do it to a spark eater...

[snarl]

I wouldn't give a [composite word including 'f*ck'] tbh.

Of the cast list, I could lose him, Rewind, Nautica, Swerve and not care.

Swerve I'd probably be glad if he died, he's boring as [composite word including 'f*ck'].

It'd be a bit shocking as they're from the main list, but for me, none of em bring anything to the table that I'd miss.

[Yaya]

I wouldn't give a **** tbh.

Of the cast list, I could lose him, Rewind, Nautica, Swerve and not care.
.

My sentiments exactly. Though Swerve I kind of tolerate.

"Domey". What a prick.

[Metal Vendetta]

You can add Tailgate to that list too. I thought he was a smug little **** before he got superpowers and I really don't think they've improved his personality.

[snarl]

Yeah, Tailgate can also perish in flames.

[Yaya]

Yes, him too. He somehow managed to "wussify" Cyclonus, a great character.

Characters I like on the Lost Light: Rodimus, Magnus, Skids, Brainstorm, Cyclonus, Whirl, Rung, Perceptor, Blaster, Nightbeat, Megatron, Ravage, sometimes Drift, sometimes Swerve, and.......(drum roll)....THUNDERCLASH!

Characters I want offed: Chromedome, Rewind, Tailgate, Riptide, Nautica, Getaway. They annoy the heck out of me.

[bumblemusprime]

NONE OF YOU HAVE AN OUNCE OF HEART.

[Professor Smooth]

NONE OF YOU HAVE AN OUNCE OF HEART.

They've donated too much inner energon. Been hurt too many times.

[Professor Smooth]

Well... I didn't see that coming.

[Metal Vendetta]

It does seem as if Roberts is tying up a lot of loose ends here and I thought the reveal was very well handled, with plenty of clues and foreshadowing dotted throughout the series that in retrospect make a lot more sense. I suspect Nightbeat will get to the bottom of the Rung's altmode mystery next issue.

TBH I could have done with more of the Dominus Ambus plot and a little less page space dedicated to Nautica's friendship ceremony but if it wraps up the "Nautica's boyfriend" storyline then I'm cool with that.

Loved Maximus Ambus and the group hug. Got a distinctly last-episode-of-Blackadder vibe from the last page.

I thought there were a few problems with pacing, mainly due to trying to fit too many story beats into one issue, and the artist swap didn't help matters. It was great to have Ravage finally call Megs out on his pacifism though. Chekov's cannon, anyone?

[snarl]

As ever, the writing is strong.

But imo this has been dragged out to [composite word including 'f*ck'].

DA reveal was very clever. I have [composite word including 'f*ck'] all invested in him, Chromedome or Rewind though.

Their romance doesn't interest me, and I don't find them compelling characters for any other reason.

Spoiler...
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If I caught my Mrs fingering my ex I'd probably encourage it, not cut her arm off.

[Metal Vendetta]

DA reveal was very clever. I have **** all invested in him, Chromedome or Rewind though.

Their romance doesn't interest me, and I don't find them compelling characters for any other reason.

Yes, I think that's kind of my problem with that pair - their relationship seems to outweigh all of the other stuff that makes them unique. We get all these hints as to Chromedome's past in the Institute where he obviously did some very shady things, but it's never expanded upon beyond a brief flashback with Overlord. Much has been made of Rewind's special status as one of the Autobots' best repositories of data, yet I don't think he's ever used his vast knowledge to save the day, or even do anything for the rest of the crew, just to pursue his own personal quest to find DA. I don't know, I'd even have settled for a few moments where Domey overcame DA's domestication locks and let him and Rewind have a moment together before he had to choose. It just didn't hit me in the same way other MTMTE moments have. I'll have to see how it plays out, I guess, but it just seemed to fall a bit... flat.

Also I can't help feel that we were sold a dummy with the alt-universe DA having his head replaced by a screen. We've already seen our universe MA survive having his head crushed, so I don't get why alt-DA couldn't just slough off his armour and still be whole underneath. Same with alt-MA's eye cameras, now I think about it. Could be a good way to bring them back, though they would have had to watch alt-Rewind get his head exploded, which presumably wouldn't have been part of the plan :/

[Professor Smooth]

The Dominus Ambus reveal begs some really interesting questions, which I'm sure the writer has already considered. First and foremost is that if the body that was subject to empurata in the Functionalist universe was simply Ambus' external armor...and he didn't let Rewind know that his inner self was alright...why didn't he find some way to tell Rewind? You could make the case that DA was under cover (something he was apparently really good at) but, still. Dick move, DA.

Maximus Ambus, eh? That's awesome. I wonder if Fort Max is also a load bearer. That'd explain the giant version that's probably going to show up in Titans Return. Although, honestly, is anybody who *wasn't* going to buy a $150 Fort Max toy going to be swayed by the appearance in the comic? So weird having him say "tasty".

JR said that the end of Dying of the Light would work as a series finale. With so much being put to rest in the last few issues, I can see what he meant. Gotta imagine we'll get the Tarn reveal (and, as I've said before, Roberts will likely go down in TF history as the guy who introduced secret identities to the franchise) in the next issue or so, as well as an ultimate resolution to the Autobot Megs thing. And, hey, I wonder if the Necrobot knows anything about the Knights of Cybertron.

Apparently Michael Bay does.

[Yaya]

Kept my attention,

Getting tired of all the focus on the "love" relationships. Maybe that's what a lot of fans want in their comic, I don't know. Maybe it's the shock value of "gaybots" and the need to drag it on because it's a novel thing in a TF comic. But it's really causing things to drag when so much attention is diverted to them instead of to plot progression. Half the things MV mentions I can't even remember happening, which is a shame, because you know they're clever. But when you can't remember what happened because the plot moves so slowly, that's a problem. I never liked the idea of romance in my TF comics, and I don't like it now. For example, Cyclonus holding Tailgates hand looks ******* ridiculous. I can't shake the pedophilic vibes from that image. It's like character castration of a very cool Decepticon. And that whole "friendship ritual" by Nautica? What was the point of that?

Things are veering on the sappy side, when there's so much potential to all the other plot elements of the story. Despite all of that, the plot remains very intriguing and looking very much forward to the next few issues.

Or maybe I'm just the soul-less hard-hearted type. I must be, because I want to see Megatron let loose again. Megatron the Pacifist ain't doing it for me.

[Hound]

The relationships I enjoy, they are a fresh idea for TF fiction and seem more like a very deep friendship than anything romantic. I love my best friend but I don't want to bum him, after all. Is it detracting from the main plot? Maybe for some. It doesn't feel like it to me. I would be bored out of my mind if each issue was just endless action and these are arguably some of the best characters we have read in Tranformers.

I suspect we will get all of the action we want in the next issue. I don't read MTMTE for action though. It's matured far beyond that.

[Yaya]

I get what you're saying, and I'm with you on that. I think there does have to be some emotional investment. Love. Friendship. It's important. It raises the stakes, makes us care. So I'm not saying that aspect should be eliminated, just pared back.

It's a bit heavy the past, say, five issues or so, to the point of where it's dragging the overall plot and, in some way, having the opposite effect on me by making me care less about those particular characters involved in said relationships. It's like public displays of affection. We're all for love, but when I see PDA, its a complete turnoff.

James wants to win our hearts before he breaks them with inevitable character deaths, I get that. But at this point if I saw, say Tailgate, bite it, it wouldn't phase me much. If someone like Skids or Whirl or Magnus or Ratchet bought it, it would.

It's more, I think, a matter of personal taste, what one prefers to see in their TF comic. I agree, all action without character development is not a winning formula.

[Hound]

This is the last time these characters will all be together. I'm happy to let Roberts tell his story at his own pace.