Megatron Origin (Spoiler Alert)

Impactor returns 2.0 · Post by **Impactor returns 2.0** » Thu Jun 28, 2007 4:45 pm

I just saw an image of SP, I like the design, obvious uses of OP's face plate, and rifle.
He looks pretty hardcore, not sure about his character as i havent read the issue.

Nice design.

Yaya · Post by **Yaya** » Sat Jun 30, 2007 7:36 pm

I'm somewhat surprised about the fan reaction to the story. I mean, I can understand the reaction to the cramped art, but I didn't feel the story was as bad as some are saying.

Certainly cliche, that part I can see.

Shanti418 · Post by **Shanti418** » Sat Jun 30, 2007 9:18 pm

It was cliche AND it was still poorly executed, and most importantly, it's judged against the rest of IDW's work, which is a high standard.

Manchester Devil · Post by **Manchester Devil** » Sun Jul 08, 2007 5:25 pm

Having read the issue, I do think there is some mileage if Megatron's movement gets hi-jacked by the more corrupt members of the Cybertronian government, as opposed to Megatron bringing in any old nutter who-can't-be-arsed-to-get-a-job to his cause. Remember, Megatron doesn't seem to know his own strength but is also smart enough to know when to make a break for it.

Doesn't hide the fact that it felt sluggish and muddled at places. I do think Alex needs to tone down on the amount of detail he dabs onto the 'formies and conertrate on body and facial language.

NOTE TO SELF:

How the smeg did I managed to spell 'cause' wrong?

Legion · Post by **Legion** » Mon Jul 09, 2007 9:37 am

I finally got to see this over the weekend.

I don't like it.

The art is just confusing, half the time I don't know what the hell is going on, infact a couple of times I had to go back a page or two and start over, which is not a good thing.
For a story like this, it needs to be clear and precise (both art and script) and i'm afraid it's not.

I hate to say it, but it feels like a Dreamwave leftover.

This should have been one hell of a comic, covering one of the most important times in Transformers history... but it's not.

Unless there's some DRASTIC improvements.... give me State Games anytime over this.

rusty_herring · Post by **rusty_herring** » Mon Jul 09, 2007 3:28 pm

Too early for it maybe?

I mean too early to launch a Megatron origin story in IDW continuity.
I haven't read it yet, but from what my friend has told me I didn't really buy the story (but then again I get the feeling that almost no matter what they'd publish, I still might not buy it, cause everyone has their own idea of where a character like Megatron comes from, and anyone telling us otherwise seems to be stepping on our toes - at least that's my personal opinion about it)

But then again, if you don't buy the story, has that story failed?

*Edit*
Thanks BF, yeah I do mean 'buy into' the story not physically purchase. Although I guess both might work if by word of mouth people get turned and don't purchase the issue(s).

Post by **Best First** » Mon Jul 09, 2007 3:59 pm

i take it you mean buy in to it, rather than purchase the issue, and if so, yesm if it doesn't seem credible within the framework of the universe it is set in i would say it has failed.

Post by **snarl** » Wed Jul 11, 2007 4:45 pm

Just got it, read it on the tube a few times...

I just dont really get it.

The art is way too hard to follow, the story is a bit gash. It just reminds me so blatently of DW.

I really am troubled by this, because against the rest of IDWs work this is ball bags.

Scraplet · Post by **Scraplet** » Thu Jul 12, 2007 12:17 pm

snarl wrote:I just dont really get it.

The art is way too hard to follow, the story is a bit gash. It just reminds me so blatently of DW.

I really am troubled by this, because against the rest of IDWs work this is ball bags.

This seems to be the overall opinion, and I have to say I generally agree.

So, does this mean that the only thing seperating IDW and DW is, in reality, Furman being able to cut loose while maintaining high level of artistic control? And as soon as you don't have that, the editors allow fanwank to rise to the top?

I'm just asking the question.

rusty_herring · Post by **rusty_herring** » Thu Jul 12, 2007 1:50 pm

So, does this mean that the only thing seperating IDW and DW is, in reality, Furman being able to cut loose while maintaining high level of artistic control? And as soon as you don't have that, the editors allow fanwank to rise to the top?

I guess the problem for something like this might be the editors as you're suggesting, and not the artists/writers themselves. The editors are the ones that take a look at it, give it the thumbs up or down and let it through right? The end product should be what they want.

Nick Roche's work on Spotlight: Kup was good, but of course how much control Furman had over that or if he was even able to look at the Megatron origin is unknown to me.

Scraplet · Post by **Scraplet** » Thu Jul 12, 2007 4:21 pm

The difference being, I suppose, that Nick Roche has been quite deeply involved with all of the IDW-verse, and has a good feel for what works within it. I think they guy who did the Megatron origin has said before that his idea has been banging around for a long time. So its been squeezed to fit IDW rather than being designed for IDW.

rusty_herring · Post by **rusty_herring** » Thu Jul 12, 2007 5:21 pm

So its been squeezed to fit IDW rather than being designed for IDW.

Yeah that's a good point, and maybe then reflects why Nick's story fit in seemlessly while this one doesn't seem to.

I just think a Megatron backstory was done way too early in IDW continuity, which is probably why it doesn't fit, unless they're going to pass it off as a continuity of it's own like how they have movie transformers comics.

Shanti418 · Post by **Shanti418** » Thu Jul 12, 2007 5:29 pm

rusty_herring wrote:
So its been squeezed to fit IDW rather than being designed for IDW.
Yeah that's a good point, and maybe then reflects why Nick's story fit in seemlessly while this one doesn't seem to.

I just think a Megatron backstory was done way too early in IDW continuity, which is probably why it doesn't fit, unless they're going to pass it off as a continuity of it's own like how they have movie transformers comics.

But there IS a thing called editorial, and it's their job to not publish it if it doesn't work. Still, I think the comparison to Roche is ill advised seeing as how Kup is essentially standalone, whereas Mline is working with a highly pivotal character.

And Optimus's AND Megatron's "backstory" was established pretty early in with DW as well with World Within 1.

Post by **snarl** » Thu Jul 12, 2007 5:41 pm

I've re read it a few times and can make it out now... but that's not how it should be really, is it?

I got the Galvy spotlight and Meg origin yesterday, [composite word including 'f*ck'] me, just compare the way Guido tells the story with his art compared to Milne.

Milne's not that bad at actually drawing stuff per se, (although facial expression aren't great) the panels are too crammed, there are too many panels, the composition is bad, in particular the strange choices of perspective, plus the choice of dark colouring, its just plain off imo... It's just ****** hard to make stuff out without really having a close look. Some of his expressions are hard to quantify - When I look at a face, I should quickly and easily be able to work out if he's bricking it, or getting aggressive.

The script is harder to follow because of the art.

BUt having said that, it aint exactly great either... Far too rushed. Oh, there's Megatron...

I found the blue collar worker bollocks a ******* daft angle. TF's speaking in coloquial terms... made the dialogue sound cheap. And the stupid ****** **** going 'hmm' all the time. Is that supposed to make him sound pompous, distant, out of touch? [composite word including 'f*ck'] OFF, it just made him ******* annoying! That is assuming it was the Alpha Trion look-a-likey that was saying it, being as all his dialogue was set against pictures completely devoid of him... [composite word including 'f*ck'] me.

The pacing and handling of the mine incident was so forced. The way the guard cuts the blokes head within 5 seconds of him getting a bit techy... Whatever. If that's your chosen way of working, why not just turn up with the army and gun the ***** down where they stand?

And how can Megsy go from being willing and able to hoy an axe at a senator, belt the [composite word including 'f*ck'] out of somebody and have his guns (presumably to shoot bots with?) to some massive pussy shocked and saddened by a bit of death and lubricant? My point is not that it's beyond the realms of fantasy, but that it happening within the space of about 3 panels makes it a ******* hard development to swallow - one I choked on.

It's the Megatron origin, there's [composite word including 'f*ck'] all characterisation of him. You just see him cut some rock, get leary, throw his axe beat some ****** down, then start being a pussy... reminded me of ****** Star Wars when the **** suddenly for little reason goes from being Annakin to ****** Vader. I'd expect a character spotlight to go inside the head of the character, you'd have thought the story would benefit from a ****** internal monologue and naturally expect one - in the end it becamse to me ****** essential and glaringly obvious in it absence, so hard was it to follow the art.

I think the comic's average. I'm particularly pissed off though - this is a BIG ****** story involving a BIG ****** character.

rusty_herring · Post by **rusty_herring** » Thu Jul 12, 2007 6:06 pm

But there IS a thing called editorial, and it's their job to not publish it if it doesn't work. Still, I think the comparison to Roche is ill advised seeing as how Kup is essentially standalone, whereas Mline is working with a highly pivotal character.

And Optimus's AND Megatron's "backstory" was established pretty early in with DW as well with World Within 1.

I was going to agree with Kup, but Nick really could've gone and screwed this guy up big time. You can always go wrong. It could've been a really bad comic. That being said though, Megatron is one of the most established characters in TF history which amplifies the whole thing. Also I suppose you could argue that the Kup story isn't a background, cause it's not.

I was just treating IDW seperately from DW since they sort of started again. I guess War Within could compare, since that was written by Furman.

You could screw around with a lot of characters, but you shouldn't screw with Prime or Megatron. Next thing you'll know Megatron will meet Starscream who was a disgruntled ballet teacher or something.

Hot Shot · Post by **Hot Shot** » Thu Jul 12, 2007 6:53 pm

I just went back and reread the issue. I understood a lot more, and most I had to read repeatedly to understand what was happening. I caught the "agian" error this time, along with which two in helmets were Rumble and Frenzy.

On the bright side, I noticed that Kremzeek made a sneak appearance on a billboard in the middle frame of page 19.