Much Ado About Megatron #5 Review (SPOILERS)

Over the last 25 years the Transformers have appeared in media from the exquisite to the scribbled and been licensed to the responsible and the... Pat Lee. Discussion of all the branches of TF media within!

Moderators:Best First, spiderfrommars, IronHide

spiderfrommars
Big Honking Planet Eater
Posts:5673
Joined:Sun Aug 25, 2002 11:00 pm
Location:Oxford, UK
Contact:

Post by spiderfrommars » Mon Dec 01, 2008 1:59 pm

Best First wrote:Ryall's comment that it 'amuses' him that people are claiming the story got cut short, so ****ing irritating...
I wonder if they do regret the way they've handled this.
Best First wrote:Dave - can't you just hang around anyway? Please? :(
Aww. Can't I make one of those topics in General Discussions spouting melodramatically that I am turning my back on fandom forever, never to return?

And then, like, return?
Last edited by spiderfrommars on Mon Dec 01, 2008 2:06 pm, edited 2 times in total.

stranger
Got turned into the Spacebridge
Posts:150
Joined:Mon Jul 14, 2008 11:08 am

Post by stranger » Mon Dec 01, 2008 1:59 pm

Agree with the nature of Ryall's posting - he seems to miss the main points, and then when its spelt out to him, he has selective hearing and ignores it. It's like arguing with the wife come to think of it.

User avatar
Best First
King of the, er, Kingdom.
Posts:9750
Joined:Tue Oct 17, 2000 11:00 pm
Location:Manchester, UK
Contact:

Post by Best First » Mon Dec 01, 2008 2:03 pm

shall we just start a new site that's a bit broader in its remit?

like, stuff we like?
Image

spiderfrommars
Big Honking Planet Eater
Posts:5673
Joined:Sun Aug 25, 2002 11:00 pm
Location:Oxford, UK
Contact:

Post by spiderfrommars » Mon Dec 01, 2008 2:08 pm

Best First wrote:shall we just start a new site that's a bit broader in its remit?

like, stuff we like?
Too late.

www.stuffwelike.net

User avatar
Best First
King of the, er, Kingdom.
Posts:9750
Joined:Tue Oct 17, 2000 11:00 pm
Location:Manchester, UK
Contact:

Post by Best First » Mon Dec 01, 2008 2:44 pm

f***

stuff i like?
Image

User avatar
sprunkner
Over Pompous Autobot Commander
Posts:2229
Joined:Fri Mar 12, 2004 12:00 am
Location:Bellingham, WA

Post by sprunkner » Mon Dec 01, 2008 5:31 pm

"Stuff Best First Approves Of (No Predabot Allowed; Yaya's Opinions on Clearance; We Are Proud To Announce That We Have Sprunkner's Hot, Hot Ass in Stock)"

Ryall's argument is a complete straw man. "You are saying that we cut it short? When there were already forty issues?" Nobody's talking about the entire story, Ry, just about Revelations. You're making it into something it is not and has never been. We all liked the entire story and we very much voiced our approval of the Furman storyline while it was running. We're talking about two extra issues for Revelations and better continuity with AHM, not about how you should have kept the story running forever.

I have a note on my computer now that says "Don't go to IDW!"
Image

User avatar
Best First
King of the, er, Kingdom.
Posts:9750
Joined:Tue Oct 17, 2000 11:00 pm
Location:Manchester, UK
Contact:

Post by Best First » Mon Dec 01, 2008 5:42 pm

His treatment of Jack Cade as is now unfolding is pretty disgusting.
Image

Manchester Devil
Back stabbing Seeker
Posts:257
Joined:Tue Jan 18, 2005 9:57 pm
Location:Plymouth, UK
Contact:

Post by Manchester Devil » Mon Dec 01, 2008 7:31 pm

It's really sad that IDW have just reduced themselves to this level, just to protect this storyline. It's as if McCarthy got them under his mediocre book of spells.
Originally written by BB Shockwave
I had a hard time accepting Wildman's TFs who had teeth and tongues back then, but I Milne goes the extra mile to make them all look like vampires...

User avatar
Denyer
Over Pompous Autobot Commander
Posts:2155
Joined:Tue Oct 17, 2000 11:00 pm
::Yesterday's model
Contact:

Post by Denyer » Mon Dec 01, 2008 7:37 pm

spiderfrommars wrote:I wonder if they do regret the way they've handled this. [...] I'm as hardcore as TF comic fans get. Never been that fanatical about the toys. I know there are others like me, and I just hope AHM has brought in enough new readers to make up for those old timers that they've lost.
Wanting to think the best of people is faring less well against cynicism now. And I'm curious where any additional sales not represented by Diamond estimates have been to.

Reckon there'll be tie-in comics to go with TF3. Not sure if there'll be "own universe" titles by that point... unless there's a gamble on big sales of AHM trades courtesy of the second film; it all feels a bit like a managed retreat.

Yaya
Big Honking Planet Eater
Posts:3374
Joined:Sun Feb 06, 2005 1:58 am
Location:Florida, USA

Post by Yaya » Mon Dec 01, 2008 7:51 pm

Sigh. Probably get bashed for this, but I think Ryall deserves a little more respect than what he's being given.

I think here, on tranfans, we can let those true feelings fly (which is why I like it here).

But on IDW's board, after them having given us two and a half good years of TF comics, we can at least disagree respectfully when the actual creators are around.

IDW has shown in the past they are open to fan input. And boy, have then received some input of late.

I'm positive that by now, after half the posters there, even the loyal ones, have voiced their disappointment with the way Revelations was handled, that IDW and Ryall will handle things a bit differently from here on out.

I'm still trying to decide whether the backlash is good or bad for us. On the one hand, the squeaky wheel gets the grease. On the other, if you're too squeaky, you get chucked altogether.

I think Jack is spot on in his appraisal of the situation, but at the same time, he should stop and consider that once the point is made, you've just got to move on. More Furman is on the way.

The fans have spoken. I think IDW will listen.
"But the Costa story featuring Starscream? Fantastic! This guy is "The One", I just know it, just from these few pages. "--Yaya, who is never wrong.

User avatar
Denyer
Over Pompous Autobot Commander
Posts:2155
Joined:Tue Oct 17, 2000 11:00 pm
::Yesterday's model
Contact:

Post by Denyer » Mon Dec 01, 2008 8:43 pm

Yaya wrote:More Furman is on the way.
How much difference does it make to the continuity as a whole? There are conceivably ways spotlights and other series could fill in gaps where Megatron: Origin and Revelations were light, but they've already been badly shoehorned in. Anything set after AHM is going to have the same problem.

This was a problem DW had much earlier on; G1 V1 compromised their continuity as a whole before it'd even really begun.

Hoping to enjoy MD, and will love it if it does fill in gaps, but things are really in damage control mode now and rounding things off rather than continuing existing story arcs.

Yaya
Big Honking Planet Eater
Posts:3374
Joined:Sun Feb 06, 2005 1:58 am
Location:Florida, USA

Post by Yaya » Mon Dec 01, 2008 10:31 pm

Denyer wrote:
Yaya wrote:More Furman is on the way.
How much difference does it make to the continuity as a whole? There are conceivably ways spotlights and other series could fill in gaps where Megatron: Origin and Revelations were light, but they've already been badly shoehorned in. Anything set after AHM is going to have the same problem.

This was a problem DW had much earlier on; G1 V1 compromised their continuity as a whole before it'd even really begun.

Hoping to enjoy MD, and will love it if it does fill in gaps, but things are really in damage control mode now and rounding things off rather than continuing existing story arcs.
It's a good question. One that IDW hasn't been very clear about.

They are having that "ask Simon ten questions" thing. Invariably, people asked about Simon's and Shane's communication. It was the only real question I had.

I think when Simon answers it, we'll understand the strategy IDW is going to take post-AHM.
"But the Costa story featuring Starscream? Fantastic! This guy is "The One", I just know it, just from these few pages. "--Yaya, who is never wrong.

User avatar
Best First
King of the, er, Kingdom.
Posts:9750
Joined:Tue Oct 17, 2000 11:00 pm
Location:Manchester, UK
Contact:

Post by Best First » Tue Dec 02, 2008 9:19 am

Yaya wrote:Sigh. Probably get bashed for this, but I think Ryall deserves a little more respect than what he's being given.

I think here, on tranfans, we can let those true feelings fly (which is why I like it here).

But on IDW's board, after them having given us two and a half good years of TF comics, we can at least disagree respectfully when the actual creators are around.
Hmm, the problem in this instance is that Jack has been prefectly respectful and focussed on his point whereas Ryall lept straight in with personal remarks on this one. He has also misrepresented what most critics are saying then countered that misinterpritation rather than the points that were made, and threatened to ban people who try and point out that he is misrepresenting their arguements, whilst continuing making personal remarks at their expense and at the same time accusing the people he is making personal remarks about of being inflammatory.

Just as bad we get the ridiculous use of nebulous terms like 'mean spirited' which seems to apply only to critcis of AHM, when the fact is that most of the bile comes from a small collection of people who are pro AHM who constantly snipe and moan about and at critics which not only leads to people repeating themselves as they feel they need to defend their opinions and getting wound up and reacting. Yet it is only when these people react that moderating occurs.
Image

Professor Smooth
Big Honking Planet Eater
Posts:3132
Joined:Sun Apr 27, 2003 11:00 pm
::Hobby Drifter
Location:Tokyo, Japan
Contact:

Post by Professor Smooth » Tue Dec 02, 2008 11:03 am

Anyone else miss not being able to directly communicate with everyone involved in the product? I'm serious. It's one thing to say that a book sucks, but it's another thing entirely to say that it sucks and then have the creator call you out on it, or outright insult you.

I miss creators being these untouchable, intangible forces outside the mortal sphere. It's really weird having the guys who write and draw TF comics in your address book and or AIM Buddy lists.

That said, I'm enjoying AHM thus far. I can't imagine how it'll fit into IDW's established continuity (which I liked more), though.

User avatar
Best First
King of the, er, Kingdom.
Posts:9750
Joined:Tue Oct 17, 2000 11:00 pm
Location:Manchester, UK
Contact:

Post by Best First » Tue Dec 02, 2008 1:38 pm

Yeah, i agree - it doesn't really work.
Image

Yaya
Big Honking Planet Eater
Posts:3374
Joined:Sun Feb 06, 2005 1:58 am
Location:Florida, USA

Post by Yaya » Tue Dec 02, 2008 2:52 pm

Best First wrote:
Yaya wrote:Sigh. Probably get bashed for this, but I think Ryall deserves a little more respect than what he's being given.

I think here, on tranfans, we can let those true feelings fly (which is why I like it here).

But on IDW's board, after them having given us two and a half good years of TF comics, we can at least disagree respectfully when the actual creators are around.
Hmm, the problem in this instance is that Jack has been prefectly respectful and focussed on his point whereas Ryall lept straight in with personal remarks on this one. He has also misrepresented what most critics are saying then countered that misinterpritation rather than the points that were made, and threatened to ban people who try and point out that he is misrepresenting their arguements, whilst continuing making personal remarks at their expense and at the same time accusing the people he is making personal remarks about of being inflammatory.

Just as bad we get the ridiculous use of nebulous terms like 'mean spirited' which seems to apply only to critcis of AHM, when the fact is that most of the bile comes from a small collection of people who are pro AHM who constantly snipe and moan about and at critics which not only leads to people repeating themselves as they feel they need to defend their opinions and getting wound up and reacting. Yet it is only when these people react that moderating occurs.
I'll be honest with you. I'm so weary to the posters on that board that I just sort of skim over their posts, even the more eloquent ones like Jack's.
"But the Costa story featuring Starscream? Fantastic! This guy is "The One", I just know it, just from these few pages. "--Yaya, who is never wrong.

User avatar
Denyer
Over Pompous Autobot Commander
Posts:2155
Joined:Tue Oct 17, 2000 11:00 pm
::Yesterday's model
Contact:

Post by Denyer » Tue Dec 02, 2008 8:18 pm

Professor Smooth wrote:Anyone else miss not being able to directly communicate with everyone involved in the product?
Not really. Don't tend to hide opinions under a bushel or anything...

User avatar
Impactor returns 2.0
Big Honking Planet Eater
Posts:6885
Joined:Sat Sep 22, 2001 11:00 pm
::Starlord
Location:Your Mums

Post by Impactor returns 2.0 » Tue Dec 02, 2008 10:57 pm

just wanted to say I'm still here and Reading this!
baby and new job doesn't give me much time to post much now.

in short, furmans a better writer and AHM is **** etc...

bring back marvel or somthing

and impy

and big fights like in eoe etc...
Image

Hound
Insane Decepticon Commander
Posts:1595
Joined:Tue Sep 19, 2000 11:00 pm
Location:Manchester, UK

Post by Hound » Tue Dec 02, 2008 11:58 pm

anyone have an idea/care who the Autobot traitor is?

My money is on Prowl, Jipped to 2nd in command by Jazz, undermimed by Prime throughout the 'tions.
Image

User avatar
Shanti418
Over Pompous Autobot Commander
Posts:2633
Joined:Wed Sep 08, 2004 7:52 pm
Location:Austin, Texas

Post by Shanti418 » Wed Dec 03, 2008 12:01 am

I too am reading this, and haven't got a chance to post due to the holidays....

I think the egg salad metaphor says it all, though. On the pros, AHM has at least piqued my interest over the last couple of issues (but not as much as the -Ion series), but on the cons, cyber cigs and Creation Matricies have turned the steak of previous storylines into Spam.

Continunity wise, it's a cluster f***, and I don't like it, and I don't want a little roast beef mixed into the egg salad in an effort to placate me.
Best First wrote:I thought we could just meander between making well thought out points, being needlessly immature, provocative and generalist, then veer into caring about constructive debate and make a few valid points, act civil for a bit, then lower the tone again, then act offended when we get called on it, then dictate what it is and isn't worth debating, reinterpret a few of my own posts through a less offensive lens, then jaunt down whatever other path our seemingly volatile mood took us in.

Yaya
Big Honking Planet Eater
Posts:3374
Joined:Sun Feb 06, 2005 1:58 am
Location:Florida, USA

Post by Yaya » Wed Dec 03, 2008 12:55 am

Hound wrote:anyone have an idea/care who the Autobot traitor is?

My money is on Prowl, Jipped to 2nd in command by Jazz, undermimed by Prime throughout the 'tions.
As big a dick as Prowl tends to be, if anything, he's loyal. Don't see him being the traitor.

Mirage would be too obvious.

Bumblebee is too loved by the fans. To make him a traitor would incur the wrath of the entire Tf fandom. Something Shane certainly does not need right now.

My pick? Trailbreaker. He just looks suspicious.

Sunstreaker would actually make the most sense. The guy gets his head fused to a human being, a race he looks upon with great disdain. I think if I were an Autobot, and that happened to me, you better damn well bet I'd be sporting a Decepticon logo after that.
"But the Costa story featuring Starscream? Fantastic! This guy is "The One", I just know it, just from these few pages. "--Yaya, who is never wrong.

User avatar
Shanti418
Over Pompous Autobot Commander
Posts:2633
Joined:Wed Sep 08, 2004 7:52 pm
Location:Austin, Texas

Post by Shanti418 » Wed Dec 03, 2008 1:00 am

Yaya wrote:
Hound wrote:anyone have an idea/care who the Autobot traitor is?

My money is on Prowl, Jipped to 2nd in command by Jazz, undermimed by Prime throughout the 'tions.
As big a dick as Prowl tends to be, if anything, he's loyal. Don't see him being the traitor.

Mirage would be too obvious.
Like that would stop McCarthy.
Sunstreaker would actually make the most sense. The guy gets his head fused to a human being, a race he looks upon with great disdain. I think if I were an Autobot, and that happened to me, you better damn well bet I'd be sporting a Decepticon logo after that.
But that would involve using past events and continuity, which is something that hasn't really happened yet.


IMO.....what's the second most likely character to have Decepticony tendancies after Mirage? Grimlock. And there's Maximum Dinbots coming up.
Best First wrote:I thought we could just meander between making well thought out points, being needlessly immature, provocative and generalist, then veer into caring about constructive debate and make a few valid points, act civil for a bit, then lower the tone again, then act offended when we get called on it, then dictate what it is and isn't worth debating, reinterpret a few of my own posts through a less offensive lens, then jaunt down whatever other path our seemingly volatile mood took us in.

User avatar
sprunkner
Over Pompous Autobot Commander
Posts:2229
Joined:Fri Mar 12, 2004 12:00 am
Location:Bellingham, WA

Post by sprunkner » Wed Dec 03, 2008 3:57 am

My respect for McCarthy would go from "rat" to "pomeranian" if it were Bumblebee.

Still not as good a move as making Alex the traitor in Runaways, though.
Image

User avatar
Impactor returns 2.0
Big Honking Planet Eater
Posts:6885
Joined:Sat Sep 22, 2001 11:00 pm
::Starlord
Location:Your Mums

Post by Impactor returns 2.0 » Wed Dec 03, 2008 7:06 am

hot rod. wouldn't that be a change of events...
Image

Professor Smooth
Big Honking Planet Eater
Posts:3132
Joined:Sun Apr 27, 2003 11:00 pm
::Hobby Drifter
Location:Tokyo, Japan
Contact:

Post by Professor Smooth » Wed Dec 03, 2008 11:26 am

Oh, I know! It's Doubledealer!

Or Drift. Let's make it Drift.

User avatar
sprunkner
Over Pompous Autobot Commander
Posts:2229
Joined:Fri Mar 12, 2004 12:00 am
Location:Bellingham, WA

Post by sprunkner » Wed Dec 03, 2008 4:02 pm

It's a technovirus hiding in Kup's cigar.

Or possibly his egg salad.
Image

Yaya
Big Honking Planet Eater
Posts:3374
Joined:Sun Feb 06, 2005 1:58 am
Location:Florida, USA

Post by Yaya » Wed Dec 03, 2008 4:26 pm

sprunkner wrote:It's a technovirus hiding in Kup's cigar.

Or possibly his egg salad.
How cool would it be if Kup's cigar itself transformed into a diminutive Decepticon spy? Cigarcon.....sweet.
"But the Costa story featuring Starscream? Fantastic! This guy is "The One", I just know it, just from these few pages. "--Yaya, who is never wrong.

User avatar
Shanti418
Over Pompous Autobot Commander
Posts:2633
Joined:Wed Sep 08, 2004 7:52 pm
Location:Austin, Texas

Post by Shanti418 » Wed Dec 03, 2008 7:37 pm

Yaya wrote:
sprunkner wrote:It's a technovirus hiding in Kup's cigar.

Or possibly his egg salad.
How cool would it be if Kup's cigar itself transformed into a diminutive Decepticon spy? Cigarcon.....sweet.
And then half the fandom cries in open revolt because of the Movielike nature of it all, while the other half falls all over themselves telling IDW how cool and original they are to blend the two.
Best First wrote:I thought we could just meander between making well thought out points, being needlessly immature, provocative and generalist, then veer into caring about constructive debate and make a few valid points, act civil for a bit, then lower the tone again, then act offended when we get called on it, then dictate what it is and isn't worth debating, reinterpret a few of my own posts through a less offensive lens, then jaunt down whatever other path our seemingly volatile mood took us in.

User avatar
The Last Autobot
Skull faced assassin
Posts:1057
Joined:Wed Jul 23, 2003 11:00 pm
Location:Peru, South America
Contact:

Post by The Last Autobot » Wed Dec 03, 2008 8:24 pm

Impactor returns 2.0 wrote:hot rod. wouldn't that be a change of events...
An official traitor this time
Image

A dream come true. Transformers Perú is online!!!
Visit:
www.transformersperu.com

And my Transformers blog in: www.transformers-peru-tla.blogspot.com

User avatar
Brendocon
Big Honking Planet Eater
Posts:5299
Joined:Tue Sep 19, 2000 11:00 pm
Location:UK

Post by Brendocon » Thu Dec 04, 2008 3:02 pm

Professor Smooth wrote:Or Drift. Let's make it Drift.
It would actually justify his presence.

"I didn't want to sully the reputation of any pre-existing Autobot, so I invented this uberkewl fanchar to get round it."

Secret Bad Guy does generally go very well with Self Insertion Character.

Post Reply