Transformers!

[Tom Foolery]

I don't have that 100 Page Spectacular from 2012. My guy never ordered any.

At some point I'm probably also going to track down every A/B cover (the RI covers are probably a pipe dream) I don't have.

[anarky]

Just realized I missed at least one: Galvatron riding Ultra Magnus is an homage to a UK cover.

[anarky]

Got RG1 #99-100 in the mail today. Somewhat mixed feelings. #99 was great, albeit a bit rushed in the Underbase's absorption of Jhiaxus. #100 was good, but not what I expected, and a bit rushed. I love Easter eggs, but the ones in this issue went a little overboard, and I had to hit the TFWiki immediately after finishing to see what I'd missed. (One huge thing that I missed and wasn't even an Easter egg was that the Primordials apparently became the creatures from Beast Wars/Machines when Rodimus died. I saw Rodimus fall, saw what was apparently the Matrix energy dissipate, and saw Botanica (one of the very few characters from that continuity I could recognize, because there's only one fucking plant) arise, but missed that those were the cocoons.)

So this world, what many would consider the "true" Transformers world, finds the entire race sacrificing themselves to prevent the Dark Matrix from taking over all realities. Wow. Bittersweet and dark ending there. How did the Dark Matrix get so fucking evil? Yeah, other portions of it merged with Thunderwing and at least one other being, but this particular Dark Matrix had only joined with the Deathbringer. Who we only see as a fucking badass trying to destroy life on Earth in the US book, but the flashback and RG1 references make the UK story canon, and he was basically a robotic euthanasia expert who, dying, joined with the Matrix and then got confused, thinking organic life was a disease infecting the Earth. (He wound up killing himself when Nightbeat talked logic to him and he realized his own mission necessitated euthanizing himself.)

Watching folks die off one by one, then finding out the intro (in #96?) was truly what would happen, and all Transformers would die, man, that's just heavy. And in the same issue, we get confirmation that the humans are headquartered in The Pit (or some later equivalent), since Wolverines and VAMPs aren't standard issue in the real world, so the entire fucking Joe team (and Cobra, the Dreadnoks, Iron Grenadiers, and everyone else) are dead.

And, though the few remaining Decepticons have joined the Autobots in their mission of peace, Ravage remains the same. Weird. I like Ravage to remain dark and mysterious, and I don't want to think of him dead or turned into a good guy. But that seemed, I dunno, gratuitous if there truly are no plans to return to this universe.

Bludgeon got his wish off-panel. Or not. I'd hardly say a guy on life support, in prison, being absorbed by an energy being qualifies as a blaze of glory.

I thought we saw the Battle Beasts (who were actual Transformers in Japan, but apparently the molds were licensed by a different company in the US so they couldn't be here, or something), but TFWiki identified the lion dude as Leokaiser from one of the later shows.

I might have to actually watch the Beast Wars and Beast Machines shows now. Furman has ended this series a few times, and they always lead there. Assuming they keep only to the US stories, Ravage is the only explicitly identified former Decepticon, so that sort of fits. The time gap must be far wider than expected; rather than Autobots and Decepticons downsizing to Maximals and Predacons, and much later discovering that there was organic life on Cybertron in the distant past, it looks like the race (almost) entirely dies out, their Primordial predecessors are evolved by Matrix energy into a first generation of new inhabitants who somehow have historical records of the Autobots and Decepticons, and these evolve into the Maximals and Predacons, sometimes taking the names of their forebears. And Ravage somehow gets himself a new body in the process.

How long does it take the entire Cybertronian race to die of old age, anyway? I'm thinking we've got to be looking at a scale of millennia. Their seeming immortality is at least partly due to them being mechanical, and not entirely from Primus.

[anarky]

I think I accidentally spoiled myself because, no matter how much you try to remain spoiler-free, some fucktards just have no class and throw big ass spoilers out in the open where you don't expect to have to watch for them.

If I'm correct, it fits pretty well. Unfortunately, he's the one whose death would have the least impact. Yeah, it'd be a big deal to the other Transformers, but leads to the least potential story-wise. Okay, take that back. The physically biggest of the candidates (as well as the smallest--you'll know immediately what I mean, Foolery) would be the least impact, and this fellow's death, based on the couple of previews I've skimmed over, could be the logical catalyst for Megatron switching sides.

IDW has, so far, done a remarkable job of keeping all the candidates out of previews, covers, and solicitations. DC would've botched that in less than a week. (Or was Orion a candidate? Can't remember.)

Especially glad it's not the bwa-ha-ha guy. I'm really liking him, and his book has had more than its share of moving deaths in its couple of years. (Though it does raise a huge question of why the gun seems to be taking his place.) I still say the cloak-and-dagger asshole guy would've been best, redeeming his recent actions and opening up huge cans of worms as all his unfinished plans throughout the galaxy were discovered when he wasn't there to monitor them and they started blowing up into shitstorms all over the place.

If it is correct, I'd fucking love a throwaway line later with the bwa-ha-ha fellow saying he once had to help a million others of himself fight evil Optimus Primes and the Dark Matrix.

[anarky]

And, holy shit, hopefully Grimlock doesn't mind three consecutive posts since he's in the book, but there's something about #94 and #100 of ReGeneration One that is fucking HUGE and I've seen absolutely no mention of anywhere.

The Dark Matrix wants to access all the worlds of the Multiverse, and shows Hot Rod a vision of his counterparts in other worlds. The vision, by itself, is not a big deal.

Hasbro has maintained for years (and, yes, I think it's fucking retarded) that all the various Transformers universes (even the GoBots universe) share the same Primus and Unicron. Basically, both were dormant in all realities until Octopunch shot Primus and woke him up in Marvel #60, and his scream was heard across all realities, alerting all the manifestations of Unicron to his presence. From that point on, Unicron tries to destroy one Cybertron, is defeated, and moves to another reality. Again, I think this is fucking retarded, but it is Hasbro's official stance. (Not to mention the headache it causes with there being both in each reality, but them being all the same, and, holy shit, I'm not going to try to figure that out.)

Only two Transformers universes (not counting stuff like Playskool Transformers, where there's no conflict) have been explicitly identified as being separated from this mess: the Bay movies and the IDW comics. Furman said in the early days of the IDW comic that there was no Unicron or Primus in that universe, though it was never stated in the actual comics. The introduction of the Matrix in All Hail Megatron was a pretty big retcon since even the Matrix wasn't supposed to exist.

ReGeneration One #100 has a scene of "616" Rodimus Prime reaching out to the Multiverse and his call being answered by a shit-ton of Hot Rods, Hot Shots, Rodimuses, and Rodimus Primes...

...led by IDW Rodimus from the More Than Meets the Eye ongoing.

So, for IDW Rodimus to take an active role in ReGeneration One (as opposed to his presence in a vision, which is easier to dismiss, particularly when the vision is a mindfuck intended to con 616 Hot Rod), I'd think that means his universe has to be accessible from Zero Point, and therefore part of the Transformers Multiverse and subject to its laws.

Meaning that, were anyone paying attention at IDW, Simon Furman just confirmed that Unicron and Primus are a part of the IDW TF Universe as well.

Which is the sort of thing that would likely get brushed off and forgotten, since it's a guy who's not working in that universe anymore kinda setting up something majorly fucking important.

Except we know there's one enormous Simon Furman fan whom I'm sure has been looking forward to every single issue the way we have. And his name is James Roberts.

[Tom Foolery]

The death in the Dark Cybertron event was, in hindsight, foreshadowed by the unlikely bond formed between the deceased and the Autobot's newest member.

And IIRC the four "candidates" were Prowl, Bumblebee, Hot Rod, and Ultra Magnus. Optimus/Orion wasn't on the list.

As far as Unicron in the IDW, if they ever pull on that string, I would hope its as long and drawn out and complex as the previous lingering subplots. They just tied off pretty much everything since they started Infiltration back in 2006 all at once. The Ore stuff, the Dead Universe stuff, plenty of the 'History' stuff all came to a head in this crossover. Which makes for an epic story, but kinda leaves the coffers empty going forward.

[anarky]

If you're talking about a 'Bot forming an unlikely partnership with the future newest member by carrying him around when he has no legs, yeah, it was spoiled. Wasn't the one I expected. But glad to hear my boy's okay! (I've never understood the hate for him. He didn't kill Optimus. And he's impossible to not love in IDW. Stupid-ass brats.)

With Unicron, I'm just saying that, unless they ignore it or say it's the Hot Rodimus from another universe who just happens to look just like the IDW version, or if they ever change the asinine stance about Unicron being a "singularity" across the multiverse, the events of RG1 #100 pretty much require him to exist in IDW. Also meaning the creation myth the Transformers currently (somewhat) believe in is wrong.

I'd personally say Hasbro should ditch the BS and keep IDW Unicron-free.

The coffers aren't entirely empty, though, unless the Decepticon Justice Division showed up, the mole was revealed, Pharma returns from Cybertopia (that's what it was called, right?), Springer revives, and Grimlock returns. And I'm sure there are a few dozen throwaway lines from earlier issues that Roberts and Barber are setting up massive epics around even as we speak.

[Tom Foolery]

They announced the sequel to Autocracy and Monstrosity at WonderCon this weekend.

Transformers:Primacy.

Yay!

[anarky]

Oh, shit, not only a sequel, but that title promises quite a bit itself. Wonder who the focus will be on this time; Optimus seems a bit too obvious.

Speaking of which, what are your thoughts on the dude who does the art on those books? Seems like everyone hates him, but I love the dark style. I will admit I occasionally have issues telling who's who, but that's more an issue with the character design than his art specifically.

Also, got and read Dark Cybertron Volume 1 yesterday. Six issues. Two issues worth of story. Not used to that sort of decompression. What story there was was great. It's just... two issues worth.

Swerve's ringtone made me piss myself.

I suspect we won't get all the answers, but a lot. I'm hoping there's an explanation as to why the Ammonites seem so intent on stopping the Lost Light from reaching Metroplex.

[Tom Foolery]

I really like Livio Ramondelli's art. Yeah, the coloring can get a bit murky, but it adds to the atmosphere of the story. They've been fighting a war for millions of years and the art reflects that dreariness.

[anarky]

Read some minor spoilers, and I'm quite surprised that the Decepticon faction will still exist under Soundwave and Galvatron after Megatron becomes an Autobot. I just figured that was the end of them altogether. Also Prime and company going to Earth to deal with Devastator is surprising as hell, given that Scrapper was replaced by Prowl, and they now follow him.

I couldn't help noticing Nightbeat among the crew of the Lost Light, and am wondering what happened to Rodimus since the solicitations indicate Megatron now captains the Lost Light. (Don't spoil what I don't know! )

[jjreason]

So I wound up reading 6 issues of IDW Transformers, and they were fine. The fact that they weren't strung together in any particular order (just grabbed what my LCS had in stock for the FCDB back issue sale) and wound up with mostly Robots in Disguise (4, 14, 16, one issue of Dark Cybertron, 28) and the 28 from the More than Meets the Eye series. The fact I don't know the characters at all didn't help. The writing & art was both fine - but I just don't get the "big moments" as I haven't been up on the story since about issue 4 of the original limited series. Not sure if I'm going to pursue it or not - possibly will pick away whenever I can find them on sale & possibly go back to re-read when I have a better streak of them.

[Tom Foolery]

When you say original limited series, do you mean the Marvel series from 1984?
Or the first IDW series, 'Infiltration'?

[jjreason]

No, like 1984 #4. I dabbled in reading them when Dreamwave started up with it, mainly because Pat Lee was producing them in Toronto if I recall. They were fine also, but again not near the top of things I care about all that much. And I"m sure IDW wiped out all that story the same as they did Devil's Due's GI Joe stuff? Not like I can remember anything that happened in those books anyhow.

[anarky]

Do the libraries have comics there? If so, check out the first collection of More Than Meets the Eye. Or find a one-shot called The Death of Optimistic Prime (spoiler, since you kinda already know: the "death" is his renouncing his Prime name and status and becoming lawman Orion Pax again). That issue does a great job of setting up the current status quo.

And the thing about MTMTE: he purposely selected mostly obscure characters, so less background. A few are 30-year-old characters who only ever appeared in the background of the 80s cartoon for a single scene each, and I'm not exaggerating.