Ongoing #14 Options

[lonegamer8]

Ongoing #14 out Wednesday, December 8, 2010.

[Echowarrior]

Got my issue. I think it's safe to say that things have just gotten much, much worse.

HIGHLIGHT to view:
Though where in the blue blazes did that Megatron head come from?

[Detour]

Got my issue. I think it's safe to say that things have just gotten much, much worse.

From a "the jive hit the fan for our heroes" standpoint, or from an "oh god this is horrible writing" standpoint?

HIGHLIGHT to view:
Though where in the blue blazes did that Megatron head come from?

Ellaboration is required.

[Echowarrior]

Got my issue. I think it's safe to say that things have just gotten much, much worse.

From a "the jive hit the fan for our heroes" standpoint, or from an "oh god this is horrible writing" standpoint?

HIGHLIGHT to view:
Though where in the blue blazes did that Megatron head come from?

Ellaboration is required.

Things have gotten much, much worse in the former sense, not the latter. I get that you've got issues with this series, and I do too, but I'm gonna wait to judge this story until after it's totally finished. Can't fault me for that, right?

HIGHLIGHT to view:
As for the Megatron head - the last couple pages establish that somewhere in Central America (presumably Mexico), a large thing resembling Megatron's head crashed roughly four months prior to the events of this issue, and that the locals have been making replicas of Megatron's old P-38 alternate mode for some time - one of which was the gun used to shoot Bumblebee.

Now, Megatron's still got a head, so what happened? Did he swap out heads with his rebuilt body? Is the Megatron we saw last issue a fake?

[Detour]

Things have gotten much, much worse in the former sense, not the latter. I get that you've got issues with this series, and I do too, but I'm gonna wait to judge this story until after it's totally finished. Can't fault me for that, right?

No, I cannot. I was merely curious what you meant.

HIGHLIGHT to view:
As for the Megatron head - the last couple pages establish that somewhere in Central America (presumably Mexico), a large thing resembling Megatron's head crashed roughly four months prior to the events of this issue, and that the locals have been making replicas of Megatron's old P-38 alternate mode for some time - one of which was the gun used to shoot Bumblebee.

Now, Megatron's still got a head, so what happened? Did he swap out heads with his rebuilt body? Is the Megatron we saw last issue a fake?

Well that sounds... unusual.

[Cattleprod]

Eh, it seems to make sense, if last issue took place right after issues 6 and 7 chronologically. While 8-12 were going on, they dumped Megs' old body on Earth for whatever reason and plotted all this stuff.

[Commander Shockw...]

SPOILERS


If one accepts the premise that humans can be legitimate opponents to Transformers if properly armed (which I don't think I can) then this issue wasn't bad. In fact, I'd say I was a bit intrigued for the first time since the first six-issue arc about where things are going.

Most intriguing to me now is the newly arising question, "What are Megatron's remains doing on Earth?". Now, I'm not sure what will happen with this or what Costa will do with it, but I see a potentially kickass twist that could occur here if done right. Consider that issue when Starscream's Decepticons on that asteroid were first shown. Seemingly out of nowhere, Shockwave was present, for just one panel. And since that time, he has remained conspicuously absent. No sign of him in the last issue when Hot Rod attacked. Interestingly, Megatron's new body is much more akin to Shockwave himself, in both color and design. Also interestingly, the new Megatron showed no concern for the very item he chased around the galaxy, the Matrix. I would think that strange for Megatron and out of character. But not so much for Shockwave, who never really desired it.

So what if, what if, this new Megatron isn't Megatron at all? What if this is Shockwave given new form? A form, dare I say, that somewhat mimics his new upcoming form in the movie, given his sillohuette in the prequel comics yet to be published?

Why would Shockwave do this? I don't know, but I would think an adept writer could certainly create a good enough motive to make this one of the greatest twists in a comic book since Ratchet and Megs got blown together into one being. Perhaps Shockwave might do this to more easily usurp Decepticon authority. Megatron's troops would never question Megatron. They might do so with Shockwave.

Is this what Costa is up to? After all, we know the new big baddy for the upcoming movie is Shockers. What better way to bring him back into the spotlight and have him assume command of the Decepticon army without firing a shot? I would take a lot back if it were true. But I'm not holding my breath.

Say what you will about the faces, Don's art still fascinates me. His angles and proportions are always spot on. He makes the bots sleek and deadly looking, and I think that certainly adds a more serious undertone to a story that sorely needs to jettison that cartoony feel. If only he could stay on permanently.

It continues to be absolutely infuriatingly stupid though, this idea that the Autobots are "stuck" on Earth, which Magnus again reminds us about this issue as well. I am begging Mike to please never mention this again. No matter how many times he tries to convince us this makes sense, it never really will. So let's just assume that for whatever reason, the Autobots are there and leave it at that.

Give this issue a "C+".

[Autobot Bubbs]

I'm curious if the deal with the Cerebro shells doesn't have anything to do with some rather specifically directed anti-autobot fervor.

[Magnusblitz]

Most intriguing to me now is the newly arising question, "What are Megatron's remains doing on Earth?". Now, I'm not sure what will happen with this or what Costa will do with it, but I see a potentially kickass twist that could occur here if done right. Consider that issue when Starscream's Decepticons on that asteroid were first shown. Seemingly out of nowhere, Shockwave was present, for just one panel. And since that time, he has remained conspicuously absent. No sign of him in the last issue when Hot Rod attacked. Interestingly, Megatron's new body is much more akin to Shockwave himself, in both color and design. Also interestingly, the new Megatron showed no concern for the very item he chased around the galaxy, the Matrix. I would think that strange for Megatron and out of character. But not so much for Shockwave, who never really desired it.

So what if, what if, this new Megatron isn't Megatron at all? What if this is Shockwave given new form? A form, dare I say, that somewhat mimics his new upcoming form in the movie, given his sillohuette in the prequel comics yet to be published?

Why would Shockwave do this? I don't know, but I would think an adept writer could certainly create a good enough motive to make this one of the greatest twists in a comic book since Ratchet and Megs got blown together into one being. Perhaps Shockwave might do this to more easily usurp Decepticon authority. Megatron's troops would never question Megatron. They might do so with Shockwave.

Very interesting idea. Unfortunately, I think that's also the same reason that it won't be that. So far Costa has shown no variation from doing the expected and obvious.

[BB Shockwave]

HIGHLIGHT to view:
As for the Megatron head - the last couple pages establish that somewhere in Central America (presumably Mexico), a large thing resembling Megatron's head crashed roughly four months prior to the events of this issue, and that the locals have been making replicas of Megatron's old P-38 alternate mode for some time - one of which was the gun used to shoot Bumblebee.

Now, Megatron's still got a head, so what happened? Did he swap out heads with his rebuilt body? Is the Megatron we saw last issue a fake?

Now, that's what I call a CLUSTERHUG.

Seriously, the Mexicans are making G1 Megatron toys now? I thought that was the Chinese' job the make KOs. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/icon-hotrod.gif)

SPOILERS





So what if, what if, this new Megatron isn't Megatron at all? What if this is Shockwave given new form? A form, dare I say, that somewhat mimics his new upcoming form in the movie, given his sillohuette in the prequel comics yet to be published?

This'd be all nice and interesting... but all of Costa's "big reveals" so far has been incredibly unimpressive and totally predictable. (Swindle's betrayal, Metroplex's appearance, Alpha Trion... not being evil..., Starscream NOT doing anything with the matrix) After the 5th or so such disappointment, I am not holding my breath. Usually the fan theories behind these odd things, such as yours, are more interesting then what the writer could have made up.




This post has been edited by BB Shockwave: Dec 9 2010, 08:22 AM

[Commander Shockw...]

Love that Shockwave sig pic.

[BB Shockwave]

Love that Shockwave sig pic.

A friend made it for me - he is a T-shirt designer, so I have it on a T-shirt as well... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/icon-hotrod.gif) Nice to see you, by the way! Ever since my office blocks Transfans and TFW2005 I haven't really visited those boards.

And you are right, there is certainly something alien, almost Bayformer-ish in the new Megs design. However, IDW Shockwave has really shown no indication for leadership so far. He is a scientist, and more importantly, a survivor. He still has some backlash to fear from Megs due to his actions with creating Ore 13 behind his back, but given the current desperate situation of the Cons I doubt Megs would have brought that one up. Also, there is the thing with Soundwave... while Furman has shown him as an opportunist, Shane and Costa portrayed him again as the never-speaking (man, how I hated that in Dreamwave...) Megatron loyalist. I doubt Shockwave could have pulled a switch while he was watching over Megatron.

Then again, Shocky was working on a spacebridge... which would have allowed him to dump Megatron on Earth. (Why there, though, where he knows Decepticons and Autobots plus sentient, hostile life-forms with a grudge against cybertronians reside... that makes little sense).

This post has been edited by BB Shockwave: Dec 10 2010, 08:39 AM

[Commander Shockw...]

Love that Shockwave sig pic.

A friend made it for me - he is a T-shirt designer, so I have it on a T-shirt as well... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/icon-hotrod.gif) Nice to see you, by the way! Ever since my office blocks Transfans and TFW2005 I haven't really visited those boards.

And you are right, there is certainly something alien, almost Bayformer-ish in the new Megs design. However, IDW Shockwave has really shown no indication for leadership so far. He is a scientist, and more importantly, a survivor. He still has some backlash to fear from Megs due to his actions with creating Ore 13 behind his back, but given the current desperate situation of the Cons I doubt Megs would have brought that one up. Also, there is the thing with Soundwave... while Furman has shown him as an opportunist, Shane and Costa portrayed him again as the never-speaking (man, how I hated that in Dreamwave...) Megatron loyalist. I doubt Shockwave could have pulled a switch while he was watching over Megatron.

Then again, Shocky was working on a spacebridge... which would have allowed him to dump Megatron on Earth. (Why there, though, where he knows Decepticons and Autobots plus sentient, hostile life-forms with a grudge against cybertronians reside... that makes little sense).

Ah, I was wondering why you weren't on Transfans. Besides the frequent lack of debate etiquette there, I mean.

I don't really think my theory is really a theory, but rather an idea for where I would have taken things had I been in Costa's position. Don't think there's any way in hell he'd write something that unpredictable, unfortunately. If he had showed some clever tendencies in the past, I might have thought my idea possible, or at least something along those lines. As it is, I'm not really holding my breath that I might be wowed by something in the ongoing.

[Esser-Z]

Megatron's old P-38 alternate mode

TOY. NOW.

[Echowarrior]

Megatron's old P-38 alternate mode

TOY. NOW.

...You do realize I'm talking about his old Walther P-38 alternate mode (and thus, his original G1 toy), and not some variety of aircraft, yes?

Seriously, that toy's been around since at least the eighties - probably longer. If you want one so bad, find one and buy one. Sheesh.

[Esser-Z]

...Oh. Damn. That does make sense.

I was thinking one of these. Goldbox Highbrow is similar, but...

[Omaps321]

Love that Shockwave sig pic.

A friend made it for me - he is a T-shirt designer, so I have it on a T-shirt as well... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/icon-hotrod.gif) Nice to see you, by the way! Ever since my office blocks Transfans and TFW2005 I haven't really visited those boards.

And you are right, there is certainly something alien, almost Bayformer-ish in the new Megs design. However, IDW Shockwave has really shown no indication for leadership so far. He is a scientist, and more importantly, a survivor. He still has some backlash to fear from Megs due to his actions with creating Ore 13 behind his back, but given the current desperate situation of the Cons I doubt Megs would have brought that one up. Also, there is the thing with Soundwave... while Furman has shown him as an opportunist, Shane and Costa portrayed him again as the never-speaking (man, how I hated that in Dreamwave...) Megatron loyalist. I doubt Shockwave could have pulled a switch while he was watching over Megatron.

Then again, Shocky was working on a spacebridge... which would have allowed him to dump Megatron on Earth. (Why there, though, where he knows Decepticons and Autobots plus sentient, hostile life-forms with a grudge against cybertronians reside... that makes little sense).

Ah, I was wondering why you weren't on Transfans. Besides the frequent lack of debate etiquette there, I mean.

I don't really think my theory is really a theory, but rather an idea for where I would have taken things had I been in Costa's position. Don't think there's any way in hell he'd write something that unpredictable, unfortunately. If he had showed some clever tendencies in the past, I might have thought my idea possible, or at least something along those lines. As it is, I'm not really holding my breath that I might be wowed by something in the ongoing.

He sort of has Animated Longarm's color scheme minus the blue. Are we going to see another face-flipping switcheroo?
That would actually be very interesting.

[Powered Convoy]

Interesting theory to be sure. I know I was like "WTF?" when I saw those last pages.

Randy

[Confuzor]

Did this chapter feel short to anyone else?

[Echowarrior]

Did this chapter feel short to anyone else?

It did feel as if it had a faster pace to it than previous issues did, which is probably a good thing.