Autocracy #2 Preview, Finally a good look at Zeta Prime Options

[Repugnus]

And here I was starting to think we'd never get to see what Zeta Prime looks like!

http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=preview&id=11334

[Creedence]

"Jihauxus"?

[Repugnus]

"Jihauxus"?

At least they're always innovating new ways to misspell his name.

Who knows, maybe it'll get fixed for the release. I imagine it's probably a lot easier to tweak these kinds of things even at the last minute when the distribution is exclusively digital.

But anyway, am I the only one confused by Starscream being a delegate? It's been a while since I've read Megatron: Origin, but I seem to recall he outed himself as a Decepticon before the senate, and since that would've happened way back when Sentinal Prime was still alive, wouldn't his status as a Decepticon be well known by the time Zeta Prime showed up?

This post has been edited by Repugnus: Jan 31 2012, 07:07 PM

[Wildwade]

"Jihauxus"?

But anyway, am I the only one confused by Starscream being a delegate? It's been a while since I've read Megatron: Origin, but I seem to recall he outed himself as a Decepticon before the senate, and since that would've happened way back when Sentinal Prime was still alive, wouldn't his status as a Decepticon be well known by the time Zeta Prime showed up?

Livio Ramondelli said over on the IDW boards that it'll be explored in issue 3.

Plus, that was only Kaon's council, of whom Starscream murdered every possible witness.

This post has been edited by Wildwade: Jan 31 2012, 07:19 PM

[Creedence]

Speaking of Sentinel, I'm confused by Zeta referring to Nominus as his predecessor and as the one who failed to stop the rebellion, when that was explicitly Sentinel's role in Megatron Origin.

[Octavius Prime]

Yeah. It all seems like another continuity mess. At least the art is good here (I think).

[Xaaron]

"Jihauxus"?

At least they're always innovating new ways to misspell his name.

Who knows, maybe it'll get fixed for the release. I imagine it's probably a lot easier to tweak these kinds of things even at the last minute when the distribution is exclusively digital.

But anyway, am I the only one confused by Starscream being a delegate? It's been a while since I've read Megatron: Origin, but I seem to recall he outed himself as a Decepticon before the senate, and since that would've happened way back when Sentinal Prime was still alive, wouldn't his status as a Decepticon be well known by the time Zeta Prime showed up?

Cybertronian politics have always been a bit murky, but is it really any different than being a Soviet ambassador to the United Nations during the 80's, the President of Iran making a fuss on the UN floor, or an African warlord guilty of massive human rights violations still touring New York with diplomatic plates? Cybertron IS an entire world...how much pull does Iacon really have following the occupation of Kaon? Or a military coup in Vos and Tarn? In the real world, we love to throw around the phrase "terrorist state" these days, but as long as it's a recognized legitimate government, a Decepticon state in Kaon might still get a delegate on the Senate floor. And then there's the idea that the Senate has to tolerate Starscream, but the Prime does not.

It's pretty interesting all around, and I'd love a deeper look into Cybertronian political science, especially in the eary days of the war.

[BB Shockwave]

But anyway, am I the only one confused by Starscream being a delegate? It's been a while since I've read Megatron: Origin, but I seem to recall he outed himself as a Decepticon before the senate, and since that would've happened way back when Sentinal Prime was still alive, wouldn't his status as a Decepticon be well known by the time Zeta Prime showed up?

Not to mention him killing the whole council, kidnapping that senator Decimus and multiple other atroctities, in Megatron: Origin...

Also, is that Zeta Prime on the cover? That head looks like the unholy union of Boba Fett and Magneto topped with Unicron's horns. We get it, artist... he's corrupt and probably evil. Geez...

This post has been edited by BB Shockwave: Feb 1 2012, 04:46 AM

[Cat]

So they're basically giving away half the issue for free?

Nice one.

[G1MarvelBlaster]

It does seem weird giving away 3 of the 8 story pages for free. I will say that Ramondelli's art suits this series much better than it did Chaos. The page of Orion Pax/Ultra Magnus sparring looks magnificent.

And am I the only one who get's a slight Death's Head vibe from Zeta Prime's appearance? I think it's the horns.

Nominus was crowbarred in between Sentinel and Zeta in Chaos Theory if I recall my admonitions from last issue's threads, right? I take it this means we haven't had a good look at what Nominus might look like.

Any speculation on what any of the pre-Optimus Prime's alt-modes might be? No really visible vehicle kibble on Zeta.

[Xaaron]

No, Chaos Theory placed Nominus in-between Nova and Sentinel. The current line of Primes in IDW is:

Nova Prime - Spotlight: Optimus Prime, 11 million years ago, reign ended with launch of the Ark
Nominus Prime - Chaos Theory, responsible for apartheid, target of assassination attempt, survival unknown
Sentinel Prime - Megatron: Origin, active at start of the war, survival of Kaon uprising uncertain
Zeta Prime - Spotlight: Blurr, active in the early days of the war, target of assassination attempt, survival unknown
Optimus Prime - The Big Red Truck, rise unchronicled, currently resigned and AWOL
Rodimus (Prime)

[Cat]

It's up for sale.

[Cat]

I didn't mind the first issue. Quite enjoyed it, to be honest.

This issue though, was dreadful. I wish I had the useless 99 cents back, it's that bad.

Villainy on the level of cartoon Megatron, what appears to be two editing errors (one minor, the Jhiaxus thing, and the larger one, I THINK, is that some dialogue is missing from the Nominus/Starscream talk. Nominus challenged him to repeat what he just said, only SS hadn't said anything. I don't know it could be intentional in any way, something is missing), and then even more stupidity from Starscream to create a diversion, again, one of cartoon level stupidity (blow the cover of a useful ally you bought in...brilliant)

The art looked good. The story was woeful. 3/10

Remember old IDW? The one that did crappy Transformers comics? Yeah. This seems like their kind of thing.

This post has been edited by Cat: Feb 1 2012, 11:34 AM

[Bass X0]

Its 99 cents. I paid more for candy that I found out I didn't like.

[General Tekno]

I didn't mind the first issue. Quite enjoyed it, to be honest.

This issue though, was dreadful. I wish I had the useless 99 cents back, it's that bad.

Villainy on the level of cartoon Megatron, what appears to be two editing errors (one minor, the Jhiaxus thing, and the larger one, I THINK, is that some dialogue is missing from the Nominus/Starscream talk. Nominus challenged him to repeat what he just said, only SS hadn't said anything. I don't know it could be intentional in any way, something is missing), and then even more stupidity from Starscream to create a diversion, again, one of cartoon level stupidity (blow the cover of a useful ally you bought in...brilliant)

The art looked good. The story was woeful. 3/10

Remember old IDW? The one that did crappy Transformers comics? Yeah. This seems like their kind of thing.

Starscream DID say something. The Comixology version is just broken in that it cuts it off unless you're viewing the entire page.

[Cat]

Its 99 cents. I paid more for candy that I found out I didn't like.

Oh I know it's a miserly amount, that's why I said 'useless 99 cents'.

I just really did not like this. This is the Metzen I was happy to not see in the first instalment.

And thanks for that, Tekno. I'm reading from my iPhone, so never use full page view. Thanks for correcting me on that.

[Cat]

No, Chaos Theory placed Nominus in-between Nova and Sentinel. The current line of Primes in IDW is:

Nova Prime - Spotlight: Optimus Prime, 11 million years ago, reign ended with launch of the Ark
Nominus Prime - Chaos Theory, responsible for apartheid, target of assassination attempt, survival unknown
Sentinel Prime - Megatron: Origin, active at start of the war, survival of Kaon uprising uncertain
Zeta Prime - Spotlight: Blurr, active in the early days of the war, target of assassination attempt, survival unknown
Optimus Prime - The Big Red Truck, rise unchronicled, currently resigned and AWOL
Rodimus (Prime)

I think IDW may be going the WFC route. And is now counting Sentinel and Zeta as the same person. Just my thought, probably wrong. (not sure how to place it, otherwise)

[General Tekno]

Its 99 cents. I paid more for candy that I found out I didn't like.

Oh I know it's a miserly amount, that's why I said 'useless 99 cents'.

I just really did not like this. This is the Metzen I was happy to not see in the first instalment.

And thanks for that, Tekno. I'm reading from my iPhone, so never use full page view. Thanks for correcting me on that.

No worries; read it on my iPhone too, went "whaaa?", then noticed a cutoff speech balloon.

And honestly, I don't mind this. We're basically getting a Zeta Prime who's more interested in the symptoms of the problem than the problem itself. The dude's very much Megatron, from the ideological standpoint of "might makes right".

I sorta hope we get to see Megatron personally thank Zeta at some point in the story.

[General Tekno]

No, Chaos Theory placed Nominus in-between Nova and Sentinel. The current line of Primes in IDW is:

Nova Prime - Spotlight: Optimus Prime, 11 million years ago, reign ended with launch of the Ark
Nominus Prime - Chaos Theory, responsible for apartheid, target of assassination attempt, survival unknown
Sentinel Prime - Megatron: Origin, active at start of the war, survival of Kaon uprising uncertain
Zeta Prime - Spotlight: Blurr, active in the early days of the war, target of assassination attempt, survival unknown
Optimus Prime - The Big Red Truck, rise unchronicled, currently resigned and AWOL
Rodimus (Prime)

I think IDW may be going the WFC route. And is now counting Sentinel and Zeta as the same person. Just my thought, probably wrong. (not sure how to place it, otherwise)

If that's the case, might I postulate that this actually works if Sentinel got heavily rebuilt after Megatron Origin's aftermath and took a new name?

Plus, that beating he took would be enough to drive anyone to "do whatever it takes".

Only problem with the idea is that he'd probably know who Starscream was, then. And it's implied there's no survivors from Kaon to finger him as the perp who offed Kaon's senate.

[Repugnus]

I take it this means we haven't had a good look at what Nominus might look like.

We got a glimpse of his Nominus Prime's face on a monitor in part two of Chaos Theory, and then Alex Milne posted a full view of his full character design over at his Deviantart page:

http://markerguru.deviantart.com/gallery/?offset=24#/d46wxhr