All Hail Megatron Issues 1 to 6 (Vol 1)

[Lord_Zed]

Ok I read All Hail Drif... uh Megatron.

Good Points:

A bit of dialouge and development for some of the minor players of the TF Universe, Roadbuster, Bombshell, even hints of personality for Thundercracker yay!

Starscream = not as dumb as he seemed at the start of AHM,makes him fit in a bit more with -ation Starscream.

Some changes in direction for old characters, mainly Perceptor and Jazz both seem to have gotten a lot meaner.

Talk of Decepticon mutiny/Autobot mutiny, so there is a point behind this story.

Bad Points:

It's so sloooooowwwww!!! And while I enjoy a lot of the new character dialouge I think I can clearly see where the story is going, get there already damnit!

Drift's initial apperance bugs me, cause he appears exactly what I was afraid he'd be a super badass sword guy who's cooler than cool ugh! I hate when they try to push those inflated character types. Here's hoping they flesh him out and make him something less sterotypical. To use Kup's words from earlier this thread "He sounds like the typical fan character who is overly 'in your face' cool and unbeatable." UGHHH!!!!!!!

Some changes in direction for old characters, mainly Prowl becomming a bit of a wimp, compared to what he was in other comics anyway.

The corny human bits, well didn't I say that was comming, it was so obvious. And why are the Humans all bent out of shape over it ummm the needs of the one outweigh the needs of the many it's the loss of one city against the whole planet. Megatron has to know this is comming or I will assume he has the mental capacity of George W Bush.

So yeah 4 for 4 against, so overall i'll call it an average issue. Rythmns of Darkness is so much cooler though.

Considering skipping the next 6 issues and getting the TPB at the moment, but then I want be able to discuss on this thread. ;)


Originally Posted by GoktimusPrime

The edge of the blade is pointing at the same angle as the cut - judging from the position of Drift's shoulder and arm, it ought to be pointing outward, not downward... even with speed effects (as demonstrated in the picture on the right).

Also, why is Drift's body facing square on to his opponent? Was that Insecticons' head attached by silly string? If it was so weakly attached to its neck then you could probably decapitate it with your bare hands... Drift would have to have his waist and shoulders turned in order to gain the torque and momentum required to swing his sword (which ought to be a freakin' heavy weapon) and hit his target with sufficient force to cut through enemy steel.

You wouldn't even draw a punch that way, let alone a sword slash. :/

Exactly but that's cause Drift decapitated that insecticon by being such a baddass, the Insceticon litteraly lost his head quaking in his boots. Imagine how popular he would have been with the animators of G1 had he been around then, they would never actualy have to animate him doing anything.:D

[GoktimusPrime]

Yeah, I really like hardcore Perceptor! :D Now if only he would use his tank mode... ;)


Drift's initial apperance bugs me, cause he appears exactly what I was afraid he'd be a super badass sword guy who's cooler than cool ugh! I hate when they try to push those inflated character types. Here's hoping they flesh him out and make him something less sterotypical. To use Kup's words from earlier this thread "He sounds like the typical fan character who is overly 'in your face' cool and unbeatable." UGHHH!!!!!!!

Exactly but that's cause Drift decapitated that insecticon by being such a baddass, the Insceticon litteraly lost his head quaking in his boots. Imagine how popular he would have been with the animators of G1 had he been around then, they would never actualy have to animate him doing anything.

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y227/goktimusprime/avatars/misc/munchkins.jpg (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Munchkin_(role-playing_games)) :)

[STL]

This is a post from the TAAU boards by Dragontail that cast the series in a brand new light for me. I've always believed that AHM is (and will be ) set in an alternate Universe from the "-tion" and "Maximum Dinobots" stories, and I think that had it been I would have received the story better originally, I may have even figured this out myself rather than needing someone else to point it out to me! :D

Unless the 2nd half of the story completely throwns this out on it's head, I too think I may be able to enjoy the series much more than I have been.

I haven't caught the recent issues but that's a different take on it and thanks for sharing though I do think that AHM is supposed to be a more basic take on things which I have absolutely no qualms with.



Thats the beauty of the TF universe, you can choose what you want to accept as canon because there are so many different TF universe's.


Agreed here absolutely. I operate very similarly. To me, memorising and trying to coalesce together all continuities for a "singular" or "wholesome" universe is a thing of the long distant past. And I think from a fan perspective, its far more enjoyable to accept as canon what you like and not focus on what you don't like. This allows you to really appreciate the strengths of TFs rather than being underwhelmed by the negatives.



I can understand the critical eye G1 comic fans have for the series, but here's a news flash THE MAJORITY OF TF FANS ARE CASUAL FANS and the only continuity that really stands out to them is the G1 Cartoon. Before I joined this board the G1 comics were a repressed memory of terrible art and confusing stories.

heheh, I share ur assessment of the old G1 comics too. Pretty were they not. :eek: And touching on your earlier point, that's where I wash out a lot of memories of G1. I loved the Headmasters introduction but I try my best to forget totally about the 1st two years of those comics as they were very forgettable.

Letting go poor continuity or continuity that does not sync up adds to your experience - not detract from it and I think doing that would help a lot of readers, especially the old stagers here.


Yeah what would the majority know. My advise to all the unique, well read, Transformers connoisseurs would be to stop reading AHM, and leave all the mainstream morons who like it to thier undeveloped trash mags.

Its pathetic that people are still saying how much they don't like it, but they are always the first to buy and review or opinionate on it.


I don't agree here. I completely share your frustration with the negativity that seems to emanate across this thread but I think that everyone has a right to complain. Even if they don't like something, they've invested the money and the time into a hobby they care about. That's not to mention the time over the years they've invested in reading/watching TFfiction, trying to piece it altogether. They've made both a financial and time commitment so its only fair that they be able to criticise. If they do not like the current direction they should be allowed to be heard because along with the $$$ and time they've committed, they've made an emotional investment in TFs and that gives them every right to complain.

BUT all that said that does not give them the right to flog a dead horse either. I think its important to temper negativity with acceptance for something that is new or different to what they're used to. This is something that has significantly transformed about the overall comic industry and from everything I've seen across many a TF board, TF comic fans are just not as accomodating or accepting of change. They like to shoot down new writers and new takes very fast. Especailly takes on G1.

The broader comic industry has shifted dramatically. About five to six years ago, I would've counted myself as a heavy continuity loving comic fan. I loved the old school style, disliked decompression, hated sensationalism, and out of the nowhere changes to character development. Marvel Comics in that time has done some serious changes to the way comics are written and the way characters are treated. Continuity is a matter of convenience and no longer a editorial mandate.

I was frustrated and angered as many of my favourite stories and characters continuities were disregarded. And I can say that a lot of the comic fan base was too. You'd go onto a lot of the comic forums and see a LOT of bashing of the new stuff. But one thing I had to learn to accept is that this is a business decision. Marvel Comics, and DC and the rest of the industry, have started to go down that path. Ironically, DC has tried to get back to the continuity driven days and stories but the amount of displeasure about that has been evidenced about that in their declining market share compared to Marvel. Things come and go in comics now, not just in TF comics. I mean, Marvel Comics' Secret Invasion was not really "Secret" if you look at it. Spider-Man's the Others was what now? New Avengers was really "new" Avengers?

Those are just a few examples in the comic industry of how much change has taken place and deviated from what was considered the norm or the classic "feel" of a book. Heck, they're also examples of where the title doesn't live up to the what the comic is actually about. But the point is, there has been a lot that has changed about the business of comics. Companies don't care about continuity b/c it can hinder them and it might just not be financially or legally possible. Such as in the case of following up DW's War Within. That's never going to happen and it'd prevent IDW from progressing with its own vision. Abandoning a continuity of a character or even an entire story is not something new to comics and I think fans need to let it go. Because it only detracts from your enjoyment to dwell on what you don't like. For me things like JMS' Gwen Stacy Spiderman story never happened. They're out there okay but to me I just ignore them completely now rather than mull over the stupidity of the story.

So I think you've made an exceptionally progressive point in terms of not tying continuity to reading as much and to respect what each collector sees as continuty and enjoys.

It is misguided to try and shoehorn continuities together and belittle a series that others enjoy when all it really is, is a matter of preference because in the end, the comic company behind it is making a business decision - not a fictional one. And AHM being a part of continuity was a business decision by IDW here. It was intended to try and avoid alienating the existing fanbase yet at the same it wanted to attract new readers. That in itself has proved to be a confusing and poor business decision.

Those business decisions can be right or wrong but I think it undermines enjoyment to dwell on those. Its better for the fan to take what they like and what they don't like. Any fan can do that but what's important is not to lose sight of what you like and why you like it rather than focusing on what you don't like and then imposing and constantly reminding others about why you feel it is inferior.


This isn't true. For the majority of casual Transformers fans, the main continuity that stands out is not going to be the G1 Cartoon. The G1 cartoon ended twenty years ago. The majority of today's 'casual' Transformers fans would be too young to remember the G1 cartoon and would have grown up on Beast Wars or the 2007 film or Transformers Animated (all of which are better than All Hail Megatron or the G1 cartoon.)


I disagree there completely. I count myself among the young and I know of at least a few others in my age category but to us, G1 is the cartoon and that is what permeates our mind as being the definitive G1. We of course realise how far TF fiction has progressed since but our basic impression of G1 is still based on the cartoon. You have to remember that G1 was replayed on TV up till at least 1995 and was still on VHS for quite a while for many of us.

And what does age have to do with it anyway? Just b/c someone is a younger or older TF fan should not make a difference as to whether they can like or dislike something as G1. Just because a fan has had more experience with G1 does not mean that younger fans have to conform to a standard G1. Experience does not matter. What does matter is that we accord the respect to what everyone enjoys and not be negative and deprecating b/c someone hasn't experienced as much.

[Paulbot]

It is misguided to try and shoehorn continuities together and belittle a series that others enjoy when all it really is, is a matter of preference because in the end, the comic company behind it is making a business decision - not a fictional one. And AHM being a part of continuity was a business decision by IDW here. It was intended to try and avoid alienating the existing fanbase yet at the same it wanted to attract new readers. That in itself has proved to be a confusing and poor business decision.

IDW are the ones who "try and shoehorn continuites together" and yes it was a "confusing and poor business decision".

AHM works as a standalone series. Maximum Dinobots works as the next series of the IDW universe.

Similarly I think Megatron Origin doesn't fit well into the grander IDW universe, but thinking about it this morning maybe it and AHM are there own little cartoon-like universe, which I'm very happy to consider.

[Sky Shadow]

I disagree there completely. I count myself among the young and I know of at least a few others in my age category but to us, G1 is the cartoon and that is what permeates our mind as being the definitive G1. We of course realise how far TF fiction has progressed since but our basic impression of G1 is still based on the cartoon. You have to remember that G1 was replayed on TV up till at least 1995 and was still on VHS for quite a while for many of us.

STL, you are so far from being a 'casual fan' that if a casual fan was lightning and you saw him or her in the distance, it would take you a week to hear the thunder. :p Nobody on this board is a casual fan. Casual fans are those millions of people who saw the movie and thought it was great and count themselves as a fan, but that's it. Casual fans are those people who go around wearing Autobot t-shirts but don't necessarily know who Trailbreaker or Skids are. I don't like to be gender biased, but I know a lot of girls in particular who loved the movie and have never seen anything else to do with Transformers. All the kids with their eyes glued to Animated on Toasted TV in the mornings are fans. I'm a high school teacher - I have talked to heaps of my students about Transformers and countless numbers of them loved watching Beast Wars and the film, but that's all Transformers is to them.

Some of these casual fans have now branched out into the other media - buying toys, comics, DVDs whatever. But they're not suddenly going to fit into the "news flash" that "[the majority of TF fans are casual fans] and the only continuity that really stands out to them is the G1 Cartoon", which is the statement I was disagreeing with in the first place.

[Hereticpoo]

*sigh*

I liked the IRONMAN movie. That doesn't make me a fan.

Fan or Fanatic: a person with an extreme and uncritical enthusiasm or zeal, as in religion or politics.

Casual: Irregular, Indifferent, occasional, unconcerned.....(And many more similar definitions)

I am a Casual Fan: I have an indifferent, unconcerned zeal for TF's.
I like Transformers enough to want interact with other fans, however I'm unconcerned with knowing all there is too know about TF's.

Your post implies that we should all be hardcore fans and that by being members and interacting with each other we are obliged to know all there is to know about transformers.

If you're going to quote me then do it properly.

I rectified my grammar and said;

"My bad I should have said adult fans. Its what I meant." (This is me conceding to your point.)

I'm trying to keep the argument in perspective.

So, if you had been reading the thread properly

Then my statement would have been read as

"the majority of adult TF fans are casual fans and the only continuity that really stands out to them is the G1 Cartoon"

which is the statement I was disagreeing with in the first place

You already said you disagree a few posts ago. Have you got your horse's whip out again?


I didn't remeber who Trailbraker was before I joined OTCA, I didn't know that G1 lived on in Japan with Headmasters and Victory something something.

So my point is that I am a casual fan, so that means that your statement about nobody being a casual fan is wrong. *removed comment, apologies to SkyShadow*




STL, you are so far from being a 'casual fan' that if a casual fan was lightning and you saw him or her in the distance, it would take you a week to hear the thunder. :p Nobody on this board is a casual fan. Casual fans are those millions of people who saw the movie and thought it was great and count themselves as a fan, but that's it. Casual fans are those people who go around wearing Autobot t-shirts but don't necessarily know who Trailbreaker or Skids are. I don't like to be gender biased, but I know a lot of girls in particular who loved the movie and have never seen anything else to do with Transformers. All the kids with their eyes glued to Animated on Toasted TV in the mornings are fans. I'm a high school teacher - I have talked to heaps of my students about Transformers and countless numbers of them loved watching Beast Wars and the film, but that's all Transformers is to them.

Some of these casual fans have now branched out into the other media - buying toys, comics, DVDs whatever. But they're not suddenly going to fit into the "news flash" that "[the majority of TF fans are casual fans] and the only continuity that really stands out to them is the G1 Cartoon", which is the statement I was disagreeing with in the first place.

[Sky Shadow]

*sigh*

I liked the IRONMAN movie. That doesn't make me a fan.

Fan or Fanatic: a person with an extreme and uncritical enthusiasm or zeal, as in religion or politics.

Casual: Irregular, Indifferent, occasional, unconcerned.....(And many more similar definitions)

I am a Casual Fan: I have an indifferent, unconcerned zeal for TF's.
I like Transformers enough to want interact with other fans, however I'm unconcerned with knowing all there is too know about TF's.

Your post implies that we should all be hardcore fans and that by being members and interacting with each other we are obliged to know all there is to know about transformers.

No, you inferred that from nothing. And I don't know what you're doing with your dictionary, but according to mine, a fan just needs to be a "follower, or admirer of a sport, pastime, celebrity, etc" To quote M Sipher in a fairly well-known ATT post from over ten years ago now:


Anyone who hates/likes Beast Wars or Machine Wars is a TF Fan.

Anyone who hates/likes Action Masters, MicroMasters, Pretenders, or
any other generally disliked subgroup is a TF Fan.

Anyone who likes G1 but doesn't know what G2, BW or MW *is* is a TF
Fan.

Anyone new to TFs who only knows BW is a TF Fan.

Anyone who likes G1 but doesn't know anything about the Japanese or
European lines is a TF Fan.

Anyone who only likes the first two years of G1 toys is a TF Fan.

Anyone who likes the toys but knows jack about the cartoon/comic
fiction is a TF Fan.

Anyone who doesn't care about ANY of the toys but enjoys the
cartoon/comic is a TF Fan.

Anyone who only likes the first two seasons of the G1 cartoon is a TF
Fan.

Anyone who only likes the comic is a TF Fan.

Anyone who thinks the Decepticons have got it right is a TF Fan.

Anyone who doesn't like the way any of the fiction went but likes the
characters is a TF Fan.

To be a casual fan, would then make you a casual version of the above.


If you're going to quote me then do it properly.

I rectified my grammar and said;

"My bad I should have said adult fans. Its what I meant." (This is me conceding to your point.)

I'm trying to keep the argument in perspective.

So, if you had been reading the thread properly

Then my statement would have been read as

"the majority of adult TF fans are casual fans and the only continuity that really stands out to them is the G1 Cartoon"

I wasn't replying to you, I was pointing out the original context of my statement to STL at the time it was written. STL was replying to what I had written before you "rectified" your grammar. My statement still exists on its own regardless of your point.


You already said you disagree a few posts ago. Have you got your horse's whip out again?... So my point is that I am a casual fan, so that means that your statement about nobody being a casual fan is wrong. Have you got a dictionary in that classroom? Or do you work in a Public school?

It's not casual behaviour to loiter on this board, flaming people. In fact that's somewhat fanatical. Please at least attempt to argue the point rather than attacking individuals. There is a difference.

[Paulbot]

It's not casual behaviour to loiter on this board, flaming people. In fact that's somewhat fanatical. Please at least attempt to argue the point rather than attacking individuals. There is a difference.

Ok, "Moderator mode"

Yes, there is a difference and at this point in the thread I think everyone's point of view on why they like or dislike AHM is clear. And I think every one who dislikes it has at least some positive comments to make which shows a nice well rounded discussion.

Debating who's more of a fan, is definitely not needed and the quote M Sipher post is something that is good to remember.

Nobody should feel that they can't speak up for what they like even if it they feel the majority of the board is against them. Nobody should attack anyone for having a different view because everyone has different likes and dislikes.

There is nothing wrong with people disliking a series/toy/whatever and expressing why. There is nothing wrong with people liking a series/toy/whatever. If anybody things there's too much negativity about something you like, then post why you like it.

The review section should encourage discussion of both pros and cons and it should never be the case that a dissenting voice feels they can't speak up.

But leave personal comments out of it please.

[STL]

IDW are the ones who "try and shoehorn continuites together" and yes it was a "confusing and poor business decision".

AHM works as a standalone series. Maximum Dinobots works as the next series of the IDW universe.

Similarly I think Megatron Origin doesn't fit well into the grander IDW universe, but thinking about it this morning maybe it and AHM are there own little cartoon-like universe, which I'm very happy to consider.

I think those are some great points there. I've mostly impliedly thought about Origins as separate from the rest of the IDW series. In fact, in my mind it probably sits somewhere closer to War Within than anything else. AHM is on its own somewhere too though I've only reached issue #3 to date.



It's not casual behaviour to loiter on this board, flaming people. In fact that's somewhat fanatical. Please at least attempt to argue the point rather than attacking individuals. There is a difference.

Right, and this post you posted just above was what? If Hereticpoo added an emoticon that'd make it okay too?


STL, you are so far from being a 'casual fan' that if a casual fan was lightning and you saw him or her in the distance, it would take you a week to hear the thunder. :p



*sigh*
"the majority of adult TF fans are casual fans and the only continuity that really stands out to them is the G1 Cartoon"


I completely agree with this and perhaps the clarification that needs to be made is that most TF fans are casual fiction fans. That's true of many of us and especially true for me until about a year ago. When I first started out, the G1 cartoon was the entire premise for my following of comics. That's why the War Within and Dreamwave's stuff was far more appealing to me that the old UK comics.

And I think lost in all this is the pertinent point that Hereticpoo is trying to make which is that it seems like there's a constant river of negativity and grumbling that rips through this thread and drowns the life out of it. And I think part of that is accepting that AHM was aimed at a different market, and that was IDW's business decision as I alluded to above. Make the choice as to whether you like it or not and move on.

By all means, I understand the nature of buying to complete as Goktimus, i_amtrunks and others have said here, I've done it myself, but if you continue to buy something you don't like that doesn't give anyone the right to drown out a thread,

As I've tried to argue above, the nature of the comic industry was like this for a few years. Fans would be up in arms yet continually buying every new issue of say New Avengers then jumping onto message boards and forums bashing the hell out of it. Civil War was the same but then in WWH and Secret Invasion and so on. Yet what eventually has happened is there's been a maturing of the general comic book reading public that if you don't like something, let it go. Vote with your wallet, make your disappointment known once, twice and move on. Look at Furman's run at IDW. That's precisely what happened despite the remaining hardcore fans arguing how good and brilliant and successful it was. Fans just left. If AHM is poor, its sales will be poorer than 10K by the time it is finished and that will be the ultimate judge of things. And we as the reading public have control over that.

In the end, we should enjoy what we like and appreciate what we like and not dwell compulsively on what we do not. it makes a chore for not only ourselves but for everyone else as well.

[Hereticpoo]

Apologies to members, Sorry for any offence. This was never my intention. Skyshadow PM'd

Clearly we will never let each other have the last word. So I'll be brief.

You say that you were replying to STL, but you quoted me, I believe that gives me the right to reply.

I also agreed to disagree with you and was under the impression that we understood each other, because you expressed a concern that we were arguing in the Review section.

My dictionary was a reference to dictionary.com.

I don't get your point, I never said I wasn't a fan.


It's not casual behaviour to loiter on this board, flaming people. In fact that's somewhat fanatical. Please at least attempt to argue the point rather than attacking individuals. There is a difference.

Mate I believed I was under attack from you, so I defended myself.Also me replying to you is loitering and fanatical? Whatever man.

[Paulbot]

Right, and this post you posted just above was what? If Hereticpoo added an emoticon that'd make it okay too?

Sky Shadow was responding to your response to his comment with a fair point about casual fans. Your follow up comment about "casual TF comic fans" I think is however a good one and one that all should keep in mind.

[Sky Shadow]

STL, you are so far from being a 'casual fan' that if a casual fan was lightning and you saw him or her in the distance, it would take you a week to hear the thunder. :p


Right, and this post you posted just above was what? If Hereticpoo added an emoticon that'd make it okay too?

STL, I think you've misinterpreted my metaphor - I was saying that with the extreme amount you know about Transformers and your engagement with the fandom that you are far from being a casual fan (hence the joke about lightning and distance.) It may have been badly phrased but it wasn't meant to be an attack, it was meant to be a compliment.

[STL]

STL, I think you've misinterpreted my metaphor - I was saying that with the extreme amount you know about Transformers and your engagement with the fandom that you are far from being a casual fan (hence the joke about lightning and distance.) It may have been badly phrased but it wasn't meant to be an attack, it was meant to be a compliment.

In that case, thank you. Maybe I'm just used to getting to many people always praising me in glowing terms. :)

[FFN]

Similarly I think Megatron Origin doesn't fit well into the grander IDW universe, but thinking about it this morning maybe it and AHM are there own little cartoon-like universe, which I'm very happy to consider. Megatron Origin was originally written for Dreamwave's continuity, which is why the characters have cartoon-like personalities.

[kup]

I wrote a big review for Issue 6 but the server failed during the night (this has been happening the last few nights) and what I wrote was lost :(

Anyway, here is the brief version of what I wrote:

Personally, I enjoyed this issue for the most part. We actually saw some characterisation on Decepticons who usually don't get much more than background appearances such as Thundercracker and Skywarp arguing with Bombshell. It was also good to see Starscream showing a bit more brain than the cartoon persona and more in line with the Furman IDW stories and maybe the Marvel G1 character.I also enjoyed the first part of the Autobots as they were trying to reorganize themselves into a military force in order to strike back at the Decepticons. It was awesome to get a brief insight on Roadbuster. Overall it was a pretty good issue with a lot of characterization.

BUT

The overall story seems to be heading to a very predictable conclusion and despite it being 6 issues into this series, NOTHING much has happened. The whole series could easily be condensed in just a couple of issues or a single half hour episode if it were a cartoon.

Now Drift..

His first appearance was rather brief particularly since IDW has been pushing this character a fair bit but DAMN! he is every bit as bad as I thought he would be. He is basically the sort of character that a 13 year old would come up with in which he is 'UBBER' powerful, smooth and unbeatable, AKA: 'Awesomely cool'. Hopefully his appearance in AHM will be limited from now but something tells me that he is going to be getting centerstage appearances during the rest of the series.

In my oppinion this Drift character has the potential of ruining the only real strength that AHM has which is the Autobot's side of the story. If that is ruined by Drift then there isn't much of a point to continue reading as the rest of the story is rather mediocre and its not hard to see where its leading.

I have to agree with the TF wiki on this one, Drift is pretty much the Poochy the dog of Transformers.

[Lord_Zed]

I have to agree with the TF wiki on this one, Drift is pretty much the Poochy the dog of Transformers.

So does that mean we'll soon get an issue when he is killed of then, and in the letter collumn there will be a signed statment saying he's dead forever? ;)

[GoktimusPrime]

As a Munchkin Drift would have to die in martyrdom, and not from some completely random even like say how Roadbuster, Misfire, Hardhead and Bomb-Burst died in G1. Cos nobody dies randomly in war! (/sarcasm) :p

[lcz128]

I never read the Furman comics growing up. I did borrow Matrix Quest from the library at uni a few years ago - I enjoyed it but the art didn't gel with me.

I read most of the DW transformers comics mainly because my bro was buying it. It had its ups and downs.

I wasn't reading Furman's IDW -ation comics as they were coming out because I read the preview for Infiltration and was a bit 'meh' (probably because it was just humans humans humans).

I've since gone back and read Furman's IDW -ation comics and I really enjoyed it.

Now. To the topic at hand:
I really enjoy AHM! :)
I understand and can appreciate the frustration going around over how it's not continuing Furman's storyline - and I was really looking forward to seeing how the Headmaster thing was going to pan out (having been raised on the Japanese HM/MF/V series' I thought it was great to see some Headmaster action happening) but there's been no resolution for that yet - but point is I'm still enjoying AHM.

Every month that I pick up an issue - I sit, read - and I come out really having enjoyed it. Sure, it's not resolving some of the things I would like to find out about - but then again I'm not that bothered by it - point is for me I suppose is that I've been enjoying every single issue, every step of the way and my real complaint is that I'd like to have them all now. :\ Spoilt by having been able to read all the others in the one go I suppose -

So, while I understand and can appreciate the frustration over the unresolved storyline - I say - be patient, see how this whole thing pans out - and if it actually resolves some of the things I'm looking forward to, great - if it doesn't - whoop dee doo - having been a fan of the Wildstorm Universe and having had titles cancelled from under me has taught me an important lesson: enjoy it in the moment.
Otherwise I'd just be griping and complaining rather than enjoying what it is for what it is :)

Oh - right - that's the other thing I don't like about this comic - seems to be that if the person draws crazy-awesome bots - they don't do the humans as well most of the time. Personally, it appears to be so here too :(

[GoktimusPrime]

I did borrow Matrix Quest from the library at uni a few years ago - I enjoyed it but the art didn't gel with me.
Yeah but how would you feel if you'd read Matrix Quest in 1990 when it came out? I don't know about you but it absolutely blew me the frell away! :D It was the Matrix Quest that convinced me to abandon buying TF comics from newsagents and go into a comic shop and establish a standing order where I could pre-order my TF comics - that standing order that I set up in 19 years ago is the same standing order which I use to get my IDW TF comics today! :)

[lcz128]

Yeah but how would you feel if you'd read Matrix Quest in 1990 when it came out?

Haha gok!
Funny you say that - but I was even more picky with art styles back then! So I don't think I would have even picked it up back then :b
Over the years I've come to appreciate different styles - but still the art style and colouring of Matrix Quest didn't and still doesn't appeal to me :(

[GoktimusPrime]

I think the art style of Matrix Quest was very good by 1990 standards. The colouring sucks though... friggin' Nel "colour-blind" Yomtov... (-_-)

[Sam]

Now Drift..

His first appearance was rather brief particularly since IDW has been pushing this character a fair bit but DAMN! he is every bit as bad as I thought he would be. He is basically the sort of character that a 13 year old would come up with in which he is 'UBBER' powerful, smooth and unbeatable, AKA: 'Awesomely cool'. Hopefully his appearance in AHM will be limited from now but something tells me that he is going to be getting centerstage appearances during the rest of the series.

In my oppinion this Drift character has the potential of ruining the only real strength that AHM has which is the Autobot's side of the story. If that is ruined by Drift then there isn't much of a point to continue reading as the rest of the story is rather mediocre and its not hard to see where its leading.

I have to agree with the TF wiki on this one, Drift is pretty much the Poochy the dog of Transformers.

I am still trying to keep an open mind that Drift may not ruin it, but I too feel disappointed in the way he has been introduced. His character "style" is just too typical and seems to lack originality. On top of this there are many TF characters that they could have used instead of coming up with a new one.

[Lord_Zed]

I think the art style of Matrix Quest was very good by 1990 standards. The colouring sucks though... friggin' Nel "colour-blind" Yomtov... (-_-)

I enjoyed Matrix quest at the time, but didn't blow me away. That happened later when a certain muddled up 2 headed Deceptabot showed up from limbo. That and Surrender.


Originally Posted by lcz128
Oh - right - that's the other thing I don't like about this comic - seems to be that if the person draws crazy-awesome bots - they don't do the humans as well most of the time. Personally, it appears to be so here too

Artitst who could draw cool TF's and humans once roamed the earth, but they all died of in the 90's probably some sort of meteorite got em. :D

[STL]

Over the years I've come to appreciate different styles - but still the art style and colouring of Matrix Quest didn't and still doesn't appeal to me :(

that's a really good point actually. Broadly speaking, it's true for a lot of my comics. I love Invincible but the art's miles apart from Criminal which is miles apart from Green Lantern which is even more miles away from Power Pack. In the past, I would've been a Lee/Liefeld/Silvestri type guy only. Everything else sucked like no tmrw.

Anyways, my thoughts:

Issue #4 to Issue #6

I should preface my comments as saying that I’ve easily detached AHM from the rest of IDW’s stuff hence why it has no bearing at all on me.

Just got through them today after picking up my comics (darn it’d been awhile), and I can’t say enough how much I enjoy All Hail Megatron. I should mention I had the advantage of reading them all in one sitting as opposed to waiting between months for them so that would’ve been a different reading experience to others who followed it monthly.

Covers… I grabbed all of them. I prefer the Hutchinson one’s over the Guido one’s generally. Very atmospheric and they make u think before you even read the book as you study the visual elements that make it up.

The art I think is the biggest disappointment. Not in a sense that it’s terrible but in the sense that its not the best Guido can produce. Certainly, it still is exceptionally good but this is still far from Guido’s best I feel. I look at his Spotlights and at his previous cover work and whatnot and this feels just that bit rushed. This though most likely comes down to the fact this is a monthly, a tough schedule for even the best to keep in this modern day of comics. That said, his 85% here still is head and shoulders above Roche or Milne who I also both like. Guido’s comparatively a brilliant storyteller with a sense of atmosphere and drama and resonates all that personality without sacrificing the angular robot modes of our favourite TFs. There’s just so much to like about Guido and his contribution here is immense as where McCarthy is quiet without dialogue balloons, he’s depending on Guido to capture the atmosphere and tension in this story and Guido does that wonderfully.

And onto the writing. Initially, I didn’t think this was very special at all and didn’t really expect a great deal. I mentioned pages back that this probably just a simpler take than what i_amtrunks posted. I was wrong. This is stand out. I haven’t been captivated by this for a long time by a TF comic. Beast Wars: the Ascending was the most recent thing I liked but even then it was more so not b/c of the way characters were developed but more just the bringing together of a lot of virtually unknown characters and melding together. This goes one step further. It takes characters we know and love, combines them with characters that had less limelight and propels them into a situation that they’ve not been in before.

I was initially disappointed by the slow pace of the 1st three issues but having read the latest #3 issues I understand why. The purpose of it was twofold. Firstly, it was to focus on the Decepticons, to make us question where exactly the Autobots were. The second was to beg the question, what exactly are the Decepticons doing here. They’ve won, right? Why not a full scale invasion? Where are the Predacons? Where are their other big hitters? All reasonable questions that have been raised at some point by fans. And that’s exactly why it was slow. B/c by the time #4 comes around, we are exposed to the severity of the situation. This isn’t where the Autobots are just recuperating momentarily before a quick recovery – they are down and out. Their backs are to the wall like they’ve never been and unlike the G2 comics, they’re not in the middle of chaos. They’re stuck in its muddy waters and living that reality every day. So the slow pace was intended to augment our frustrations, to force us to ask some very big questions, to ask us to see for once what it really means to lose and, conversely, to win. Life is very slow afterwards – even when you are conquering and have it all gift wrap. And that’s what we see with the Decepticons. Life on Cybertron is equally slow too as the Autobots hold on by the thinnest of sparks. And that’s why I find the construction of AHM to be wonderful. It’s incredibly well thought out and as I have mentioned elsewhere, a good comic makes you care about the characters and the plot. It makes u angry, it makes u happy, it makes u curious. AHM has that in spades.

And that’s all in the pacing, I haven’t even gotten to the characters yet!

The characters, where to start?

Kup? The old stager. One thing I was disappointed by that I should get out of the way first was the Kup/Ironhide camaraderie first seen in War Within. I dug that a lot and missed it here as I felt Ironhide was more just one of the foot soldiers. Onto Kup, he’s not just a gruff old whiner as he was in G1. Here, he’s a thinker and a respected ‘Bot. Sure, he’s got a rough demeanour but that’s the veteran in him and I like how he holds it together.

Prowl. Among my favourite characters, I always felt he was shortchanged in G1. He got a bit in War Within but that was about it. 12 issues isn’t very much. Here, he’s under the pump from the outset and struggling to hold it all together. I like that very much. He has a secret he needs to keep and its killing him and I totally love how that messes him up. He’s not the confident logical self that he wants to be. This has thrown him into the big blue sea. Not to mention the interaction between him and Jazz. Good buds, love that.

Megatron. That speech in #4 seemed out of place b/c it didn’t hit all the right notes and it rightfully was. Once we reach #6, we know precisely why and McCarthy’s excelled once again b/c he’s planted that seed of doubt/that question mark in our minds and then progressed to expose it all. The artwork helps a lot too b/c the way Megatron is portrayed, he is far more mindful. He doesn’t always speak his mind as he did in G1. He’s learning and growing and that’s something new. He’s not so sure of himself despite the fact that he’s beaten the antithesis to all that he is and represents. There’s merit in this and it all makes for a very juicy Prime v. Megatron confrontation as all of it culminates in Megatron re-engaging in that one eternal battle he always wanted to win.

Don’t get me started on Jazz. There’s so much here. I could keep on going with Perceptor’s new approach, Starscream, Skywarp and Thundercracker, Blitzwing, Bumblebee, Wheeljack and so on but I’m not going to b/c there’s other story elements I want to get into..

The Swarm. This came out of nowhere but it’s a great build up on a new concept. I never like the originally concept much (tho the art didn’t help) but this new concept intrigues me. Their appearance look creepy but very nasty. And there’s one of the few problems I have with this. If he’s so tough, why was he so easily disposed of? For a moment, he’s so dreaded yet the next he’s dispatched so easily by Drift and Perceptor?

And that leads me to Drift. Is he really as bad as people make him out? To me, it was the whole combination of Drift and Perceptor that disposed of the Swarm creature. It wasn’t meant to be just how cool Drift was. The whole sequence spoke volumes about three characters, Kup – who knows his troops, Drift, who can handle a sword stealthily, and Perceptor who is a very new aggressive sharp shooter. Would anyone have complained if it was Grimlock who sliced the head followed by Swoop shooting it over Grimlock’s shoulder? I think not. The whole outcry amidst the fandom seems to be concentrated on just one character when to me, it was the whole scene that was out of place. Drift’s a new character, cut him a break. It’s all a matter of perspective and too many people are dwelling on one little thing in 6 issues of so much more. That’s what’s disappointing.

The use of the Matrix. I hate the All Spark. Its now a crucial part of TF lore but to me, it’s just an oversized cube with a lot of power. The matrix to me always had an allure, it always meant something more than that. In G1 it was simply what the Autobot leader possessed. In the Marvel and UK comics, it’s some sort of creation gobbydigook. Here it’s more than that. It’s something that binds the Autobots together – not just to their leader but to their cause. It’s something gives them faith, that makes them believe. That is why Prowl and Jazz have such a heavy burden to bear. The secret means so much and if it were knowledge, it would shatter the fragile unity they still have. Even Kup realises the gravity of this.

What it means to be a Seeker. That’s what the whole Skywarp thing boils down to. I love that. In the past, there’s always been this unjustified respect for the term “Seeker” as referring to the G1 Decepticon jets. But here, we see it means more than just that. It’s something that binds them together, gives them purpose and they fear losing that. McCarthy has once again outdone himself here. It’s just one of the many layers to this conflict that’s unfolding.

The traitor? I love how its set up. It all points to Mirage but I can’t help but feel its someone else and it really kills me who it could be. I love a lot of those characters right there and the only one I’d want to see as a traitor would be BB b/c I hate that gold pile of pee. Unfortunately, it’s going to be someone else and I just wonder who it is b/c the answer I fear might just tear at me. And that’s a good thing. Sure, I’ll be angry but again, that’s more of a sign that I care about the book and where its going rather than being angry at a silly, poorly constructed decision.

The themes are great too. I love where we’re left with Megatron. There’s a real contrast between the said and the unsaid which I find to be stellar. It’s that that gives Megatron and the story so much depth and layers. Megatron says so little and everything he says runs counterpoint to what must be going on inside. And that builds great tension and gives us great insight into the character about what it means to win and lose.

Great Moments
- Jazz is no slouch – I look forward to his Spotlight!
- Prowl/Jazz’s camaraderie: in G1 too often we had everyone rally behind Prime. It was a thrill to see the two second in commands so cozy.
- Ironhide: I haven’t read enough of his rugged self
- Ironhide smacking Prowl in the face; there’s a lovely bit of tension we’d never seen in G1
- #4 Jazz staring to the heavens on a single page splash with a desolate Cybertron around him
- Ratbat – just evil and downright frightening
- The Matrix has meaning once more!
- Megatron walking to his citadel and picking up the matrix – there’s just an uncanny atmosphere about it – not a sense of delight but a sense of pride mixed with uncertainty
- Starscream/Megatron conversation
- It means something to be Seeker!

Nice Moments
- A TF is actually bonded to their Ark, a very nice touch.
- The Colonel sending his own son. Unlike in AHM, I actually feel for these characters as they struggle through and this gave them real life

Cringe Moments
- Kup with a cigar? It felt weird even if it does fit the persona well.
- The mighty and fearsome Swarm so easily disposed of?

I think after a slow start, the first 3 issues being far too decompressed, AHM is starting to shine. It has a wide variety of flavour and nuance that gives you a bit of everything. It takes both the Decepticons and Autobots into a new direction and adds layers to certain favourites that haven’t had the chance to shine as much before.

Individually…
#4: Very good. 8.5/10. Found myself questioning why Hot Rod would be in the shadows for so long when he clearly should’ve recognised them. But strong progress in the right direction.
#5: Rock solid. 10/10. All the right notes with its focus on the Autobots and leaves that mystery in the air. I for the life of me was on the edge of my seat by the end of this. New characters, old characters, plot twists – it had it all.
#6: 9/10: Other than the contentious bit with the Swarm, it’s a great way to end the first half of the arc and the 1st TPB. All the threads will merge, you know they will, and the fun is in how and when it will all come together.

As a whole I’d give the three issues a 9.5/10. I haven’t enjoyed TF comics like this in a long time and a tip of that hat to McCarthy for turning it around so much and taking Transformers in an all new direction. It’s welcomed and I for once honestly cannot wait for the next issue.

[kup]

For some reason I find it funny that STL's post alone has several times the amount of text in AHM so far!

[STL]

For some reason I find it funny that STL's post alone has several times the amount of text in AHM so far!

A good comic doesn't need to have a lot of text.

With AHM, I think it requires a lot more thinking to see the construction behind it all. It's a great partnership between art and writing rather than the 80s to early 90s comics (in general) which had plenty of dialogue boxes, captions and whatnot but pretty much drowned the story.

[jacksplatt11]

A good comic doesn't need to have a lot of text.

Exactly right. This is a comic we are talking about, not a novel... There's nothing I like better than just looking at panels with hardly any text and let the drawings tell the story

[kup]

I am not complaining, I just found it funny. However I do prefer the level of text we had in the older comics as often the page panels rely on visual story telling that is not that well executed and therefore not clear on what they are trying to portray creating confusion.

[GoktimusPrime]

Text isn't only written, it can also be visual. I'm not personally thrilled with the visual narrative in this series either and agree with kup's sentiment in the overall amount of text in this story being somewhat thin.

[Lord_Zed]

Yeah I have to agree, AHM just isn't visualy exciting enough for a comic with so little text. There have been no particularly exciting battles or one page spreads of charactrers. After reading the first couple I hust feel unsatisfied for the price I payed.

As for these small nuances, I don't know I'm just not getting that much out of them, feels like where being fed crumbs. I'd have to give AHM as a series a dead average score based on what I've seen so far.

[FFN]

Exactly right. This is a comic we are talking about, not a novel... There's nothing I like better than just looking at panels with hardly any text and let the drawings tell the story I think that's "visual padding".

[jacksplatt11]

I think that's "visual padding".

Haha, yeah I suppose you could call it that in some situations