All Hail Megatron Coda #13 to #16

[kup]

I can't believe that after all that's happened over the years, A Current Affair and Today Tonight are still taken seriously by a good portion of the populace and continue to enjoy high ratings.

[i_amtrunks]

Roche's work on Spotlight Kup has always been my favourite single issue, and this continuation of his own work looks like it'll rank as #2.

Fantastic art with a techy, but understandable story, that patches up some gaping holes AHM dealt us...

I'd love to see what Roche could do with his own series, lets hope the Wreckers mini doesnt get ruined in the editing process.

[Jhiaxus]

Since you guys asked:
http://boltax.deviantart.com/art/All...o-12-136866597

--Jhiaxus.

[FFN]

Superb work, my wiigii friend, I salute you *salutes*

Yes I am. I'm also the same Jhi who wrote this:
http://boltax.deviantart.com/art/Col...Page-111563695

As I remember it, the actual issue I had was with you pretending like Today Tonight were anything like a reliable source for ANYTHING... as opposed to me loving Shane.

--Jhiaxus.

Actually I wasn't pretending Today Tonight was reliable for anything, I was more depending on the reports of fans who saw the show. I hate Today Tonight. Since we don't have video of that show anywhere, I would like to know did Shane say it would be about a "world without Autobots" or did TT say that? I have a very hard time believing TT thinks their audience needs to know "This new Transformers comic is about a world where the Autobots, the good robots, aren't around to defend Earth!"

It sounds more like something McCarthy would say, or various aussie fans misreported it.

[roller]

ACA ??? I watch Frontline

[Jhiaxus]

Well I picked up All Hail Megatron #15!

It was kinda nice to read a TF comic that took time to read and consider.

I was a bit disappointed -- I'd hyped it up a bit in my head, because I LOVED Spotlight Kup. But the story here... was kinda pointless unless there's a follow-up. Here's hoping that the Wreckers series is that follow-up.

I liked Prowl a lot, and the characterisation... ahhh that was really nice. Each of them being treated as a different character with a different voice. That's ALL I ASK from Transformers. Not much to ask is it? (Okay, I ask for more than that, especially when I get it... but it's a start.)

I love how expressive Nick Roche's art is... but I don't particularly like his compositions or layouts. His pages are confused -- it was, admittedly, a LOT worse in Maximum Dinobots. This was nicely readable, if a bit visually ugly.


The Perceptor story was... fine. Not great, not bad. The art hurt it a bit too -- there was no mood to the art, and no creativity in the angles. This was especially bad in the "Perceptor sharp-shoots Monstructor" panel. If it had been framed from the point of view of the shooter -- so that the blast is the focus of the image instead of MOnstructor himself -- it would have worked a hundred times better. Also scripting to the page was a bit bad too. Way to waste an entire splash page on a reveal of Perceptor... when... uhhh... we already knew what "New" Perceptor looked like from nearly 12 issues of him in All Hail MEgatron already!

Overally, though, Casey Coller does a workman-like job with the art. I especially like the way he draws Transformers' hands. (I like the way Roche draws them too, for that matter.) I just wish he'd be a bit more thoughtful with his framing of scenes. Pull back a bit, show us the environment. Give us a long shot once in a while, Casey. Honestly, that goes for you too Nick Roche. Enough with the medium shots and closeups already. Give us a damned long shot!

Special Mention goes to the lettering. I REALLY noticed it this issue. The Letterer, whoever he was (Chris Mowry) had a style that really, really suited Casey's work... but the exact same bubbles, and fonts used on Nick Roche's work looked really out of place. I really noticed the text as standing out from the artwork more than it should in the Nick story. The script was very word, and that contributed to the problem, but the main thing was that the TOTALLY crisp perfect panels and borders the text didn't blend in as a part of the art -- they stood out from it as intrusive.

Ahhh well.

Overall, I enjoyed the issue a LOT more than my usual All Hail Megatron. If the entire series had been this quality -- honestly the quality of either story -- I'd have a LOT less complaints. I'm going to read it again without the expectations that Spotlight: Kup would put on it... and I do believe I'm gunna enjoy it MUCH more on the second read.

It's been a while since I could say that about a Transformers comic.

--Boltax.
(Oh... the whole explain-the-cigar thing made me cringe. That's one thing about All Hail Megatron that didn't *NEED* explaining. Fortunately, the ACTUAL EXPLANATION was *really* strong and effective and worked with the story AND the continuity, so the cringe didn't last.)

(Cy-gar is a cringe that lasts, though.)

[Lord_Zed]

Yes I picked this AHM #15 to, after suppsedly giving up on AHM. The preview of the Nick Roche story drew me in.

The first story was just about good enough to justify the purchase (just). the characters had umm character (how wierd). And the large amound of dialouge made this comic feel filling, I could have sworn the whole AHM series was shorter than this one story.

The Preceptor story was decidedly average and filler like, it showed what happened between Spotlight Drift and AHM, but didn't really explain why Perceptor changed. (I got a hole in my chest, so now I wanna shoot stuff!!!! )

On a side note I'm not really sure I like the idea of the G1 movie crew being the Wreckers now (as has been implied lately), the whole awesome thing about the old Wreckers was that they were made up of a whole bunch of otherwise obscure Transformers, not some of the most popular ones. Wish they'd bring Topspin, Twintwist etc etc back.

[Sky Shadow]

All Hail Megatron #15:

The Nick Roche Kup story was the best Transformers comic in living memory and the best eleven-page story in twenty years. Brilliant characterisation of Prowl, amazing ideas and it was a more thorough read than most 22-page comics in half the space.

As expected, Denton Tipton's Perceptor story was a festering pile of crap. If I could bring myself to cut off the second half of this comic using scissors, I would, and then I'd flush the pages.

Still, as Meatloaf probably never said, one out of two ain't bad. Particularly when that 'one' is awesome with two sachets of extra sauce.

[GoktimusPrime]

Prowl was cool. The "Cy-Gar" thing felt forced, but I suppose Roche felt the need to explain it's otherwise meaningless appearance in previous AHM (yet another writer cleaning up after McCarthy's mess (-_-)); but as Jhiaxus said, it was a pretty good explanation so I was able to accept it. The word itself is indeed cringeworthy though... and I'd imagine that it would be pronounced differently from 'cigar' like maybe "sigh-gar" because previously Spike asked Kup something like "what's with the cigar?" and he replied, "What's a cigar?" -- so in keeping with that I'm imagining that it's pronounced differently. Or so I tell myself so I can sleep better at night.

I thought the Perceptor story was okay. Not fantastic but I don't dislike it either, despite being revolving around the "nerd becomes hard-arse commando* to cover deep-rooted insecurity" cliché.

*as well as being a _pirate_ with that monocular eyepatch of his. "I just be doin' my job cap'n, Y'ARRR!"

[Tommy K]

lol ive been looking at the reviews, mainly cause im waiting for the trades

but i love the whole concept of the cygar, or whatever you guys call it, all they need now is a scotch type thing to go with the cygar, then springer can join kup in a cygar and scotch moment on top of balcony lol (boston legal refrence)