All Hail Megatron Issues 1 to 6 (Vol 1)

[i_amtrunks]

Covers #5 and #6

Art by Casey Coller (Spotlight Blurr) colours by Joana LaFuente.

I wonder how accurate these covers are, as in do they showcase characters in the comic itself or are they the "not at all related" style covers that are there just to look pretty (which they do quite well).

Really hope the central figure of cover #5 appears, the IDW Universe needs more of him.

[Paulbot]

Issue five's cover is a very nice image.

[FFN]

Drift scares the hell out of me, as Guido Guidi said (in reply to comments that Drift's design suggests Drift is a try-hard for Japan pop culture) that the character is what many would consider to be a japanophile. Now, some people said that it's just similar to Jazz emulating African-American culture... but Jazz is *cool*.

[Shane McCarthy]

Drift scares the hell out of me, as Guido Guidi said (in reply to comments that Drift's design suggests Drift is a try-hard for Japan pop culture) that the character is what many would consider to be a japanophile. Now, some people said that it's just similar to Jazz emulating African-American culture... but Jazz is *cool*.

In much the same way that I'm not writing Jazz as emulating African-American culture, I'm not writing Drift as emulating Japanese culture either.

In some respects Drift has a 'samurai' quality about him but that's something that's also shared with Western Gunslingers. Wolverine has 'samurai' qualities about him but I wouldn't regard him as a Japanophile (and no, Drift has no similarities with Wolverine...sideburns on TFs?? Nah).

There's clearly a Japanese influence in Drift's design; that was deliberate. But since Drift has yet to appear heavily in my scripts no-one but myself has any idea of how his personality will play out.

You might find plenty of reasons to dislike the guy when he appears, and hey, each to their own, but he's not going to be a walking Japanese stereotype.

[roller]

just read issue 4


Spoilers ahead if you havent read it


Spoiler for Spotlight Mirage as well




whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaa


whats goin on?!!!?????????????????????!!!!????????????????



this mysterys getting deeper

Id like to think that the chosen one, Hotrod, has gone mad! Course, im waiting on the edge of my seat to find out which planet there really on.

Just wondering, how long have the humans been hiding out? weeks? days? hours?

I also enjoyed bumblewasp complaining about earth tyres, i made that kind of conclusion ages ago too, in the cartoon it would have been cool to see someone slide over one of the 10000ft expressways.

My one complaint about IDW so far, too short a read.

As for spotlight Mirage, he was on Earth at the end right? Did he ever make contact with the other Autobots?

Is there a Jazz toy that is like his AHM appearance?

[GoktimusPrime]

My one complaint about IDW so far, too short a read.

+1 QFT. I don't mind an issue with plenty of dialogue and back-story building... but I found that there was a distinct lack of action in this issue. :/

The issue kinda read like so:
Decepticons: "MUAHAHAHAHA!"
Humans: "Hhnnn..."
Autobots: "WhY mY SHoULd3Rs hUR7?"
THE END!

In much the same way that I'm not writing Jazz as emulating African-American culture, I'm not writing Drift as emulating Japanese culture either.

Actually... I thought you kinda were with the way Jazz was using words like "dude" in the latest ish. Unless he's emulating Californian surfer culture.

Btw could we please never have a Transformer refer to other Transformers in the exclusive company of Transformers as men (or gentlement etc.)?? It makes them sound waaaaaay too human. I'd hoped that we would never relive that nightmare from that horrific Armada dub where both Optimus Prime and Megatron frequently referred to their troops as "men." That... that brought back some bad memories for me. *sniff*

In some respects Drift has a 'samurai' quality about him but that's something that's also shared with Western Gunslingers. Wolverine has 'samurai' qualities about him but I wouldn't regard him as a Japanophile (and no, Drift has no similarities with Wolverine...sideburns on TFs?? Nah).

"Hoodja talkin' 'bout 'Carthy?!" j/ks

But I agree - you can have certain cultural influences in a character without making that character a complete stereotype or caricature of/from that culture. e.g.: Bludgeon and Dinobot also have strong samurai (Bushido) influences in their character make-ups but I don't think most people would see them as "Japanophiles." BW Fuzor Silvebolt likewise has a strong Chivalry influence too. Various Transformers have different cultural influences.

There's clearly a Japanese influence in Drift's design; that was deliberate. But since Drift has yet to appear heavily in my scripts no-one but myself has any idea of how his personality will play out.

Make him a Pachinko-addict! Seriously though, if the battle on Earth ever spreads beyond the U.S. and goes to Japan, could you arrange for some fan reference to be written in the background art? e.g.: In The War Within there's a building with "Transformers" written in Japanese in the background and in the movie there's a sushi restaurant in Mission City called "Takara Sushi." It'd be nice to have some kind of Easter Egg like that... so if you're going to have Japanese text on buildings etc. in say downtown Tokyo, make them TF related. I dunno if you have that much influence over the background art, but it'd be nice if you could.

It's interesting to see how the Decepticons appear to have absolute power whereas the Autobots are at the depths of desperation (and despair). I look forward to seeing how events play out from here.

[genechan]

I got the 4th issue the other day myself~

Quite enjoyed it too~! It is interesting to see the Autobots really on edge like there are.

I am really looking forward to the next issue~! One downer though....the comics are not long enough~! >.<

[roller]

One downer though....the comics are long enough~! >.<

i found the exact opposite, there not long enough in my opinion, but then, that could just be the edge of your seat mystery of the story.

and im a fast reader

[i_amtrunks]

AHM #4 improves upon the first 3 issues, but there is nothing overly spectacular in it. Bar the art, which like the writing improves each issue.

For a series that is meant to be about the Decepticons it strikes my funny bone that the best issue has such a heavy focus on the Autobots. Having minimal pages allocated to humans helps a great deal as well.

I did like Megatron praising his troops, its something we have never really seen before, Soundwave being absent, yet Insecticon clones being there seemed odd, but meh it's not a biggy. It would have been better if we had have seen other infiltration units listening to an interstellar broadcast of Megatron's victory speech rather than only the earth based characters, but I understand the desire to keep AHM tightly knit and focused for now. It also served the point of keeping references to the "-tion" series at a minimum.

Not overly intersted in the Autobot traitor, Ironhide believes it to be Mirage, Prowl is uncertain, while Jazz is hiding something. What Jazz is hiding is what interests me most, although the revival of Kup (who got a mention in the issue, I'm sure just to remind everyone of him before he returns) should be something interesting to explain, if the Autobots are so low on energy and cannot repair Sideswipe and Trailbreaker's major injuries, then how did they manage to repair Kup? (For now I'll assume that he was healed before the Decepticons rampaged through the Autobots.)

Season 1 Autobots are very nicely banged up, as mentioned Sideswipe and Trailbreaker seem to be hit the hardest (other than Prime), but even Tracks has been soundly beaten.

Strongest issue thus far, but still not spectacular, these first 4 issues could have been placed in 2 issues and not affected the story, plot, characters or anything.

[Firecracker]

I really enjoyed issue 4! I can see this ramping up nicely.
CBR have a interview up here. Check out Perceptor! Mr. McCarthy was not joking when he said 'reinventing'. Wikid! Hasbro. Toy. Now!