IDW Transformers ongoing [spoilers]

[i_amtrunks]

Around the issue #18 mark, Shckwave stated that he had built a spacebridge while also working on Megatron, thats how Starscream was able to get to earth to beat up Thundercracker, and I assumed how Megatron and company got to earth (to catch Prime and all hat humdrum). Problem was it ws inaccurate as they had no bridge exit point on earth, so they could only approx into earth orbit.

Having Megatron as the exit point bridge, guess it is alot more accurate.

I guess Soundwaves damage was easy to fix, maybe they picked up some cybertronian metal while on earth?

Science bots for techno-babble led deus ex machina finish? Maybe a rebuilt Kimia?

[Paulbot]

Transformers 29 For the "last story on Earth" it's not a big "chaotic" ending. Really the title "Chaos" doesn't apply to this storyline at all despite what the cover says.

What it does do though is wrap up the Ongoing's "Earth" story in a way that I don't dislike but I don't love. I'm fairly neutral. Using one of G1's most "Earth-loving" characters and showing him why he's ready to leave is kind of effective, but it doesn't give Jazz's storyline the right sort of closure.

One thing I did particularly like was the reveal of the mystery spotter from the previous chapter. It's one of those good reveals that makes sense, seems like it was planned well, and makes me want to go back and reread the previous two 24 issues and see if it indeed was that well planned. I liked that the scheme involved an aspect of Furman's run, the human clones, that hadn't been touched upon since AHM.

There's something off with the inking though. All the bots seem a little rounder, and there's an unfortunate problem with Prowl's mouth on the first few pages, giving him a very odd look on his face when Spike points out that Prowl is not human.

I had also assumed that Omega's consciousness was in his rocket component, so I was surprised that his base component could talk. It was acknowledged that he's not at full speed, but it's not something we've seen with Omega before.

There's enough loose ends that I think this wont be the "last ever" story on Earth in an IDW comic.

[i_amtrunks]

Transformers 29 For the "last story on Earth" it's not a big "chaotic" ending. Really the title "Chaos" doesn't apply to this storyline at all despite what the cover says.

What it does do though is wrap up the Ongoing's "Earth" story in a way that I don't dislike but I don't love. I'm fairly neutral.

SNIP

There's enough loose ends that I think this wont be the "last ever" story on Earth in an IDW comic.

I agree with pretty much everything Paulbot has said, it was not an ending with a bang, but neither was it a whimper. The spotter and "mastermid" behind so many non Megatron threats reveal was decent and appears to have been well researched. His info-dump stunk of a rushed finish.

The art was terrible this issue, blobby and uneven. It almost looks like draft sketchs got inked instead of finished art. I'm not sure how I feel about this Earth based arc as a whole. At times it was wasteful and snail-paced, but there was plenty of clever writing and character driven action.

Here's hoping the final chaos issue is better than the last earth issue.

[i_amtrunks]

Issue #30 = whimper.

Poor ending with an art style that does not suit the slower paced final issue.

Interesting that a potential Furman future story from the old IDW Furmanverse as utilised/borrowed to end the ongoing run.

[Paulbot]

I thought the art of Megatron versus the 'Decepti-God' looked pretty great. The final pages looked really nice too. I can't think of another IDW artist that would have made the book look more epic. The colouring still rocks.

The story though... Spoilers aplenty follow

The info dump of the first few pages, robbed the Science-bots a real chance of saving the day. Instead they just got to be audience surrogates for exposition explaining what was going to happen, from someone who was 'in' Galvatron's mind. And then more cheapily Optimus and Rodimus came to the same knowledge mystically through the Matrix. It's not an interesting story when people just know the solution in the final chapter without working towards it.

On the flip-side, despite the wordless few pages I had to reread to come to a conclusion of what actually happened: that Optimus Prime emptied the Matrix to destory the D-Void of the Dead Universe and thus bring life back to that Universe. Right? So Optimus Prime has passed over to the other universe as the God bringing life.

Wheelie's little "mental episode" went no where. The Ironhide and Drift scene never went anywhere. I take it the "named" Decepticons are part of the giga-gestalt but presumably they'll be okay, but will that mean there's still an army of Sweeps when the battle's done. What exactly did Megatron do to the gestalt?

I know there's an 'epilogue' but I felt this story should have had a better conclusion.

I did get a good laugh from the Science-bot's discussion about having to stop the end of the universe.

[i_amtrunks]

I too liked the art during the Megatron vs. Decepti-machine battle, but I dont think it suited any other part of the issue as well.

I figure that the sweeps (and any D-Void controlled entities) all disintergrated, but the rest of the cons will be okay, Megatron must have only luckily managed to cut, blast and destroy the parts of the mega gestalt that were sweep only. The "previously" section on the inside cover stated that Megatron was wearing some kind of armour, I dont recall that...

I love the IDW Hardhead as a character so getting to see him again was fantastic, wonder what happens to him and Arcee now the dead universe appears to have lost it's link to the real world. The info dump was boring and lazy, but I suppose it beats having an exposition issue.

As Paulbot said, too many characters doing too little (anyone not called Prime, Rodimus or Megatron) but they did ensure that all the main players are where they need to be ready for the next phase of the series.

I guess we now ask the inevitable question: How long until Prime returns? or maybe: Is he even dead?

[bowspearer]

We know prime is dead because the next episode is apparently the Death of Optimus Prime (at least I think next issue is issue 132 IIRC).

This issue suffered from the same problem that the "-tion" saga suffered from - great pacing up until the end and then a rushed finale to cram the whole story neatly into a certain number of issues.

Issue 30 really needed to be spread out over 2-3 issues in order for things to play out properly.

Hopefully the epilogue will help to alleviate some of this.

[GoktimusPrime]

bah, this whole Chaos story just felt too much like a try-hard imitation of Transformers Generation 2, only not as good.

G2: Optimus Prime and Megatron (and their forces) cooperate to combat the all devouring Swarm
Chaos: Optimus Prime (and his forces) and Megatron cooperate to combat the all devouring D-Void

G2: Optimus Prime plunges into the Swarm and uses the Matrix to defeat it.
Chaos: Optimus Prime plunges into D-Void and uses the Matrix to defeat it.

*yawn*

[bowspearer]

bah, this whole Chaos story just felt too much like a try-hard imitation of Transformers Generation 2, only not as good.

G2: Optimus Prime and Megatron (and their forces) cooperate to combat the all devouring Swarm
Chaos: Optimus Prime (and his forces) and Megatron cooperate to combat the all devouring D-Void

G2: Optimus Prime plunges into the Swarm and uses the Matrix to defeat it.
Chaos: Optimus Prime plunges into D-Void and uses the Matrix to defeat it.

*yawn*

I have to disagree. D-void was essentially a corrupted Nova Prime who sought to turn our universe dead. The Swarm on the other other hand was a bi-product of the amoral and continuous reproduction of the Cybertronian Empire and which sought out meaning through consuming everything- searching for the wisdom and morality of the Autobot code as it turned out.

Also the ending was different too. Prime had no intention in this of giving life to the dead universe but rather, reluctantly using the Matrix to purge Vector Sigma of the Dead universe's corruption to save Cybertron, and only after Hot Rod convinced him to do . This differs from G2 where Prime deliberately allowed himself to be consumed so that the Matrix would be consumed by the Swarm to transform it into a force for good.

Don't get me wrong, the storylines are similar, but you can hardly call them identical.

[bassbot]

and now the Epilogue is out, it doesn't seem like a Chaos: Epiloge, rather a Transformers: Epilogue.