All Hail Megatron Issues 7 to 12

[i_amtrunks]

7 was an improvement.
But then again almost anything would be an improvement.

Art was fantastic, every page was marvellously crafted, it is a shame such a talented artist is working on a book that is so badly written and paced.

I'm thinking that the Bombshell scenes happened in the past considering we saw Insecticons in the first issue flying around, and I doubt that it was drones fighting with Thundercracker and Skywarp in the last issue. There is no indication that this is the case, so the Bombshell part may be taking place in the here and now.

Much of this issue felt forced, like McCarthy was made to make changes to his script to half arsed-ly tie AHM into the Furmanverse a little better.. it's still a half arsed fusion. Fair enough to leave the Sunstreaker plot point vague, it's something that should be looked at in Max Dino's.

But (spoilers):
Prime having the Matrix, then really taking damage from an unexplained (and to me rather confusing) incident with the Spacebridge were very fustrating. It was very dues ex machina.

So it has taken 7 issues (the previous six could be condensed into one) to setup for the final five. If this was issue 1 or 2 the series would have been much better for it.

Over the next five issues I fully expect:
Prime to be repaired and returned, inspiring the Autobots to rally for a "final assault" on the Decepticons. Prime also forgives the traitor, and Ironhide for mauling Mirage.
Meanwhile Starscream has hatched another plan to overthrow Megatron, and the infighting between the Decepticons is taking hold as the Autobots attack, and the Decepticons are forced to flee, the Autobots saving the day and the USA from being nuked.
Cue corny joke and all the Autobots laughing at it in the final panel.

It's a 12 issue comic nod to the G1 cartoon series.

[blackie]

one of the main things i dont get about this is that they made all this fuss about the humans, and in the last 2 issues theyve dissapeared almost completely. after spike was almost killed, i expected that they would continue that part of it through, showing his mission.. it seems like a decent amount of time has passed since that happened, but it could also have been 5 minutes, its quite unclear

[Paulbot]

I'm thinking that the Bombshell scenes happened in the past considering we saw Insecticons in the first issue flying around, and I doubt that it was drones fighting with Thundercracker and Skywarp in the last issue. There is no indication that this is the case, so the Bombshell part may be taking place in the here and now.

I thought there was an "earlier" type caption on the flashback to the Insecticon's creation. The seekers in the previous issue mentioned something about three out of the swarm... I forget the exact reference. Anyway yes it's a flashback.

It's a 12 issue comic nod to the G1 cartoon series.

A comic that's a tribute to the G1 cartoon in the 25 anniversary year is not in itself a bad thing though from a marketing/sales point of view.

The actual execution of the tribute is where things have gone awry.

[GoktimusPrime]

I hope the following highly predictable things don't happen:
1/ The traitor turns out to be a slave of Bombshell via the use of a cerebro shell. If so, perhaps they could make the shell some kind of malicious program inserted into the Transformer's core consciousness, like the Predacon Shell Program in Beast Wars (meaning that attempting to tamper with the program can result in death for the victim) - that would be neat instead of the old "Yoink it's out" solution.
2/ The traitor is Mirage.

[Paulbot]

Or Mirage is a slave of Bombshell!? Maybe the traitor is spoiler?? Beachcomber again like in the Blaster Spotlight!

[i_amtrunks]

I have read a few interesting theories now, and the one I like is that (spoiler)
A squishie fleshbag, namely Hunter Onion may have betrayed the Autobots..

It's not likely, as it would mean McCarthy actually read what Furman has written, but its a fun theory.

[GoktimusPrime]

*avoids spoiler*

I hope it's not Mirage, 'cos that'd be so corny that I would need to erect a scarecrow next to my TF comics. I hope it's not Drift either... cos that would be so cheesy I'd need to set up mouse traps instead - and let's face it, we don't need another reason to resent/dislike Drift. (-_-)

[Paulbot]

It's interesting actually that the same issue that focuses on the betrayal/defeat of the Autobots also gives us an origin for Bombshell...

Maybe spoilery theorySunstreaker is still actually a Headmaster clone and not Sunstreaker at all. The cover of the next issue suggests a messy end for Sunstreaker but that could be perfect misdirection for the Headmaster, allowing the head to survive and not be found out.. /spoilery theory

[Sam]

It's interesting actually that the same issue that focuses on the betrayal/defeat of the Autobots also gives us an origin for Bombshell...

Maybe spoilery theorySunstreaker is still actually a Headmaster clone and not Sunstreaker at all. The cover of the next issue suggests a messy end for Sunstreaker but that could be perfect misdirection for the Headmaster, allowing the head to survive and not be found out.. /spoilery theory

That's an interesting theory, but when I saw that, I thought...

spoilery theoryHmmm ... is the traitor Sideswipe? Nah, I must be going crazzyyyyyyyyyy!!!/spoilery theory

[Lord_Zed]

I picked up AHM Issue7 while at Paramatta today, I wanted to skip it and wait for the trade, but flipping through though the pages and seeing both E.J Su's art and action I couldn't resist. I have to say unlike the previous issues I enjoyed the issue all the way through. Even some things that I wasn't sure of like the Swarm are growing on me.

The E.J Su artwork + Josh Burcham colouring rocked, I like Guido Guidi's art, but Su's stern faced serious looking Megatron just blows the joly tyrant from the previous issues away. Also the battle scenes were cool, both Megatron ripping the Matrix from Primes chest, Cliffjumper loaded up with guns, and that slightly wierd looking Deluge guy(?) evoked fond memories of the G2 comic series.

Seeing Deluge (or whoever he was) and Dirge back, and mention of Ultra Magnus Scorponok made the comic feel like part of the IDW universe for the first time in the series.

Not entirely sure about the Space Hole Bridge that seems to have done in Prime, that seemed a bit odd.

Also did Dirge just gett offed again? Is the whole Dirge dying thing becomming a self fufilling prophesy? or does Mcarthy read the TF wiki?

All in all I think this issue fired on all cylinders, it almost feels like a different comic to the first 6 to me. if the next 5 issues are this good I'll be impressed.

So it has taken 7 issues (the previous six could be condensed into one) to setup for the final five. If this was issue 1 or 2 the series would have been much better for it.

Over the next five issues I fully expect:
Prime to be repaired and returned, inspiring the Autobots to rally for a "final assault" on the Decepticons. Prime also forgives the traitor, and Ironhide for mauling Mirage.
Meanwhile Starscream has hatched another plan to overthrow Megatron, and the infighting between the Decepticons is taking hold as the Autobots attack, and the Decepticons are forced to flee, the Autobots saving the day and the USA from being nuked.
Cue corny joke and all the Autobots laughing at it in the final panel.

It's a 12 issue comic nod to the G1 cartoon series.

You sum up both my feeling and fears for the series. I also worry that the traitor will turn out to be a cerebro shell victim, and some how everything will right itself to the staus quo in the end. Along those same lines regarding the preview cover of issue 8, I'm going to be very unhappy if Sunstreaker cheats death again!