Transformer Generation 1 (Vol 2) #1-6 Talkback (Spoilers)

[Clayface]

TRANSFORMERS: GENERATION 1 VOL. 2 # 1



http://www.dreamwaveprod.ca/!newsite/images/galleries/tfg1v2/thumbnails/G1V2_Cover_Autobot_thumb.jpg (http://www.dreamwaveprod.ca/!newsite/images/galleries/tfg1v2/G1V2_Cover_Autobot.jpg)


http://www.dreamwaveprod.ca/!newsite/images/galleries/tfg1v2/thumbnails/G1V2_Cover_Decepticon_thumb.jpg (http://www.dreamwaveprod.ca/!newsite/images/galleries/tfg1v2/G1V2_Cover_Decepticon.jpg)

WRITTEN BY: Brad Mick
ART BY: Pat Lee and Rob Armstrong

THE STORY: The wait is finally over! The TRANSFORMERS return to comics and their home world of CYBERTRON in this highly anticipated sequel to one of 2002’s biggest blockbusters.
Unfortunately, it may be in body bags. After, eons of conflict, a new ruler has emerged from the ashes of conflict to unify CYBERTRON and transform the once war-torn planet into a utopia. Now, this new monarch has come to Earth with his sights set on both OPTIMUS and MEGATRON’s forces. The ultimatum: Pledge allegiance to his new world order or return to CYBERTRON to be executed as criminals of war.
Now fugitives of justice, OPTIMUS PRIME and the AUTOBOTS find themselves enemies of the world that they once risked their lives to defend. But who is this new player and how was he able to unify both the AUTOBOTS and DECEPTICONS? More importantly, what are his true intentions? And what happens when the indestructible MEGATRON decides not to go. Captured in the dynamic Dreamwave style, the first issue of this 6-issue mini-series promises some of the most intense robots in disguise action ever!

Comments?

[Clayface]

All I can say is: wow!! This issue blew me away, so I just had to start a talkback thread about it.

As the title says, spoilers ahead, so be warned - I'm going to let 'em fly. Read further at your own risk!

So Cybertron has been "unified" under a new ruler. I hadn't given much thought to who that was going to be, but it made perfect sense to me when we found it was none other than Shockwave! Sweet! A perfect choice for this twist in the storyline!

The battles had a great sense of urgency and confusion to them, with everyone trying to figure out just what the hell happened on Cybertron while the Autobots and Decepticon' continue to battle with each other.

Shockwave manages to easily "procure" the Decepticons, showing just how powerful he's become, and how outmatched our heros are going to be. This is a serious foe!

I love how confused everyone is by these new revelations, and how some are even to the point of being willing to trust Shockwave and back to Cybertron willingly to be part of the new order. Great emotional and philosophical conflicts have been set up here. I only hope the series delivers on how these conflicts are explored.

And how friggin' surprising was it to see who's working with Shockwave - the bot responsible for "procuring" the Autobots - none other than Ultra Magnus! WOW! I did not see that one coming at all, but it sure raises some interesting questions! What exactly happened on Cybertron??

Loved the scene of Starscream disposing of Megatron - echos of the movie throughout. Makes you wonder just what's going to happen with Megatron now....

Man, I just sat there with my jaw on the floor while reading this entire issue. This is TF comics at its best! 5 stars from me!

[Mattashell]

I don't understand, why won't they make this an ongoing series?

[Clayface]

I have absolutely no idea. I really wish they would, because this is the finest TF book out right now. Though I suppose if sales remain high, its only a matter of time before they make it into a regular series.
*crosses fingers and hopes*

[Mattashell]

Loved the scene of Starscream disposing of Megatron - echos of the movie throughout. Makes you wonder just what's going to happen with Megatron now....

While the dialogue was not an exact quote of the scene from the movie, it was a very close paraphrasing. Naturally I assumed the scene was between Starscream and Magatron as in the movie, but when I looked again, I realised that we don't see the other person speaking, and now I think it was actually Shockwave.

[JohnCrichton]

That was indeed awesome.

But that was Starscream that through him how. On the last page you see him standing in the blasted hole.

Echoes of the movie, full on. "I.... still... funtion!"

Why can't these guys be behind a new TF Cartoon?

[Marc]

TRANSFORMERS: GENERATION 1 VOL. 2 #2


http://www.dreamwaveprod.ca/!newsite/images/galleries/tfg1v2/thumbnails/G1V2_02_Cover_thumb.jpg

WRITER: Brad Mick
PENCILS: Pat Lee
INKER: Rob Armstrong

THE STORY: Is this the end for the AUTOBOTS? Battered and labeled as a fugitive, OPTIMUS PRIME is forced make the ultimate decision: Surrender, and return to CYBERTRON in chains, or risk clashing against his former brother-in-arms, ULTRA MAGNUS. Either way, PRIME’s decision will alter the future of CYBERTRON and the fate of the AUTOBOTS.

Comments?

[JohnCrichton]

Ferkin' awesome, but.... does this mean that Magnus and the other Transformers haven't been brainwashed?

And what's this about Starscream knowing where Shockwave's throne is?

[Exatron]

Ferkin' awesome, but.... does this mean that Magnus and the other Transformers haven't been brainwashed?


Apparantly not. Shockwave's solution to their energy problem and the promise of peace were probably enough to convince them to end the war.



And what's this about Starscream knowing where Shockwave's throne is?
I think that was a reference to a building in the center of the bottom panel on page 5- it's top, much like the security cameras, is shaped like Shockwave's head.

I'm wondering if the images on the screens in the upper corners of page 11 were put there as a clue to future events.

[Conekiller]

Really nice to see other TF's Reflector, Perceptor Magnus etc.

I don't remember who topsspin and the other guard were tho.

I loved how Optimus backhanded Magnus, without even LOOKING at him, that was such a powerful scene for me.

The Dinobots are gonne ruff some bots up!

it' was nice to see the trans-cursing again since Beast Wars (Slag and now Scrap)

[Exatron]

Really nice to see other TF's Reflector, Perceptor Magnus etc.

Not just Reflector, a toy-based reflector.


I don't remember who topsspin and the other guard were tho.


Topspin and Twintwist are the Jumpstarters. You probably don't recognize them because they only appeared in the UK Transformers comics.

[JohnCrichton]

I remember the Jumpstarters. My buddy across the street got those toys when we were kids. ^_^

[Mattashell]

TRANSFORMERS: GENERATION ONE VOL. 2 #6
http://www.dreamwaveprod.ca/!newsite/images/Coming_Soon/Sept/TFG1v2_06.jpg
Written by Brad Mick
Penciled by Pat Lee
Inked by Rob Armstrong

The beginning of the end starts now. With OPTIMUS and company on the ropes, it appears that all is lost for the AUTOBOTS. But why does SHOCKWAVE need the Matrix and what does he have in store for CYBERTRON once he captures it? And of course, that son of a bot STARSCREAM is surely lurking in the shadows waiting to take advantage, but this time he may have a little help from the unlikeliest of sources. All this and one TRANSFORMER undergoes the ultimate transformation. Keep your seatbelts fastened, kiddies, as the wildest TRANSFORMERS ride in years races to its cataclysmic conclusion.

[halinar]

This run took a lot of the wind out of my sails for the series..

The plot just jumped around way to much and there were parts that seemed to be missing inbetween books. Maybe I need to sit down and re-read all 6 again but it didn't impress me the way the first run did.

[Mattashell]

I love it. I feel this issue explained most of the book. But I don't understand why Ultra Magnus turned into a white Optimus Prime clone. :confused: Can anyone explain?

I'm so excited that this G1 is going to be an ongoing series now! That's how it should have been in the first place.

[Exatron]

I love it. I feel this issue explained most of the book. But I don't understand why Ultra Magnus turned into a white Optimus Prime clone. :confused: Can anyone explain?

This should be a sufficient explanation. (http://www.tfu.info/1986/Autobot/UltraMagnus/ultramagnus.htm)

[Mattashell]

Thanks for the info. I never owned the "Ultra Magnus" action figure, and I guess I didn't know anyone who did, because I always thought the blue robot mode was his only transformation, and never realized that the cab was a seperate piece, which was also an "Optimus Prime" repaint. Now I know. Again I've learned something here.

[Conekiller]

That makes alot more sence now, seeing as Magnus' akward "change" seemed to come out of nowhere.

I'm sure alot of the obviously hanging plot lines will be resolved in the new monthly series that starts in Dec:

- the whole bit with Scourge and Shockwave

- Scourge on Earth , in the hands of humans.

- the deal w/ Alpha Trion

-the Deal w/ Unicron being "summoned" by the Matrix in #5

-who the Protoforms Starscream and co were stealing.

-the post-SkyLynx fate of Stacrscream and co.

I lost it at the "Bring out your dead" Eric Idle/Montypython/ Wreck-gar joke. but it became difficult to tell who was talking due to the odd word bubbles.

I give the whole story arc an A-
I thought it was more coherent than the first which I really needed to read all the way thru a second time to get the Human plot.

[Exatron]

That makes a lot more sence now, seeing as Magnus' akward "change" seemed to come out of nowhere.

I'm still in shock that Pat Lee did a decent job drawing the first canon appearance of a naked Ultra Magnus.


-who the Protoforms Starscream and co were stealing.

The Combaticons, who first appeared in the episode titled "Starscream's Brigade".


I lost it at the "Bring out your dead" Eric Idle/Montypython/ Wreck-gar joke. but it became difficult to tell who was talking due to the odd word bubbles.

I'm not sure it matters who was saying what on that page since the Junkions tend to speak in soundbytes, but I think all of the orange speech bubbles with five white lines were an Earth TV broadcast while Wreck-Gar was the source of the rest.

[Rand]

Please DON'T use all capitals in the thread title... and use a smaller picture in the post itself. If you must have the bigger picture, make it a link, and put a thumbnail in here.

As to the issue itself... I used to watch Transformers, but I don't have the budget to buy any more comics. Not riding on the nostalgia bandwagon.

[Mattashell]

Only the first letters of "Talkback" and "Spoilers" are capitalized, and the only reason other parts of the title are capitalized are because I cut an pasted it. I didn't feel like typing all that out.


I'm still in shock that Pat Lee did a decent job drawing the first canon appearance of a naked Ultra Magnus.

But all he had to do was draw Optimus. The colorist just didn't color him in.


I'm not sure it matters who was saying what on that page since the Junkions tend to speak in soundbytes, but I think all of the orange speech bubbles with five white lines were an Earth TV broadcast while Wreck-Gar was the source of the rest.

Yup. You read my mind. I think Wreck-Gar doesn't actually speak like other Transformers. Rather he "plays back". I bet his lips don't even move. In the movie the Junkions say they "talk TV" but this is how I've always interpreted it. If I was talking to wrechgar right now, I'd only be hearing recorded soundbights from television broadcasts, aranged into a context that expresses his thoughts.

So I disagree slightly. I don't think any of that was an actual broadcast, at least not being broadcast at the time, rather Wreck-Gar was expressing his thoughts at finding the near lifeless body of Megatron floating in space. "I'm not dead!" It was a great reference.

I explain the layout of the word balloons as such: Wreck-Gar was talking TV. He was duplicating a dialogue from a movie, involving more than one actor, so the balloons looked different to us. This helps avoid confusion to the reader, as Wreck-Gar is talking to himself.

[Conekiller]

Havig re-read the entire arc I have to definitely say that this arc was more coherent , cohesive, and fun than the first one.

but then agian I've ALWAYS hated humans in TF, since I was a kid. (probably why I liked Beast Wars so much ^__^)