No All Hail Megatron #14 Thread? Is anyone still reading?

[Mechafire]

Originally Posted by SPLIT LIP

Damn, they just try so hard to fix the fuckups in this series... I try to like it, but it's really kinda falling apart in slow motion.

Agreed.

[Spoon]

Originally Posted by SPLIT LIP

Damn, they just try so hard to fix the fuckups in this series... I try to like it, but it's really kinda falling apart in slow motion.

I think it has already been shattered, like a Ming vase, and now they are desperately trying to put it back together with sticky tape.

[matrixprime]

Originally Posted by SPLIT LIP

Damn, they just try so hard to fix the fuckups in this series... I try to like it, but it's really kinda falling apart in slow motion.

Yeah its kind of like a horrible train wreck on the side of the road. You know you shouldn't look, but you do, and it just goes horribly wrong. HORRIBLY WRONG!!!

[Acid Wing]

The Sunstreaker story was meh at best. Didn't really do much for me in trying to explain Streaker's radical betrayal, nor did it shed light as to how Hunter wound up in Bombshell's hands.

I enjoyed the Galvatron story more, though I think I'm kinda leery if IDW decides to take Galvy into his G1 Season 3 looney maniac self. Not an exact copy, but I have a weird feeling his characterization might end up that way due to the effects of the "Darkness."

[Fit For natalie]

Is it just me or does this issue imply that Hunter forced Sunstreaker to let him become a Headmaster?

In Devastation 3 and 4, Hunter requests to become a HM, and Sunstreaker has a "why not?" attitude about it. But in this issue Sunstreaker asks Hunter again to kill him after the human makes his request, suggesting Hunter *forced* him to do it.

And of course, we all know the Machination knows the Transformers are living beings, but hey, mangling continuity for the sake of your story is fun!

Originally Posted by UltraMagnus3786

i was going to do a full review but seems like a lotta points have been touched already.

i dunno i actually really liked (/felt really depressed about) the sunstreaker story. i thought it actually connected the early -ation series to MD and AHM quite nicely. Remember, SS had never wanted to be on earth and was spiteful in being forced into any interaction with the humans. he was a cybertronian hero (the opening sequence plays to his vainity) forced onto a dirtball against his will and then tortured by the people he was supposed to protect. yes, the machination was led by scorponok, but the humans were doing all the dirty work. furthermore, at his lowest point, he was refused death by hunter and coerced into being a headmaster even longer. The bonding/separation resulted in nerual trauma and deep psychological damage, and the extent was unknown by both ratchet and SS.

Regarding Hunter coercing him:

That was made up by McCarthy as a retcon. In Furman's run, Sunstreaker didn't ask Hunter again to kill him after the human makes his suggestion, and Sunstreaker was agreeable about it.

Hunter: So Sunstreaker... room for one more in there?
Sunstreaker: Heh, why not? What about you? Point of no return...

All this helps me understand the betrayal so much more. SS didn't "willingly" (his mental state prevents rational actions) betray the autobots. Remember, Hunter's mind (and therefore SS's) was picked apart by Bombshell, revealing SS's dreams, desires, fears, personality traits and memories, and the Decepticons aptly used this to their advantage. It was easy to get SS to strike a deal with the devil-- the humans/earth for Megatron's defeat-- and ended up leading the Autobots into a trap due to starscream's deception. The rest is history from there.

No it doesn't. In Furman's run, Sunstreaker clearly, CLEARLY knew the difference between ordinary human beings, his comrade Hunter and those who worked for the Machination. He didn't go around saying "GRRR! Humans are responsible for what happened to me even if they had nothing to do with it or didn't even know it happened! They are guilty by species association! GRRR!"

He was after Scorponok and the Machination, not humanity.

to wrap up, I think furman/mccarthy portrayed sunstreaker as a tortured soul quite well. he was physically and mentally broken, and almost led his race to extinction. the last two pages were heart wrenching as he redeemed and sacrificed himself, and he finally had peace.

Not really. Furman planned to make the binary bonding permanent, with Sunstreaker and Hunter becoming a singular being. The mentally tortured thing was McCarthy's idea so he could have an Autobot traitor.

[Beastbot X]

Originally Posted by Fit For natalie

That was made up by McCarthy as a retcon. In Furman's run, Sunstreaker didn't ask Hunter again to kill him after the human makes his suggestion, and Sunstreaker was agreeable about it.

Ah, I remember now. Yeah, something about that scene in this issue seemed odd, but I specifically remembered SOME of the dialogue in it... so McCarthy added another "Kill me" at the end. Nice.

[Fosterlager]

Rot in hell, Sunstreaker. I'm tired of seeing ink wasted on your horrible turn as a headmaster, loon and traitor.

As for the Galvatron arc, I like seeing the trio again. I like that they aren't Decepticon-affiliated or heralds of Unicron. I'm eager to see where they go from here.

But is anyone else reminded of CHARLIE MURPHY! whenever the Darkness is mentioned?

[GENOZAUR]

i would not be the slightest bit surpries if galvatron and hsi crew go on to create their warworld.

place your bets people i got 5 bucks good energon riding on this one.

[Dom]

I thought the Sunstreaker story was ok, loved the art.

Think the meeting where they decided the con storyline for the last 2 issues went someting like "my god do you know what they haven`t used in a while? lets just chuck the whole 86 movie plot in there"

I will keep reading in the hope they pull it together. The Infiltration/Devastation stuff was good and loved the spotlights.

[Fairlady_Z]

Originally Posted by UltraMagnus3786

to wrap up, I think furman/mccarthy portrayed sunstreaker as a tortured soul quite well. he was physically and mentally broken, and almost led his race to extinction. the last two pages were heart wrenching as he redeemed and sacrificed himself, and he finally had peace.

on another note, the art in this was amazing, capturing the bright colors of SS and his victory in the beginning, the contrast between him and his dark, drab human captors, his mental breakdown and his defeat and final tear at the hands of the swarm. it reminded me of the dark cybertron art early in AHM.

Agreed. I thought the Sunstreaker story was amazing. One of the best I've read from IDW. Art was wonderful, escially after that mash up last issue. And the replay of memories was just so sad and moving. Sunstreaker had no reason to care about Earth in the first place and then he gets torted and violated in the worst way posible while there. The betrayal was an emotional decision born out of that breakdown, if it had gone according to plan, Starscream would have ended the war with the Autobots, Megs would have been destroyed/captured, and Earth would have been left to the Cons. Sunstreaker was always painted as a sociopath anyway even before his breakdown. To see a character that vain now even able to look himself in the mirror anymore is heartbreaking as to how far he has fallen in his own mind. It was great seeing his pre-earth design. And if he hasn't at least achieved redemption by blowing the bridge, at least he found peace. I like that the last memory fragment rested on the hero image. Then again, I never much liked Furman's idea of Sunny being a HM in the first place, so the revultion/traitor angle is actually more to my liking. Though I don't like Hunter being shafted quite as much as he was.

The Galvatron story by comparison felt more like forshadowing than anything. The creation of the Sweeps was probably the best part. The art was fine though I wish Cyclonus could look more like his cartoon counterpart, (what is with the montrous mouth on this guy?) I kno some people hate it but I like all the varitions on familiar scenes, this one recalling the lava bath from FFOD. Still it all felt a bit random considering how the dead universe got shoved on to the side so casually in revealtion. But I'm at least starting the like Galvatron as a seperate entity from megs for once and I like Cyclonus's loyalty being similarto the cartoon. Marvel UK Cyclonus and Scourge always felt "off" to me by having their own agenda.

Y'know this disjointedness is really what's killing IDW. They have some terrific story ideas and some truly great artists. And I really like a lot of what I'm seeing, especially in the spotlights, but I think that this lack of cohesion is really preventing a lot of people from enjoying the potential of some of these great ideas. Much as I was one of those people who really did love AHM and some of the changes of direction like Sunstreaker as traitor, I also think how much better would it have been if they had planned it from the beginning or hadn't rushed Revelation (cause Furman is a guy who knows how to build up to something good) and other such mistakes, then we wouldn't have as many people saying "wtf did that come from?" I truly see a lot of talent at IDW, and flashes of brilliant stuff along the way, I wish they'd trust themselves to a more coherant vision and utilize their talent to their full potential.

Anyone know if the new G.I. Joe universe suffers from the same problem yet, or is it too early to tell?