Optimus Prime #21 - Spoilers!

Discussion in 'Transformers Comics Discussion' started by Fark Gnarkl, Jul 18, 2018.

  1. BATTLEMASTER

    BATTLEMASTER Thunderlips Overlord fan and 3D designer/printer

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    It seems that one of Shockwave's goals was to eliminate a combiner loyal to Starscream. He probably thinks that Victorion is an asset with more rationality.

    Overall I liked the issue. The part where Liege Maximo was splattered across Devastator's crane boom was pretty neat. Shockwave's goal to destroy religion and ideology is quite interesting.
     
  2. Brave Magnus

    Brave Magnus Drawings from Argentina! :D

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    Can I just say that I am still shocked with the kiss between Arcee and Aileron? I mean..you already have couples in MTMTE/LL and ..not even there they kissed. This came out like..out of nowhere! xD But yeh, its not like its out of place or anything. Its pretty cool actually.
    As for the ending. DAMN! I guess we are screwed now? xD
     
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  3. Focksbot

    Focksbot Skeleton Detective

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    To be fair, Chromedome, Rewind and Tailgate all have faceplates.
     
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  4. Brave Magnus

    Brave Magnus Drawings from Argentina! :D

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    Cr@p. You are right! xD
     
  5. battlefudge

    battlefudge Still in the biz...

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    Just to add to chorus of voices here: What did I just read?
    Nothing makes any sense. Shockwave rewrites history because he has a boner for Prime I guess. I think, I am not sure.
    His endgame is to prepare for Unicron, but he could have done 8 million other things to do that. This plan is non-sensical.
    I don't know what happened to devistator... AT ALL. Did he get flash-lighted to death? Is he stuck in the crystal city now?
    Starscream has an army of 8 by my count.
    Why did Pyra not pull the trigger?
    Why did Soundwave not pull the trigger?
    Why is Prime and bumblebee in Pyra's head? Like, how... I didn't get it.
    Where is the Matrix information now?
    So Aileron and Arcee kissed because someone had to kiss I guess.

    I don't understand anything that is happening at all. I am even paying attention and I don't get it. To quote a famous principal:
    Mr. [Barber] what you’ve just said is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever heard. At no point in your rambling, incoherent response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul.
     
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  6. AshleyCuadra

    AshleyCuadra Tieria Prime

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    Ouch
     
  7. Stryker055

    Stryker055 Trying my best here!

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    Barber has always been bad about sacrificing characters in service of the plot, but this is definitely his worst bout of it yet. The only conclusion that makes any sort of sense is that Shockwave is, quite simply, batshit insane. His strange desire to prove that everything Cybertronians ever believed was a lie falls flat when, like, only a handful of characters are actually affected by it (really just Starscream, who, depending on the writer, either has or hasn't believed it from beginning). It's certainly not a shock to the audience beyond the initial twist, as it's been well-established that the Primes weren't divine. And even then, Shockwave completely missed anything surrounding Primus, the Guiding Hand, the Knights of Cybertron, etc, which are arguably more central religions to Cybertron than Prime worship. Unless Shockwave also has knowledge of everything going down in Lost Light (which he has to at least be aware of who/what the Grand Architect is and the truth of Cyberutopia) and considers that part of his plan, he's done a pretty poor job of proving... well, whatever point he was trying to make.

    Essentially what Shockwave has done is gone back in time and become Jesus, explained how all the miracles of the New Testament were faked, and is proclaiming it as evidence that he has disproved all religion. It's an impressive and shocking reveal for a lot of people, but it's not exactly the kind of universe-changing revelation that he's trying to sell it as.

    The most frustrating thing is that I don't actually know if Shockwave's plan was supposed to be logical or coherent. His weird, rambling dialogue in this issue in particular, especially in how he justifies bringing Optimus back, suggests that he's definitely not all there, but everyone is acting like it all made perfect sense in the end. I'm sure the remainder of this book and Unicron will add more context to his motivations, but for now I'm chalking this one up to yet another instance of Barber coming up with an excellent concept that he fumbles badly in execution.
     
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  8. Omegashark18

    Omegashark18 Combaticon turned Autobot

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    Someone might want to explain Shockwave’s motives and plans to those who don’t understand.(@Jalaguy)
     
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  9. Omegashark18

    Omegashark18 Combaticon turned Autobot

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    Regarding the significance of the surprise kiss.

    “Arcee and Aileron's lip-lock in this issue becomes the first IDW kiss, and the first genuinely romantic, on-the-mouth, unobfuscated, fully-on-screen/panel kiss between Transformers in recorded history, and by extension, the first same-gender kiss, too!”
     
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  10. AshleyCuadra

    AshleyCuadra Tieria Prime

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    It needs explanation on why it happened
     
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  11. Sockie

    Sockie Veteran

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    Because she decided that having Shockwave face justice was more important than murdering him out of revenge.

    Because Needlenose made him realize that goes against everything he's been trying to accomplish.

    They'd been transformed into information when they were sucked into the singularity. That information was then transmitted into Pyra, sending their consciousnesses into her body.

    Gone, just as Shockwave wanted.
     
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  12. Bass X0

    Bass X0 Captain Commando

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    I keep reading but I’m not feeling any attachment to the story. There’s no emotion here, not like what I’m getting from Lost Light.

    Sure the Optimus Prime book may sound interesting in summary but reading it is just dull and boring to me. It wants to be epic and deep, but it’s just so dull.
     
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  13. Digilaut

    Digilaut Well-Known Member

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    I remember from an interview a couple years ago (during RID’s first year) that John Barber greatly dislikes leaders who are not elected but given power through birthright, like kings and such. Completely, understandably so - in real life anyway.

    I guess it would only make sense to go further: completely break down not just royalty or unelected leaders but gods and religion itself.

    For what purpose? I dunno, lol. Maybe it has something to do with Shockwave no longer being all about logic. Maybe he’s all about chaos, the total opposite, with Unicron and all. Guess we’ll find out, for now this was pretty damn chaotic.
     
  14. Haywired

    Haywired Hakunamatatacon

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    I actually agree on this.

    It's not like IDW Arcee isn't a Lil' Ms Random, but upon re-reading issues with interaction of those characters this kiss kinda comes out of the left field.
     
    Last edited: Jul 18, 2018
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  15. AshleyCuadra

    AshleyCuadra Tieria Prime

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    I rather have a Arcee and Optimus Prime kiss than this one cause I read the issues and it doesn't explain it the relationship between her and aileron at all
     
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  16. Slatersev

    Slatersev Well-Known Member

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    Did you read them from the Pirate site you use instead of paying like always?
     
  17. Hooper_X

    Hooper_X hit dogs holler

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    Hard disagree. Getting rid of religion and ideology and iconography means they won't see Unicron as "a god" to be worshiped/a demonic force that cannot be stopped, but as a threat that can be eradicated.

    Essentially, he wants to force everyone to be as rational as possible in the face of this incomprehensible cosmic threat, and the way to do that is by saying SURPRISE ALL RELIGIONS ARE FAKE THERE IS NO GOD NOW LET'S FIGURE OUT HOW TO KILL THIS THING
     
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  18. AshleyCuadra

    AshleyCuadra Tieria Prime

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    I read every issue from either viewcomic and readcomicbooksonline
     
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  19. Thundermania

    Thundermania Banned

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    That was..... spectacular garbage.
     
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  20. GWolfv2

    GWolfv2 Deathsaurus - A name you can trust for peace

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    Question to all this. How does this all work in the context that considering he's behind the entire Talisman storyline, the only reason Unicron is coming is because he's the one who arranged for it to be summoned.
     
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