If this is already up, please ignore. Otherwise read on...

Story:

- the first part seemed to be a spotlight: ironhide. it didn't do much for the overall story-arc except re-establish why prime is leader and ironhide is a soldier. classically furman cliche, but still decently enjoyable. 2.5/5
- the second part focuses on starscream in the events after ahm 12. very nicely written, and you get inside starscream's head a bit-- he's trying to balance his own ambition with the decepticon cause. a few funny lines on the shuttle as a throwback to good ol' '86. def looking forward to what comes next. 4.5/5

Art:

- very interesting to see g1 done in a more movie aesthetic. unfortunately it has now been confirmed-- g1 optimus has a mouth   The flashback scenes were very well done-- the blur, reflections of prime on ironhides, the war scenes, the pacing on the cliff scene... all very well done. 4/5
- the second part seems to have been done in watercolors... not my style for a comic, i would've preferred guidi's art and a darker tone. but looking at it more now, some of the frames would work nicely as pictures on a wall. cool to see soundwave's "deranged children keeping constant vigil." the last page was awesome 4/5.

enjoy!

 

Darn glitches, my post didn't make it through.

I enjoyed this issue. Starscream's more for obvious reasons. I liked the reference to the original movie with SS's remarks about throwing Megs out an airlock. I loved the last panel where SS knew he was painting himself into a corner with his retoric about the matrix.

With just that story I look forward to what they do in in the follow up.

 

Is that why Starscream facepalmed? Seemed to me he was subconsciously trying to clear his head of the Matrix's influence. Which I find as a nice G2 reference, the Matrix as a Ring of Sauron-like force of good.

 

a friend told me what happened in here.

so, starscream went from accepting that leadership had to be taken, and saving megatron's life (which was a great moment, really), to just wanting him to die of his injuries after all, and contemplating assassinating the helpless leader. really. undoing the best moment of the entire AHM series. starscream SAVED megatron from prime. said that he was fulfilling his role as a seeker, defending the life of the decepticon leader.

fuck you, IDW. done giving you money now. bye bye.

 

I took that to mean in AHM #12, Starscream knew he wouldn't be accepted as leader by Soundwave and the loyalists if he left Megatron to the Autobots, so he took him and monologued Prime to try and win over the other Decepticons with a "noble warrior race" speech. In #13 he's able to let his guard down...

you know, fuck it. You're right, he does a 180. Again it happens, again with no explanation.

 

Yup. I'm just about done... I've promised myself that I'd finish Coda and a few issues of the ongoing, but I just don't know anymore.

The whole message of AHM just completely ignored the very next issue... yikes.

 

DON's half-G1, half-Movie style was rather off-putting, I must say. Movie or G1, not both, please. It looks kinda creepy, and not in a good way. The first story was great, however.

The second one... I'm honestly not entirely sure what was going on, but I haven't read it a second time yet. They still have yet to explain what exactly the signficance of the Matrix plays in all this. Art was pretty good and a nice change of pace, though.

 

You definately know when Furman is the writer of a story if it starts with "I'm finish. Done."

 

Starscream, Starscream, Starscream you just unlocked a door full of misery for you're self.

Soundwave

(LORD MEGATRON LIVES)

Megatron

(WHERE ARE MY SOLDIERS)

Soundwave

....

Megatron

(WELL....)

Soundwave

(THEY SERVE LORD STARSCREAM)

Megatron

(BuhHAHAHAHAHAHAH .... HAND ME MY CANNON)

----------------------

Starscream

(AFTER LAYING WASTE TO THE WRECKERS AND SEIZING THAT AREA OF SPACE FOR THE EMPIRE [Megatron !?] I NOMINATE SHOCKWAVE AS MY 2ND
IN COMMAND)

[sfx Charge]

Megatron

(YOU COULDN'T LEAD A PARADE)

[sfx]

 

i actually found the hybrid live action movie/g1 character art to be a refreshing and even a positive change in direction art wise

just my thoughts people but i actually think that is the way the live action movies should have been handled cgi model art wise

to me it just looks the best of both worlds such as it were

 

I was dissapointed with this latest issue as well. It sounds like a repeat of the events from the 1986 movie *sigh*.

 

This. Between the characterization shifts and the radical change in the art style, it was a rather disjointed experience. Countdown bad. I didn't mind either art style if it had been consistant through the series, but we go from a Classics style to a movie style to a late G1/G2 marvel comic style.

Also, can anyone tell me what the hell was happening in the two panels in the page before "uneasy lies the head" that had Blitzwing and a Reflector bot in it? The CLANG and then the motion line panels?

I'm begining to wonder if they're seeing just what they can do and still have readers; 8 issues of no plot movement, OS as a deus ex machina, countless indecipherable scenes, poor and drastically offset characterization, and so far 3 radical shifts in the art.

 

with the 12 issue storyline , the vibe i am getting is that it might as well have played out as a 3-4 episode storyline to the 80's animated series

seriously people this might as well be a elseworld storyline

as for weather or not i'm gonna stay a fan on the idw continuity comic wise

i'll put it this way


the jury is still out on that one people

 

Oh, I dunno... the way I read it, Starscream was always more devoted to the cause, the mission, than to Megatron himself. Like when he berates Megatron for not having a plan for after his conquest, earlier. His treachery isn't rooted in personal advancement (or at least, he wouldn't think so...), but in what's best for the Decepticons as a whole... and right now, the broken, stasis locked body of their leader isn't leading anybody. It could be argued that he hadn't been leading anybody for a long time, too.

So maybe he rescued Megatron hoping that he could be restored and then combated, or maybe he didn't want the Autobots touching such a figurehead of the movement. (Or maybe it was poor writing mandated by Hasbro to keep them from offing such a high-profile and profitable character... just sayin'.  )

But I find the Starscream in AHM 13 to be well written and fascinating, and I hope I can read more of him once the new series starts.

 

I really dug the 2nd story's art. I dunno if you old school heads can recall this, since newbies won't find this in titan reprints, but there were pair of issues, issues 20 something, in the Marvel run where they reprinted early UK stories, Iron Guy or something and I thought then the art with lot of light and shadow was brilliant. I got the same vibe from the 2nd story, kudos to artist. Sounds like a chinese dude, never seen this guy before.

 

Man of Iron. Yeah, I've read those. Pretty good comparison. I loved the art in that story, atmospheric and they used the toys as character models. Yay door wings Jazz!

 

Haha, Iron Guy.

Plus, this is probably the rare time you could claim in the same book where somebody else's art look better. I know Don's going for the movie look but what is up with drawing robot teeth, ugh, they look nasty.

 

I feel the same way, the writing in this short Starscream story was head and shoulders above what AHM gave us in twelve months.

Clearly, Costa has a better command of dialogue and storytelling than Shane does. The tense moment between Screamer and Soundwave, though brief, was a clear example of this.

I think Costa, with Schmidt overseeing, will deliver something far superior to most of what IDW has given us thus far.

 

I really dug the first story. Prime and Ironhide, just drinking and reminincing. Great story right from there. It's also more of IDW finally turning me into an Optimus Prime fan. I absolutly loved the "Teah me" scene.

I really don't know what to make of the second one. I do know I really didn't care for the art though.

 

I finally got to read this.

First Story:
Positive:
Prime and Ironhide taking a trip down memory lane.
There was some great dialog and the flow of the tale from present to flashback was quite well done.

There has been a lot of noise (both good and bad) about Don's "new style".
Well, Don got to be my favorite Transformer's artist without ever asking me what I think of his art, or what "style" I would like to see.
There were aspects of his robots that I liked and some that I didn't like -so what?
It's good to see him try new things and I was more impressed by the tone his art set than any particular diode or servo he rendered.
He did very good placement of characters within the panel and really helped the story along with his art far beyond "the robots look KEWL!".

Negative:
Didn't Optimus and Ironhide know each other in Spotlight: Blurr?
I don't remember the issue exactly, but it seemed like they did.
At any rate, I remember reading the issue and thinking that Ironhide was part of the crew that had a young Optimus in it.
It was odd seeing Kup "introduce" Ironhide to Optimus Prime.

Second Story:
Positive:
I really liked the unexpected "Man of Iron" art style.
I am sure there will be some artwork that I just don't like, but I totally support IDW's willingness to have different artistic styles.
Starscream's dialog was smart, in character, and very telling of his designs.
The line about Soundwave's "demented children" is classic.

Negative:
The Decepticon's just left Earth? Did they not conquer the entire planet?
Why would Megatron's fall in New York mean they had to leave?
So, they all fit inside Astrotrain? Really? He even has "medical" bays?
Mass displacement is okay, but can we please stay away from "whatever size I need to be" mass displacement?

I have no idea what is going on with Blitzwing and the Reflector component.
Why does Blitzwing look different than he did last issue?
I am all for different styles, but use the same models.

As a reader I have no idea why Starscream would buy Megatron's diatribe, save Megatron from death, then try to kill him in the repair bay.
I have even less of an idea as to why no editor at IDW thought it might be necessary to have one expository dialog box on this.
Ten to fifteen words could clear everything up. Everything.

Conclusion:
I like where this is going, there is definitely the energy of something good here.
However, I am just about sick of IDW's main problem with their story's being they can't follow their own stories.