Hrm.

SPOILERS AHOY. LAST WARNING.

I think this issue will be better in retrospect once we learn a few more things. Despite the big scary Red Xs, I'm fairly convinced that only one person died this issue (Hint: It was the death that hurt the most). Overlord is fine, and he will be back (and scary mad) I'm betting in a few issues. You don't kill the indestructable supergod evil bastard by blowing up the shuttle he's in. And if he survived, there's a very good chance Rewind did too. After all, we still didn't learn Chromedomes secret...

In other words, I think I was right. ROberts was trolling us with all the death talk, when the only actual death was the one spoiled in the preview.

 

That was my thought. It seemed to me that Pipes was channeling Swerve a fair bit. Hubcap takes the place of Blurr and it forgoes the intended tragedy.

 

I cried while eating Indian buffet alone today. Stupid More Than Meets the Eye.

 

That's exactly what I was thinking. I think Roberts realized if Swerve were to die at this point the audience would lose an important connection to the crew. Swerve's perspective and character works to show everyday life and who these characters are.

 

This right here, more than anything else you have ever posted, is indicitive of your entire presence on the boards. You willingly don't get it.

 

My favorite part was Swerve's comic book dialogue in the middle of battle as a result of the meta bomb. ("I pressed it. Nothing happened.")

 

Nice observation! Does make it look like Swerve got the reprieve.

That said, I went back, I was thinking about the characters who "died" in this issue, seeing as how they got marked with Xs, and checked my back issues today, Rung was suprisingly missing from the Meet The Crew page in the issue we all thought he died in.

 

Yeah; I think Swerve getting the reprieve makes sense.

After all, Roberts mentioned way back that Swerve's role was gonna be smaller, but the character won him over once he started writing him and he ended up bumping up his page time.

 

The reason I'm not going with this belief is that this is not Batman or the Human Torch or Captain America dying becuase those are major players in multi-billion dollar franchises that literally cannot work without them in it, Rewind is a very minor character in a multi-billion dollar franchise that can work if he's not in it. The reason we assume those characters are going to come back is not because of the method of death, they could be shot point blank on panel brains splattered everywhere and we still wouldn't be convinced, it's bescause keeping those character's dead would require ending, or at the very least drastically altering, a multi-billion dollar franchise which Marvel or DC or Hasbro or IDW would never do but Rewind is a different case, the franchise can get along just fine if he's dead in this one continuity. And that's why I think there is a very real chance of Rewind staying dead.

 

http://www.tfw2005.com/transformers-news/comics-16/idw-transformers-solicitations-for-march-2013-176500/

He was exactly quoting the solicitation for this issue. Makes one wonder in which order they write these things.

 

I loved it! I can only imagine what this issue would be like in animation form. Add in voices, orchestral music, ect; I don't think there would be a dry eye in the audience.

Now, on to both some comments, and theorizing and speculation! On a side-note, isn't it wonderful to have TF fiction that's so well-written, it actually gives us mysteries to theorize, speculate and agonize about?

Spoiler

Poor Pipes! I truly hope that when he's found, that they realize he was the one to set off the alarm.

My demands on a potential Brainstorm Classics toy have increased. I don't just want Brainstorm with Suitcase Accessory! I want Brainstorm with Suitcase Accessory and Lab Playset! (Think of all the fun things that can be included! Fourth Wall Bomb, Ennui Gun, Rubber Ducky!)

Ratchet was absolutely awesome. I hear Ratchet in two ways, Don Messick as young Ratchet, and Corey Burton as old, grumpy Ratchet. Burton's Ratchet is a perfect fit for me here. I loved his speech; between mentioning that First Aid is ready to take on his duties, Whirl's lack of hands, and one final, sarcastic throw-away, it was a brilliant moment. I'd love to hear Corey Burton speak it!   (Also, "Keep your hands on! Do you know how offensive...) Ratchet's comment on Whirl is also a wonderfully subtle gesture towards just how caring and loving Ratchet is, despite his gruff exterior, and earlier comments towards Whirl.

Rodimus's last words were awesome, and brilliantly cheesy! It was exactly what I expected him to say, and, in this case, that's a good thing. I also especially like his facial expression; it's a good mix in that it's a little ambiguous as to whether he's grimacing or trying to smirk/grin.... I hope Rodimus takes his captain role seriously in the next issue, and starts demanding answers....

I hope that Ultra Magnus isn't gone for good. He's been so much fun, I really don't want to lose him. However, that poster they released did say he wouldn't make it. I wonder how reliable or meaningful those posters were....

Something I find fascinating is that Overlord suddenly has drills in his fingers, which are not only graphically shown, but also directly referred too. In addition, Overlord stated that he wanted to have needles. It's also been mentioned in this thread a few times that the time-slowing properties of Overlord's cell are not working correctly. I'm betting that, since Chromedome's arm, with built in needles, is left inside the cell, and that Overlord is also skilled in memory manipulation, that Overlord will use it on Rewind. James Roberts said that he's planned out all of this in advance. It could have been any small character that could have slipped through the doors; it could have been any character that was chosen to be best friends with Chromedome, yet Mr. Roberts chose a character who also is the most obsessive archivist Cybertron has ever seen: Rewind literally turns into a memory storage unit! The only character remotely similar is Mainframe, and he's a full-sized Transformer. I'm betting that Overlord will return (really, after everything else he's survived, an explosion is not going to kill him.) and that Rewind will as well. Rewind may have recorded information on Aequitas, and we still don't know what Fort Max knows about Aequitas.

I also agree with those stating that Pipes role was probably meant for Swerve, and since Mr. Roberts mentioned that he made a change to the grand plan, if swapping these two characters was that change, it's something I will be eternally grateful for; I love Swerve!

Finally, I think after the trauma the crew as a whole have suffered from, when the DJD do catch up to the Lost Light, the tension that has been wound so tightly is going to snap, and the DJD will be the ones to fully regret it. The LL Crew is hurt, smarting, and angry; I can easily see the DJD unaware that they are providing themselves as the perfect target for for the crew to relieve it's aggressions on.....

I'm glad that the massacre wasn't as bad as I feared, and I'm also glad that MTMTE's mysteries aren't all solved just yet. I'm very much looking forward to see what will happen next, and I'm glad that the comics are in such capable and safe hands.

Now, to go back to wish this would be turned into an ongoing animated series.....

 

Like most other people I'm not convinced Ultra Magnus is dead. Overlord definitely isn't dead. I also agree in that I think this issue was overhyped a bit.

What was Chromdome trying to say to Rewind before they ejected?

 

Ha. I didn't realize that. Which makes it even better!

Roberts has been treading not so softly in Morrison's swimming pool for the entirety of this series. Looks like he finally dove in head first. Good for him.

 

Drift. Assuming he sticks around after this issue.

 

That's a good point. I think "Overlord's Rampage Aboard the Lost Light" would've been deserving of a double-sized issue.

Since this first year-plus of issues has been like "Season 1" of MTMTE, I think #14 could've been the double-sized action-packed climax with the epilogue/end of the first "season" coming next issue, a la how some TV shows have the big action/climax in the second-to-last episode of their season with the actual season finale to tie up loose ends and set up new stuff for the next season (in particular, thinking of Game of Thrones).

 

Wait, I think I may have confused the cell.Does it work by:

1) You could experience a long time in the cell and in reality only a little time has passed.

OR

2) The other way around - you would only experience 5 seconds of time but in the real world a lot more time passed.

Because my speculation is off if I've confused myself.

Either way, you may be right in that the slow down may never have triggered, even once the door shut.

 

If nothing else this issue has inspired me to crack open my Function X: Code when I get home.

 

I was thinking maybe Skids. Then again, we all read in the solicits that someone else makes off with him.

 

Im sticking with the wannabe memosurgeon + memosurgeons arm + rewind + slow cell = something theory.

I doubt this is the last we've seen of those folks.

 

Maybe that he learned the fate of Rewinds past Partner, Dominus and didn't share it with Rewind????