So this came out on Comixology today and I have to say it was very... meh. Sure there was some nice features like a (very) brief exploration into Galvatron's past but overall the story kind of falls flat and the final twist is kind of obvious. Spoiler FYI: it's the fact that Scavenger is a double agent for Soundwave. On a side note- I just realised that Sky Lynx is useless in this series as the Autobots should still have orbital jump technology.
Okay, well, there we go. The EDC doesn't trust the Decepticons and has highly effective countermeasures for dealing with them - that's a plus after their flippancy on the whole matter last last issue. I don't struggle to believe in the idea of the alliance (conceptually, it's something warring real-world superpowers can and have done throughout human history), though the attitudes on display were hard to buy into. I also particularly enjoyed the insight into Soundwave we got here - he is pursuing another goal on Earth, yes, but it's not one of DECEIT. We see that his belief in the rightness of the Decepticon cause - an ideal that he is able to perceive as existing separately from Megatron the individual - is so strong that he honestly thinks humanity will see their way of thinking and agree with them if they use different tactics than Megatron would have. He's got to a point where he sees Megatron as the corrupter of the dream. Dig it. Dig it. Also, further validation that Soundwave and Galvatron are just using each other to pursue their own ends, as it was obvious from last issue that Galvatron had no interest in allying with humans, and that that was Soundwave's plan that he had no part in aside from putting a non-Megatron face on things. Nice moments, though all together, neither this story nor MTMTE's opening three-parter really seem to have "landed" for me yet. I think MTMTE will have its ducks in a row by next issue, but as it was from its original launch, RID seems to be playing a longer game and is asking the audience to swallow a lot of stuff before all the secrets shake out, and I don't know how long that'll hold out.
I think that the team was different before Scrapper died. It means that Prowl is on the team and he not a Decepticon so they yet come to terms with his allegiance to the Autobots. Scavenger uh being a spy well they will hear him out. Right now Constructicons allegiance is shifting. They still sympathize with the Decepticons more than they do with the Autobots. Prowl will not be Autobot much longer the way he is going.
Also, can he really keep it a secret from them when they combine? I really liked Galvatron calling Astrotrain "Spacebus" for some reason. I also loved Arcee's scenes on Cybertron. I love how she's sick of people asking her opinion on the new females arriving. Also nice mention of Hardhead (I really felt his death was unnecessary and gloss over rather quick). I particularly liked her line of "people forget those things". Some nice meta there from John. Other than that, I'm happy to see the Headmaster war getting some love. And who wants to bet that the bot the Earth is developing their tech off ISN'T Alpha Trion? Could it be someone we're not expecting? Could they somehow have based it off Thundercracker without his consent?
I suspected it is someone new. Not Alpha Trion but my question how the spark get there in first place. As for the Tech I willing bet it is Scoponok. IDW version has him more Organic loving.
I agree that this issue was somewhat lackluster. The orbital jump issue posited above could just be explained due to the damages the Ark-(26?) suffered in the initial approach to Earth and its placement around the moon. Prowl's characterization is...odd to say the least. I feel like there's so much retcon from Dark Cybertron that many characters are just...off. Galvatron doesn't really ring true after his initial appearances in Revelation and HOD but is in line with the way he was depicted during DC. Arcee and Sidewipe are a good team up (as are Jazz and Kup when they actually get lines) and the interactions between the Decepticons was refreshing as it reminded me of 'insane-o-tron' from Season 3 of the G1 cartoon. Somehow I doubt it's really Alpha Trion at the Marshall Island base. It'll probably be some revision of the Hunter/Sunstreaker story or some clone they made of Thundercracker's brain. In all a blah issue. Interesting in some parts but maddening in others. Also, the art for the humans is hilariously ugly this issue (like someone pinched all of Marissa's facial features into the middle of her face yet enlarged her ruby lips beyond all reckoning) and in general the art isn't that great. Full review is probably incoming today (not a lot on my plate at work) but I'd give the issue a tentative 4/10
I'm guessing they've got Scorponok's headmaster. There's just too much Headmaster in this series. I think Barber believes he's being subtle... Also just want to mention that the Nexus (and his 'Enigma') might be IDW's play on Nexus Prime, one of the original 13 who had the power of combination.
This is the only time the original headmasters have been brought up in a long time. I haven't heard of them since the HOD series.
Fascinating. Every time this series actually focuses on stuff on Earth, the quality drops exponentially. The beginning stuff with Galvatron was cool (though I was expecting more of it). The Arcee flashback was the highlight for me. The ending stuff with the Autobots was okay, though the dudebro Constructicons are getting extremely grating. The big Devastator fight scene contains some of the most atrocious writing and dialogue I've been exposed to in a Transformers comic in a while, probably since Heart of Darkness. Like... wow. "We're not robots!" - wha? The ending "twist", if you can even call it that, falls completely flat. The art on Marissa is still terrible. Overall, not quite as much of a cluster as last issue, but I think I might drop RID until it improves (or not). This is THE RID S2 issue I was looking forward to, because I was hoping for lots of Galvatron flashbacks... and there were barely any.
Well, assuming you're referring to Scavenger, the ending is hardly presented as "twist". We see it as it happens. The real revelation of the ending is that Galvatron and Soundwave have entirely separate goals on Earth, and that Galvatron is looking for Alpha Trion.
I think he's objecting to being called a lifeless robot, as in something that's just a machine. They're not soulless or of less value than any other living creature. That sort of thing.
Specifically no, but I imagine that's the part of the concept of the word he'd object to. Unless he considers himself an honorary human...
There was exactly zero implication that that was what Marissa was trying to imply. She called him a "super robot". Not "lifeless super robot". The Transformers are robots. Living robots, but they're still robots. It's just another piece of clunky Barber dialogue.
You know what? I dug this issue. Was ready to drop RID again if this issue was as bad as #29, but I felt it actually did a decent job explaining a couple of things, and thought this was all pretty ok in the end. One big headscratch still, though: why the hell would Spoiler the Autobots discuss pretty damn important mission info in front of the Constructicons? And why is Prime suddenly a character who actively engages in whispering and gossiping about somebody who's in the exact same bay? Real mature, Prime! But yeah..any form of subtle approach is something I've not expected from Barber's writing for quite a while now, so with that in mind Was able to sort of shrug those things off and realise: 'hey., I actually enjoyed it!'. Future issues will reveal if this book is really going to improve, or will fumble and fall flat on its face. I'm still worrying, but sticking around a bit longer.
Oh that's certainly a way you can rationalize it, but unless it's actually stated, or at least implied, in the issue itself, I consider it a negative point.
