Transformers Monstrosity #2 Now Available and Two Page Preview

So.... IDW Dinobots are now being rammed into alignment with the FOC mutant versions?

zmog

The Terrorcons are going to take down Megatron and challenge Scorponok for Decepticon leadership? The Terrorcons? Are you freaking kidding me? It appears that all the protagonists for this series have been chosen by alt-mode.

'It's called Monstrosity, what monster transformers are there?'

Next month Flamefeather and Cindersaur emerge as the real brains behind the Decepticons, whilst Repugnus makes an impassioned speech to the Conclave that almost reunites Cybertron, but for the last minute intervention of Senator Bugly.

I think much like Autocracy i'm going to sit this one out and read it in one go when its done.

While its enjoyable, its just too short in 10 page chunks.

Also, decide how you're writing Grimlock ffs. If he's supposed to be an intelligent leader then write him as such. Don't try and sneak in a 'Me Grimlock-ism' and then congratulate yourself on your fan-wankery, because it doesn't work when done out of no-where and completely out of context. When Furman did it he found a good reason and moment to. When Roberts did it, it was both funny and poignant, just slipping it in in the middle of a conversation is stupid.

The Dynobots 'lose control' when they assume alt-mode? Ummm, ok. Presumably we'll be told why, but at the first hint of 'Shockwave did something to them' and I'm dropping the title faster than last nights curry.

And not sure what to think of the Decepticons being just as confused about how Scorponok came to become leader as we are. Ok, it's quite meta, but some form of explanation other than 'He's leader, just roll with it!' would be nice.

It seems that every TF universe right now that isn't RID/MTMTE are trying to all tell almost the same kinds of stories right now with the same characters, with beast-Transformer making Shockwave and leader Scorponok and "Don't make me angry" Dinobots. I like being told a story, but I generally like to be told the story once.

Oh look this is turning into another Dinobot heavy book >_>

Seriously what's up with the Dinobots fetish? We were fine without them for years and them jsut being background character but now suddenly it's DINOBOTS FUCKING EVERYWHERE and it's not like they got toys or something. Only Grimlock got one and it's not that good.

I agree, Autocracy felt like it lifted too many elements from FoC's Metroplex-related plots, and now this feels similar to Prime/FoC Dinobot plots.

Autocracy came out before FOC, though...

Didn't realize that Sixshot's groupies were more badass that he was.

I liked Autocracy and was looking forward to this. But I'm a little turned off by what I'm hearing so far.

Yeah, I have this creepy suspicion that Hasbro might be starting to meddle in the comics more... considering that overall, this is the best that Transformers comics have ever been, I want to tell them "Don't f*** this up!!!" If they start slamming their "aligned" continuity into everything, it's potentially going to kill all of this energy.

zmog

Considering how the Transformers comics are currently probably the most popular than they have ever been since the end of Dreamwave and how many people seem to be discovering them because of J&J's work on RID and MTMTE hasbro probably wants to shove as many things from the currrent fiction such as Prime and the games into them so people would could get into them easier in a hope of "popularising" them even more.

Even Roberts said that he changed some his plans but whether that is his own choise or Hasbro made him is a question.

And I swear to god if then retcon the IDW universe into their Aligned BULLSHIT I will...cry and moan I guess...WITH PASSION OF A THOUSAND SUNS!

Indeed. The Terrorcons just happening to get (what seems like) a relatively prominent role just in time for the Beast Hunters Cyberverse Terrorcons... coincidence? I think not!

Ugh, really? Dinobot angst? I don't mind what Barber (and to a lesser extent Roberts) are doing with the Dinobots, but I'm getting seriously tired of the stupid 'woe is me/oh so conflicted/can't lose control' crap being thrown at us recently. It's boring, predictable, and makes them feel like a bunch of whiny gits instead of a crack team of soldiers.

On the plus side, Livio's art is pretty as usual. Nothing quantifiable, but I'd say that this series is some of his best work we've seen, with regards to his occasionally funky perspective/proportions. Needs more splash pages, though; those are where his style really shines.

Re: Dinobots

Yeah I've kinda been getting burned out on them myself lately. Ever since FOC they've been in EVERYTHING. I could understand it if new Dinobot figures were coming out, but it's only been Grimlock (so far). Really kinda makes me wonder if Hasbro has plans for the others...

why are these characters not all acting the same way they will in FOUR MILLION YEARS!!!????

Enter...INJECTOR

That's one thing I was wondering. Grimlock seemed to be speaking normally throughout #1 and most of this issue... until he all of a sudden goes "YOU STICK TO PLAN! ME WORRY ABOUT SNARL!" but then after that he speaks normally again. Huh?

my two cents, that was horribel.

Considering how little most TF characters seem to change in that 4 million year period, it's not an unreasonable question. TF timeframes are a bit ridiculous that way.

zmog

The point you're missing is over yonder >>>>>

Blech. As an aside, I didn't like the art in Autocracy and I still haven't really warmed to it.

This story continues to do nothing for me except remind me of better stories that this one isn't. The Dinobots need to get offworld because (likely because 'deh be teh dinzaurs!!!1!!') is just tiring and repetative. Scorponok being leader is a joke because we all know that he's the guy who's going to get the beatdown from Megs later. Megs story is uninteresting because all it will be is a diatribe about his power.

The Terrorcons were refreshing, but since they're all sound and fury, it'll be likely that they'll end up just being a plug for the upcoming Legends Abominus and providing Megatron with his transportation home.

Ugh.

I'm not sure why Scorpinok's leadership is so weird though. He was rocking that shit back in Marvel, and in IDW, definitely has demonstrated that he has both the muscle and the ambition to step up to that position. I mean, it's not like the Decepticons practice democratic leadership.

zmog

Starscream won the popular vote, but Megatron actually won having the majority of the Electoral votes. I say, one Decepticon, one vote.

I'm wondering about the Dynobot's Temper problem/loss of control in alt mode:this is the idw g1 continuity, the dinobots don't get their dinosaur modes until spotlight Shockwave which takes place on earth, after the war really kicks off. so the Dynobots lose their shit when they tf into tanks and a jet?



also, Junkions in the idwverse, finally!!!!

Judging by some comments from Ramondelli, it sounds like the Dynobots have non-terran beast modes right now. I'm guessing it's going to be something like the Terrorcons.

the terrorcons were cool, actually even as a kid i never liked the dinobots, i just don't undrestand why anyone would love a stupid robot with a massive brute force... atleast bulkhead talks right, anyway, anything with dinobots in it is just way too overrated and i don't really pay attention to it and roll my eyes, "those guys again!" maximum dinobots was the only comic i was interested in them.

junkions... why do they talk like wheelie?

Hasbro where you're meddling, please leave MTME and RID alone. let us enjoy our comics.

and then megatron goes on a rampage and suddenly he's got claws and stuff 0.0 ... the junkions remade him? i mean they saw what he did and they still rebuilt him? ... now we know who to blame for war... not whirl...THE JUNKIONS!

Livio said this on the IDW boards.

No, I took it as he just took random junk lying around and attached it to himself.

Technically I think he's as good a choice as any. We know that in the IDWverse he's a plotter and likes the power, and he's Machiavellian enough. It's just the way he's come from no-where, and even the Cons seemingly don't know how he became boss man is a bit 'Huh?'

I'd rather instead of that line about 'How'd he get in charge?' There was a comment like 'Wow that fight between him and (For example) Shockwave about taking charge was epic!' Or something like that. Wouldn't take any more space and would feel a lot more comfortable. Plus it plants a little seed that one day we might see that fight for Decepticon leader ship, and it might create a little bit of emnity for future reference. World building. Not happening just for the sake of it because he happens to a Scorpion.

ARGH ARGH ARGH.

Sorry, I'm just very frustrated by a statement like this from the creative team.

The entire premise of Transformers hinges upon the idea that when they came to Earth, they became something else. They were rebuilt. They were transformed. In Hearts of Steel they became locomotives. Some of them can't fly on their own, but a non-flying Autobot could still disguise himself as a plane. He just wouldn't be able to fly, or maybe fly poorly only in alt-mode.

So far we've had three cases in three different "G1" continuities of Transformers giving themselves pseudo-organic beast disguises. At no point did any of these guys (particularly the Dynobots) say "gee golly, good thing we are all pre-disposed to have beast alt-modes!" Nope. It was just something they learned how to do, with the help of their ship and technology. They find the right disguise.

The Dinobots in Marvel were never "special" Transformers till they were rebuilt in dinosaur modes by the Ark. Because that was the form that fit the mission.

To me, declaring that the Dynobots must have these monstrous alt-modes because they're the Dinobots (note my choices of spelling) betrays a fundamental misconception. When you get right down to it, a Transformer is NOT its alt-mode. A Transformer is its CHARACTER.

Grimlock can turn into a Mustang and still be Grimlock. Snarl can turn into nothing and still be Snarl. And a good writer/artist should be able to let you tell the difference anyway, trivially.

Who wants to BET that "Monstrosity" Grimlock has sharp teeth, Snarl has plates, Slag has horns, etc.? I guess Primus works in mysterious ways, amirite?

I totally agree. In the Decepticons, you get ahead because you prove yourself to the others, by being bigger, stronger or smarter than everyone else. Scorpinok has almost always been presented in the fiction as a conniving, ambitious warlord... it would make perfect sense for him to have publicly crushed some other Con's head to take the top spot, and that the other Decepticons would still be talking about that.

Of course, this early in the Decepticon movement, you'd think that there would still be a lot of freedom fighters and idealists who joined up because they thought the Cons were going somewhere positive. I'd like to see that aspect of the war emphasized more often... that these factions were not exactly the same 4 million years ago as they are now.

I had the same thought... though, correct me if I'm wrong, but have we even SEEN the IDW Dinobots old pre-Earth alt-modes? I supposed it's possible that they had beastlike modes even back then.

That's because your exposure to them was limited to the 80s Cartoon version. To be fair, that was (to my knowledge) the only version of the fiction wherein the Dinobots were unstoppable imbeciles, or something "special" (wait, no... I forgot about Animated). Generally speaking, they're just a hard-as-nails squad of surly badasses. The fact that they at some point were given dinosaur based modes is almost irrelevant.

However, it IS true that they aren't exactly intellectuals, and they're all a bit stubborn. They're a team of soldiers with attitude problems who would probably be in the brig if they weren't on the front lines.They are thugs, no question... but they aren't monsters.

I totally agree with you, in principal.

However, considering that there are so many beast-derived alt-modes in Transformers (which often do have some correlation with their personalities), it may be fair to say that Cybertron DOES have some kind of mechanical fauna, and a tradition of using these as inspiration for alt-modes. Add to that the tradition of beast-themed Cybertronians right from the beginning (Ravage, Buzzsaw, Lazerbeak, Ratbat, etc), and it gets more complicated. Were those guys built that way as design experiments? By choice? Were they being punished, Empurata-style for some crime (as seen happening to Ratbat in Megatron Origin)?

And if Grimlock & co had "beast-like" alt-modes on Cybertron, I could see them pointedly choosing dinosaur modes that most resembled their original morphology when they came to Earth. There are certain narrative conceits that have been entrenched in Transformers from the beginning, so I don't think we need to sweep all of that away. However, we have seen the Predacons on Cybertron in IDW, and they weren't using beast-modes...

I do agree that this needs some development as a concept. In IDW, we have the Functionists... we have Turbofoxes... we have Monstructor being the "first combiner"... we have Scorponok... but we have no actual explanations or discussions of where the "beast mode" thing came from. I really hope that once they dig into this with Monstrosity, they will have taken the time to discuss some of this stuff with James Roberts, because he's the guy over at IDW that I really trust when it comes to exploring these kinds of world-building ideas. I'm sure he already had some thoughts on the matter.

But you're right... I too fear that Monstrosity will amount mostly to being a beast-themed "gimmick" series... which would be too bad.

zmog

But we don't. We have a "fresh" Scorponok who has come out of no where, claimed leadership for no reason other then because, is being accepted as leader (at the moment) by the Decepticon movement because, and has put Megatron essentially in Monopoly Jail.

If they really do try to tie this in to the prior stories, then we further know that Scorponok will survive and become an outside the cons operator.

Where's the incentive to care? Because doesn't work for me. You can't rely on his portrayals in other non-related fictions to curry favor or interest in a character.

I see where you're coming from, but aren't we being too harsh? I mean, it's entirely possible that during the interim between Autocracy and Monstrosity, another Decepticon leader would seize the reins in Megatron's absence. We don't need a whole miniseries charting the rise from obscurity of Scorponok. He's a known quantity, yes... but that's why he works. He's exactly one of those guys who would assert himself in this case (though you'd think there would be indications of a power struggle... that much is true).

As for the fact that we "already know where it's going" for him, in fairness I think that's just kind of looking something else to throw on the pile of complaints. Flashback stories always work this way, seeing characters we already know, and seeing how they ended up where they are today. If Monstrosity ends up being the story of Scorponok's almost rise-to-power, and his fall into shame as the rogue science criminal he is now, then that's not exactly a bad idea. He's had a significant and enduring presence in the Transformers canon in the past, so he makes for a more interesting and congruous villain than Zeta Prime, at least... the Guy Voted Most Likely To Become an Utterly Generic and Disposable Evil Despot.

zmog