in my understanding, people hate the aligned because the covenant of primus was poorly written, but most agree its better handled by IDW, for example RID season 2

 

I actually really enjoyed this, despite the continued shoehorning of Aligned crap in where it doesn't belong.

Or because everything from Aligned is a mess of ill defined plot conveniences. It's all "mystical energies" and "metal organisms" instead of "circuit boards" and "fuel pumps". The two don't mesh, and frankly, the latter is the more measured, thoughtful approach, by any metric.

 

Least IDW is doing their own thing with the thirteen (also I am ALWAYS in favour of TFs being metal organisms. one great thing TF: Prime did was refer to biology vs technology and how humans confuse them. I also wouldn't say the latter is more thoughtful...its the default from an era where shows and comics sometimes had LESS thought. I don't like the Aligned, although I'm comfortable with mystics in my TF, but it can never be called not thoughtful...too thoughtful perhaps). I like how IDW portrays the Thirteen the same way they portray the gods, as religious figures. Camiens worship the thirteen as deities but that doesn't in any way mean they were anything more than leaders who have a legend. Galvatron exists in a realm where the mysticism of the Primes leads even them to believe they're invulnerable to most attacks. Galvatron's reaction? Kill a prime. No, it's not needed here, but IDW is handling it better than anyone.

 

It's just that some people don't find it to be all that well made. Personally I like a lot of the elements in the Aligned verse but I do feel like some of the concepts can be better which I think since IDW is taking some elements from it will improve upon hopefully. I mean it's not like the IDW verse is being retconned into the Aligned verse in the first place so I don't understand why taking some elements from the universe as inspiration is such a horrible idea. IDW already taken some elements from the other universes already anyway.

 

Believe in John Barber to make the continuity make sense. He's the one the reconciled the movie-verse into a cohesive story.

 

I thought this was a solid first issue, not particularly impressive mind you but solid nonetheless.

The art was indeed fantastic though.

 

Just explain it honestly. There was an evil alternate universe trying to eat the universe, and a combiner of thousands of bots, and it really seemed like time to open the sucker up. Oh, the half thing... Uh that's Rodimus's fault.

Didn't he talk like that when he first showed up? And hey Superion won a fight in a comic, can't even remember the last time that happened.

I'm guessing Caminus will be the planet that gets the aligned stuff dumped on it. So anyone hoping for a planet where they believe Cybertronians evolved from naturally occuring gears and pulleys?

And I have to wonder how Screamer is going to react to Optimus and Windblade stealing his thunder there at the end. And come to think of it, I also wonder if we might see some actions by Prowl too. I don't see the table flipper not trying something in reaction to Starscream with combiner tech and trying to unify the Transformers race under him.

You know probably a good thing Nexus Prime never found Caminus.

 

All in all I liked this issue, the Combiner fight was short but sweet. The art was great.

Unlike some, I like how they're integrating the aligned continuity into IDW.

When everyone bows to Optimus, I was like "Ha! Take that Starscream!"

Now the politics can begin again. And Prowl will soon show with his own plan in mind.

I look forward to the next issue.

 

Did Scott not get the memo about the matrix not being a thing any more?

Glad to see windblade being pissed at Chromia though.

Windblade seemed like a complete afterthought in this, the more i read the more i wish Starscream would just get his own comic.

 

it's not her fault. john barber did have optimus get half the matrix for a reason that we have yet to discover.

why do they call this issue one, and not two, of the combiner wars?

 

The first one was Opening Salvo.

 

One of my big criticisms of the first Windblade mini was that it did nothing for the main character. She was devoid of personality, or well anything to make her interesting.

In this she is equally vacuous and only seems to exist to move the plot rather than being a character in her own right.

It is a far cry from Nautica who so far seems to exude character and who I really want to see more of. Windblade I just want replaced by some other fembots with something to them.

I really liked this issue though, it was Scotts best work for me, even though at times the art and story did not seem to quite gel? Such as when Superion shoots Menasor in the head, then there is a panel of it smoking followed by one where it seems to be fine?

Other than that, and Windblade being a weak character, the story and dialogue were good.

I loved seeing Prime putting Starscream in his place, and also Starscreams face when the Caminus folks were all wowed by Prime.

 

Okay, Superion transforming his body to dodge a punch is pretty badass.

 

So after reading this issue, I went back and reread MTMTE Annual #1. Would it be fair to assume that the Knights of Cybertron and the 13 Primes are one and the same?

 

Considering Blackjack is a double agent, I wouldn't be surprised if Alpha Bravo is actually Vortex undercover.

 

Can´t the Aligned stuff be left in Prime? Why must is contaminate the comics? Especially since we have a better alternative in the Guiding Hand.

 

Ooh, I like this. It'd explain his lack of background.
How long until we see Bruticus, I wonder? I'm jazzed for a new toy of him.

 

AWESONE ISSUE!

Art was amazing!
Also like the ending!
I like how Caminus is more connected to the religion than cybertron ever was.


10/10

 

I would say no. Back during Dark Cybertron, Nautica asked Metroplex about the Knights when she first met him. His response was "they didn't deserve to know"

Plus, the Knights are defined as an entire generation of bots rather than a select few.

 

If not the Primes themselves, then perhaps representatives from each of the 13 tribes that descended from them.

And with Caminus having fembots descended from Solus, this could lead to other colony worlds of the tribes killed off in the first civil war: Maybe a planet with Headmasters? A wider variety of beasts? Minicons? Shifters?