Prowl has a pet pterodactyl and I'm here for it. I feel like these are the little bits of personality that the previous IDW books showed off so well that this book has been hit or miss with so far, and I say that as someone that really likes this series already. I'm sure there's gonna be a million people on here gnashing their teeth about this just like people have with every goddamn little thing about this book, but I like a lot of the choices they've made for it and I'm interested to keep reading.
And one that tolerates his BS; because he doesn't understand any of it. ...The little pterodactyl is going to die is he? Anyone else getting old-IDW Megatron peeking out? Hoarding Energon? Possibly wanting colonies and expanding into other planets?
Definitely the most interesting preview for the comic that we've had. The Megatron bit was redundant. It seemed to add a couple other reasons for the ascenticons to be upset, but not much else. Honestly this is the speech Megatron should have been giving at his rally in issue #2. Even if what Nominus was suggesting sounds perfectly reasonable to be perfectly honest. The exiles sound like a vague, gray area, but aside from that it almost sounds like Megatron's praising Nominus, even though he's not. Also, does anyone here see the chain? Or whatever Megatron's point is? The Chromia page was really interesting actually. 200 Cybertronians disappeared since Brainstorm died? Why? How? Where did they all go? Prowl's thing with the pterodactyl is kind of cute, and it gives him some personality, makes him more of a weird dick than just a dick, which is fine. It is a page about Prowl saying he's going to go do something than actually doing it though, which is still kind of an issue with this whole comic, but it does give a bit of character to him, even if the scene is a bit exposition heavy. I hope the stuff that happened in the previous issues gets followed up on. Like Optimus' meeting with the person in the wall, and Cyclonus, and the follow up on the assassination attempt.
I got the sense (and I could be wrong, but this was my take) that Megatron was talking about how Cybertronians have been "chained down" with a bunch of restrictions that prevent them from reaching their true potential. The chain, I think he was saying, is wrapped around YOU, the viewer of the video.
I hope Sideswipe appears in the issue, and he isn't just talking to Chromia in the dialogue box. It will be interesting to see how he is portrayed in this iteration. And like everyone else said, the Chromia and Prowl pages are the best part of this preview, although I find the Megatron page to be alright, but not really different to the previous issues. It's nice to see Prowl have a friend. Let's just hope it doesn't end up being Lazerbeak or Buzzsaw, otherwise that would be it a bit tragic for Prowl.
Great art, the mystery is going somewhere (slowly) and people involved in it have some hints of character. We shouldn't be getting Prowl's first interesting scene, or the Megatron speech that should have been in issue 1 (or 2) as a solid starting point to be developed later, in issue #5 of the book, but maybe after a really bad first impression I can eventually enjoy this book a bit more consistently. Was going to say I liked what they were going with shadows around Megatron's eyes, reminds me of the original toy and particularly Transformers Animated, I realise the same thing is happening with Prowl and Chromia so it isn't a reference it is just nice art you dummy. Like how Prowl has this tidy office that is all professional but with this little crystal plant thing. Just a small bit of personality, because that is this Prowl. You think it's IDW Prowl, then there's a pet and he's the rookie. Short version, best preview so far, still some problems. Infiltration #0 and Death of Optimus Prime were such strong openers though. Feel like I'd just be doing it for myself, but definitely want to compare the three books at one point. Even All Hail Megatron started off alright in the first issue, just kinda tripped soon after.
That's a pretty interesting take, and I think that's probably what Ruckley is going for. Which I dig. I still think his ideas don't really connect though. I want to say he's implying this, but really Megatron is outright stating that not being able to expand and antagonize other worlds is synonymous to chaining down the rights of the citizens. Which is a ridiculous notion unless the majority of Cybertronians passionately believes the military should be going out of its way to conquer other worlds. This is especially offputting when Cybertron is already essentially a paradise, or as far as we the readers know.
When has the comic indicated they haven't left yet? That page with Megatron's (poorly written) speech mentions the colonies, apparently there were past conflicts with other races, etc. Heck, he's feeding the creature meat from vermin that were established in a previous issue to have come to Cybertron as stowaways on ships coming and going from the planet.
There's definitely hints at organic life on Cybertron, just that they're vermin so not much focus there. Plus I bet you Prowl buys imported foods from the galactic trade market.
It is an unusual take to see Cybertronians ambivalently accept populations of organics that consume each other and presumably excrete too. Maybe Megatron will finally lose it due to all the crap lying around the place from brain-monkeys and space gerbils! Given the whole recycling theme of mining the planet to construct bodies and the elderly assimilating into the surface, I'd really like a Soylent Green style revelation. Perhaps Rubble has Brainstorm's spark and the Well is either dry or a myth? The population management aspect seems conspicuous. Hopefully the Cybertronian administrators are puppets to an outside influence (the squidy-er, the better).
