Yes they did it that way because the character didn't exist in real time, but the point is Fort Max was introduced not as someone who is completely new but someone who had been around but was just taken off the board for awhile hence why he hasn't been around. And it worked, and continued a bit of a trend of introducing new characters into the lore. So the idea that Star Saber's inclusion in future issues will be written any differently or that he has to be dead and couldn't just be off having an adventure while all of the other stuff is going on (basically his actual Victory origin/explanation) doesn't make any sense, because of course they can write him in that way. Because again Furman is an expert at filling in the gaps and coming up with plot hole explanations as best as anyone when/if needed for later stories. It only ended because it had to end, but I think a sequel is likely in the works so the story will hopefully continue again someday.
Rhythms of Darkness was an alternate universe (stated as an alternative future, but there are elements inherent there that don't hold up with the timeline already established). I don't need to convince you. I'm saying what my opinion is. I have no need for Cyclonus nor Scourge to have anything to do with Unicron. They're just a couple of guys who, in most continuities, are Unicron minions, but that's not even true in all of the canonical continuities we have now. There's nothing precluding my interpretation.
It’s an alternate timeline. It’s not like Rhythms of Darkness is as different as IDW2 is or anything. It’s still the Marvel continuity where the characters are the same, just in an alternate timeline of events.
Cyclonus shows up before that issue in the Headmaster miniseries, doesn't he? Like as Targetmasters under Scorponok I think.
I hope so. I need to see the first time Impactor decides to attach his harpoon to that missing hand, post-mauling. Even if I always imagined him losing it in a tragic gardening accident.
He knows. He also knows how Furman "patched" that up in the UK timeline, and assumes that it HAS to be the same in the US. It doesn't. The UK and US continuities are very (VERY) similar, but not the same. My Goldbug will always have been rebuilt by GI Joe (who foolishly blew Bumblebee up in the first place), not Wreck-Gar. Similarly, my Cyclonus and Scourge were just a couple of Decepticons who happened to team up with Scorponok, not time-travelers from the future who had been created in 2005/6 by Unicron. Rhythms of Darkness, to me, was a parallel universe to which our Unicron had access, not literally a "possible future" of the then-existing US timeline. The only "evidence" that would suggest otherwise is Unicron's own comments on the matter, and I'm happy to assume "unreliable narrator" to handwave it.
Is the upcoming legends and rumors just a reprint of all 4 issued of secrets and lies or something else entirely ?
Impactor: "I'm making this up as I go." That's honestly what this issue in particular feels like. Literally depthless and themeless aside from, and I shit you not, "Science bad maybe? But brute force good!" But that's kind of an overarching theme with Furman, as in, that's pretty much what most of his stories have boiled down to. Grimlock's pseudo-suicide kind of is a nice final story for Furman to do for the franchise. It really felt like this was him finally saying goodbye to Transformers. So maybe that's what this comic is about at the end of the day? Furman being Furman, and giving the fandom one more little slice of himself now that he's out of new tales to tell. It's not a good story, to be honest. I think at the end of the day this comic was made for an incredibly niche group of people. I certainly identify as part of this niche, but this still really wasn't enough, even if I do appreciate some of the stuff we did get to see in '84.
I liked this miniseries well enough. Very beautifully illustrated. But I lol'd at the final panel. FACEPLANT! THE END.
Great stuff once again. Simon explains most of the backgrounds there at the end, but to those wondering, yeah, we did see Abominus and Computron on Nebulos, and they sure as hell did not yet know about Earth or Devastator, so gestalts had to have existed back on Cybertron too before Scorponok and Fort Max left. And cool, we finally see Impactor transform, and how he lost his hand! So... Straxus always knew where the Ark was, he understandable never wanted to rescue Megatron. Nice touch, makes it especially clear why he was so mad when Megatron returned and tried to take over his body. One unexplained thing at the end is how Megatron and the reactivated Autobots got back in the Ark? Maybe Grimlock took them back? Kinda disappointed this is the end? I assumed this would be an ongoing.Was this ever announced? I never read anywhere on the covers this would be a 4-issue limited. Likely someone actually interested in finding Megatron... like Ratbat maybe. He is mainly writing for an american audience here, same as Re-Generation One, and while he knows some fans read Marvel UK let's be honest we are still the minority. So he is trying to explain stuff while also keeping things in line with UK continuity, he did well, I think. It actually HAD to be so. Headmasters #3 I think, or #4, shows Abominus fighting Computron. Given that Fort Max and Scorponok and their crews left Cybertron before Soundwave's message ever gotten back to Cybertron, and only learned of Earth after they left Nebulos, the technology had to have been there already. We even saw Scattershot and Afterburner board the Steelhaven when Max left. Maybe Optimus' team just never saw it before put to action. Maybe Megatron did not like the idea, fearing the Gestalt would usurp his power, and Straxus was the first to use it?
IDW has said multiple times that this would only be 4 issues. Whether or not they decide to extend it or make it into an ongoing series we have to wait and see.
I'm not bothered by how Abominus/Computron fit into the timeline vis-a-vis Devastator (given that the Earthbound Transformers were dormant for millions of years, the Decepticons "created" combiner tech in a fairly short time after their awakening. Thus Transformers on Cybertron couldn't have had far to go, even at the time Prime and Megatron left), but this is the second comment (I think) that I've seen that suggests that Fort Max and Scorponok left Cybertron before Soundwave's message got to Cybertron. I don't see why this has to be so. Clearly the Decepticon factions on Cybertron are pretty distinct at this point, so just because Straxus received the message, I see no reason to assume others also did. Fort Max and Scorponok might well have left Cybertron much later. All we know is that they did so in ignorance of the Earth.
I've read #4 twice and feel like I've gotten my money's worth. It was entertaining and drawn beautifully. Furman's work will always be the gold standard for Transformers comics.
I'm with BB Shockwave on this one. For some reason I thought this was an ongoing series. Shame since I'd rather it than the upcoming Beast Wars reboot.
Grimlocks ending is reminiscent of Rodimus Primes ending in RG1. Also, we never found out who Punch/CounterPunch is speaking with.
I hope we see more issues. There are times Furman is too full of himself and takes the story in pointless directions, but I did still like the series. Just that Furman should reign in the delusions of grandeur and make it more about filling in the gaps than resurrecting characters did not need to be resurrected.
i have a tough time getting invested in this or looking at the original marvel the same way after finding out optimus' dark true plan/intentions
This is the same Prime who killed himself over a video game. Maybe he choose a really shitty time to face his demons.
